Another "shell" project

[Blue~Go]

The situation with the pictures is, I believe, that if you take them on a phone or tablet in "portrait" mode (i.e. vertical), they don't face the right way when you post them. I think that might change if you take them in "landscape" (i.e. horizontal) mode.

As far as the first photo: That looks like an inconvenient place to store a hammer

And... buh-bye fridge and closet!

[Riste]

The first picture is the aft end of the wheel well and the bulkhead on the passenger side. I was attempting to show the water damage from the refrigerator access door (soon to be eliminated). Thank goodness that we have a composite base on the floor or the problem would be even bigger.

When we removed the closet partition the exterior fiberglass wall became a bit wobbly. In my new double wide closet I will need to include a bit of a side wall brace.

[Blue~Go]

The first picture is the aft end of the wheel well and the bulkhead on the passenger side. I was attempting to show the water damage from the refrigerator access door (soon to be eliminated).

Ah okay, got it. Yeah, those vents are not that water resistant as designed; then you add in the slight "back angle" of our fiberglass walls and it's kind of like asking for leaks.

Thank goodness that we have a composite base on the floor or the problem would be even bigger.

Curious what you are talking about here? I believe Chinook went to a fiberglass-foam-fiberglass floor composite in around 2002 (mostly to reduce weight as features were being added and especially on the Destiny), but that wasn't around in 1997 (or 1999 in the case of mine). My floor is two sheets of plywood with nothing on top but carpet pad and carpet. The exception is the fiberglass wheelwells (and their surrounding tabbing), the fuel filler (and same tabbing), and the tabbing around the edge walls--- stuff like that.

There is some fiberglass on the bottom side (i.e. facing the ground) but that wouldn't help with refrigerator vent leaks. So maybe yours had a previous repair or something? Or I'm just misunderstanding what you are saying.

we removed the closet partition the exterior fiberglass wall became a bit wobbly. In my new double wide closet I will need to include a bit of a side wall brace.

Yes, the thing about fiberglass is that it is basically floppy. And in order to keep it strong you want it to not flop around (or it can "work" and break). So there needs to be some method of making it more like a wine carton (you know, the cardboard dividers between the bottles that make the box strong). Stringers, "hat" sections, tabbed in bulkheads, etc. As in house-building there are many possibilities for how to reinforce as long as the main concept is done somehow.

[eporter123]

MORE PICS!

Glad the rot is just in that one area. I’m guessing all the plywood rotted out behind the wheel well, and all that remains is the fiberglass bottom layer? You should probably remove the vertical divider and assess the damage. There is the one body support bolt there, and that needs to get tied back into everything. Might take some new plywood and metal plate(s) on the top/bottom.

Here’s a pic of that area in mine, from awhile back when nothing was in the floor cutout.

[Blue~Go]

Glad the rot is just in that one area. I’m guessing all the plywood rotted out behind the wheel well, and all that remains is the fiberglass bottom layer?

Oh good point. I hadn't thought of that. But yeah, if that's the situation you will want to rebuild that floor area entirely. The bottom layer is really just a protection layer on the plywood. It's not structural. I would think 1997 would be very similar to mine (very early 99) so the floor structure would be two layers of plywood (nice and stout and its own source of structure), with carpet/pad on the top and a "coating" of fiberglass on the bottom (not really structural).

Riste, can you show a bit more of that rotted area? Perhaps try using the camera in landscape (horizontal) mode and not vertical. I see you have a 460, so you have a very early 1997 (1996 chassis), but I don't know of any radical floor/structure changes between then and a couple of years later (mine). Most of the differences around then that I know of are electrical and with the locker/water heater area (besides obviously the engine and cab).

[eporter123]

On second look at your hammer picture, is the vertical bulkhead “tabbed in” with fiberglass to the floor? My floor had fiberglass on top from the wheel wells
And the side wall, but not the vertical bulkhead.

