Like ever other 1990's Dodge Van owner I have rusted thru at the wheel wells in both my 1996 & 99 van, is there anyplace I can find replacement metal sheets to refit to the bed and weld into place? These vans still run great even at 150,000 miles, I just don't want my tools falling thru the bed onto the friggin highway, PLEASE HELP!!!
Thanks,
Jim

 

I took my '01 B2500 that I purchased with the rusted out section covered by carpet. I got some aluminum sheet metal. I cut out with a wiz wheel all exposed edges that were rusted on the bed. I primed and painted all exposed metal, with the tires off and jacks under the rear end to give me access. I screwed down the oversized sheet metal to overlap ( about 2-3 inches from the cut out) the cut out area with hex-head 1/2 inch long self-drill screws. I sprayed the underside with rubberized coating from an auto parts store. I sprayed expanding foam into the crevices that were created by laying flat metal over the ridged floor. Once dry, I cut the excess foam away from the floor. I re-sprayed the rubberized coating over excess foam that found it's way to the underneath cut out area. Total time to fix was about 2 to 3 hours over 3 days. I covered the floor with cheap carpet and have not looked back in over 2 years now.

 

You can always throw a sheet of plywood over it until you get a chance to fix it.

 

Go to an sheet metal / Air conditioning supply house and get some cold rolled/galv 16 gauge it normally comes in 4' X 8' sheets. The original floor is only about 18-20 gauge so 16 is thicker but also easy to work with.
Aluminum is not the best idea it will quickly rot out where it meets the steel.
Have the supplier shear the material to the basic shape and use a portable sheet metal shear, looks like a power drill with a scissor head, to do final trimming.
Use some of the same glue that ma Chrysler used to install the original and glue it back down after getting down to good solid steel for support.
You probably will require very few screws just to position it for the glue to set-up..
If you insist on any welding I would mig it out of the van.
The van is an easy floor to repair.
We did several out of our shop a few years ago. One carpet cleaner truck, a ford, even had the cross members rotted out, so it is not just a Dodge issue.