Rrrrrrrust...

[VanLifeCrisis]

So I was looking at the van today for the first time with it cleaned out.&nbsp; I got the van very cheap and he took payments on it.&nbsp; I knew it had some rust on the outside body but I had thought the cargo area was clean.&nbsp; Well i noticed at least one rust hole (maybe 2 inches) in the floor.&nbsp; Altho i plan to cover the floor with wood, I am not sure what to do with a rust hole there.&nbsp; <br /><br />I guess i can cut it out and primer the metal around it to stop the cancer but then ill be left with a hole.&nbsp; I don't have a welder etc to metal over the hole..and cant afford an auto body guy...any thoughts?<br /><br />How long before im falling thru the floor&nbsp; I wonder <img src="/images/boards/smilies/tongue.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />

 

[Seraphim]

Cut away the rust, and pop rivet a piece of of metal over the hole. Seam sealer between the floor and metal will help seal out moisture. Paint the bottom of the metal before you pop rivet it in place. The rivet tool can be purchased at hardware stores, etc. not as permanent as welding, but works.

 

[Seraphim]

Piece of metal can come from anywhere - I've cut pieces off of old appliances.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Rust converters work way better than just paint alone. &nbsp; Look up Ospho. &nbsp;With this &nbsp;product, you pretty much just wire brush off the loose stuff, and put a couple layers of ospho. &nbsp;It is very thin. &nbsp;The rust will turn black and then takes paint very nicely. &nbsp;It is the best way to slow down rust. &nbsp;There is really no way to completely stop it.<br /><br />I would cover the holes with more metal. &nbsp;Rivets and a good adhesive caulk can take the place of a welder.

 

[Seraphim]

Depends on how bad the rust is. Better if you can cut all the rust away, then no need for the converter. I only use it for surface rust.

 

[karl]

I have patched holes in the floor (and elsewhere) with sheet metal and self drilling screws- here in Vt rust is common, and the safety stations prefer to "not see the rust or the hole", meaning the patches have to be on the bottom of the floor.<br />A generous amount of construction adhesive or caulking to fill in the ribs in the floor and a flat sheet for a patch, drive a couple screws up through both to hold the patch in place (with a power drill and appropriate bit), then screw down between the ribs as needed, then remove the first two screws and re drive them from the top. Apply more caulking from above if needed. Of course, be aware of anything that you don't want to screw into- like fuel lines, fuel tank, wires, brake lines, etc.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Agreed. &nbsp;I have found that the Oshpo, as opposed to other rust converters, when applied over previously painted surfaces adjacent to the rusty areas, still allows good adhesion of subsequent layers of paint.<br /><br />Kleen Strip Prep and Etch is less expensive and similar but I have no experience with it.

 

[drivebyandy]

I second what Karl said. That's what I did with my van. I had lots of holes.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Im not to worried about inspections, they don't inspect interior/cargo areas at all. &nbsp; Even the outside they dont care unless it is really rotted out an noticeable (they just walk around the car, tell you flip the blinkers, turn on the lights, and hit the brake, and check out the tread).&nbsp; The guy im buying this van from had a franken pickup with the fuel tank sitting in the back of the truck held down with bungee cords and they passed it.&nbsp; <br /><br />Just don't want to floor to keep rotting out.<br /><br />I'll look into riveting, though might be tricky with how the floor is shaped in hills and valleys.&nbsp; I never thought to salvage metal from old appliances, Im pretty sure i can find some the junk hounds haven't snatched up.<br /><br />Thanks everyone, love this place <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />

 

[wrcsixeight]

My floor had holes cut in the &nbsp;floor from where the conversion Van company installed those removable tables.<br /><br />I bent some &nbsp;scrap metal in a vice to the shape of the valleys and riveted them in place, then ground down the edges and used rubberized undercoating top and bottom.<br /><br />

<br /><br />Taking a battery powered angle grinder with several cut off wheels to a junkyard and cutting out patches from other van/truck floors, is another option.

 

[oldsoul]

Hello, check out a product called Por 15. Most amazing stuff ive ever used.

 

[Johnnomads]

<span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;">Yes i've used the Por 15 stuff, and it does work well, but it's more important to prevent rust in the first place. Whenever your van is up on a lift, you can take a peek. I heard stories of spraying used engine oil under the vehicle</span> <span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;">every 6 months or so to prevent the formation of rust, but today it might be considered an enviromental disaster,or with m</span><span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;">y luck, the catalyst would light the whole mess on fire.</span>

 

[oldsoul]

<span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;">Yes i've used the Por 15 stuff, and it does work well, but it's more important to prevent rust in the first place. Whenever your van is up on a lift, you can take a peek. I heard stories of spraying used engine oil under the vehicle</span> <span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;">every 6 months or so to prevent the formation of rust, but today it might be considered an enviromental disaster,or with m</span><span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde;">y luck, the catalyst would light the whole mess on fire.</span>

<br /><br />Undercoating vehicles has been done for a very long time, and to my knowledge has never caught any ones vehicle on fire. You should try living on the east coast of Canada if you want to see rusty cars, trucks and vans.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I looked underneath, its rusty looking, but seems fairly solid from the bottom...its like just about every older vehicle i see around here.&nbsp; I couldn't see the hole I mentioned from underneath, stuff in the way. <br /><br />Maybe i can use some of that Oshpo stuff under there than spray an undercoating after treating. Anything that is bad to spray under there from an operational or safety standpoint?

 

[ParadiseParrot]

Small 110v mig welders are not expensive. way less than your going to lose as your van turns to dust. I used one on a workvan for my shop back in the day. It worked great