Deconstructing the Mouse Mausoleum-Suggestions?

[nseeger]

I purchased a '72 Sovereign a few months ago, and have demolished the interior in preparation for a shell-on total floor replacement. I have two questions to field to the experts in this community... (or really anyone who has an opinion)!

1. The front half of the floor was removed prior to my purchase and replaced with diamond plate aluminum shown in the pictures attached. Whoever removed the old floor did not join the floor with the c-channel and thus there are gaps between the floor and the shell. When putting in the new subfloor, what is the best way to 'pull the shell back in' --- i.e. line it up with the frame footprint before bolting it all together?

2. Never having done this before this is what I think I should be doing, please let me know if I've forgotten something (highly likely) all comments are helpful!

-Remove belly pan + insulation
-Stabilize c-channel with wood planks and jacks
-Cut flooring out (trying to preserve shape for cutting new floor) Best way to
do this??
-Frame care: remove rust w/ wire-wheel, replace any crossbeams needed,
apply a 'rust converter' (brand recommendations?), apply a sealant coat
(necessary?)
-Cut new floor and seal edges (marine plywood? Synthetic board
alternative?)
-Install floor, boards continuous from side to side. Bolt down through C-
channel
-Rejoice in new and extraordinary levels of stability!

Thanks for your time and assistance!

[pvfjr]

How far out of position is the c-channel? Can you move it by hand, or will you have to draw it in with something? If you can't easily pull it in by hand, and it needs moved a significant amount, you could try using ratchet straps. You'll want to avoid creating pressure points and causing it to buckle, so maybe you could spread the stresses out by bolting some 1x2 inside the channel. You could then attach ratchet straps to the 1x2 to help spread the load out a bit.

As for rust converters, the best I've always heard about is POR15, though I've not used it myself. I'm sure others here will recommend it as well.

Congrats on the new Sovereign! We just picked one up ourselves; I only ran across your thread while looking for the appropriate place to start a thread of my own.

[J. Morgan]

I think you know but I have to say it, take up the diamond plate...

You can take the plywood out without supporting the c-channel.

You want the plywood ends to line up in the center of a crossmember.

Good luck getting the plywood out in a manner intact enough to make a real pattern. You can make the cuts by measuring.

You might get a full sheet across the trailer in the back when you fix the inevitable rear end separation, but the rest of the sheets are going to need to be split down the middle in order to get them under the C-channel. You can join the halfs with a cleat under the floor, glued and screwed will work well.

[Capt Dave]

Hirsch Automotive Miracle Paint- not rust converter but rust encapsulator. I've used it many times and highly recommend. Put it right over rust, of course you have to knock of what is not structurally sound. If its bad- air compressor and needle gun.

POR- Paint Over Rust

http://www.hirschauto.com/

[Bob Blarney]

I'm not sure that my suggestions for pulling the skin inwards are the best, but here's what I would do. I would tape/attach a longish 1x3 wooden board along the outside, a few inches above the lower edge. Then from the inside, drill a series of small holes (1/8-3/16) through the skin and into the board, about 16 inches apart. Then screw eyebolts into the 1x3 board, to attach ratchet straps or turnbuckles that could draw the side inwards. The board would push instead of pll, and spread the stress on the aluminum skin.

I've been exploring the subflooring options. The material of choice is Coosa Board, at about $200-$280/ 4x8 sheet (ouch!). It's expensive, but it would solve the rotting problem. (Perhaps it could be placed only in strategic areas of the endcaps.) I think there is no advantage at all to expensive marine plywood over 5/8" ACX five-ply - the only significant difference for this purpose, is that marine plywood is guaranteed to have no voids. Marine plywood will rot just as well as any other plywood when exposed to fresh water. If you use plywood, I would epoxy the edges and inwards from there for 8" or so. (Hmm, has anybody ever encapsulated plywood in formica laminate?)

[nseeger]

Thanks everyone for your advice. The C-channel on the lengthwise sections is not too far off and I should be able to move it in by pushing- the endcap regions in the front are going to be a bit trickier, I'll try the ratchet straps with reinforced endpoints to pull it in long enough to get a bold through.

I'm still confused about what the shell is attached to once I remove the floor- other than the cross members at the front and rear, won't the shell be 'floating' on both sides?