Pete Ritchie (of Vintage American Trailer Co) had been busy prepping the chassis for the new EU tow-hitch. We'd decided to add a square-section steel running up the centre-line from the axle which will take the new hitch and add a little stiffness to the chassis.
5 Sheets of 3/4", 8 x 4ft Marine Grade Ply - pretty pricey at £130 per sheet - should last another 50yrs.
Using the hardboard templates taken off the old floor as a guide to the corner curves, laying the new sheets was pretty straightforward.
The chassis had been painted with rust-inhibiting paint & rather than use rubber strips we used a generous bead of silicone to provide a barrier between the wood & the steel. I know that just about anywhere else using silicone is seen as the devil incarnate but here its perfect.
The 8 x 4 sheets butted-up perfectly on each 4ft chassis cross-member. Sikaflex was used to bond the sheets together. The beauty of Sikaflex is that its a powerful bond that always remains flexible but once cured is sandable.
Sheets were fixed at regular intervals to the chassis cross-members.
We used large countersunk, stainless-steel bolts. Their heads have a hex key fitting and they pull in flush with the floor surface as they're tightened.
Now to begin the trimming off the excess for a perfect fit...
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