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Old 08-28-2015, 03:50 PM   #1
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1973 25' Tradewind
Rapid City , South Dakota
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Subfloor questions!

Hey everyone! I am brand new to Airstreams and just recently purchased a 1975 Land Yatch 26ft. It is Mostly original and in pretty good shape. The Old guy who had it before me used ducting tape to cover all the windows and any place that could leak so I have lots of adhesive to remove. It had carpet throughout so I pulled it to see if there was any water damage. The Pictures below show the areas with rot. My Question is what is the Process to replace the front piece of the subfloor. There is also a bunch of adhesive I assume from when they pulled the original flooring. It is in the pictures as well. Can i sand the glue crap so salvage the majority of the floor? Looking for some opinions on what I should do with the subfloor.
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Old 08-28-2015, 03:56 PM   #2
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Welcome!
Photos didn't survive the posting.
When curious about a given AS topic I've found using Google works well. There are lots of floor and sub-floor replacement threads - partial and total.
Not sure I would sand the glue on the plywood as it's likely to have asbestos in it, same with the original floor tiles. If it's not rotten, I'd seal it with varathane. If it's rotten of course replace.
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Old 08-28-2015, 04:27 PM   #3
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Working on getting the photos. I have researched a fair amount and everything seems to be just a partial explanation on how to replace the floor.

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Old 08-28-2015, 04:37 PM   #4
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Old 08-28-2015, 04:49 PM   #5
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Old 08-28-2015, 07:31 PM   #6
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Ugly! I do not even want to look at your floor any more, or be the one to break the bad news to you. You need a shell off, total sub-floor replacement, minimum. Frame, outrigger, rear end separation issues and leak problems not withstanding. What "nrgtrakr" said about the asbestos is spot on! Sorry, not what you wanted to here.
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Old 08-28-2015, 08:58 PM   #7
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There are only a few areas that have rot. The rest looks ugly because when the PO pulled the original floor it seems to have peeled some of the top layer of ply. The only part that is rotten in under the 2 front side Windows. Can I replace the rotten front panel and then run new thinner sheets of plywood across the top whole subfloor? If I can't do that how long and what is the process of replacing the whole subfloor. I have a large shop I can work in do I will be able to work through the winter.
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Old 08-28-2015, 09:01 PM   #8
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I recommend you find and read the thread on Millertime's 76 rear bathroom floor rot.

It has the info you are looking for.
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Old 08-28-2015, 09:48 PM   #9
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Don't be misled

It does not look that bad from what I could see in the three photos. Ugly....Yes! Stains are not bad...they just show where the water needs to be stopped..If there are only some areas that are BAD, they can be "selectively" removed and repaired. Do the research as mentioned....use the search function because it will take you into some very good floor work covered in total restorations.
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Old 08-28-2015, 10:01 PM   #10
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I've never replaced AS subfloor - total or partial.
In a house if the subfloor is sound but ugly, the voids can be filled and leveled (lots of great products now). Then after in days gone by 1/4 luan went down before the linoleum.
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Old 08-30-2015, 02:28 PM   #11
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I think I am going to replace the front portion of the subfloor and dig a little further into the rear section. I will also check out the frame but I suspect it will be fine because it has spent it's whole life in a dry climate and stored indoors for 10-15 years. Then I am going to lay/glue a 1/4 in underlayment to give me a smooth surface to lay some new flooring. Any suggestions on a product for the under laument, glue, seam filler? I have heard that standard Luann does not due well with moisture. Does anyone see any issues with this?
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Old 08-30-2015, 03:43 PM   #12
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Get birch plywood (available at big box stores) for your underlayment.
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Old 08-30-2015, 03:49 PM   #13
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Baltic birch if you can swing it as it has many cores for strength, not voids and the adhesive that glues the layers together is waterproof.

Cheers
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Old 08-31-2015, 08:42 AM   #14
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Thanks! I think that I can get my hands 1/4 baltic birch. I have some more pictures and hopefully more to come soon! The Bathroom floor seems to be in good shape other than all the leftover glue.

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Old 08-31-2015, 04:17 PM   #15
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That floor looks like what mine did after I scraped up all the old parquet tiles. I ended up using some floor leveling compound in the worst spots and then laid 1/8" ply on top as an underlayment. I then put down a loose lay vinyl plank on top. All that work is documented here: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f46/...or-127619.html

For sure the floor would be much nicer with a shell off, but that is several orders of magnitude more work. Unless you have serious rot in the back or need to do some major frame work, I wouldn't do it. Many folks have replaced sections or patched in spots or sealed up with some penetrating epoxy. Rot in the rear is more problematic than up front because the rear of the frame will tend to sag down due to weight. Up front, the weight of the shell tends to hold it down so it isn't nearly as critical.
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Old 08-31-2015, 04:53 PM   #16
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Thanks Bob! I will check out your post. The floor in the rear feels fine ( no soft spots or dark areas) Is there any other place other than removing the shower pan and toilet I can check back there to see if there is rot?
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Old 08-31-2015, 05:40 PM   #17
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check out our subfloor and what was found, post # 17. we did replace the sub floor and had to have the rear 3' of frame redone due to rot and rusted out frame. We did the replacement with the shell on.
Good Luck

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f420...d-98384-2.html
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Old 09-01-2015, 10:26 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sdAir View Post
Thanks Bob! I will check out your post. The floor in the rear feels fine ( no soft spots or dark areas) Is there any other place other than removing the shower pan and toilet I can check back there to see if there is rot?
We did replace the last 4' of floor the first winter we had the trailer. If you look at the blog link, its all documented there. Unless you have a trailer that came from a desert climate or was stored inside all its life, its a fairly sure bet you will have some rot, especially in the back. I didnt care for the layout of the rear bath, so when I gutted it, I put in everything new except the toilet and even that got put on a pedestal to get it about 4 inches higher.

To make sure there are no issues there, you could pull the banana wraps in back and pull away the insulation and see what the bottom of the plywood looks like, especially at the edge where it connects to the c channel and the shell. The design of these trailers has a big inherent flaw in that they rely on the plywood to keep the whole structure stiff. Its like a box with all sides taped shut, hard to deform, but if you open up one or more sides, then the rest of the box can move.

The frames in these 70's vintage trailers are undersized and especially with the longer rigs, the weight of the frame itself will pull it away from the floor and the shell. For peace of mind, you should get a good look at the floor either from the top or the bottom. If you don't want to replace the bath, then go with the process that has less deconstruction which is from the bottom. And if it is rotten, its all gotta come out anyway. But its still not shell off.
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Old 09-15-2015, 05:02 PM   #19
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I got the Banana wraps of today and about to drop the belly pan in the front. It looks like the frame is fine. Has surface rust and some pitting but no holes or any major damage I can see. I will search more when I replace the sub-floor in the front. I used some rubber Bristle grinding wheels to knock off the first layer. Do I need to get all of the rust off to spray a frame coating? any other advise would be appreciated.

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Old 09-15-2015, 05:03 PM   #20
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