Waterproofing van floor before WFP install?

[spruce]

do you know anyone who has rotted a van floor because of WFP?...NO ME NEITHER!!

it simply doesnt happen.....i had an old kangoo that was 14 years old when i got rid of it....i used to flood it virtually every week.....not a spot of rust on the van floor,same with a 12 year old connect i used to have.......

ive got a 3 year old van now and just have the plastic loadliner that came with the van when new.....

If someone was buying an older Transit T series then most of those are rotten underneath as they used no anti rust barrier in manufacture. Rust brings pin holes that penetrate through the metal. Water above trapped under a ply floor for example will be a breeding ground for the spread of rust. Even when the Transit factory moved to Turkey from Southampton no rust treatment was added. (EU legislation required that all vehicles manufactured in EU countries be rust treated but somehow some van manufacturers didn't comply to begin with. Ford and M/Benz were early examples. It was once stated that as Turkey was not in the EU, those rules didn't apply. They would rely on their Ford name to keep market share in the EU.)

The same applies with the first Transit Connects on 53 plates and later. I notice rotten sills on 2 x 10 plate Connects used by the local Council a while back.

I expect that things have changed with the Custom and latest Transit Connects. But when we give advice we have to consider all the possibilities of those who are wanting a van but can only afford an old one.

I advocate that the wooden ply on the floor is removed. I personally want a non slip coating put down on the floor and ProtectaKote was fine for that. When I was in the motor trade I stepped up inside a brand new Citroen Relay on the forecourt with wet shoes. I slipped on the painted floor. I ended up with the back of my head on the tar and my feet inside the van having taken an almighty blow to my lower back on the rear step. I've always had a weak back but that didn't help.

So when I post the importance of a protective coating 90% of that advise is the non slip aspect of the painted surface. I'm sure a normal painted floor is fine as it is in your case. Having a 'fixed' hose reel will also stop the floor being scratched although movement might well wear the paint off over time.

There are a lot of window cleaners who can't afford a new van like you have for many, many reasons. I'm one of them. My isn't a bad credit history; its age related. I don't know how long I have left as each day is a struggle work wise. I couldn't risk having a 5 years leasing contract around my neck and then refinance the final balloon payment over another 5 years. I can't guarantee I going the live that long let alone work that long.

For me it like an 80 year old going into the bank and applying for a 25 year house mortgage.

 

[Tango]

.i had an old kangoo that was 14 years old when i got rid of it....i used to flood it virtually every week.....not a spot of rust on the van

That might be something to do with the fact that while renault's are a nightmare for mechanical and electronic gremlins, their rust proofing is known to be second to none. They will go eventually but they do so a lot slower than many other brands. Last time i looked in a renault manual they use a minimum of 7 layers of rust protection on their metals..

I think their idea was as follows: If it's a mechanical and electronic wreck people will bin it... but if it still looks great they'll want to save it.. and thus carry on buying parts / maintenance services from the dealers. Who likes scrapping a good looking car?

 

[spruce]

That might be something to do with the fact that while renault's are a nightmare for mechanical and electronic gremlins, their rust proofing is known to be second to none. They will go eventually but they do so a lot slower than many other brands. Last time i looked in a renault manual they use a minimum of 7 layers of rust protection on their metals..

I think their idea was as follows: If it's a mechanical and electronic wreck people will bin it... but if it still looks great they'll want to save it.. and thus carry on buying parts / maintenance services from the dealers. Who likes scrapping a good looking car?

At the OE's price of spare parts these days one often gets the impression that they are trying to send a message that its time to replace an old but perfectly good looking car.

The wife's Citroen Xsara is a 2003 plate hdi. No rust underneath, no mechanical issues with 91k on the clock. It's worth around £600 if someone will pay that for it. Needed a new catalytic convertor. Citroens price £1154 + Vat and 2 hours labour to fit it at £80 an hour + vat. Local motor factors price £89 including vat and fitted it myself.

