Howdy all

I just picked up a 1991 B250 cargo with windows all around. Paint is um... mostly there.
Runs good and even has a stereo
Good thing too because it's like driving around in a steel drum with a bare interior w/ no carpeting or seats.

Has anyone come up with a good fitting heavy duty rubber floor for their old school cargo van on the cheap?

I want to avoid plain 'ol carpet padding because I don't want to have to worry about it getting wet. I plan to throw some carpet remnant on top of the rubber when empty and then pull it out when hauling stuff.

I'm also interested in finding new rubber weather strip for the doors and engine cover.

Thanks a bunch,
Mech

 

You need to browse around the web for Cargo Van Liners. You can find ford all day long, some GM/Chevy, but for Dodge the pickings are sooo slim. Most Dodge Ram Van's already came with factory rubber floor liners.

There is a guy who makes them for Ford Econoline series for around $300. That's a good price. To bad he doesn't do other makes.

 

Thanks stev,

I did find a ford liner. It looks like it's for an extended van, so I'd have to cut some length from behind the wheel wells and the gas fill bump cutout is in a different spot. A lot of hacking to do on a new $300 component.

I'm a cheap bastid. My wife says I can squeeze a nickle 'till the buffalo poops...

I found an almost new liner for a long bed pickup on craigslist. Gonna check it out and see how well it fits and if 8 foot length will satisfy my urge to cover all the way up behind the front seats (about 10 feet.) I suppose I could eventually find another liner to cut for the remaining length if the ridges fill the folds in the floor to my satisfaction.

I'm seriously thinking of cutting strips out of a rubber rug or rubber backed carpet to fill the corrugations and level the floor. Then just cover with 3/4" and call it good.

If I build a platform over the wheel wells for a bed how much insulation do I really need on the floor anyway? Just clean, paint and leave the metal under the carpeted raised floor?

Anybody have a source for the engine cover and door rubber gaskets?

Mech

 

Rug directly on the metal floor is not really a good idea. Even with a good coat of paint, the cold floor will cause condensation and rust and mildew and mold and make for a nice foot fungus growing medium..

You can put plywood down and rug on top of that but it is best to seal it first. Do not use the pressboard as it swells and is structurally non existent when wet.

I filled in the valleys of my floor with some 1/2 inch foam board insulation I had left over from my roof, and lay some snap together laminate 'wood' flooring side to side over that and some vapor barrier.

Works surprisingly good at dampening road noise. I have some rubber backed throw rugs on top of the floor, but it's removal does not change the road noise.

Check out:http://www.mcmaster.com/#door-weatherstripping/=bqu8mu
For raw materials

 

Thanks landyacht318,

I am so familiar w/ McMaster Carr and Grainger it's not even funny. I'm an ME and I've been building stuff utilizing them for almost 20 years. Thing is, they're expensive! It never seems to bother me when a customer prototype is budgeted but for personal raw materials, dang.

I like your description of floor layers... that's similar to what I've got in mind: fill the valleys and insulate then maybe cover. I was beginning to think I was going overboard (as I tend to do) but I think it sounds reasonable if you want moisture barrier, sound mitigation, thermal insulation and cargo carrying retention.

But now that I've accepted the premise, I'm still thinking about changing it up.

I don't want to sleep in between the wheel wells. The double bed mattress I was going to throw in there wants more room. So now I'm thinking of sealing and painting the cargo floor and then trowing in a rubber bed/cargo liner for sound deadening and cargo grip. I think I'll build a raised platform from lightweight lumber with the top consisting of three or more panels that can be removed. Some kind of insulation lining the box for thermal and sound insulation on the inner sides and carpet on the outside to keep the mattress from sliding around...

When something other than *** needs to be hauled, I'll pull the mattress and as many panels and frame sections as needed to make room for cargo.

This weekend I'll find out if the craigslist truck bed liner will work. Today I'm going down to a carpet remnant place to look at marine carpet. A Wally World or Target futon mattress cover in coffee or coca to match the tan interior...

I may have a start

I pulled the interior panels out over the last few days. Found all kinds of crap floating around in there. The van's already quieter now that it doesn't have metal bouncing around in the panels!

I figured out where the spare tire mounts. And what is used to mount it. This big 'ol carriage bolt that was making a racket in there!

Found a craigslist full size spare and jack w/ tire tool.

I kinda wish I could find some plastic interior panels so I won't have to make 'em out of wood. I suppose it'll look fine since the seats and dash are tan.

OK, I'm done daydreaming and rambling about my cheap *** van for now.

Mech

 

Does Lowes still sell rubber material on a 8 or 12 foot wide roll anymore? This way, you can cut to size. They do sell the padding.

 

I don't think so... that's the first place I looked, as they're the closest home improvement joint close to me. I found the indoor/outdoor carpet and carpet padding and bought some reflective window tint. Saw a 6' x 4' recycled rubber door mat for about $40... it would take three of 'em.

I may go back and ask because that would be ideal. McMaster Carr & Grainger have rolls of rubber. 1/4" thick @ 6' x 10' would be about $300 cheapest, if I recall.

Found some nice marine grade carpet for boats yesterday. Light brown (bleh)

$115 gets enough to do the entire floor bumper to bumper and every vertical panel face in there.

Wood panels have become dang expensive! Might find some expired voter solicitation foam core signs on the side of the road to mount the carpet to the doors!

Mech