I'm going to throw this caution out, for those considering the sandwiched
flooring. As I've thought about this for about a minute, you be the judge
of the value.
If, as I understand it, the plywood of the floor of the AS serves a critical
structural function, then any new floor floor material has to be equal to
it. In an AS, the plywood acts as a membrane laterally (across the plane)
to stiffen the frame, and also supports the edge of the shell, transferring
the loads of the shell into the frame. Under way, the forces are
dynamically (sp?) moving from place to place, and impact loads can be pretty
substantial. The dreaded frame separation many of us see is a result of the
weakening of the floor membrane due to rot (in my case). With no floor to
resist the forces, the forces don't go away-they just lead to a sagging
tail. Replacement of the floor is the only solution.
The aluminum composite sandwich sounds great, but also sounds like it has
substantial limitations. Its strenght laterally is probably enormous, but
strength perpendicular to the plane sounds very limited. It's ability to
resist the forces on the fasteners that transfer the forces from the shell,
through the floor may also be similarly limited. I'm sure all these factors
can be controlled somewhat by the thickness of the aluminum, strength of the
core, and type of fastener chosen.
I'm not saying it won't work, but I think this is a relatively complex
engineering project, not one for a backyard restoration. I would much
rather spend the bucks on marine plywood, and have a good understanding of
the way the materials will behave in the long run.
Now if someone can tell me how to begin pulling the bathroom out of the '64
Overlander, I'll let youknow eventually if my pontificating has any basis in
fact.
Louis Joyner
'64 Overlander