jannica
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Post by jannica on Jan 17, 2014 15:52:35 GMT -8
Ok, so I had a pretty productive day today. I had already ripped out the old nasty carpet in my Shasta last weekend and today I took out the benches and shelves. I also finished removing the skin on the rear of the camper. I noticed that the floor is bowed quite a bit around one of the wheel casings, and I'm not sure what to do. There is some wood rot on the frame on the back of the trailer, but it doesn't seem to have affected the floor too much because I don't feel any soft spots and the edges that I can see are solid. I think the unevenness is due to the wrong sized leaf spring being on the trailer for a while that caused it to warp before I got the trailer. I have since gotten the leaf springs replaced and the trailer is level, except for the floor in that one spot.  Two questions: 1. What should I do about the floor? Can I just leave it? Or should I rip out and replace? Or is it possible to reinforce with another piece of wood on top of it and make sure it's level before putting everything back in? 2. I really like the old 1960s tile that is there and for the most part, it's in good condition (just needs to be cleaned to remove grime and carpet glue, then sealed and waxed). If I don't replace or cover the floor, is it safe to keep this tile? I'm pretty sure it has asbestos in it. Your advice would be much appreciated! I will post a pic later once I get them uploaded onto my blog and can link it to this thread. |
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jan 17, 2014 18:10:42 GMT -8
1. What should I do about the floor? Can I just leave it? Or should I rip out and replace? Or is it possible to reinforce with another piece of wood on top of it and make sure it's level before putting everything back in? 2. I really like the old 1960s tile that is there and for the most part, it's in good condition (just needs to be cleaned to remove grime and carpet glue, then sealed and waxed). If I don't replace or cover the floor, is it safe to keep this tile? I'm pretty sure it has asbestos in it. You'll have to determine the extent of the damage to the floor, but if it's OK and you like the tile, by all means, keep it. As for the asbestos issue: Asbestos is NOT a problem unless the fibers become airborne and you inhale a LOT of them over an extended period of time in a closed area. If you are removing the tiles, just assume that there is asbestos in the glue. There are multiple ways you can remove them safely, but put the tiles in a double thick plastic garbage bag, tie when done and dispose in the regular trash. It helps to keep them slightly damp and ALWAYS wear a respirator mask (the kind you use when you're spraying paint or herbicide). Good luck, and we look forward to pictures. |
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Jan 17, 2014 19:29:28 GMT -8
Photos Jannica... I know you have the blog but if we can see photos here with the question it helps for better answers. Besides we are all photo nuts. We thrive on them here.
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jannica
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Post by jannica on Jan 17, 2014 20:21:01 GMT -8
Thanks guys, I knew you would want to see pictures but I didn't want to post them on my blog without writing a post to go with them and then I ran out of time because I was meeting a friend for dinner. I will post some pics tomorrow, I promise! I haven't figured out how to post a pic on its own here without putting it on my blog first, hence the delay.
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pirateslife
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Post by pirateslife on Jan 17, 2014 21:36:56 GMT -8
after my dilemma, i would say if you like it and its good.......leave it! mine had linoleum, hideous linoleum and it took hours----in the summer, with a respirator and a grinder with a wire brush to get it all up.
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Post by vikx on Jan 17, 2014 21:54:35 GMT -8
You mentioned uneven floor. That means rot to me. Assume the worse...
It's possible to check under the trailer to see if the floor is sound in the wheel area. You might be able to replace just a section in that area (wouldn't show under the bench seat). Poke around with a pick and see how it feels.