62 plate Peugeot Boxer. £535 + vat for a replacement alternator. 2 hours labour and 2 new serpentine belts at £20 a piece.

Return Turbo pipe from intercooler £530 + vat. It a metal pipe with a 90 degree bend and another kink with 2 metal hanger brackets and 2 unnecessary fancy flanges on each end with tiny pins used during assembly. An exhaust fabricator could make one for less than £50.

They are doing the same as Bosch power tools have done with spare part pricing. A replacement armature costs 60% of the retail price of the tool. If that's the part needed you scrap the tool. It's their way of fuelling and sustaining the throw away society they initiated 25 years ago.

We are already conditioned to just buying a new washing machine if ours stops working. All that might be wrong is it needs new carbon brushes in the motor at £7 a set, but it goes to scrap.

25 years ago a Black & Decker 2 speed 13mm impact drill was selling for £80. It cost B&D £6.97 made in their then Spennymoor factory including packaging. B&D moved the factory to Poland as they could reduce their production costs. On that power tool a replacement motor for that same drill was £35 back then.

Rant over. Time to go to work. ?

 

[Nicky]

Just booked my van in to be done with speedliner £680 with walkdens group in bury 

any colour u like.

 

[M & S Window Cleaning]

A lot of vans are now phosphate coated in the load areas that helps reduce the likelihood of rust but a good two pack waterproofer coating is a good idear especially in a new van that is likely to be used for many years .

Pure water has has a PH of 7 so it is neutral it’s not acidic , but any water will cause corrosion or rust on untreated bare steel 

deionised water has a ph level 5. since most of us use DI vessels the water would be deionised. 

 

[Iron Giant]

Just booked my van in to be done with speedliner £680 with walkdens group in bury 

any colour u like.

I spent less a £100 on Protectakoke including thinners and rollers and did it myself although I had to buy a few other bits and pieces probs spent £120 in total, don't understand why people layout out £100's when it can be done over a weekend quite easily this is the best how to guide https://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/topic/26070-protectakote/?tab=comments#comment-409557

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I spent less a £100 on Protectakoke including thinners and rollers and did it myself although I had to buy a few other bits and pieces probs spent £120 in total, don't understand why people layout out £100's when it can be done over a weekend quite easily this is the best how to guide https://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/topic/26070-protectakote/?tab=comments#comment-409557

If its summer and you have the time then its fairly easy to do it yourself. If you are busy and getting a tank fitted then its better to let the company do it.

 

[Pjj]

deionised water has a ph level 5. since most of us use DI vessels the water would be deionised. 

Pure water wether Di produced or ro di has a ph of 7 , it will drop to 5.5 ph if exposed to carbon dioxide but that’s not very likely with our job . 

 

[Daniel Perkins]

Got mine coated with a polyurea protective coating called Gatorhyde. Great stuff and looks the business, glad i got it done as I flooded the van a few months ago when filling the tank. Totally forgot about it!!

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Got mine coated with a polyurea protective coating called Gatorhyde. Great stuff and looks the business, glad i got it done as I flooded the van a few months ago when filling the tank. Totally forgot about it!!

I had a flood which i caught in time. It was my new magnetic float switch that was defective. Oliver said its the first time he has came across a defective float switch and it had to happen to me. I was lucky that the water escaped down through the floor where my Webasto exhaust was cut. They hadn't fully sealed around the exhaust which was lucky for me. I would recommend to have a hole in the centre of van floor in case this happens in the future.

 

[Iron Giant]

If its summer and you have the time then its fairly easy to do it yourself. If you are busy and getting a tank fitted then its better to let the company do it.

I'd be inclined to disagree, put a van in to have a protective coating applied that will see the van off the road for a day even if the tank fitting company are doing it these coatings can take hours to dry then cure sufficiently before an install can take place, each day off the road is lost wages. 

