Surveyor 261T Floor replacement

[thebrakeman]

PS -
That jigsaw puzzle in the bunkhouse is simply the replacement of the original top layer of 1/4". The floor back there was still solid, but the top layer was starting to come loose on the left. The dark original wood is still solidly adhered. The new piece is held in place with some spray adhesive I found that won't eat the Styrofoam underneath.
Notice the elevator bolt on the left. I left it alone, and cut out the plywood there. This will be covered over by the 15/32".

We have reservations for July 25-28th!
(I think I can, I think I can.....)

[Ross-e]

Thebrakeman:
Thanks for the update. I removed the linoleum at the front of the trailer and discovered the damage was more than expected. I had a lot of black soggy plywood at the storage doors beneath the couch and dinette. Again, the floor was not soft, but it was definately wet. I ended up removing all the plywood and foam (right down to the rubber membrane). It was nasty and smelled terrible. I have to replace everything from the door to the wall at the front storage. I was doing this work over the last few days (here in Toronto), during the intense rain that caused a lot of flooding. I didn't get flooded, but I did see where the water was entering the trailer. All the storage doors were leaking. I had to duct tape everything in the heavy rain, but at least I know where the water entered the trailer. I was going to post pictures of my trailer but they would look like "thebrakeman's" photos. I was fortunate that some of the wood was not rotted or stained (not down the hallway). The damage was mainly along the walls and seeped about 1-2 feet inward.
I'm not sure what to do with the membrane. There are a lot of holes in it. It would be very difficult to patch everywhere, so I might just spray with truck undercoating.

[thebrakeman]

I recommend you document your work in a separate thread, but edit your post above with a link. Be sure you have those leaks fixed before you start the rebuild. Duct tape won't do it, but maybe that's just temporary while you did the tearout (?).
Think about how you want to support your new floor. I used the steel underneath, but maybe you have other ideas. I think someone else bolted treated lumber underneath.

[thebrakeman]

Project completed! Total cost was just over $700, although I suspect my buddy gave me a deal on the steel work. We went camping with 7 other families this past weekend, and so glad to have a solid floor!

Oops points:
1. Forgot to cut 1/2" off of the rear folding bunk legs. Didn't mess anything up, but will correct this weekend.
2. Realized the 1/2" plywood overlay in the hall may give me a problem if I ever need to replace the convertor. (Knock on wood)
3. With new flooring installed, the transition from existing section to new section is slightly visible. Hopefully, I'll be the only one who notices.
4. Forgot to connect the water pump inlet line to the freshwater tank (which lives in the dinette seat). Fortunately, I notice the water draining onto the floor as soon as I started filling.

[thebrakeman]

$700 did not include the new Thetford foot-flush toilet ($162 with sale & rebate), which wasn't necessary for the floor project. But I've always hated:
-Squatting onto that low-profile toilet - New is high-profile (3-4" taller).
-Using a seat that was clearly designed by a woman. New seat is 2" longer.
-Having to hand-flush while needing both hands at the dump station or winterizing. New is foot-flush. Bowl is also porcelin (easier to keep clean).

[sself1219]

Very nice results, I thought you were going back with some kind of wood looking floor? I love the new toilet, I'm a pretty good size fella and the original toilet in these things in a joke for sure.

[thebrakeman]

The more we thought about it, a wood-look would have it looking to much like a rustic cabin, considering the wood tones on the cabinets. Not that I have anything against rustic cabins! I just hope the peel-n-stick stays stuck. Any seams in the plywood were drawn down as best we could, and sanded. And as recommended, we put down some latex primer (Kilz 2). This seals the new wood, preventing the adhesive from being absorbed.

[YoungKopernik]

Realy nice work, I picked up a lot of tips. I like the 2x2 metal bracing under flooring for added support, I might just go ahead and do that. My floor feels adiquit but I am a big guy and can feel it move.
Thanks for posting
John

[kbmtcastle]

Did you ever figure out what caused the leak?

[iceblaze580]

You did a great job

[thebrakeman]

Not sure what the leak was from, as we never saw water coming in. We believe that the previous owners had the leak problem, traded it in for a new camper, dumping the problem on the dealer. The dealer fixed the leak and cosmetic issues, but not the moisture trapped in the floor. 2 years of that moistures soaking in the floor eventually forced my hand.

[Bakka323]

Great job!

[sself1219]

I know this thread is a year old but wanted to chime in that I'm finally getting around to fixing the floor in my Surveyor SV261T. I'll have a new thread started for my progress, also, thanks to thebrakeman for the photos of his repair, they have been very helpful in my situation.

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

Oops points:
1. Forgot to cut 1/2" off of the rear folding bunk legs. Didn't mess anything up, but will correct this weekend.
2. Realized the 1/2" plywood overlay in the hall may give me a problem if I ever need to replace the convertor. (Knock on wood)
3. With new flooring installed, the transition from existing section to new section is slightly visible. Hopefully, I'll be the only one who notices.
4. Forgot to connect the water pump inlet line to the freshwater tank (which lives in the dinette seat). Fortunately, I notice the water draining onto the floor as soon as I started filling.

Update:
The floor project has held up well for these few seasons. Definitely glad I did it, vs having to replace the camper.

