Floor replacement

[Over59]

Well I ended up taking out the rear floor of the 59 Overlander aka Bat Cave Express. While the edge of the floor appeared to be half gone it was totally gone on both sides but good in the back. The big surprise was the street side major frame member is missing it's top for about 18". When I scraped off the fibergalss the top of the frame came with it. Sides and bottom are very sound. The fiberglass has been holding water getting in from the floor against the frame. A few other minor rust issues on the cross member which I'll replace and the wingy piece where it attaches to the main frame rail.
I'm doing the floor a section at a time. I did not take out the floor piece under the rear window. This sets on a cross member which will need to be replaced but for now is holding the rearend up. Next I'll take out the remains of the elevator bolts in on the sizes and rear. Then I'll support the rearend using the spare tire bracket on the bumper. I need to replace most of the "channel". Since I'll have to make this I see not reasons to be restricted to the 5/8" ply. I would really like an instulating composite of the commerial or homemake kind, any ideas? Pictures tomorrow. I also removed the interior panels and fiberglass dome in the rear and well fill some stray screw holes and give it a fresh coat on the back and paint the front. I'm going to work back to front. Still haven't gotten the P trap off the tub.

[JohnG]

My at the number of people that are doing floor replacements on the forum, myself included. Maybe we should call this the Floored Forum

[Over59]

Bumper support will not work now that I think about it as the floor piece I need to remove is above. If I understand this right it's like a sandwich. Frame...wood floor....aluminum channel... So I'll have to come up with another support when its time to put the floor in.
Today's mission is to remove the next section of lower interior panels to expose the floor / channel further, take out more floor to the 6 foot mark, cleanup frame to that point and go to home depot. I need to find a local welder. I have this feeling the shell is going to end up off yet. It's hard to resist the full monty once you get going.

[JohnG]

Spmeone should make a video on floor replacement. Bet they could make a few bucks selling it...............

[Over59]

Today was strip the front door to paint day. No AS work. Well I did strip three interior panels I had taken out. That Zolatone stuff is tough. No way am I going to try to strip that off everything. Super clean it and paint over. Settled on an interior ceiling color of Sterling. Bought 500 ft of 12 stranded at Home Depot for $30. Ready to wire as I go.
Also picked up some pinke 1" foam board to cut and past to dome. Then fill joints with the foam in a can stuff.

[malconium]

Over59,

You are right about the ordering of the parts of the sandwich.

Check out the following thread for a floor support technique that I used that worked just fine:

"Shell Off vs Shell On" especially my notes in #74

Let me know if anything does not make sense.

Malcolm