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jannica
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Post by jannica on Jan 18, 2014 8:12:22 GMT -8
The floor under the trailer seems pretty solid to me. I am hoping the unevenness is due to the floor being cracked in the one spot (seen below, near wheel well on curb side), and I'm almost positive it's from the leaf spring that was on that side when I got the trailer. It was too big, the trailer place that replaced the leaf springs for me said that the undercarriage looked solid from what they could tell and the only problem had been that stupid leaf spring. It could also be from when the previous owner ran into something since that corner is crunched in. Here are some pics:    This corner (curb side) is where I have found the worst wood rot  and there's also some damage where the previous owner ran into something, but when I walked around on the wood there, it didn't seem soft to me. I think it will be easier to tell once I remove this panel so I can see it better. I'm planning to replace the framing here, but I was really hoping I didn't need to also replace the floor. Maybe I could just replace the floor under the bench there as pirateslife suggested, and then I could still keep my tiles on the part of the floor that shows? I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with replacing parts of the floor, but I can get there if I have to. I also wonder if it would be good to have someone weld a bumper to attach to the metal frame underneath so that I can avoid bumping into anything in the future and ruining all my hard work. Thoughts? |
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pirateslife
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Post by pirateslife on Jan 18, 2014 9:06:50 GMT -8
There is actually a plywood seam there close to that, it's easy to relplace, there are. Few bolts hat come through the plywood to bottom of frame. I think it was 4 across the back. Then you could cut it out in sections . That should be a place where rot wouldn't be expected and depending on your flooring choice should cause much if any problem. If there is a small crack, between the floor and bed frame you could allow for it on the face of the frame plus it would be hidden under the table. On the tool subject, one thing I find invaluable is a tripod mounted laser level that projects a vertical and horizontal beam. Great for leveling across the entire camper. It was great 4 corner leveling the camper floor and frees up a hand when you have to hold lumber by yourself  |
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pirateslife
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Post by pirateslife on Jan 18, 2014 9:25:33 GMT -8
 lets see if i can get a pic to post...... while its a 1970, the frame should be similiar, 2 outer beams are wood, next 2 in steel, middle 2 wood. if it is in the seam and you could get under it and take the floor up, you could lay a 2x4 flat center of the seam and screw it down on both sides of the joint to try to pull it together |
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Post by bigbill on Jan 18, 2014 9:52:11 GMT -8
The damage you are seeing could have been caused when the original spring broke or someone may have placed a jack under the 2x4 joist thinking it was part of the steel frame and pushed it up. Also as you said it could have happened when the corner got hit.
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jannica
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Post by jannica on Jan 18, 2014 10:21:09 GMT -8
Hmm, I guess I could just replace that one piece. The only problem is that then I would still need to rip up the tiles. ugh Thanks for the advice. I am going to remove the bottom piece of paneling tomorrow to see what it really looks like. Wish me luck!
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Post by vikx on Jan 18, 2014 10:54:45 GMT -8
Jannica, the lift I'm seeing isn't that bad. It could be that the floor is raised in that area because it lies on top of the wheel well flange. My *brand new* Cardinal floor has a bit of lift at the wheel well flanges...
If the floor feels sturdy, I wouldn't change it. However, you will be dropping the lower side skin to inspect/repair the skirts and wheel well. The edge of the floor will be visible. If it's just a little flakey, it's possible to re-glue to strengthen the laminate.
I know it seems overwhelming right now but you're going in the right direction. We are all here for you. Sometimes, it's good to take a step back and relax. We love this stuff!
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jannica
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Post by jannica on Jan 19, 2014 12:57:11 GMT -8
Bad day today. I was not very productive. I decided to continue trying to get the carpet glue off of my tiles with acetone. It seemed to be working when I tried it before. Unfortunately, I realized today that it was also removing a layer of the vinyl tile. I don't know what to use now. Does anyone have any suggestions for a carpet glue remover that is safe for vinyl tile? I'm at a loss. I decided to call it quits for today since I'm just not in the mood now. Hopefully I'll be refreshed and ready for more next weekend. |
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Jan 19, 2014 14:46:52 GMT -8
When I had questions about stuff involving floors I looked for the oldest flooring company in town and found the oldest guy in there and started asking questions. He was a plethora of information and the things he told me helped me tremendously. This type of thing requires human contact though. No amount of phone calling or texting will get you the right stuff first time out.
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txoil
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Post by txoil on Jan 19, 2014 17:27:28 GMT -8
Jannica, when we did our 1960 Deluxe, we opted to just leave the original butt-ugly asbestos tiles in place, since the tiles and floor were in great condition, and applied new VCT tiles directly over the old stuff. No potentially toxic asbestos to deal with , and the new flooring seals the old stuff as well as adding a layer to help sound deadening. It's worked fine for us.
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and there's also some damage where the previous owner ran into something, but when I walked around on the wood there, it didn't seem soft to me. I think it will be easier to tell once I remove this panel so I can see it better. I'm planning to replace the framing here, but I was really hoping I didn't need to also replace the floor. Maybe I could just replace the floor under the bench there as 