However, I must know have "knocked on wood" hard enough. I'm replacing my Elixir-45 converter (in progress). Had to use that oscillating tool again to cut a 3/4" strip above the converter, so I could lift it up over the 1/2" overlay and pull out.
I plan to screw in some more 1/2" plywood into that cabinet for the new convertor to rest on, so it will once again just slide right in.

[sself1219]

I i saw that thread the other day, I'm going to do an overlay on my floor when finished so I have something uniform to put the new carpet and vinyl floor on, I think I'm going to use 1\4" though. Good luck with your converter, knock on wood but I'm sure I'll have a similar issue when my project is done. That oscillating tool is worth gold, I do wish I had bought a wired unit, I keep killing batteries, I just ordered 4 high capacity batteries from Home Depot to hopefully keep me working longer periods.

Here is a link to my repair project.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...del-90947.html

[phil-l]

Thebrakeman -

I followed your progress in this thread - and your experience is now becoming very real to me: I just purchased an '05 Rockwood Roo 25BH, which is similar in layout to your Surveyor.

I got a pretty good deal on the Roo because it has a soft floor in the front, near the hybrid bed door. That said, I hope the floor has a smaller soft area than yours did.

I bought this camper already knowing what you went through - and the kinds of projects I'd be facing.

Given that you've now had some time in your repaired hybrid, I have a few questions:

- You went to a lot of trouble to save the black membrane under the floor (i.e., the project would have been easier if it were simply cut away and replaced later - but then it would have been difficult to seal the edges the way it was originally). Are you still glad you did that?

- The "weld-halfway-up-the-2"-square-tubing" approach also helped save the membrane. Have you watched for cracking at the welds? Any other concerns here?

- Has your experience confirmed that 2" square tubing, 1/8" thick steel was the best choice for frame you added?

- Any other hints on welding techniques and materials used in your project? I have a friend who does some welding - but I'm not sure he's up for a project at this level.

Thanks for any insights you can share!

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by phil-l

Thebrakeman -
...
Given that you've now had some time in your repaired hybrid, I have a few questions:

- You went to a lot of trouble to save the black membrane under the floor (i.e., the project would have been easier if it were simply cut away and replaced later - but then it would have been difficult to seal the edges the way it was originally). Are you still glad you did that?

Yes, I would do the same. If I had removed the original membrane, I doubt that I would have been able to slip it back between the steel underframe and the new floor. And even if I were able to do that, how would I then pull it tight to the sides, and seal everything. It would likely have to ride under the steel frame, which would billow and tear on the road.

- The "weld-halfway-up-the-2"-square-tubing" approach also helped save the membrane. Have you watched for cracking at the welds? Any other concerns here?

I looked around the last 2 seasons. This year, I didn't bother.

- Has your experience confirmed that 2" square tubing, 1/8" thick steel was the best choice for frame you added?

I can only say that it has done the job. I suspect, however, that it may be overkill. I left that choice to my friend, the pro. I'm not sure if that's what he felt was necessary? Or perhaps he had some of that on-hand, and this minimized what he needed to order. You might be able to go smaller on the tube, but if you do, stick with tube, not angle-iron.

- Any other hints on welding techniques and materials used in your project? I have a friend who does some welding - but I'm not sure he's up for a project at this level.

I would only trust a pro for this type of welding. You don't want to weaken the main frame. As far as techniques, I wasn't there to witness. I only did the 2 coats of Krylon at home, after the welding was complete.

I'd say my biggest error was somehow not getting that transition right, from the front 8x8 area to the hallway that I left intact. The plan was for 1/4" plywood on top of the joists, which should have matched the original floor. Maybe the steel structure got pushed into the soft, wet metal too hard in that area, and ended up higher than the rest. I don't know.

If I had to do it again, I would probably stick to me original plan. The first 1/4" layer would have been a little bit high in that area, but the 2nd layer of 1/4 inch would have been more flexible to bridge the transition. The way I did it, I was trying to get 1/2" plywood to flex, and it did not want to flex!

I didn't include any pics, as I was in a rush to get completed. But I ended up using long 1/4" stainless bolts, nuts, and 2" diameter fender washers to go all the way thru the ends of the plywood, to draw it down secure, since the original hallway floor was too brittle to accept screws. Otherwise, the contact cement just would not hold it in the flexed condition. The screw heads are countersunk into plywood, with the nuts and fender washers underneath, visible from the ground. Of course, I hit them with the Krylon, too, so hopefully nobody else will notice.

[phil-l]

Thanks for the info!

I haven't yet take things apart inside the camper to verify the extent of the floor damage, but I plan to start a new thread to document this project.

Meanwhile, I'm spending time with roof-sealing and related threads here on the forum, so make sure everything is in place to avoid future damage.

[thebrakeman]

Update:
The front floor replacement is still rock solid after 6 years.
However, the rear bunk area, not so much. I see no evidence of water coming down from above, but the bottom edges around the camper have opened up. I suspect rain water has been running down the sides all these years, and slowly wicking into the floor directly.


Anyway, we have pulled up the plywood, dried out, and replaced with 3/4". We left the foam and bottom plywood alone (likely still wet). I'm going to try to seal up those lower edges soon, and hope for the best. It's just too tight back there to try completely rebuilding like I did in front, and I just don't have the time.


Anyone else still running with a 261T ??

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

Anyone else still running with a 261T ??

You probably need to ask this, in the Hybrid section's Surveyor sub-forum.