Sealing the basement areas

[Neweller]

Has anyone used or had spray-in bedliner material put in their coach basements? I was thinking it would be a good way to go. Even wondered how well it would work on the underside as an insulator/protector?

Ken W.

[prestadude]

Good question. I was thinking of using it in my battery compartment which has some corrosion and it seems that a Tuff Bed type material could be a good choice for future protection (after completely neutralizing and cleaning the compartment).

[larryweikart]

I decided to clean my battery compartment and although the wood looked good on top I found it to be completely rotted out and then discovered a rusty mess underneath. My thoughts, since the metal on the bottom is almost useless, is to construct a "pan" to slide in and fit tight to the sides, paint with a good rust preventive product and pop rivet it to the sides and seal the edges. I read an older post where there was a discussion about using a spray-on type bedliner product in the basement areas. It seems like this might be a good way of sealing the pan once it is installed. Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated.

[prairieschooner]

Larry,
Try looking at a product called POR15, the car guys speak very highly of it. There are a few steps with the system that are supposed to clean the area, convert the rust to inhibit anymore damage and then coat it. There is also a fiber cloth (not fiberglass) that may work better than adding another piece of metal but I am not sure about the weight that it will support;
http://www.por15.com/

[HoosierDaddy]

Hi Larry,
I'm using POR 15 on the floors and inside sheet metal on my 52 Chevy panel. It requires some special handling but seems to work well. I think I have some here if you want to look at it.
I've also used some paint-over-rust that comes in aerosol cans on my Airstream. Worked great. Check out Eastwood.com
Do your batteries set on the floor of that compartment or is there a "rack" that they set in?

[larryweikart]

Thanks for the feed back, I have been reading about POR 15 but I used a similar product on my trailer floor 2 years ago and it released and peeled off. Probably wasn't prepped properly. My batteries sit on a rack which is being sandblasted. I believe what is left of my floor is so thin that I will need to cut it out and install new. There just isn't enough to support any weight, let alone bolt down the battery rack. Big project but I only wish to do it once. I'm still thinking about spray on bedliner as a finishing touch?

[folivier]

Check at walmart or other places for cans of bedliner that are brushed on.
A little messy to apply but easier than spraying.

[prairieschooner]

Larry,
Look at the complete system for the POR-15. I have not heard of it coming loose when prepared properly. It is not cheap but should work for your issues but you will need all of the components to prep properly. Allot of guys have used the system to repair the floors in the older cars.
If the pan is still secure this may be a great way to go.

[Wally Arntzen]

I had 3 compartments that has rust at the bottom seams and I sprayed them with a rust inhibitor. I then lined them with rubber that is used on rubber roofs, I put it on the bottom and ran it up 8" on all sides. I did not cut the corners, I folded them with a lap fold and glued them with a rubber adheisive. This was done about 6 years ago and nothing has changed since. No further rust that I can see and no water getting inside the compartment.

[HoosierDaddy]

OK ...I got interrupted during my earlier post by family demands B-)
I would not use bed liner....The primary benefits of it are impact resistance and sound deadening which is not needed here. Minimize any opportunity to have two surfaces that rust can collect between.
This is very similar to the repairs I made on my '78 Newell 14 years ago which still looks great.
The best solution is to cut out all rusted metal and weld in replacement pieces. (That is what I did) If welding is out of the question riveting would be a distant second choice. The no-weld solution:
If the floor is too thin to support the trays I would cut it out leaving a 1" flange around the perimeter. Once all cutting and finish grinding is done I would coat it with the Over-Rust products from Eastwood :
http://www.eastwood.com/specialty-coatings/rust-solutions.html

Cut your new steel floor to a size that will drop in and be supported by the 1" flanges you left from the original floor on the 3 sides that are not rusted up the sidewall. Bend a flange on your new steel floor that will cover the rust creeping up that one side. I have a steel brake you can use if you need to. Once you are sure your replacement floor will fit properly prep and paint with Chassis-black paint (Eastwood) or better yet drop it off at your local body shop and have them hit it with a couple coats of a 2 stage paint. Coat the contact areas with "Henry 209 Elastomastic Sealant" available at Home Depot....You must avoid all possibility of moisture getting between the mating surfaces from above or below. If you want to use solid rivets I have a Rivet-set you can use. Otherwise steel "pop" rivets should work. Once the floor is in place a couple coats of Gray over-rust paint on the whole compartment should finish it. You could apply a coat of rubberized undercoating to the floor and up the sides 1" or so before setting the plywood in. I have some 3/8 plywood that is laminated on both sides with fiberglass. That is what I used on the walls and floor of my water compartments. It would work on your floor if you want a piece let me know.
If possible have the battery bracket painted with 2 stage paint as well.

[larryweikart]

Thanks for all the great input. I've decided to cut out the old and replace with an "insert" I just don't have enough old material left to do anything else.I will try to post pics along the way. If I were to weld the insert in, is it necessary to remove the battery cables or is using the disconnects enough to protect the ddec? I've also thought about using J-B Weld to secure the insert. Any thoughts on those 2 items before I get started? This project will keep me at our storage building, where I like to be anyway, tinkering!

[Brad Townsend]

My compartments are stainless steel. They will not rust and stand up to any acid spills far better than steel. I also have AGM's they are 5yrs old and just as clean as the day I put them in, no acid venting out. You could have a compartment bet to order at a sheet metal shop then pop rivet it in place.

[HoosierDaddy]

Hi Larry,
If this floor just lays in there JB would probably work. I'd still like to see a few rivets...especially on the side where the sidewall is rusted. If the floor secures your battery tray I would want a more robust arrangement ie more rivets or weld. Finish off with a bead of sealant around all edges top and bottom and a drain hole.
To Brad's point:
Stainless would work great. I am aware of a couple Amish sheetmetal shops in your area that could probably make a stainless "tray" that would drop in there. This would preclude the "weld in" option though.