1984 Bigfoot Floor Frame Question - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-28-2020, 09:31 PM   #1
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Bigfoot
Yukon
Posts: 7
1984 Bigfoot Floor Frame Question

Hi all! Glad to finally be here! Bought a 1984 Bigfoot last year and finally have it for renovations!! the entry floor is a bit worn out, as you can see in the pictures. When I pulled up the plywood, a piece of wood was exposed (~1"x1"), that I assume is part of a lattice across the floor the the trailer. I was planning on replacing a square of the rotted plywood no matter what. However, I was hoping someone might know the spacing of the wooden lattice of the floor. Specifically, I am looking for the distance between the exposed piece of wood under the frame (in photo), to the next one piece of "lattice" wood toward the kitchen of the trailer. (If there is even more wood?!?) I am looking for the wood frame to attach the new piece of plywood too (like a plywood patch). I would rather not pull up more material than I need too. Any help would be great!
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Old 05-29-2020, 12:36 PM   #2
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Name: Bob
Trailer: Bigfoot 17G
Oregon
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Here's a picture of the floor of my 1994 Bigfoot 17G. If any measurements off of it might be helpful, let me know.

For what it's worth, it's my understanding that the plywood should be glued to the wood frame members and to the foam so that the plywood and fiberglass under the foam create something like a torsion box which is a very strong structure.
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Old 05-29-2020, 12:49 PM   #3
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Bigfoot
Yukon
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Thanks Bob!
If I read your previous post right, and took a look at the picture you posted...the channels are empty...there was no wood in the channels, correct? It does not appear that the current plywood in the doorway is glued to the foam. The plywood was screwed into the piece of wood exposed in the picture. I am not sure if this was original or done sometime after. It is your understanding that the plywood should be glued to the foam? What glue did you end up using?



Also, I'm very impressed with your extension! Looks awesome!
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Old 05-29-2020, 01:36 PM   #4
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Name: Bob
Trailer: Bigfoot 17G
Oregon
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The channels did have wood in them but much of it was completely rotten so I removed and replaced it.

There is wood in the floor both side-to-side and front-to-back. The pieces are approx 1" thick (same thickness as the foam) by about 3"

There seems to be one piece running front-to-back down the middle of the trailer. I am not sure of the spacing of the side-to-side pieces but I would hypothesize that they are lined up so that they are underneath seams in the plywood.

In my trailer the plywood was definitely glued to the top of the foam; lots of it was rotten and easy to remove but the unrotten parts were quite hard to remove without messing up the foam.

I haven't clued the plywood down yet but intend to.

I included a photo of part of the floor before hand as well as one with the new pywood in place but not glued down.
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Old 05-29-2020, 05:05 PM   #5
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Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
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Ugh. I'm guessing Bob's photos are exactly what my Bigfoot floor looks like under the linoleum. Very squishy around the fridge, getting less squishy as I walk toward the door. That's a project I'll get to someday...
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Old 05-29-2020, 09:37 PM   #6
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Name: Bob
Trailer: Bigfoot 17G
Oregon
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So, here's how that went -

As you probably did, I noticed a bit of squishiness in the floor a few feet from the fridge and, one day decided to look into it.

When I took up a 1 foot square of the linoleum, I found dry, splintered wood under it so I took up a bit more -- then a bit more -- then the fridge had to come out.

What's interesting is that all the splintered wood was dry as a bone. Since the trailer had spent the prior winter (before I bought it) uncovered in Portland, OR, I assumed (or, perhaps, rationalized) that the leak and dry rot had to have occurred some time ago and that the leak had been repaired.

Here's the problem though, the dry, but rotten wood, extended at least a short way under the kitchen area on one side and under the dinette seat and cabinet on the other (front) side. I didn't want to tear all those cabinets out so I stopped at that point and decided to wait through another rainy winter on the OR coast to see if any new moisture appeared. None did but I still wonder if I shouldn't take up the cabinets and pull up the floor until I get to undamaged plywood flooring.

What would others on this forum do if faced with that dilemma?
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Old 05-30-2020, 08:10 AM   #7
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If there is no more leak, the rot should stop, is what I've been told. The issue with rot is that it spreads, because the cause of the rot still exists.

That's been my dilemma, too. First off, where did the rot come from? My trailer is dry. But clearly, for a sustained period of time, something got that part of the floor wet. My trailer came from BC, so a much wetter climate. I still don't know how it got so wet.

But feeling the squishy floor, it gets much, much better as I move toward cabinets and dinette, but I have to assume that there is some rot under there, just not nearly as bad. Ideally, you fix it all. But...if my trailer has no leaks, and the rot is as bad as it'll ever get, then the only reason to fix it is 1- because it bothers me or 2- because an informed buyer, if I ever sell it, will either walk away or low-ball me (rightfully so) because of the rot.

So it's a tough one. I don't like the squish, but in the scheme of things, considering the size of the job, I'm not sure I care enough. Assuming, of course, that the rot is not progressing.

The rot directly in front of my fridge is bad enough that the linoleum is starting to peel. I'll likely do as much as you've done at some point. Not sure if I'll go any further...
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