Hey there,
I've got a '86 Itasca Sunflyer I'm trying to fix up that I've had for many years. The floors are soft in a few places and the carpet is old and needs to be replaced.
The old carpet was put in before the cabinets and such and replacing is looking like a pain, and of coarse the floor is under cabinets as well.
Not sure the best approach to this, cut the carpet along the edge of all the cabinets and remove couch and chairs? How do you reattach new carpet? How is the floor setup, can I just cut it out in the walk ways and there will be supports under to hold new sheeting for the floor?
Going to use this rig very soon so this project is a must do according to my wife. Any suggestions as to how to do a project like this?
Thanks very much!
Roy
May the roads and skies always be clear, and the firewood nice and dry!!
I'd cut the carpet out around the walls & cabinets and take out any removable stuff. You might find the supports are rotten too. It will probably be similar to what I had. Here is my post with photos -
Once the floor is fixed up, lay new carpet. In my case, I used one piece and cut it around the cabinets. I didn't need any glue, but you could use a little adhesive in spots if you find you need it.
Good Luck - feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Todd
Todd
1993 Ford E-350 pushed by a 1988 Wilderness 24' TT
I hate to tell you this Roy, but that is not an easy fix. First and most importantly make sure you know what caused those floors to go soft and make sure you get that taken care of. Moisture had to have gotten in somewhere.
Are you saying that the CARPET is under the cabinets? That seems odd. Anyway, anything that is over, and close around those soft spots must be removed. Carpet should come up fairly easily. Cut it in sections with a utility knife, then grab and pull up with large pliars. You'll then have to cut out the soft spots witha a small skilsaw, being carefull to set the depth the same as the flooring as you don't want to cut anything underneath. If the suports underneath the floor are still good, you're lucky. If not, you'll have to replace repair them in a way that they still provide support. Then you can replace the floor plywood using the same thickness as what is there, then all the cabinets, couch, etc replaced. Then if it were me I would put vinyl, or laminate flooring down, but if you want carpet, that isn't too hard to do, and is the least of your troubles.
Wood rot has to be fixed or it will get worse, and if it sounds like a big job, it is. If it were a rig you plan on keeping a long time it might be worth doing, but then I have some construction experience. If you don't, it may be a job for the professionals. Good luck.
Carl
03 F-150, 5.4 Scab 4x4 auto 3:55
2011 Jayco 256RKS
Co-pilot-Sharon
Navigator-Missy (chihuahua)
I had a similar problem on my '96 Pace Arrow. When I got the old flooring up I found it was less than 1/4" thick plywood and not rotten but with the constant weight over long unsupported stretch the plywood had just begun to seperate the plys. I added a few supports im the floor amd then put 3/8" plywood down for a very solid floor.
2003 Newmar Mountain Aire, Workhorse W22, 2008 Saturn Vue, Falcon 5250, & US Gear Unified Tow Brake
On our 75 Itasca we had some soft spots and what I found was that when they constructed the coach they used styrofoam between 2 layers of plywood for the floor. Insulation and sound deadining I guess. After fixing one bad spot of wood I just drilled holes in the floor where the soft spots were and sprayed in expanding foam from Home Depot. Now this hardens to a like styrofoam feel. Once it was all done hardening and ooozing out of the holes I just trimmed off the ooze and placed .0125 aluminimum plate to seal the area. Worked well for me.
Fuzzy and Mary
1994 Pace Arrow 33
1928 Model A
1953 Ford Club Coupe
1963 1/2 Falcon Ranchero Original factory V8 4 spd
1963 Fairlane SportsCoupe
1965 Honda SuperHawk
Just a thought for you. When we did our "Inside Make-Over, we replaced all the flooring too.
The areas were we replaced the Carpeting, we used a "Water-Proof Padding". That would really help if you ever got a roof leak over any Carpet areas.
It also makes it a lot dryer, when ever you shampoo your Crapets. Works out great for our needs, even though we have never had any RV, ever leak in the 45+ years as RV'er's.
Thanks everybody for the info on the floor repair. I cut into the carpet in front of the toilet to see what's under it. Normal carpet, very thin pad, and than looks to be plywood that has "Torx" type bolts holding it to supports below.
Looking at the bolt from above I think the plywood floor has to be at least "1/2. I'm hoping for "3/4 as this would make a nice solid feeling floor.
I like the feel of carpet throughout the coach but my wife is more for breaking it up and doing some laminate wood in the kitchen and maybe the bath. Maybe a vinyl in kitchen and bath? Not sure about that one yet.
Vinyl and that click together man made wood I think would be the easiest, but something about the carpet I really like. Just more homey I guess.
She is looking at materials and I will put in whatever she comes up with, or combo of things she comes up with. I'll post back as to what I find and what I end up doing.
I'd cut the carpet out around the walls & cabinets and take out any removable stuff. You might find the supports are rotten too. It will probably be similar to what I had. Here is my post with photos -
Once the floor is fixed up, lay new carpet. In my case, I used one piece and cut it around the cabinets. I didn't need any glue, but you could use a little adhesive in spots if you find you need it.
Good Luck - feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Todd
I sure hope mine doesn't turn out like that. I opened up a Lance camper that had rotted up top a few years back, by the time I removed all the soft wet wood their wasn't much left of the cabover, not much at all! I full well understand how this stuff can travel, and fixing it right is more than a wam-bam job.
Thanks for the link, I enjoyed looking at your pics!
FuzzyKnight wrote: On our 75 Itasca we had some soft spots and what I found was that when they constructed the coach they used styrofoam between 2 layers of plywood for the floor. Insulation and sound deadining I guess. After fixing one bad spot of wood I just drilled holes in the floor where the soft spots were and sprayed in expanding foam from Home Depot. Now this hardens to a like styrofoam feel. Once it was all done hardening and ooozing out of the holes I just trimmed off the ooze and placed .0125 aluminimum plate to seal the area. Worked well for me.
After having a better look at what's going on with the floor, I think mine is built the same way as this, thin plywood with Styrofoam in between the two "1/4 sheets of plywood. I figured it was water that got in and that's why its so soft in area's, but now I don't think so. Just age and a piss poor design.
I'm wondering about putting the expanding foam in holes drilled in the soft area's, well my wife thinks it will give us a bumpy feeling as where the foam is will feel harder than where it isn't?
Don't really want to tear it out now that I know more about how its constructed. Anybody else deal with this type of construction and found a clever way to deal with it??
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