[Chris - CBWC]

I did it, I finally went out and spent someone else's money on a van for me OK it's gotta go back because the wiring/electrics on the lights is wrong (and possibly not even roadworthy, I think a very fast indicator and no reverse lights are MOT fails?  I did all the other usual checks: sills, seals, hinges, fuel injectors, suspension, timing chain), anyway hopefully a simple job, it has a warranty.  After my recent questions on Berlingos, Doblos and Combos, the only van that was local and fit what I wanted was a 2005 Ford Transit SWB!  Which will take a 400L tank very easily and with plenty of room to spare.

It already has a ply floor, with a thin rubber mat on top of the ply, all secured so I don't really want to be messing with it so what would I need to do before fitting the tank?  Just mastic the edges and any joins?  Or put a thick rubber flooring/vinyl down and then mastic?  Is Protecta-Kote even an option for me?  Hoping to get the tank system fitted next week so I can begin

The bottom half of the back doors are also ply, the sides have some flimsy material, seems pointless so will probably remove it, not attaching anything to it - will I have to get the sides ply lined?

[kempy]

How much u paid , I have a swb x04 plate for sale , 102k miles , protectakoted out , shelving , runs superb , tidy

£2000

[PoleKing]

How much u paid , I have a swb x04 plate for sale , 102k miles , protectakoted out , shelving , runs superb , tidy

£2000

But late fella!

[PoleKing]

I did it, I finally went out and spent someone else's money on a van for me OK it's gotta go back because the wiring/electrics on the lights is wrong (and possibly not even roadworthy, I think a very fast indicator and no reverse lights are MOT fails?  I did all the other usual checks: sills, seals, hinges, fuel injectors, suspension, timing chain), anyway hopefully a simple job, it has a warranty.  After my recent questions on Berlingos, Doblos and Combos, the only van that was local and fit what I wanted was a 2005 Ford Transit SWB!  Which will take a 400L tank very easily and with plenty of room to spare.

It already has a ply floor, with a thin rubber mat on top of the ply, all secured so I don't really want to be messing with it so what would I need to do before fitting the tank?  Just mastic the edges and any joins?  Or put a thick rubber flooring/vinyl down and then mastic?  Is Protecta-Kote even an option for me?  Hoping to get the tank system fitted next week so I can begin

The bottom half of the back doors are also ply, the sides have some flimsy material, seems pointless so will probably remove it, not attaching anything to it - will I have to get the sides ply lined?

eBay 'ply kit transit'
Save yourself the grief...

[Chris - CBWC]

I did it, I finally went out and spent someone else's money on a van for me OK it's gotta go back because the wiring/electrics on the lights is wrong (and possibly not even roadworthy, I think a very fast indicator and no reverse lights are MOT fails?  I did all the other usual checks: sills, seals, hinges, fuel injectors, suspension, timing chain), anyway hopefully a simple job, it has a warranty.  After my recent questions on Berlingos, Doblos and Combos, the only van that was local and fit what I wanted was a 2005 Ford Transit SWB!  Which will take a 400L tank very easily and with plenty of room to spare.

It already has a ply floor, with a thin rubber mat on top of the ply, all secured so I don't really want to be messing with it so what would I need to do before fitting the tank?  Just mastic the edges and any joins?  Or put a thick rubber flooring/vinyl down and then mastic?  Is Protecta-Kote even an option for me?  Hoping to get the tank system fitted next week so I can begin

The bottom half of the back doors are also ply, the sides have some flimsy material, seems pointless so will probably remove it, not attaching anything to it - will I have to get the sides ply lined?

eBay 'ply kit transit'
Save yourself the grief...

Hope it's easy as DIY often causes me grief!  Thank you, will do.  Kempy, it has 45000 miles so a little more but what a step up from a Clio haha

[kempy]

Nice one mate
Happy with that I bet , makes things better and easier for u

Turn the key and go

[mikeyfaerosyth]

The indicator is just the bulb,about £2.

