Rotten subfloor

[Raya]

Oh, I forgot about the Ensolite (walls). If you think mold was painted over.... well, I wouldn't want to paint over it again. Can you test for paint adhesion? Sometimes you can do something like put tape on it (in the usual hidden corner) and then tear the tape off and see if the paint comes off. Bit of a judgment call.

Putting on new Ensolite is a bit of a chore and expensive, but people have done it. You would have the opportunity to use slightly thicker material if you wanted more insulation (the standard was 3/16" as far as I know). IR Foam specialties has Ensolite, and there was a Boler project done by "Jenny" here wherein she put all new Ensolite on. The stuff I've seen now does not have the vinyl "skin" so most people just paint it from the get-go, I think. That said, it might be worth asking about the different types they have listed as some do have a "natural" color. I had them send me some samples and they were black, but I'm not sure I had gone through all the options with them.

http://www.irfoam.com/index.php?page=foam2

Raya

[Roy in TO]

Karens pictures show the kitchen floor which sits on a metal L shaped lip built into the frame. Very similar to the boler American. That floor is screwed to the metal and caulking used to seal the gaps.

Raya talks of tabbing which can be seen in this picture.





Which was cropped from a picture Jean L sent me while replacing the rear floor in his boler American this past weekend.

[Ken C]

Other good photos are Here

[Bob H]

Other good photos are Here

Ken,
By far, that's the BEST presentation of a floor project I've ever seen , it ROCKS!

[KarinP]

Ken, Wow, I appreciate this link, and it turned out to be very timely. We just discovered the upper floor is also rotting through in the corner. We didn't find any leaks and it has been raining constantly for about 4 days - it looks like it is damage from the same ceiling vent that caused the other damage. So here we go again with the plywood, resin, etc.

Raya, your explanations are detailed, thorough and very helpful. I'll tackle the fiberglassing after the floor pieces are in. I thought I'd call B and B and order the biaxial tape you recommended.

Someday I'm going to get to the pretty stuff !! (flooring, curtains, etc.)

Other good photos are Here

[KarinP]

THANK YOU for the detailed info, Raya. Yes, I did use fir! I've been sidetracked for a while upon finding more softness/damage under the right bench and sanding the frame, readying for priming. That has NOT been a fun job. I've ordered the tape - so you're saying cover the whole piece with fiberglass cloth (well, strips anyway)? Once my wood is ready to go in, which would be better to use - sheetmetal screws or bolts to attach it to the frame?

Re: the ensolite, the good news is I talked to the previous owner who assured me the ensolite walls were cleaned well before they painted so I can just add my coats. I'm glad to know what it is though, and really glad I don't have to go down that road of replacing it!
Karin

[Raya]

Hi Karin,

Sounds like you're going to have a really sound egg when you do get to the fun curtains part

Let me preface this by saying that if you never again allow leaks into the trailer, you could probably use bare fir exterior plywood and it wouldnt rot in your lifetime. I'm not advocating that, but just say it to point out that it is leaks from above that typically cause problems, and so you have that as background information when deciding how far to go with the process.

I would put cloth over the whole top of the flooring for sure. That will add durability, strength and waterproofing. As for the bottom, I would definitely resin coat for sure, and I would probably fiberglass too, simply because fir checks so much more than other types of plywood, and plain resin will not stand up to that (ask me how I know ).

The thing to know if/when you do fiberglass cloth the bottom, is that now you really need to make sure no water gets into that wood, because it will rot in there. Again, mostly only a worry from above. The second skin of cloth will also make the wood structure stiffer, as you now have a sandwich, like an I-beam, if you will.

If you really want to be anal, you can do it like we do on boats with a cored deck (fiberglass/wood/fiberglass), and "overdrill" (larger diameter) any holes you are making and then fill them with thickened epoxy (colloidial silica for filler is good) and then drill your smaller fastener hole through the epoxy annulus you have created. Seals the core and gives a compression "post" too. Also, be sure to seal the edges of the plywood.

You'll have to decide how far to go with this, as it's a judgement call. I hate to worry, so I "overkill."

For the attachment to the frame, it will depend on what you have now for holes (see my thread on this a couple of days ago). If you only have holes through the top of the frame, then I would say screws. If you already have holes through both sides of the frame, then bolts (weakens frame, but if they are already there, then might as well use them). If you want more connection power, but only have the top holes, then maybe add trailer "U" bolts around the frame, or have tabs welded on the frame for bolts off to the side of the frame (like little angle iron shapes).

Let me know if any of this was unclear. I'm off to a meeting and rushing a bit.

Good on you for tackling this project

Raya

[KarinP]

(This is from my husband, John, who is, thankfully, fully committed to the Scamp overhaul: )I have a question about self-tapping screws for attaching the center floor section to the frame of our 13' Scamp. Is there a special type of screw that's needed, and can this be done with a basic household drill? I can lean well on the drill while driving the screws, but I'm concerned about the amount of torque available from my Dewalt 3/8" drill (I think it says 5.4 amps; the label's scratched.)

I assume that countersinked, pilot holes in the floor piece are recommended.

I plan to attach this section of the floor to only the angle-iron type frame parts and to the lips that are available around the sides. I assume it's best to avoid the wider, heavier, primary frame rails running from front to back beneath everything.

Karin didn't count when removing the old rotten (original) floor, but it seems there were less than a dozen - maybe just 8-10 - screws used to attach the original floor. Does anyone have suggestions or advice regarding the number of screws to use and the critical attachment points?