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PizzaChop · 06-06-2007, 10:07 PM

Quote:

I am so glad you had the fore thought to take such great photos of the floor replacement I know you have helped many folks like me.

That's what they pay me the big bucks for

tchild · 10-13-2007, 06:29 AM

I need to repair my floor in the bathroom and see thet you used plywood strips and glue to suppport the joints. My patch job is over the black water tanks, it their enough room for the plywood to clear the tank?

Tim

PizzaChop · 10-13-2007, 07:09 AM

Wow, always a thrill to see my first and only thread back in the news!

Tim,

Not sure exactly what you mean. I replaced the entire floor with one sheet of plywood (Advantec, actually) and there is a 4-6" wide strip underneath the joint where it meets the next piece forward.

I don't remember how much clearance there is between the floor and the black tank, but there is pink insulation between them.

While it is possible to "patch" the floor, you'll want to span whatever replacement you use from frame member to frame member, as well as scabbing it together with something underneath.

If you have floor rot, I'd do a thorough investigation to be sure it is isolated. It would be a waste of time to patch a portion of it only to find that it is more than one area and you'd be better off pulling everything out and replacing the entire floor!

In other words, now is a great time to pull the belly pan back and have a look. Blackwater tank supports have a tendency to rust over time and seem to give way at the most inconvenient moments. If you've got floor rot, it means you've had moisture. If you've had moisture, you probably have frame rust/corrosion. (Water follows the law of gravity.)

With a 37 year old unit, I think it's best to do a thorough repair, especially if you plan to keep it.

tchild · 10-14-2007, 04:59 AM

I'm going to take out the bathroom and evaluate the entire floor in the rear. I cleaned out the rotted wood in the rear compartment and can see the black water tank seems to sit right under the flooring with no insulation between them, that is why I was worried about clearence. Maybe the tank is curved and comes that close only in the trunk area? What is the best method of removing the belly plan for bottom investigation. It looks like you have to remove the belly wrap.

Tim

PizzaChop · 10-14-2007, 05:48 AM

Tim,

Start from the rear trunk area and drill out all the rivets which hold the belly pan up to the frame (both side frame members and cross members in the middle. At a minimum, you need to go forward six feet.

First, before you get started, back the trailer up on some blocks or 6"x6" lumber, as it will provide much more clearance to work under.

Be sure to wear eye protection and as respirator as you won't like what comes out. But removing the belly pan will give you a really good idea of what's going on under there.

Once the belly pan is removed, you'll see the black water tank supports (and be able to examine the condition of them. Be sure to support it from underneath once you remove supports. (Also, before you do that, remove toilet and toilet mounting flange from floor above. It threads into the top of the black tank.)

If you look at my Overlander pictures, you can get an idea.

Be sure to put it up on blocks (securely) first. Just roll the belly pan up and push it forward toward the axles to get it out of your way.

elfirebob · 03-07-2010, 07:41 PM

Thanks for all the great info. I'm well into a similar project on my '70 Safari though it's a corner shower floor plan. Hardest part was locating some 5" formed C channel for some rear frame repair.
Stream Safe,

RaleighAir · 08-05-2010, 04:24 AM

I have a "73 sovereign 31' also. I need to do the same thing with the floor. rear sag too. I just gutted the bathroom to get started. Thanks, for your photos!

PizzaChop · 08-10-2010, 09:58 PM

Take lots of pictures along the way!

kevinb · 08-11-2010, 07:37 AM

Hey Ron
another thanks for the photos, finally got the bathroom out of my 64tw, but a LONG way to go esp since I'm not as good at this as you are. I am taking lots of photos and as you can see in this photo I wont be using the rims you gave me anytime soon!

kevin
ps tell the gang I said hi

Swank Pad · 10-13-2010, 08:44 AM

We are looking to buy a 57 Overlander and the bath floor is soft. This is a huge point for us that we are wrestling with. I have looked at the pics and read here, but still trying to get a handle on just how big a job thsi is, and how likely it is that when we open it up, we will find we need to do welding and frame repair.

Any knowledge is appreciated.

What we are thinkingis that we will remove everything inside ourselves. We will maybe tackel the whole job, but maybe turn over the actual opening the belly pan and putting in new plywood to some pros, and then put the stuff back ourselves. Just thinkign and trying to figure out our options and just what all is required here to get the job done.

Like:
Will we require welding?
Is this something a relative newbie should be able to do?
What about getting help from the guy who has doen all our home repairs?
If we do something wrong, is the darned thing going to fall apart?
Are we over-stressing and it's more a matter of time than construction skills?

We love the 57 we found, and the plumbing repair and water heater replacement are not holding us back. The floor is making us question. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

We have a 15 Scotty and want something bigger. We have done some serious work on the Scotty, so, we are not hands off totally. Just trying to understand what is ahead for us.

Thanks,
Tim & Stephanie in East TN

ALANSD · 10-13-2010, 11:24 AM

if it's just the bath floor that would almost be a surprise. Most older trailers have had some leaks that were either found and fixed or ignored. The soft wood flooring is what happens. This is not restricted to your 50s model by any means.
If however the floor rot is not that old, the frame may only be rusty and need clean up and sealing.
It depends on how deep you want to go and how much you want to invest in time and money to get it right. Could be very well worth it though if you can make it a nice and usable vintage Airstream. The returns are good for getting a project like this done right.
With the guidance of many others here you can do about anything.

Swank Pad · 10-13-2010, 11:32 AM

The owner says it is soft at the shower. I don't know if maybe that means a leak from the inside, or a leak from the outside. No telling.

I do things right when I make repairs. And I have no idea how bad this soft spot is. But, worst case what to plan for and then anything else is a pleasant relief! So, planning on replacing the entire bath floor.

It is pretty much a one owner camper. Same owner since 1960. An engineer and it was used until recently. That's a big plus to me. I believe it has been well maintained until last year. So, I am hopeful that floor is not also hiding serious rusty frame underneath...

Thanks for the response!
-Tim & Stephanie

RaleighAir · 10-14-2010, 04:32 AM

I'm a newbie too and dove right into rear bath floor repair. Gutted the bathroom in 2-3 hrs, and took extensive pics/video. I'm doing the same type of clamshell repair and this thread has been very helpful. I think you have to just dive in and see what you're working with - so much is hidden until you open it up. I expected a horrible frame but it was fine.

ND10CentCan · 10-14-2010, 05:56 AM

We started down that road when we brought our 1976 Sovereign home about a month ago. Discovered extensive problems with the floor (not so tough to do) and then we discovered so many rusted out frame parts that we were surprised it made it here without falling apart. Now we are tearing it out and hope to get the frame repaired by the spring.

We don't have a clue about welding so will have to turn that over to someone who does. Once the frame is good to go, we will be installing new everything top to bottom as we can afford it. The goal is to have a camper to use for a long, long time. I am wishing you luck on your project!