Reverse lights not part of MOT

[PoleKing]

I did it, I finally went out and spent someone else's money on a van for me OK it's gotta go back because the wiring/electrics on the lights is wrong (and possibly not even roadworthy, I think a very fast indicator and no reverse lights are MOT fails?  I did all the other usual checks: sills, seals, hinges, fuel injectors, suspension, timing chain), anyway hopefully a simple job, it has a warranty.  After my recent questions on Berlingos, Doblos and Combos, the only van that was local and fit what I wanted was a 2005 Ford Transit SWB!  Which will take a 400L tank very easily and with plenty of room to spare.

It already has a ply floor, with a thin rubber mat on top of the ply, all secured so I don't really want to be messing with it so what would I need to do before fitting the tank?  Just mastic the edges and any joins?  Or put a thick rubber flooring/vinyl down and then mastic?  Is Protecta-Kote even an option for me?  Hoping to get the tank system fitted next week so I can begin

The bottom half of the back doors are also ply, the sides have some flimsy material, seems pointless so will probably remove it, not attaching anything to it - will I have to get the sides ply lined?

eBay 'ply kit transit'
Save yourself the grief...

Hope it's easy as DIY often causes me grief!  Thank you, will do.  Kempy, it has 45000 miles so a little more but what a step up from a Clio haha

Yeah, cut to perfect size.
You literally just drill the screws in-self tappers. You're laughing

[Chris - CBWC]

Thanks Darren, I'll ply the sides at a later date, I can see now why so many have said it's so easy to keep spending, there's always something else to get!

What do I need to do right now to waterproof the van?  I don't know what sort of condition the ply is in under the thin rubber lining but the lining isn't worn - can I/should I paint on top of the rubber lining?  Is there an alternative to Protecta-Kote?  Just seal the edges and joins with mastic?

[Chris - CBWC]

OK this is what I'm working with though the light wasn't great.  I managed to pull up a bit of the lining by the edge of the door and it's damp.  Ply should naturally dry out so maybe it's the time of year but the lining has been really well laid, at the same time as the plates with D hooks so I really don't want to have to pull it up.  Any advice on what to do next please?  Whether the ply will dry ok or the van base is in danger?  I don't know what I need to do about water-proofing?  The tank system is being fitted next week so time is short.

Thanks all

[dave f]

if you are unsure i personaly lift the floor linning then you know what youve got while its up wax oil it or some thing like then put new flooring down.ie new ply base/protecta coat ,then that way youve coverd all baseses,and then you wont have that niggling inthe back of your mind if the floors getting rotten. but thats only my opinion,i tend to go over the top but it pays off.imo

[Chris - CBWC]

Yep the floor's fine, it's just the edge was a bit damp, probably the time of year and it's not warm enough to dry out, I've been reading the thread about condensation as the rear of my van gets it too (not the cab though, full bulkhead).  I don't see how I can stop the edge of the ply from getting damp anyway, especially where the doors are unless I apply a thin coat of waterproof paint or sealant maybe?

Anyway due to work, I'm limited time-wise so it's a trip to Homebase and Wickes for supplies - for sealing the gaps something like either of these http://www.wickes.co.uk/kitchen+bathroom-sealant-clear-310ml/invt/243002/ or http://www.wickes.co.uk/geocel-580-oil-based-mastic-grey/invt/227938/ ?

And instead of Protecta-Kote (have to be ordered online as I don't think anywhere local sells it, and I doubt it would dry in time either), I'd heard Hammerite mentioned, although that seems to be just for painting onto metal, and I'm painting onto rubber lining (and some ply on the rear doors), would Hammerite still be ok?  I've also read about textured masonry paint like http://www.dulux.co.uk/products/weathershield-textured-masonry-paint or maybe a high performance acrylic waterproofer http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/240148?utm_campaign=bazaarvoice&utm_medium=SearchVoice&utm_source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default ?

[Spruce]

My advice:

remove the plylining and Protectakote the steel floor. Yes it will take time to dry and you may have the run the engine with the heater on for a few hours.

If you put that H/D matting down on top of the Protectakoted floor then thats up to you, but plylining and wood in our enironment = damp and that means rust as water under the ply won't dry.

There has also been a topic where a local lad had his van floor fibreglassed. By adding grit into the top coat, the floor would then have a non slip finish. That would be quicker to do than Protectakote.

