American Coach: Basement Rust Repair

[Meames1]

Originally Posted by Rob_M

Meames can you detail how to take the beltline trim off? I need to address some rust around the wet bay on our ‘02 AT.

Awesome work btw. I’m a welder/machinist by trade.

"Assuming" yours is like my '99, you have to peel the 1 1/8" rubber trim off (use a heat gun). Once it's off it will expose the screws on the aluminum extrusion. Take out the screws and then using a block of wood and a hammer tap upwards on the extruded trim and it will pop up. It sits down into a cleat attached to the sidewall. Also, before you tap it up take a razor blade and cut down the center of any caulk on the top.

Edit; If you go back to post #112 in this thread there is a picture of the cleat without the trim piece.

[Rob_M]

Originally Posted by Meames1

"Assuming" yours is like my '99, you have to peel the 1 1/8" rubber trim off (use a heat gun). Once it's off it will expose the screws on the aluminum extrusion. Take out the screws and then using a block of wood and a hammer tap upwards on the extruded trim and it will pop up. It sits down into a cleat attached to the sidewall. Also, before you tap it up take a razor blade and cut down the center of any caulk on the top.

Edit; If you go back to post #112 in this thread there is a picture of the cleat without the trim piece.

Thanks.
At least I have an idea of how it’s put together now. The small trim strip on mine is at the top of the wide trim and metal. No idea if it’s rubber underneath and glued or clipped somehow. Hopeful it will pop right off. I have 2 doors on the drivers side that the hinge screws are obviously pulling out. I took the lift struts off of them for now because the pressure was causing mis alignment.

[Rob_M]

Is there anything I can do to stop or slow down the inevitable rust in our AC’s basement framework? It’s been based in Texas it’s whole life, but has seen the beach several times and one trip to Colorado last February where we drove on salted roads unfortunately.
I always pressure wash under it as much as possible after salt exposure but there’s so many nooks and crannies impossible to get to.

[Rob_M]

Originally Posted by Rob_M

Thanks.
At least I have an idea of how it’s put together now. The small trim strip on mine is at the top of the wide trim and metal. No idea if it’s rubber underneath and glued or clipped somehow. Hopeful it will pop right off. I have 2 doors on the drivers side that the hinge screws are obviously pulling out. I took the lift struts off of them for now because the pressure was causing mis alignment.

Funny how I remember things wrong sometimes. I was wrong, the narrow trim is along the bottom of the large trim. So removal should be the same as yours.

[Meames1]

Originally Posted by Rob_M

Funny how I remember things wrong sometimes. I was wrong, the narrow trim is along the bottom of the large trim. So removal should be the same as yours.

That makes more sense. I was wondering how attaching them at the top worked.

As far as how to stop or slow down the rust.....no idea. Once it sets in, it's difficult to impossible to stop. Stripped down and encapsulating it from oxygen with something like POR 15 maybe, but difficult to do when it's all together.

[Rob_M]

Originally Posted by Meames1

That makes more sense. I was wondering how attaching them at the top worked.



As far as how to stop or slow down the rust.....no idea. Once it sets in, it's difficult to impossible to stop. Stripped down and encapsulating it from oxygen with something like POR 15 maybe, but difficult to do when it's all together.

Can the aluminum skinned flooring be taken out and replaced with stainless without cutting the framework apart?

[Meames1]

Originally Posted by Maik

Update on basement repair. Yes, I am still at it. Slow process with supply issues, family, work, winter and the dreaded previous restrictions.
Walls are all in floor being covered with SS. Plan to fasten floor to walls; has taken a turn. Decided to bolt up through to walls. Left section out of the bottom of the walls to accommodate the bolts. 84pcs of 3/8" SS bolts to hold it together. I feel better bolting it up than using teck screws.
Note- much difficulty in sourcing SS sheet and pricing has gone up 30%

Maik, how's the repair going ? Haven't seen any updates.

[Maik]

Meames1
I am still at the repair, be it slower than I expected. I have all the walls and floor installed in the main section. Just finishing off the divers side outter frame as seen in the picture today. Heating the back wheel well to paint some primer onto the steel. Had to replace/ rebuild the back power compartment and all the frame back to the radiator. Passenger side outter frame is all done with the doors fitted, but the battery box is done. The battery box is completely rusted out and do not know what is holding it up. I am turning the coach around today to remove the battery compartment and build from new. I am hoping to have it all done by this spring. I have attached my maximum amount of pictures allowed to give you a glimpse of the work. You will notice that I have done some things differently than original.
I bought an acre of property on an Island where it will be going during the summer. I had a 5th wheel there for the past two years which has taken some of my time.
The big expense coming is the 6 new tires I will have to buy as my current ones are 9 years old.

[Maik]

One more picture

[Maik]

Some more pictures

[Meames1]

Congrats ! It looks great, and very familiar.

[Maik]

I am on to the battery box, and the batteries almost fell through the floor when I rolled out the tray. I do have a question about the fuse box that is above the battery control box. How do you take it apart to remove the wires or does it stay like that and the compartment can be removed? There is a lot of wires in the compartment, but it seems to be organized in a way that can be understood.

[Meames1]

I left my fuse box, battery control center, and associated components connected to the harness. The only thing I removed was the TCU as it has two easy plugs. The fuse box does have clips that "can" be tripped to remove each wire, but I didn't want to take the chance of breaking one. I just bundled everything together at the top and tied it up and out of the way to drop the battery compartment.
Same with the powergear hydraulic pump on the back-side. I took the bolts out, but blocked the pump up in the same location so I didn't need to disconnect anything.

[Maik]

Ok, thanks again. I disconnected the battery control box. I felt that the rest would be a little too complicated. I did not know that everything can be left as is. That will make the compartment removal much more easy.