floor problems

[Taylor]

Hi after poking and prodding the 72 burro I found that the floor is soft in the 4 corners. It appears to be delaminated from the bottom. I have search and only found repairing from the top is there any reason that you can't repair from the underside?
I was thinking about cutting away the fiberglass remove and harden the rotted wood then fiberglassing the repair. Does this sound reasonable? Will this harm the structal intragrty Any words of wisdom?
Thanks

[Darwin Maring]

Words of wisdom: Confucius say, many men smoke but fu-man-chew.

Here are some suggestions to your floor problem:

Cabela’s Marine Catalog, 2006, page 79, has some marine grade “Git-Rot” 2 part liquid epoxy that says it will penetrate rotted wood and restore it to original strength. Item # ST- 01-7641 @ $30.99 USD

Note: To keep it from leaking through to the ground, you will need to put something on the underside to retain it.

If you could epoxy a fiberglass mat to the underside, let it cure then use the Git-Rot on the topside then you might have a stronger floor. You could do this by cutting a peace of plywood to match the underside that needs to be strengthened, putting wax paper on the plywood then a mat of epoxy coated fiberglass on top the wax paper, put resin on the underside of the floor then screw the plywood on the underside to the floor like a sandwich (Floor, Fiberglass, wax Paper and Plywood), This way, you would be able to remove the underside plywood after it is cured. Epoxy will not stick to wax paper.

Or

You could just epoxy / screw the plywood to the underside without using the wax paper and leave it.

Then use the git – rot on top and as an extra measure, put an epoxy a fiberglass mat on top the whole mess.

Here’s wishing you luck with the repair.

[MyronL]

I bought my '81 last year and the day after I got it home I stepped inside the door and fell through the floor at the threshold.

I'm guessing if your floor is soft and rotten big time at all corners, and, especially considering the very advanced age of your Burro, your smartest move is to remove the entire floor and replace completely with new. Big job, but could be well worth the effort since the floor is the only thing prone to rot. And rot will always come back to bite you, again and again. If the rot is not major maybe for you a chemical solution is the way to go. Check this site out:

http://www.rotdoctor.com/glass/GLmain.html

I have not replaced an entire floor myself, but others on this site have, or have had it done for them. I have replaced about 2/3rds of rotted floor in my Burro, piecing it in after making cardboard templates. Some times I think back on it and wish I had bit the bullet and did the whole floor. But, no nerve, or the time, or the place to do it.