[Riste]

Lots of good input - Thanks.
1. I thought the floor was composite due to what I read here and by looking under the coach, however I now understand what I am looking at (just fiberglass coating).
2. I don't think the bulkhead is "tabbed" due to that beautiful blue shag carpet under it. The Chinook is in a storage lot or I would check it right now.
3. eporter123 I use different photos for my screen saver to help me with ideas. I have been using one of your empty unit with the painted floor for the last week or so. I am close to removing my generator and using that area for batteries (no battery tray on my 97). Knowing that I need to get at the floor to repair it helps make the decision.

[Riste]

Has anyone closed off the refrigerator access door? If so how did you do it?

[Blue~Go]

What I can see looks like mine. Speaking of the main bulkhead on the passenger side (the one between stove and fridge, which is plywood), it is not really tabbed anywhere (would be nice). There is a plywood strip (I think it's 1/2" ply, about 2" wide and 6' tall) that is held to the outside wall with "mush" and a few strips of plywood across it. Then the main bulkhead is screwed to that, screwed to the overhead, and, IIRC, screwed to the floor via a little cleat. This and the corresponding driver's side bulkhead are structural (they could be MORE structural if properly tabbed, but they seem to more-or-less do the job).

I have closed off the refrigerator vent hole. Some past, some present, and some pending.

1) First I made a galvanized metal scoop type thing at the bottom of the vent (vent function retained).

1a) I never could see a very good way to close off the vent and yet keep the appearance of the outside vent. Just the way it works around the edges and whatnot.

2) Removed vent entirely. (Side note: While I had things apart I reinforced that area at the forward/upper vent edge that often cracks - used epoxy and fiberglass.) Got a sheet of heavy galvanized flashing (Home Depot carries a sheet of around 30" x 40" that is super handy) and cut that to fit over the outside recessed area (like the original vent did). Then I used butyl tape (the good stuff only please - see marinehowto.com) and some aluminum c-channel (or you could use angle) to make the panel less floppy (these are just stuck to the inside of the metal with butyl on diagonals - super quick and easy). Then I used butyl tape to stick all that on the outside. Not *too* shabby looking, super quick, waterproof. It's one of those temporary things that lasts too long and makes one lazy

3) I ordered some pre-made GRP sheet from McMaster-Carr and made a more permanent version of the above. Routed edges, painted to match Chinook shell. Next step is to glass it in place from the inside (which would also reinforce that vulnerable spot so no need to do that if you are doing this soon).

3a) There are probably simpler ways to do this, but since I often work solo I glassed some T-nuts to the inside of the fiberglass panel, then cut some 1 x 3 longer than the opening and made some holes in it to match the T nuts. I can put the panel in place, then on the inside use the 1 x 3 across the opening, plus screws and washers to draw the panel into place and hold it. Plan is to goop it up with thickened epoxy first (after copious masking off), then set it in place with the 1 x3/screws, then attach from the inside with epoxy resin and fiberglass. Then the 1 x3 can go away. And the area around the panel opening will be reinforced. And waterproof!

4) I think Scott did this in a more expeditious way by using white plastic sheet, caulk/sealant, and exposed fasteners on the outside, screwing into the recessed flange.

[eporter123]

[quote=Riste post_id=11664 time=1544294848 user_id
2. I don't think the bulkhead is "tabbed" due to that beautiful blue shag carpet under it. The Chinook is in a storage lot or I would check it right now.
[/quote]

Ah, that makes sense. I thought that from that pic that blue carpet was fiberglass. Makes sense now. I’m guessing the rot extends aft to the generator box. You’ll know once you open up the worm can...

If your plan is rear battery box, this may be a good time to rebuild the whole floor section, and close up the generator box cutout. That will give you lots of options for attaching and reinforcing the floor. The cutout is ~20”x36”. I’ve found that parts of my floor have a 1/2” layer of foam insulation sandwiched in, but for strength you may want all plywood with a plate over/under.

Here’s a sketch I made awhile back of the rough dims of the genny box cutout, with a side view showing how the exterior door is a few inches lower than the floor. The 36” truck box worked well for me, but does take up a bunch of space. You could build a smaller & lower ply & metal battery box to fit the opening and match up with part of the ext. door.

Re: refrig. door, I’m trying to figure out a good way to keep it as an exterior kitchen pass-through or bar shelf, etc.