Store the base ply lining. One day when you sell the van you can put the ply base back.

Someone put a picture up of his van floor after he removed his kit and the ply floor he left in. The was an outline of rust all the way round the edges where the floor met the sides.

[Don Kee]

I did my transit a few months ago.
My advice is rip up the ply on the floor and protectakote it mate.
You can buy something that mixes with it to make it dry alot faster. Or put a couple of fan heaters in the back for the day, that'll dry it out.
Then put your matting over the top...
Trust me, from experience on my old transit, treat the steel floor, not the ply lining.
It ended up with more holes than a golf course (although not fully due to pure)
If you're aiming to keep the van long term its well worth it for the sake of a couple if days.


Other advice would be to get it on a ramp (local mechanic?) and spray the chassis, sills, wheel arches with some waxy oil/ water proof paint to protect from rusting also.

[Chris - CBWC]

OK that's my job for this weekend then, ordering the ProtectaKote, removing the liner and ply, cleaning and preparing the floor and sides.  Do I need to treat the small pieces of ply on the rear doors and if so, what with?

Presumably the 6 D rings are through the ply and the van base, so once I remove the ply, they are going to stick out of the floor some way, surely this will affect how my steel frame and tank is fitted?  My concern is that it will stop it from being fitted altogether due to the dimensions

Disregard this bit, [I know you can't get ProtectaKote from Homebase or Wickes, but is there anywhere that isn't online that does sell it?], CleaningSpot.co.uk are in Wimbledon so I'll head there Monday morning it, and overalls, mask, goggles...

[Don Kee]

Id paint it a couple of inches up the walls and bulkhead. Maybe on the rear doors although i haven't.
The 6 rings you talk about do you mean the rachets strap rings?i have a 650 layflat in mine (although never fill it) and fits just fine. I had to have the fuel tank taken out (i think) to bolt it to the floor.
Buy overalks etc... If you want, i just put some crap clothes on and some latex gloves. Kept all doors open while painting for ventilation.
Start at the bulkhead and work back towarda the rear door.
Let it dry over night (if you use the quick dry sachet should be few hours with heaters on) then add another coat.
Dont skimp out on the second coat (although dont get bubbles) abd jobs a good un.
Put the rubber matting you have over the top to avoid the paint chipping, and bolt the tank so the tank is ontop of the matting.

[Chris - CBWC]

Yes they are the ratchet strap rings.

   

OK this is what I'm facing.  The van is ex-Royal Mail - I have the fsh, MOTs, I've looked it over, I've also looked at the driver logs that they left in the van!! so it hopefully hasn't been annihilated like some vans are but I'm having a proper inspection done anyway, while it's in warranty.  In the first photo, the non-slip rubber lining is thin and has had the ratchet strap rings bolted on top/through it and through the wood.  At the edges of the doors is the metal edging strip, also bolted straight through.  Both the rings (6 in total) and the edging strip (one for the side door, one for the rear) have star shaped screws which I am not able to remove.  You can also see a large gap between the lining/ply and the metal which sealant won't fill!  That second photo is a lot smaller!

In the third photo, the wheels have a plastic cover which is not fixed and I can probably rip out to paint the metal.  The dirty white covering is top to bottom on both sides of the van (not including the SLD which I think has a thin wood lining) and you can see in the middle it's screwed/bolted in place.  These are circular and I can see no way of getting this out, so I will have to cut the white material out, leaving the metal and black trim in place, then hopefully fit some ply at a later date.  At least I can then clean the sides, seal the floor properly and paint the sides.

I also have a lot of condensation on the ceiling, one of the plastic wheel arch cover is wet from the drips, which won't be helping my plight.

Am I going to keep the van 10 years?  Possibly not.  But I think I will just have to do the best I can with regards to removing the material on the sides and the plastic wheel arch covers, clean the sides and the floor, seal it up (and in the case of large gaps, run sealant along the edge of the ply and when dry paint the Protecta-Kote over it) and then paint Protecta-Kote over it all.

Does this sound like the best plan for me?

[mark m]

fiberglass the floor it will last forever and you can use it within a few hours