Show me your floor!

[Coaster]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

I am confused. Is "peel and stick" the same as floating? That is, if it has a glue backing and sticks on the subfloor, how can it be floating?

It is a floating floor, peel and stick is how it’s installed. The material sticks together

[75Bob]

waterproof

[LizGK]

@75Bob - what kind of floor did you install?

[75Bob]

Originally Posted by Coaster

It is a floating floor, peel and stick is how it’s installed. The material sticks together

A hardwood floor gets nailed down. A floating floor is thick vinyl with grooved edges that snap together. This floor you need to leave a 1/4 inch space around the ends of the floor (for expansion) in cold and hot temps. This floor is a stick down (like the squares) it to has grooved edges as to not separate also making it waterproof. It is also thinner and more light weight than a floater so the thinner material has less material to cause a buckle. This was my 1rst year with storage on this floor from 100 degrees to -30 and so far no noticeable movement. I'm happy.

[SuzyHomemakr]

I've always thought that floors came in one of two varieties: glue-down or floating. I doesn't matter whether you personally spread the glue, or it comes pre-applied to the back of the flooring material. The big thing is that the flooring attaches permanently to the sub-floor. A floating floor is not attached, and has spacing around the edges for expansion. The floating floor either snaps together, or can be glued on to a thin floating sheet of 1/8" ply. There is typically a sheet of some sort of soft material, like cork, that installs under the floor to provide a soft foot feel, hence the term "resilient" when discussing these floors.

Personally, I've always detested the foot feel of a floating floor, and put it in that "special" category of building materials that includes knock-down on drywall, pre-formed particle board countertops, fake molding stamped on to masonite interior doors, too much padding under a shag carpet. My eyeballs are telling me wood floor, I get a surprise squishy feeling plastic... eewh!

But as you may recall, I'm the guy that did a questionable glue-down install of a bamboo floor. It's not as perfect as I'd like, but it does feel nice on my feet! So I really can't hold myself up as a pinnacle in flooring, but that won't stop me from sniping in from the sidelines!

[Rzrbrn]

Suzyhomemkr,

You expressed my understanding of flooring. And sentiments.

We have been looking a new AS trailers. The flooring in the Flying Cloud seems very strange to us. The surface has a rubbery texture that neither of us like.

We are hoping to visit the AS factory in Ohio within the next month or so, which may clarify the following concern:

I watched a video of the AS factory production line, which raised a concern:

That is, the chassis is on the production line, with the axle and tires attached. Next comes the plywood floor, which covers the entire chassis, from edge to edge, then vinyl flooring is laid down on top of the plywood, again from edge to edge. The superstructure of the entire AS is brought over by an overhead crane and deposited on top of the flooring then screwed and bolted down.

Which means the vinyl flooring is sandwiched between the superstructure and the plywood. Many other trailers, made of wood or aluminum ribs and aluminum or fiberglass skins, use a similar construction technique.

Am I correct in assuming that years from now, when the plywood or the vinyl flooring needs to be replaced, both are cut out leaving a strip of this original plywood and vinyl sheet between the superstructure of the trailer and the chassis? Or is the entire superstructure lifted off the chassis, the plywood and vinyl flooring replaced, and the superstructure lowered back to the floor?

Does it not mean that the soft vinyl flooring would allow a bit of flexing of the superstructure and contribute to the shearing of rivets, just as having a rubber thermal break in the walls would increase the likelihood of shearing of rivets?

I got this shearing of rivets/thermal break observation from a previous thread in this Forum.

This seems to be a poor way to construct a travel trailer. It is probably much easier and faster to produce a unit this way, but would seem to compromise the structural integrity of the trailer.

Sorry, this thought has been festering in my head for some time....

[SuzyHomemakr]

Well, I'm not an Airstream designer, and I don't even play one on TV, but will help how I can... you are correct as to the sandwich of frame, ply, flooring, and shell. Hey, it could be worse- remember that they used to put shag carpet in as the flooring!

Airstreams flex as they go down the road, they have to, otherwise they'd be so brittle as to break themselves to pieces. When I replaced my subfloor in the back, I pried apart the C-channel and the frame, pulled out the rotted stuff and jammed in new ply. I think that the most egregious error is having the raw plywood edge in the perfect place to absorb water. So you are correct, it's not the most optimal thing, but it's hard to imagine a much better way that doesn't add a lot of weight.

And all nitpicking aside, I re-furbed a 44 year old trailer without having to full monty it, so the original designers didn't do much wrong!

[Rzrbrn]

Thanks Suzy, I was not sure how the new plywood was put into an old trailer. How are the new plywood seams supported? Do you adjust the cut so that the seam always falls on a beam?

[RandyNH]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

Does it not mean that the soft vinyl flooring would allow a bit of flexing of the superstructure and contribute to the shearing of rivets, just as having a rubber thermal break in the walls would increase the likelihood of shearing of rivets?

Like any engine or mechanical components, think of it as a gasket. It may actually help against some of the sheering as it could absorb some of the micro vibrations from the frame. It is more so about the water intrusion and softening of the ¾" plywood that would cause the flex.

[switz]

Due to flooring failures a few weeks (sloppy installation) after the 2014 Classic was home, we swapped out to Marmoleum since most of the forward interior was out for modifications. The 23D did not even make it home before we had a hole in the flooring that was so thin there was just one side to it. While the forward interior was out for modifications, we installed a different color of the Marmoleum.

This product requires a factory trained installer. Ask to see the training certificate of the actual installer before the work starts,. It will make a huge difference in the out come.

[Katty]

I started this thread so I thought I'd come back and post pictures. So we ended up on the Ultra Smartcore Vinyl Planks from Lowe's which is floating and totally waterproof. The install was very easy. The only thing you really have to pay attention to are the seams really having a close fit. We used the rubber mallet and pounded them into one another when they didn't go in easy. But, that part was not difficult at all. We did go from outside wall to outside wall so the floor is under the straight interior wooden walls but on the inside of the rounded aluminum walls.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by Katty

I started this thread so I thought I'd come back and post pictures. So we ended up on the Ultra Smartcore Vinyl Planks from Lowe's which is floating and totally waterproof. The install was very easy. The only thing you really have to pay attention to are the seams really having a close fit. We used the rubber mallet and pounded them into one another when they didn't go in easy. But, that part was not difficult at all. We did go from outside wall to outside wall so the floor is under the straight interior wooden walls but on the inside of the rounded aluminum walls.

Nice work folks! Can’t wait to see your final product!!

[sheriff1]

In progress

[sheriff1]

Originally Posted by sheriff1

Attachment 318002
In progress

Attachment 1
Finished product

[75Bob]

Originally Posted by LizGK

@75Bob - what kind of floor did you install?

vinyl 6"x48" 100% waterproof Bought at Floor Decor. Forgot the exact name.Put down new plywood floor first followed by 1/4" hardboard floor then glued down vinyl. Been down for 2 years with 0 separation or warping. Original vinyl cost was $450.

[Caracola]

We choose this one for our 22 Argosy reno

[Caracola]

opps I didn't know how to insert photos sorry

[Caracola]

till having problems with posting photos lol

[Hittenstiehl]

There you go, sometimes resizing them slightly will turn them over. Looks very nice.

[Caracola]

Thank you