The first of many dumb questions!

[lcfmonkey]

Hi
I've just bought my first Bay since University (20 years ago!) and am reading up in anticipation of a winter's work. Dumb question number 1 is this: Am I right in thinking that the floor pan (below the chassis rails) is optional? Some photos show vans with a pan and some don't, mine needs welding so I'm wondering how important a job it is (structural/non-structural)?

Cheers for any advice
Monkey

 

[Hilly_70]

Hi mate ..

Questions are only dumb if you don't ask them!

.. I guess you mean the belly pans underneath? ..

.. as far as im aware they were fitted to give additional strength when holes were cut into roofs ( ie for a pop top )

.. as to how much they are required, im not sure .. but they can protect your chassis if fitted properly!

Hilly

 

[Mark Space-Ratio]

The floorpan shows that it was an upmarket microbus or deluxe model and not an industrial knock down type which didn't have them. I guess they were fitted to reduce road noise and also keep the interior warmer at the rear where passengers would be seated and would require a bit more comfort than a pile of boxes. No cold feet in the back. I suppose it does offer some crash protection for passengers were it to roll but I don't think it lends much to actual structural integrity.
As far as Campers go Devons and Westfalias had floorpans but Dormobiles and Danbury's didn't, I couldnt say for other conversions. Having them on when camping in colder weather does make a difference. I used to have a '73 and that was a converted panel van (a rare London garage conversion) and I noticed the difference when I got my '69 Devon.
Mark

 

[Nugsy]

My 72 Danbury tin top had them and they were factory welded in place. Also got them on my 71 sunroof bus.

Dont think they are an MOT failure as they arent structural, unless its within 30cm of a mounting point. If you do choose to remove them be prepared. They will be hiding 40 years of mystery. When i took mine of my crossover the chassis rails were really good but the rear most outriggers had rotted through (you couldnt really tell with them on)

As above i think they were put on to reduce road noise and insulate the floor a bit for passengers

 

[lcfmonkey]

Top replies everyone, many thanks!

 

[ZedBed]

My westy continental 1973 had never had them.
It's a topic that comes up time and again.

 

[KateLovesPurple]

My Danbury poptop had them as well. I say had, as it doesn't any more. As Nugsy said, be prepared to find all sorts of things if you remove them, and in my opinion, you should as they are real rust traps. Not so much on the main chassis rails but certainly where they fit to the sills and outriggers.

Mine looked great with them on but when I took them off, I found I needed to replace all the outriggers and jacking points and both sills, Give them a smack with your hand from underneath and if it sounds all rattly, they are more than likely full of bits of rusty metal flakes.

Take them off, sort the chassis and don't put them back!

 

[willevans79]

No joke, we found an old mouse nest when removing the central belly pan on mine! It was quite a shock! :shock:
My mechanic replaced the central belly pans but adapted them to be bolted on rather than welded so every few years they can be removed and the chasis checked over, a compromise I like to think!

(no mice were harmed in the servicing of my bus!)

Will

 

[Trikky2]

Belly pans were an M spec option which could be ordered on the T2. They were fitted as standard equipment on sunroof models and on vehicles to some export markets for instance. They were recommended for vehicles likely to be operated in arduous conditions.

They were never intended to serve as insulation neither in terms of road noise or in heat retention.

As regards motor caravans, there were official factory approved converters and when the factory supplied them with special "empty" kombis and microbusses, for conversion into motor caravans, they were fitted with belly pans, at factory insistence, to compensate for the loss in rigidity caused by cutting a large part of the roof and its strengthening bows out, to allow the fitment of an elevating roof.

Hence, for instance, earlier Dormobiles had belly pans, since they were an officially recognised converter and could order the empty Kombis. Later on Dormobile lost their official converter status and could no longer sell their vehicles through the VW dealer network and had to buy their vehicles from VW dealers rather than get supplied direct. As a result these vehicles sometimes had pans but often did not. After losing their official status was also when they started doing conversions on panel vans rather than exclusivly on kombi/microbus shells.

 

[james_stan]

My Danbury poptop had them as well. I say had, as it doesn't any more. As Nugsy said, be prepared to find all sorts of things if you remove them, and in my opinion, you should as they are real rust traps. Not so much on the main chassis rails but certainly where they fit to the sills and outriggers.

..Take them off, sort the chassis and don't put them back!

Hear hear !

JS