[VAL] Re: subfloor restore/fix

[Russ Wojtkiewicz <rwojtkiewicz@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for Glyn for the URLs.  I must spend part of today looking over 
West Systems or Rot Doctor CESP epoxies and decide which system I will 
choose and get it in here quick to allow the days of curing necessary to 
keep me on schedule.

The H clips sound probable, but I just don't think they will hold as 
much direct weight and travel movement as a good glued and screwed joint 
and overlap piece.  But I think I do have enough room to use at least 
1/2" if not some 3/4" strips between the subfloor and top fo the tank. 
There appears that there will be clearance.

I have trimmed down to only about the rear 12" of material from the aft 
channel forward with a couple of notches left and right.  The curvature 
will be the tough part and will require lots of in and out to trim it 
all down and get it to fit.

Jo Ann, the waste tank sits in a  pan and is suspended inside the pan 
with styrofoam for heat circulation.  That outer pan is held in place by 
a forward and aft angle iron bolted to the frame.  Yes, I and fellow 
A/Streamer believe a couple of railroad straps across the bottom would 
be a good insurance, but I pulled my "twinkie" (as we lovingly call her) 
to NE and back with extremely rusted angle iron holding the rusted pan 
in place.  So it really doesn't go anywhere.  But.....it was a dry tank!

Now, don't laugh list but I will accept flack that I may have problems, 
but I am having a new waste tank pan fabricated out of aluminum.  Only 
about $20 more in cost, and much lighter weight.  It is thicker than the 
galvanized, but that's good as the I.D. is going to be the same, but the 
overall tank dimension will be a hair lower, as will the new angle iron 
supports I am having rewelded/fabricated today by a local mobile 
welder.  We're also going to increase the angle size from the 1" that 
was there to 1.5", weld the forward angle into place and cut an oval 
shape in the frame to accept the aft angle bolts so as to be able to 
slip the tank/pan into the forward angle then slip the aft angle tight 
against it and tighten.  The only crucial placement I see is the toilet 
floor flange hole both vertically and floor placement.  But I'm sure 
there is fractions of an inch wiggle room there also.

I am praying that the Expoxies do their trick on a couple of areas that 
are difficult to replace and give me plastic hard resilience.  I can 
actually stand on the subfloor now at the edges where I have trimmed off 
the rot. A little bouncy, but its holding 150 lbs and me bouncing a 
little on it just to test it.  So it won't take much to support it.

Ah, but getting all the rust and crud off the rear floor angle iron 
under the trunk door and the main frame pieces!  Now there is a lot of 
sweat coming.  Going to lay a piece of roof felt over the top of the 
frame where the subfloor meets it just for that much more protection and 
I am seriously considering undercoating with roll on truck bed liner the 
under part of the subfloor anywhere I can reach prior to stuffing new 
insulation.

Are you getting I only want to do this once if at all possible or long 
enough for me to hire it done or my son to do it next time?:)  And yes, 
yes, I'm taking pictures!

Russ Wojtkiewicz
Kansas City, MO
1970 27' International Land Yacht (with strange floor plan)