Add a shoe stow under step?

[Griffin]

Hi guys,

I'm pretty new to the forums here. I have a 95 36 foot Classic pusher and an 88 Limited Trailer which I tow with a Ford F250.

I've been watching my friend Wilks post actively on his restoration project for months now, while I've helped him out riviting and cutting and lifting where helpful.

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for me on this issue. My wife and I spend about a month at a time in our motorhome and I've found that there's no real good solution to not tracking dirt in from outside withough putting down a buch of runners. I'm thinking about tearing out all the carpet and replacing it with Cork, which seems warmer than pergo or wood... I saw a woman post pictures of her vintage trailer with cork and it looked really nice.

But in the mean time I was thinking about adding a small alcove under the top step (floor really) where you could put two pair of shoes on your way in so they wouldn't be under foot and wouldn't need to walk back to the bedroom or open up the under couch drawer (only obvious placed to stow shoes I can think of.)

I did notice that there's a large box (looks about 6" by 8" by 8") in the middle under the floor with two heating tubes coming out... Wondered if anyone could tell me what this is (as I don't have the manual handy) and if there's another place to move that to (maybe under the love seat?)

Thanks in advance!

hopefully this will turn into my first project on this newly acquired classic MH and I promise to post many pics.

Best,
Griffin

(in Los Angeles now)

[lynn]

It probably is the location of your auxilary heater, it should have controls on dash for fan speed etc.

[John]

Griffin,

As a fulltimer, coming and going daily, I leave mine on. I've had Stanley Steamer clean the carpets twice this last yr.

I too like the Cork and when I get a couple extra dollars, that's what I'm going to have installed.

John

[JaceBeck]

With 2 adults & 2 kids, we bought a wicker basket that sits by the door, take the shoes off outside, bang off the dirt and drop them in the basket.

[evan]

Unless you stay exclusively at those sanitized-paved-private so called camp areas, you will be getting dirt in your rig. This shoe thing will help but you will probably get tired of taking them on and off ( wear slip-ons I guess). We have a large door mat and try and not to track too much in. I think the best idea you mentioned is to do the low maintenance floor covering. Don't worry about it so much, enjoy the great outdoors. Become one with the mud grasshopper!

[thenewkid64]

When we traveled with 2 great danes we carried one of the large plastic woven mats you can get at sams or CW. The distance from the edge of the mat to the door allowed enough time/steps to knock off most of the debris on the human and dog feet. It made a big diffrence in the amount of idrt that made it's way inside.

One other option is when you decide to recarpet get the heaviest weight commercial carpet you can. I have used this in more than one trailer and the dirt will not settle into the pile, and it is usally so smooth that it can be swept if you do not have a vauucum. The best benifit is it will wear like iron. The last trailer I did in 1994 still has the same carpet in it and it looks as good as when I put it in. This trailer is now used for a sales office or a deer camp depending on time of year.

[Griffin]

Thanks all,

I think Lynn is right, it's the aux heater/blower for engine heat. We're going to explore more options because I really think the easiest place to keep two pair would be under that floor/step.

Thanks new kid for the suggestion, but I think we're going to opt for cork, like John said. I much prefer sweeping to vacuuming and so do my batteries.

I'll post progress as it happens!

Have fun, all!

Griffin

[kooblekidz]

We have a litter of shoes right inside the door in our 345. There are 3 of us, and we are in a muddy campground, so shoes do not make it past the mat inside the door. We would leave them outside but it's way too cold, (No GA Mts.). The trick is to not lace your boots too tight so that they can be slip ons. After 3 months of this nonsense I am looking forward to heading down to So Fla for a couple of months of cement camping on US1 & NO MUD!!