Floor repairs - what is best?

[SimplyLesa]

When using the FG app I can't see the documents...I don't want to ask redundant questions. ..

My Scamp's PO replaced a piece of the floor. The part he replaced is the main floor only. He used fiberboard and 4 self tapping screws to hold it down. My rear floor is original and glassed onto the frame. The front bunkbed area is all original glassed in as well as is the floor under the kitchen cabinet.

My door doesn't seat well and I can see that one of the support blocks is broken. I'm fairly certain that affects the hang of the door. (1983 - 13' Scamp)

Am I understanding correctly that the floor would have been glassed to the frame like the other sections and that this would help to hold the structure square allowing the door to hang/fit more correctly?

I'm hopeful that my ideas for the repairing of PO's unfinished floor are good:

I already bought plywood to replace the fiberboard which had a significant hole. I plan to undercoat that sheet with bedliner first. (BTW I'm painting the exposed metal with Rustoleum Metal Restore). Then installing the plywood, and fiberglassing the edges/joints to the metal. I am unclear about screwing into the frame although I don't think that I can fiberglass the underside like I see in other areas of my floor. (What would you do?)

I am planning to touch up the fiberglass skim coat on the other parts of the floor. Then to just make it look neat and pretty AND to be sure I have sealed off any allergens (I have been very sensitive), I'm going over the floor with a coat of porch paint.

How am I doing so far?

[SimplyLesa]

Oh I forgot to mention that the door will need to be another project. I'm trying to manage my stress - I imagine many of you understand.

[Timber Wolf]

I am not sure the "main" floor piece was ever glassed, I see no evidence of it on my 1988 Scamp 16. There are a couple of schools of thought on waterproofing the underside of the floor. One is seal it up, keep all mositure out. Another is use a good grade of material and leave it bare so it can breathe and dry out. I started to seal the underside of the floor in my Scamp but then figured it had made it 26 years in good shape so I have left it alone. All that said if I had to replace my floor I would use 3/4" CDX or "form-ply" (concrete form plywood) and seal the cut edges only and screw it down with quality self drilling screws and be done. I don't know about the door issue.

[summer scamp]

When I had to replace my floor section under the shower and counter with the stove and microwave, I had to lift the wall and counter back into place. The old plywood was rotten through and allowed them to sag. I can easily see if it was the floor on the side with the door that was that rotten it would affect the door.

I trimmed up the factory lip on the walls that is glassed to the floor to make it easier to slide the new plywood in ( after scraping out all old rotten plywood). Then re-glassed it to the lip on top and bottom. Used 1 1/4" self tapping screws into the frame.


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[Eddie Longest]

The drop (center floor) is not glassed in. It is just screwed to the metal angle lips attached to the frame rails and the angle floor supports. I use 5/8 underlayment plywood. Coat the bottom and edges with epoxy resin to waterproof the underside and edges before installing. After you paint your frame and just prior installing the plywood run beads of adhesive caulking on the frame angle iron lips and drop in the plywood. This is how the floor is sealed to the frame before screwing down the floor.
The drop floor on a S-13 is easier to install than a S-16 /19 since you only have an overhang on the sink side. The section under the front bench is usually a separate piece. I usually paint the floor topside. If you put epoxy resin on the floor topside nothing will stick to it.
There are two metal supports that go from the frame to the door opening. These two supports have plywood glassed to the ends that attaches to the shell. These pieces of plywood need to be checked, because if they are bad they can cause door sag.
Eddie

[SimplyLesa]

Eddie thank you so much.
Every answer here is helpful and gives me both information and support for this project.

I didn't know anything about the section near the door opening. I didn't think to ask about that. I have the 'threshold' metal and kind of rotten wood pieces. ..is there more I should know?

I believe I will have help with this piece of the project. I just want the major roof and floor repairs to be right the first time. I can't see redoing those things a year or two down the road.

[SimplyLesa]

Here's pics of my entry frame.
And the broken door hinge shem.

Attachment 73182

[SimplyLesa]

Oops wrong picture

[SimplyLesa]

And one of my floor frame

[RogerDat]

Are those hinge bolts coming through that piece of scrap wood in the picture? I think the scamp door frame get its strength from the front corner of the shell being glassed to the floor and that chrome stiffening bar riveted along side the hinges.

If there is floor rot under the front couch at the corner by the door that will allow the door wall to drop a bit and cause the door to become cocked a bit in the frame.

Also the whole trailer shell can over time sort of squish down slightly changing the wall curve. Think marshmallow with a snow load on it for 30 some years, little squish might happen and that leads to door not meeting wall.

Door itself can lose shape if the wood product material inside the door gets wet.

[SimplyLesa]

Roger Dat - the "scrap wood" according Mike and Devin at the factory. Is the original 1983 factory door installation. BTW my rear tire holder has a matching wood piece that supports the bolts.

There is no floor rot under the couch by the door.

I appreciate the marshmallow analogy.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by SimplyLesa

Roger Dat - the "scrap wood" according Mike and Devin at the factory. Is the original 1983 factory door installation. BTW my rear tire holder has a matching wood piece that supports the bolts.

There is no floor rot under the couch by the door.

I appreciate the marshmallow analogy.

On mine the wood piece for the tire is tabbed in with fiberglass and I don't see that wood on the hinge bolts. Have seen pictures of a fair number of repairs where those bolts have pulled out so maybe they added the wood to avoid that happening.

Good to know you don't have floor rot under front couch. Some times the front window or door would leak and if trailer was stored tongue down water could accumulate along the edge of the shell and rot the wood.

Looks like your going to have a pretty nice camper when you get all that work done.

[Eddie Longest]

Lesa
You can see the metal going from the frame to the door opening in your pictures. The metal braces are square on the ends you have to look up from the ground front and rear to to see the small piece of plywood attaching the shell to the the metal frame extensions. While you are on the ground check out the bends in the frame for cracks under the front bench.
Eddie

[SimplyLesa]

Eddie no bends or cracks that I can see.
I have the original threshold it was not in the picture. I have gotten good advice from the guys at Scamp and now a local RV shop as well.
In a few weeks I will take it over for the RV guys to adjust and check my axel. I will probably have them fix my door as well. ..its not hanging correctly.

I'm ordering new front and rear windows Monday (God willing) and have located a glass shop willing to install those.
I'm piddling with other stuff like scrubbing walls scraping goo and cleaning the water tank. I will have help with wiring updates early this week.
Hopefully my money holds out although the Scamp seems to be more cost-effective than even my van!

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