jpa
Newbie
Posts: 2
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Post by jpa on Nov 7, 2018 17:36:52 GMT 10
Hi all I have just bought a 1980 Franklin Arrow to act as flow-on accommodation for friends and family. The van is registered but I do not intend to move it and it will sit on a slab under our veranda (also a slab) but the front and one side will be open to the weather. The van has some issues I was hoping to get some advice on. The floor under the lino feels spongy everywhere. I can't see anything obvious underneath and was told this is not damage; that some people stiffen it up with angle iron or adding board and liquid nails. The van does not seem to leak but the seals look old and tired. I am contemplating sanding, resealing and repainting. I don't need the perfect reno but want it to stay weather tight and feel clean nice to be in.     |
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Post by Mustang on Nov 7, 2018 20:30:11 GMT 10
Hi JPA,
The fact that you will park this van under cover, makes an easier project.
Once you remove the wheels(?) & put the van on jacks you could "pier" the floor like a house that would take a lot of movement out.
The movement of the floor would be by worn rivets & possibly some rot, but as you will not be moving there is no need to delve too deep.
The roof shows the tell tale signs of recent silicone & it looks like it has sunk a bit, but again as the van will be under cover no need to get excited here & pull the ceiling out!!!!
When you paint Aluminium after you rub it back you will need an etch coat to make the paint stick, a small roller would do the job in this case.
Your local Paint Shop will be full of advice.
Good Luck & come back for any advice.
Brent
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jpa
Newbie
Posts: 2
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Post by jpa on Nov 8, 2018 5:09:14 GMT 10
Thanks for the advice, Brent.
We had a big storm last night and there is a small leak in the corner of the air vent which prob explains the roof sagging.
Whether to delve to deeply or not is the question. I would like to do some reconfiguring on the inside. The bunks look like they've had it so thinking of putting a double or queen up that end and pulling out the corner sofa and maybe moving it to the front where the sofa bed is on its last legs. The fridge works but looks horrible so was thinking of ditching it for a new smaller one. I guess its finding the balance between clean and utilitarian and living with some rot and rust. Part of me is tempted to replace the floor but then I might end up wanting to get everything right and not sure the van is worth the time and money.
Re jacks I was thinking of those carastow wheels to lower the van 140mm to get it under carport but they are over $400. A local wrecker suggested putting some old rims on to roll it back and reckons the damage to the slab would be minimal. But then if I want to roll it out to work on exterior the back and forth will exacerbate damage.
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Post by Mustang on Nov 8, 2018 19:54:34 GMT 10
Part of me is tempted to replace the floor but then I might end up wanting to get everything right and not sure the van is worth the time and money. Re jacks I was thinking of those carastow wheels to lower the van 140mm to get it under carport but they are over $400. A local wrecker suggested putting some old rims on to roll it back and reckons the damage to the slab would be minimal. But then if I want to roll it out to work on exterior the back and forth will exacerbate damage. A van reno with water ingress, typically takes about a year part time with about $10K invested. That is for road use. Think about your use & possibly what your guests will expect? The exterior looks fine, not like the usual wrecks we members tend to take on!! I think now that you own it, the van is worthy of some TLC. If you wanted to move it in & out of cover on bare rims some form ply laid down in front of the rims should suffice. Cheers |
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Post by snoops on Nov 9, 2018 7:59:19 GMT 10
My FIL once had a large trailer sailer that wouldn’t fit under the carport where he lived - he bought some old steel rims and wound duct tape around the edges a dozen or so times making a very thin ‘tyre’ on it so it wouldn’t damage the concrete every time he moved it - worked well overall. He did have to re tape them every so often but given he moved it about twice a month in and out, it could work for the times you need to roll it out to work on it.
As for the floor, I welded some extra braces under mine in the main traffic areas to stop the sponginess - I just used some 30x30x3 angle iron and a MIG - took a couple of hours all in.
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