Maintenance & Restoration

Tommy Gun · 10-10-2015, 10:46 AM

Hello,

Today I have decided to put in some allure flooring. I'm thinking the vinyl kind with the glue edge strips...I will learn more when I visit Home Depot.

Take a look at my subfloor. It was replaced by the PO. He said he glassed the tops and bottoms for the subfloor to the trailer body. Which I though was great as it sounded like a strong water tight solution. You can see can by the pictures that the floor is made up of a patchwork of cut marine grade plywood, bolted and then fiberglassed together. I as hoping the floor would be one or two continuous pieces. Is this just not possible? Anyway it is what it is. And that means it is really uneven in places. I think i need to raise it a 1/2 inch. A couple questions:

What material would you suggest to raise the subfloor? Im thinking foam board insulation as it would give over bolt heads and other irregularities and I can bring it up to just where the body flange meets the floor to help bridge the irregular seam where body screws to subfloor.

Should I purchase the snap together planks or flexible glue down strips?
I was thinking that snap together planks might be more supportive given they are sitting on relatively soft foam core. (if foam is even recommended!)

See where the fiberglass body meets the floor...In places the flange bows up a lot. Should I screw it down everywhere that occurs? I'm worried it might be overkill and put too much stress on the body if I try too pull it down to meet the floor every few inches. But this would help with the floor install. Oh and is that flange metal or fiberglass?

Any suggestions appreciated!!!

THANKS

Tom

Brandiwhne · 10-11-2015, 07:19 AM

I'm interested in your answers. This is my next project. :-)

Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

Mikmay · 10-11-2015, 07:55 AM

Tom I have replaced the floor on my burro and yes the floor must be done in sections for two reasons ,first the floor is larger than any sheet of ply and second the fiberglass wraps around the bottom about a inch so you have to slide sections of ply into it . I chose to use click in bamboo hardwood which made the floor stronger and has stood up very well . Make sure to run the length of the trailer as the last piece by the door that gets the the most water and abuse can be easily changed.The reason I used hardwood was that I could groove the floor to fit over the raised fiberglass flange around the perimeter . The bamboo has stood up better and looks better than the allure flooring I put in my other trailers.

Kai in Seattle · 10-11-2015, 10:18 AM

My question as well, about all the little pieces. Hardly seems like it would be strong enough, but the answer about the bamboo hardwood strips makes a lot of sense. We found a section of rot around the old toilet hole; my fingers are crossed that's all of the rot, but who knows yet? someone put 1/4" plywood over old damp plywood, I suppose we're lucky so far it doesn't extend further than around the hole...but ther'es some kind of hardwood or pergo overlaid in the main cabin, and we have no idea what's under that. At first we were going to leave it, but after finding this covered-over rot, now I want ot know.

when the old rotty part is pulled out, and the new wood or densilite or whatever is installed, do you fiberglass over the entire floor before adding flooring?