In my case last year, I had my fitting at Purefreedom booked in for a Monday I think it was, so the week leading up  I took out ply lining on the floor and sorted out the ply lining and boxing and did some prep  and painted the ply lining on the sides of the van, I clashed my work off that week and got done before 12pm on the Friday, got home stripped the van out as needed  prepped the van floor, cracked on with the first coat and put a heater in overnight, did the second coat first thing Saturday morning and put a heater in the van through until Sunday morning all dry and fully cured. 

I had a 4 day week the week of the fitting so all in all I didn't lose any money and saved myself a chunk of money by doing it myself, I might not be very bright sometimes, but I'd sooner use my commonsense before opening my wallet, I am getting more frugal the older I get ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Stripped out back of my van on Sunday and drove down on the Monday for Tuesday tank fitting. Got it back on Friday minus the electric motors on reels. Did a solar clean on Saturday. So in all fairness Grippatank received a van on Tuesday and had to speedliner it and fit a large hot system in it by Friday, not bad going to be fair.

 

[Nicky]

I spent less a £100 on Protectakoke including thinners and rollers and did it myself although I had to buy a few other bits and pieces probs spent £120 in total, don't understand why people layout out £100's when it can be done over a weekend quite easily this is the best how to guide https://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/topic/26070-protectakote/?tab=comments#comment-409557

You can’t compare speedliner and protectakore 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

You can’t compare speedliner and protectakore 

How, what's the difference?

 

[Pjj]

How, what's the difference?

Protectacoat is an easily damaged surface I had it in one of my vans a compleate waist of time in less than 12 months it had worn through in high ware areas .

speedliner  is a very hard wearing two pack  product that’s impervious to any chemical doesn’t show any signs of ware after 5 years very hard life in my other van it’s like comparing a family saloon car to a formula one car performance wise .its a lot dearer but well worth the money we have all our vehicles done with it now .

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Protectacoat is an easily damaged surface I had it in one of my vans a compleate waist of time in less than 12 months it had worn through in high ware areas .

speedliner  is a very hard wearing two pack  product that’s impervious to any chemical doesn’t show any signs of ware after 5 years very hard life in my other van it’s like comparing a family saloon car to a formula one car performance wise .its a lot dearer but well worth the money we have all our vehicles done with it now .

Don't tell the wee man he may get upset! ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I had a flood which i caught in time. It was my new magnetic float switch that was defective. Oliver said its the first time he has came across a defective float switch and it had to happen to me. I was lucky that the water escaped down through the floor where my Webasto exhaust was cut. They hadn't fully sealed around the exhaust which was lucky for me. I would recommend to have a hole in the centre of van floor in case this happens in the future.

I later found out that they don't seal around the exhaust pipe or it could catch fire, makes sense.

 

[Iron Giant]

You can’t compare speedliner and protectakore 

Yeah I can it's more than £500 cheaper ? my van is used just for window cleaning only with just the odd add on, so no lifting in and out of gear so perfectly ideal for a window cleaning van, it is just me also so I do look after my van, were as employee's are less likely to be as considerate. 

 

[dmw]

If its summer and you have the time then its fairly easy to do it yourself. If you are busy and getting a tank fitted then its better to let the company do it.

I protectacoted my van in February over a weekend, I just left my oil filled radiator in to help it cure. It did pong for a bit though.

 

[Iron Giant]

I protectacoted my van in February over a weekend, I just left my oil filled radiator in to help it cure. It did pong for a bit though.

Yeah it's strong stuff, I reckon even if you did it in the summer a heater would be required, I did mine the last week of March as I was getting the fitting done before the new tax year

 

[HWCS]

Again this is why this forum is invaluable to me.

Just bought 4ltrs protectacote for my new van and regretting it now, wish id read up on this thread begore clicking buy!!! 

Ive got it so ill use it, been told i should strip out the ply flooring, scuff the sh1t out of the floor and then paint in 2 thick coats.

If im honest i dont really want to take out the ply lining, ive never had a leak in my van, everything if securely fitted, i wont get a tank overflow coz i watch it fill as only takes 10 mins to fill from empty.

I think im gonna just paint the ply with the protectacote or is this a really really bad idea?