Garage took off my belly pan and... no chassis basically!

[issy]

the two long 'bits' from rear to front are eaten through as are the two side things from the jacking points.....

from this description poor Schofields told me it would need from their catalogue
4 x no 36
2 x no 35
probably sills 10 + 11
2 x no 18
6 x no 14
4 x no 15

!!!


Now I need to get it to somewhere to fix it - it passed its MOT only a month ago with no problems (belly pan hid everything I think!) so question is - should I drive it? Is it illegal? Should I get this garage to put a sheet of metal (aka new belly pan ish) back on to strenghten it.

This garage have no experience of vw campers and is very very very bad at giving a direct quote or even an estimate.. when I forced him he said it would be 'days' of work whih I'm not falling for (being female!)

Also Schofields online catalogue has that exact page I want missing it seems!

How much of a job is it? Anybody had anything like this done before? Had my babe Kirk (crossover) for 14 yrs and he's my daily driver still ... boo hoo .........

 

[Anonymous]

thats a bit scary - mines got belly pans on it ... who knows whats underneath !

 

[issy]

the belly pan was in almost perfect condition actually as is inside floor section of bus?!! :?: :roll: :?:

- the bus was in to fix brakes but little chappy said something about there being rust on inner sill - went to look and thought ah well that's nothing cos outside is perfect... he wanted to take some of belly pan off to have a peek so I though oh ok then but don;t take loads off... then he saw what was there and took more of belly pan off and more and more!!!

Needless to say it needs new chassis big time.... not even patching up will eb possible... finger through and falls apart basically!!

I always ignored those people with scare stories about belly pans being water retainers but now I knwo they are spot on. The structural thing is also true so now belly pan off the thing is even weaker!!!! argH!!!!!!!!

 

[clyde]

IF YOUR CHASSIS RAILS ARE RUSTED OUT I WOULDNT DRIVE IT.

The suspension mounts fix to this, and brakes, steering and also you sit right above this area.(not to mention your bumpers if your in a crash situation) It sounds like a big job(read expensive). If its just passed its MOT i wouldnt go back there again.
Its nice to pass the MOT and think im good for another year but if they pass it needing all that work to the chassis they need putting out of a job.
The MOT is only really worth the paper its written on for the time its in the MOT station, but if they arent giving you a proper test and telling you everything is fine on what is basically unsafe Bus.
Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but i would report the MOT station and lay the bus up till you get some strength welded back in.

 

[issy]

problem I have in this part of the world is dodgy cowbois.... the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin is only 30 minutes away and then Nireland 3 hours? Otherwise towing is only alternative.

No real good reliable vw welders this side that I know of.

Any idea how much something like this would cost?

 

[issy]

oh and MOT place only up the road - they've been giving it MOT for last 10+ years or so as well! :? they couldn;t have seen it with bellypan so not their fault I would have thought?? This newer mechanic also didn;t see until belly pan off...

 

[Bin jammin]

That is a LOT of work and won't be cheap.
Check out my website to see the kind of thing that happens under belly pans.

To replace the chassis rails is just about one of the hardest things to do on a camper as everything takes it's strength from the chassis and once you start removing it you're leaving it like a beached whale if you get my drift.

 

[issy]

thanks for that - had been looking earlier on your site

At the moment I have absolutely no idea even of a rough etimate for getting this done - would you mind giving me some idea if that's ok with you?

I have to decide if I'm going to get it done nowish - as it's my daily driver or store him a bit until later in 2007 if this sort of work is wayyy expensive. Have an allegiance to the bus now after so amny years and it got 'restored' about 5 yrs ago - except for belly pan area it seems! :roll:

 

[issy]

some piccies:

 

[issy]

and this is him on good day

 

[Bin jammin]

Where abouts are you based?

It's very difficult to give a quote based on a few blury photos.
I'm near Winchester/Southampton if you 're anywhere near me i can take a look at it for you.

But from what i can see you need inner and outer sills both sides, out riggers, jacking points, at least sections of main chassis rails if not complete replacement and central chassis cross beams.

I'll PM you more info.

 

[Bin jammin]

Oh and also you'll need cargo floor.
Have you checked the cab floor under your mats and the battery trays?

Might be worth a look too.

 

[issy]

am on Anglesey!! :roll:

I know you'll think this strange but it's going (somehow!) to Northern Ireland to get fixed by nice man - who also has been looking after my split I bought over 2 yrs from USA from somebody else..

Holyhead port only 25 mins away - now logistics of towing or driving it... last I looked cab floor and battery trays area solid In fact everywhere is solid expect the important bits it seems!!

 

[lowlight]

man i know now why i live here in Aussie, i remember the rot on the cars in the UK, i feel sick after seeing those horror photos! hehe

 

[Bin jammin]

Glad you've sorted somewhere to take it, hope all goes well

 

[issy]

thanks very much. The most complicated bit will be getitng it there - I'll need to borrow a towtruck or something!!

 

[easy]

good luck on the resto work, all will be fine soon 8)

 

[Clem]

I did most of that work to my old van last winter.

It was a twin slider and I replaced all 3 sills on both sides, front and rear outriggers and jacking points, a few chassis rail repairs and both belly pans.

On and off it took I guess a couple of weeks work spread out over the winter. Id guess it cost me (panels, welding/cutting consumables, odd tools, paint and gallons of wax) about £800. Its shocking the way it adds up.

Im stilll undecided that belly pans are the work of the devil though ... and they are not structural! My new van has them on, and I can see the factory welds ...... not structural. :wink:

Hope you get it sorted Issy.

 

[issy]

thanks again

Latest is the bus having passed its MOT end August ( ) is as far as I knwo still road legal?? Anyhow the most it has to travel is from garage to ferry port basically - handy ahving HOlyhead just 25 mins away - then on ferry - arrive Dublin... and then it's a bit more logical than I expected... time it so that I take it on ferry at same time I collect my split!!

Split in Northern Ireland - so nice Caddy gonna tow split on trailer thing to Dublin.. give it to me (it's getting some safety stuff and missing stuff done since arriving from USA in summer after a very very very very long wait!) - then split off trailer.. Kirk and what's left of his chassis on trailer.... and then I'll probably then collect Kirk and deliver Cisco (78 westy) (no trailer this time!!) to get some welding done as I think I'm going to sell the westy before next summer - mainly due to the other half being sorry - rambling!a bit of a girl's blouse regarding camping and last time I had 3 campers I got confused!!

 

[Scampi]

Yes, likewise. Good luck with the van!