Hi all,
Well I have made some serious headway on my Bubble. I have completely removed the entire interior so I am down to skins & plywood. It looks like I have some leaks because there are water stains around almost the entire perimeter of the floor. The floor is still very solid except for a couple spots. The worst area is right at the door where the floor is still completely intact but is splintering and feels soft. Is there a repair method that would fix this problem without having to replace the floor? Would the rot doctor epoxy work well in this application? My one concern is this spot is right where the step is attached to the floor, the bolt already pulled through on the bad side of the floor. Except for this area and 1 or 2 other minor splinter spots the rest seems to be in great shape. I started sanding with my belt sander and the plywood looks brand new. I know I need to start by finding the leaks in the outside skin. I inspected it and I can't see anything in particular that is leaking. Could it just be the epoxy in the seams is failing? I have a tube of Vulkem and will reseal all the seams, hopefully that is the problem. TIA
I'm not a restorer, but enjoy following the threads
I'm thinking condensation running down the walls would create dampness marks on the edge over time. They probably didn't make fantastic fans when yours was built, but I'd add one just to prevent condensation.
I'm sure you should vulkem all of the seams - after all your unit is half a century old so it would be just good preventative maintenance at this stage.
I'd also have to think that the heaviest wear would be right at the step, so if the rest of the floor is solid, I'd try to patch that one spot with new plywood. Of course you should examine as much of the underside and frame as you can when you cut the piece out. Who knows what evil lurks....
Hi all,
Well I have made some serious headway on my Bubble. I have completely removed the entire interior so I am down to skins & plywood. It looks like I have some leaks because there are water stains around almost the entire perimeter of the floor. The floor is still very solid except for a couple spots. The worst area is right at the door where the floor is still completely intact but is splintering and feels soft. Is there a repair method that would fix this problem without having to replace the floor? Would the rot doctor epoxy work well in this application? My one concern is this spot is right where the step is attached to the floor, the bolt already pulled through on the bad side of the floor. Except for this area and 1 or 2 other minor splinter spots the rest seems to be in great shape. I started sanding with my belt sander and the plywood looks brand new. I know I need to start by finding the leaks in the outside skin. I inspected it and I can't see anything in particular that is leaking. Could it just be the epoxy in the seams is failing? I have a tube of Vulkem and will reseal all the seams, hopefully that is the problem. TIA
You might want to consider acquiring some products in addition to Vulkem for your sealing project. While I am not a do-it-yourselfer, I know that my Airstream service facility outlined the following as methods for sealing the exterior:
Vulkem for penetrations through the skin such as around windows, plumbing vents, roof vents, etc.
Creeping Crack Sealants for the actual rivited seams (the following have all been discussed on the Forums)
The more I inspect my floor the more I think the epoxy will work. My one concern is the bolt that comes up through the wood floor. It has pulled through. Is the epoxy strong enough to keep this bolt from pulling through again. My plan is to push the step back up to the right level which will push the bolt back into place. Then I will epoxy it all together assuming the epoxy works that well. If anyone knows if this should work please let me know. TIA
The more I inspect my floor the more I think the epoxy will work. My one concern is the bolt that comes up through the wood floor. It has pulled through. Is the epoxy strong enough to keep this bolt from pulling through again. My plan is to push the step back up to the right level which will push the bolt back into place. Then I will epoxy it all together assuming the epoxy works that well. If anyone knows if this should work please let me know. TIA
My Overlander had the soft floor near the door at one point in its life, and was repaired with some type of Epoxy product (prior to my purchase in 1995). The repair has held up well for more than ten years. There have been several threads here on the Forums about this process - - one that mentions the problems near the door can be found at:
Something to consider about Epoxying the attaching hardware for the step is that it could make future repairs/adjustments to the mechanism more difficult. The restoration data that I have read regarding the use of Epoxy Consolidant products indicates that the fully-cured Epoxy treated wood is as strong (if not stronger) than untreated wood - - if this is the case, the repairs could be made and the step could then be reattached with bolts approximating its original installation.
Kevin
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Kevin D. Allen WBCCI (Lifetime Member)/VAC/Free Wheelers #6359 AIR #827
1964 Overlander International/1999 GMC K2500 Suburban (7400 VORTEC/4.11 Differentials)
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre/1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible (8.2 Liter V8/2.70 Final Drive)
Can you just cutout the bad wood without causing structural problems? How do you tie it back in?
If you are handy, and the bad area is not too large, you could cut out the spot in question, screw pressure-treated 2x4's around the edge, and screw a new piece of plywood to the 2x4's. A coat of epoxy should seal everything up nicely.
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Terry Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine
AIR#2611
If you do use Rot Doctor keep in mind that any hardware in place when the Rot Doctor is applied will be virtually impossible to get out, should the need arise. It would be best to remove the bolt in question, let the epoxy set up (and it will take several applications, each of which must dry), and then drill the hole for the bolt.
You can also saturate fine sawdust with Rot Doctor and trowel it on to fill low places. This will NOT add any strength, but it will provide a solid level fill.
After reading all the frame and floor stories on this site I have decided there is no way I can leave in a 50 year old floor. Even though my floor is in pretty good condition it is not perfect. It began yesterday when I went out to work on my windows. After a few minutes I started poking around at the floor trying to reassure myself that it would be fine with the Rot Doctor repair. Anyway, one poke led to another and before I knew It I had removed my interior skins and half the belly pan. I am so glad I decided to go with the full repair. I know I would have worried about my floor and frame and regreted not replacing it later. Also, once I pulled the skins and got a good look at the wiring I can finally understand how the vintage system works along with the mess the PO made. I am so excited now about my Bubble, now I will truly know this thing inside and out. (Peace of mind is beautiful) Thank you all for the inspiration you have all given me in this forum. I'm sure I'll have many questions in the upcoming months. BTW- if anyone is looking for some Rot Doctor there is an order on it's way to my house, I'll give someone a good deal.
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, or the ssss-zap univolt ss-spark, or the tradition. Sigh...
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