Shower with soft floor

Debarymj · 04-29-2018, 02:31 PM

I have a 2016 Salem RK27SS. It has the shower with the curved shower doors. My problem, it seems like the floor is very spongy. Has anyone else experienced this situation?

**Flybob** · 04-29-2018, 02:44 PM

Is the shower floor is raised ( 3-5" ) above the RV floor? If so the floor is most likely fiberglass that is not well supported underneath. There should be a panel in the front that can be removed. Once you have access, use blocks of wood and shims to support the base in several places. Once you get the correct combination of wood pieces, remove them, add some slow drying wood glue and put them back. I did this on ours and made a big difference.

Debarymj · 04-29-2018, 02:54 PM

Thanks for the reply. Sounds a lot better than a rotted out floor. I hope my fix is the same as yours.

DavidBo · 04-29-2018, 02:57 PM

Pretty common issue, and a little disconcerting in the middle of a shower. Mine does the same thing, so far my 215 pound corn-fed frame hasn't caused any catastrophes, but I think I'll follow Flybob's lead and do some shoring up.
On a related note, did your shower come with a drain plug? Mine did, just push it down to close the drain. I think this was a major brain-fart on Forest River's part as it is all but inevitable that it will get stepped on with the inevitable result. Fortunately I didn't learn this the hard way and yanked that thing out before I even turned the water on.

**Flybob** · 04-29-2018, 03:08 PM

Ours had plastic decorative caps that snap on the head of the two screws securing the access port. Just pop them off with a screwdriver and you have access to the two screws.

fella10 · 04-29-2018, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Debarymj

I have a 2016 Salem RK27SS. It has the shower with the curved shower doors. My problem, it seems like the floor is very spongy. Has anyone else experienced this situation?

the shower stall floor has a dense Styrofoam foundation supporting it, ... but they cut away(and don't put it back in place) a section of it for either the drain line or the heater duct(can't remember which), ... that area can be/and should be supported in one way or another, ... and Flybob's idea is certainly a good one, ...

DouglasReid · 04-30-2018, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Debarymj

I have a 2016 Salem RK27SS. It has the shower with the curved shower doors. My problem, it seems like the floor is very spongy. Has anyone else experienced this situation?

If you have access to under the shower from beneath the camper or a pass through there may be an access panel (I found this in a previous camper)

You can use spray foam insulation to fill the gap between the flooring and bottom of the shower. It will stiffen the spongy floor. I did this and it worked perfectly.

It will also let you see if the flooring is rotten, necessitating a more involved repair.

kurtsont · 04-30-2018, 02:27 PM

Our 25rl had the same problem, but they cut the hole in the floor for the drain too big so I had to go to Lowe’s and get an 1 1/2 aluminum angle iron. Used a nut and a large bolt used to attach thread rod to make a brace.

kayo · 04-30-2018, 03:04 PM

Like everyone else I had the same problem. When I installed a shower stall in one of our stick houses, the instructions specifically said to put a "doughnut" of cement around the drain and install the stall while the cement is still wet, to support the floor. It would appear the the Rv community is clueless".
On the trailer, I drilled a hole into the front bottom of the stall and shot about a 1/3 of a can of foam insulation. It has worked to give more support to the floor

Dennispjones · 04-30-2018, 10:47 PM

Let the buyer beware when purchasing a forest river RV . Unsupported shower floors come with a lot of them. My dealer shrugged his shoulders and said it could not be fixed. He did nothing. I removed the front cover a put a lot of wood bracing underneath the floor. The holes cut by the factory to install pluming was awful. Hit, miss, miscue etc. should never have passed any kind of quality control. My bracing helped a lot but the Dealer is right, it can never be repaired properly without totally rebuilding the shower floor. Apparently forest river will not dealers to make this repair. The last step that also helped distribute the load of any person is to install a thick soft rubber mat on top of the shower floor. This can be removed, cleaned and dried when needed. I use o thick shower mat on top, this helps an makes the shower useable.

fella10 · 04-30-2018, 11:24 PM

another fix for the soft shower floor, without a lot of work repairing what FR did to cause the soft area, ... is to bridge over it with one of the teak shower pallets/mats, or something similar, ... so that you're not actually stepping on and flexing that soft area, ...

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...d=BPH74TKJRRQG

Tom48 · 04-30-2018, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flybob

Is the shower floor is raised ( 3-5" ) above the RV floor? If so the floor is most likely fiberglass that is not well supported underneath. There should be a panel in the front that can be removed. Once you have access, use blocks of wood and shims to support the base in several places. Once you get the correct combination of wood pieces, remove them, add some slow drying wood glue and put them back. I did this on ours and made a big difference.

Seems like that's a pretty common problem with the plastic shower pan and separate walls. Mine does the same thing especially near the drain. One of our camping partners is a retired RV service center manager with about 45 years of experience. He said the poor craftsmanship that leaves that floor unsupported particularly near the drain will eventually cause them all to crack.

I agree with the suggestion that you open the inspection panel and see how well you can show him the floor yourself from the inside. It's one of those jobs when I started working on it I wished I was 30 or 40 years younger because I need to be a whole lot more flexible to get in there and do this work but like all of the things around here, it's a work in progress

jeff64 · 05-01-2018, 06:22 AM

True. One of the first modifications to my TT. That was 3 years ago and did a friend's last year
#1 With access panel removed you see the cutout under the drain pipes and unsupported floor of the shower pan.

#2 You may find 1/4" piece of lexan easier to come by than what I used which is delrin. Cut the sheets wide enough to go around the floor cutout completely and the upper panel to skirt the drain area like a "u". Don't be shy in using enough material, you are making a bridge. Retain in place with duct tape for next steps.

#3 Kind of how it's looking after step #2

#4 I used a polyurethane foam sheet. It doesn't compress much, but it does compress.Measure carefully the distance between underside of shower pan and floor and add 1/4-1/2" in height. You see 3 installed. Pivot foam blocks into place . Run all along front of pan from the inner surface at least past the forward radius on the pan. Get the blocks as close as you can to left and right of drains. You should end up with only a slight area unsupported by the foam in an area over the pipes. Works like a charm and is removable if you have to

Steve Holder · 06-07-2018, 04:27 PM

Have a Y type crack in 2016 wildcat which dealer says they Forest River no longer makes. So they are trying to find replacement shower base. How can a piece less than 2 years old not be still have parts for.

**bikendan** · 06-07-2018, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Holder

Have a Y type crack in 2016 wildcat which dealer says they Forest River no longer makes. So they are trying to find replacement shower base. How can a piece less than 2 years old not be still have parts for.

That dealer is an idiot.
Wildcat is still being made in Indiana and FR opened a Wildcat Maxx factory in Oregon, a few years ago.
Both make 5th Wheels and TTs.
All you had to do is check FR's website.

Steve Holder · 06-08-2018, 03:37 PM

Have contacted 2 dealer and same answer changed design in 2016 1/2 still got them trying to find part

VinceU · 06-15-2018, 08:02 AM

There must be jobbers around who will custom fabricate, start with Indiana somebody makes tons of them.

Duckogram · 06-16-2018, 12:40 PM

The “soft floor” issue is something I addressed before I ever used the shower. It has been my experience that the flex in the floor will, in short order, cause the drain to leak which in turn will cause damage. Here is what I did:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1732451
Now there is no significant flex in the floor.

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