[Skaggydog]

I wish to install a passenger seat with seat belts and have the composite wooden floor. Can I install on top of it or do I have to cut holes in it to get down to the steel floor?
Is the floor down hard on the raised ribs?

 

[keeponvaning]

Yes you have to cut the floor and yes it is held down with big gobs of some kind of sealant (silicone?) that are thought to remove but you have to do it.

 

[Skaggydog]

Yes you have to cut the floor and yes it is held down with big gobs of some kind of sealant (silicone?) that are thought to remove but you have to do it.

Thank you, keeponvaning.


Now I am thinking of just cutting 4 holes to stack washers in for spacers where the bolts go.
Anyone feel that that is a bad idea?

 

[keeponvaning]

Well, if you have to ask them I guess you probably know the answer. But the most important thing is what you do underneath. Are you going to just connect the bolts to the sheet metal floor, put big reinforcing washers, go through the frame, add a steel plate under the floor?

The sheet metal floor isn't much good for anything without some kind of reinforcement. If you search the site you will find lots of suggestions. Some might be overkill, some might make sense, some are outright dangerous.

 

[Skaggydog]

thanks for asking keeponvaning,


I plan to not go into the frame, but put 3"x 2" x 3/16" galvanized plates underneath. I think that if I keep the top spacers (2" round) flush with the floor the floor will add a lot of solidity as well.

 

[keeponvaning]

Probably better than many others have done.

 

[seapro]

This is a similar problem as the attachment of certain hardware to the foam cored deck of a boat. The significant load is of course the upward pull in an accident. I think that you do not need to do anything fancy to the floor. The six square inch "backing plate" you suggest would be robust enough to use inside on top of the floor, but I think a thicker one of at least 1/4 inch and bigger area of 12 square inches would be appropriate underneath. I say this because of the ribbed structure of the sheet metal floor. If 1/4 inch galvanized is hard to find I would suggest 3/8 inch aluminum with a fender washer to spread the bolt load onto the aluminum. Remember that cutting galvanized plate will leave edges to rust and the drilled bolt hole can rust and enlarge which is not a problem with aluminum.

Think about the strength of the bolts themselves. Ordinary hardware store bolts may not be strong enough. Strong bolts have certain markings on the heads. I am not familiar with this but you could get help to select bolts that have significant tensile strength.