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quote:

Originally posted by Larry brill:
This is really depressing I just figured out that the floor pan and the steel floor girders on the back floor of my coach are rusting through. Water is sitting in the cavities full of wet insulation. in some places there are holes in the pan. Is there any hope for this. It never dawned on me that this could rust from the inside out. The outside looks rust free.

Condensation could be the culprit!There was day in Victoria last winter when I awoke to a dripping ceiling.I realized I had closed all the windows and toilet vent.One year I tarped my little cruiser to tight causing a lot of water inside.Watch out for tarps!Wally 34ft monarch Van isle.

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Larry,
This was a common problem with the older (otherwise stainless steel) tour buses. My MCI had wet insulation up against the steel side girders that rusted them badly. Most older Eagles have been complete front end rebuilds due to this issue too. It is one of the reasons I have shied away from Newell, as they are framed with steel boxed tubes. If those tubes aren't sealed, they are condensation incubators.

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There are products that convert the rust chemically to a sort of black epoxy looking finish. The problem is, it doesn't replace lost structure. The only good way to fix that kind of rust is to replace with new metal. I'm sure you don't want to hear that, but at least you have something safe when you're finished. How does the main chassis frame look? Is it also rusted badly or just these stringers?

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quote:

Originally posted by Larry brill:
This is really depressing I just figured out that the floor pan and the steel floor girders on the back floor of my coach are rusting through. Water is sitting in the cavities full of wet insulation. in some places there are holes in the pan. Is there any hope for this. It never dawned on me that this could rust from the inside out. The outside looks rust free.

Larry as a last resort I would look into spray foam.You have to do some homeworkwith regards to toxicity.Idont know if it is much higher then the foam beds many of us sleep on.Right now you are dealing with deadly mold.As you say that you are structurally sound.When I was in the ice business I had two vans sprayed with foam with great success.I painted over with latex paint.Watch out for OVERSPRAY !Wally 34ft monarchVan-isle.

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Your pictures indicate you have stripped out most of the interior and flammable parts. It is entirely possible to weld new stringers,plates and tubes to the good part of the Barth. We weld stainless to carbon steel and with that, though expensive the new parts will not rust. Just be sure they use stainless welding rod and not carbon rod. I second your concern about sealing tubes- you lose nothing by making weep holes in a box tube or metal box. On ours we replaced all the exterior aluminum compartment doors because they also fell apart from the inside out. By using aluminum honeycomb panels and drilling weep holes we have had no deterioration at all. I avoid anything wood, absortive, or fabric behind any aluminum panels or rails. Once finished you will enjoy it for a lifetime.

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Larry,

At risk of adding insult to injury, your pain should not be vented on the original design, but on a) mother nature, b) the previous owner, or c) the current owner. They are all possible culprits in this debacle. The designers didn't set out to build an indestructible product. I don't know your year Barth, but it has easily outlasted its needed shelf life. In fact, it seriously outlasted the company!!! Probably has outlasted a few of its past owners.

That being said, there are some basic lessons to be learned in your....adventure.
1) The time spent thoroughly checking any RV purchase is usually well worth the inconvenience
2) Previous owners do not always know the "truth"
3) Previous owners do not always tell the "truth"
4) If a mild steel machine has lived it's life in a salty environment, look out!!! I've seen Pintos still in good shape in Oregon, Nevada and the Carolinas.

You might be able to use Chassis saver
it is black in color. A lot of people use it restoring old cars.

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