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Old 06-07-2011, 09:43 PM   #21
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2020 27' Globetrotter
1999 25' Safari
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Hi JimNWen.

We also have a 1999 25' Safari, we bought her (Lola) last December. She used to have that same blue carpeting, but we had that taken out and layed a really nice sheet good. At first we thought we'd use Marmoleum, as we have that in our home's kitchen and simply love it. However, when we went to check into colors, etc., we realized how heavy it is and we were trying to be very careful about additional weight in Lola. The salesperson showed us one by Tarkett, but just now I can't remember the exact name. It is much lighter in weight, and the colorway we selected goes very well with the cabinets in Lola. I think I've posted on here about it before and the full name should be there.

We also removed the sofa and built in a banquette, and I am upholstering it with faux-croc. I do custom home furnishings for a living, so I also replaced all the window treatments.

We took her to P&S in Helena, OH to have her checked out and while there, had them replace the toilet with one that has a porcelain china bowl.

We couldn't wrap our minds around the 14" tires that came on her and/or the tires which we were limited to purchase for that size, so after much consideration (and reading and more reading here on the forum), we changed from 14" wheels/tires to 16". In order to do that, we purchased two new axles from Inland RV, CA, while doing that, we upgraded to a 3500 lb. axle each and went from 10" to 12" brakes. We really wanted to have as stress-free traveling as possible and felt we needed to get Michelin tires on her for that purpose, so we went with the Michelin XPS, 16" tires. We travelled to Destin, FL and camped at Top Sail Campground -- had a wonderful time and we didn't have to worry about the tires at all. (I must say, though, that at every stop did walk arounds and my DH checked the tires for heat build-up. We also kept a check on the air pressure. Before loading up to return home, we checked the lug nuts to make certain they hadn't loosened since they were new, and checked the new axle's bolts to make certain they hadn't loosened. All checked out fine.)

We also layed a piece of plywood across the twin beds to make into one queen and bought a queen memory foam mattress from Overstock.com -- wonderful sleeping! At first we were torn between the ease of making up the twin beds, and the fact that we don't sleep well when not side-by-side. Making up the bed is a little more difficult this way, but a good night's sleep is more important to us.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Deb
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Old 06-13-2011, 09:13 PM   #22
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Here is a quick cell phone photo of the Allure in my Globetrotter. I just put it over top of the old vinyl and it looks great. It took exactly 2 boxes and while I have some baseboard trim to fabricate, I enjoy that sort of thing. I just went around the furniture. For $86 and a couple hours it is a hell of a facelift and it can come out just as easy as it went in if need be.
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Old 06-13-2011, 09:31 PM   #23
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I am leaning towards the engineered hardwood for added floor stability and warmth. I can't wrap my mind around the gap around the perimeter though. If I am laying the floor in an empty trailer wall to wall and mount the fixtures back in such as the galley counter, stove, sink, refer and cabinets and the bulkheads and bed, goucho on TOP of the flooring doesnt that already inhibit expansion? Im stuck on this one.
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Old 06-13-2011, 10:24 PM   #24
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The Fowlers put Bruce laminate flooring in my 88 Excella going on 3 years ago, maybe 4........Anyway, the stuff has held up well with NO problems to date and quite a bit of use.........

The flooring is of a quality that I will brag about........the installation is another matter that I would rather not discuss here. Just be careful that your floor bracing under the flooring material doesnt sag or if it does to make allowances for that. Be careful on your "trim" around the edges and where it meets the cabinets. Make sure you use a method of attachment that when the floor moves the trim does NOT fall off.....When you pull up the toilet to install the flooring at least put in a new seal.....think quality......A craftsman should know this...........

I really do recommend the Bruce laminate flooring from Lowe's. Good stuff.........Dennis
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Old 06-13-2011, 11:10 PM   #25
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Hi, I'm sure [my opinion] that if a 1/4" is good enough for a house, that 1/8" should work fine in a trailer considering how much smaller it is. And like mentioned above, if done in empty trailer, all of the cabinets will be mounted on top of this floor.
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Old 06-13-2011, 11:19 PM   #26
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The expansions gaps are important. The temp and humidity variations in am AS are greater than in a controled house environment. While the engineered material more dimensionally stable than solid material, it will still expand and contract with temp and humidity. The boards can buckle if there is no expansion somewhere in the floor.
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Old 06-14-2011, 05:21 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GlobeTrottin View Post
Here is a quick cell phone photo of the Allure in my Globetrotter. I just put it over top of the old vinyl and it looks great. It took exactly 2 boxes and while I have some baseboard trim to fabricate, I enjoy that sort of thing. I just went around the furniture. For $86 and a couple hours it is a hell of a facelift and it can come out just as easy as it went in if need be.

For small gaps around cut outs Bruce makes an expansion caulk that you may be able to make use of.....

Bruce Acrylic Filler FILA11
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Old 06-14-2011, 11:15 AM   #28
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I know that expansion gaps are important...however, if you affix hard mounted cabinets to a floating floor, aren't you in essence hard mounting the floor?
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Old 06-14-2011, 11:51 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by Phrunes View Post
I know that expansion gaps are important...however, if you affix hard mounted cabinets to a floating floor, aren't you in essence hard mounting the floor?
Yes....
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Old 07-27-2011, 02:11 AM   #30
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Sorry I just saw your thanks, I dont look at the user cp much. here is the pic of the coork floor sample
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:42 AM   #31
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On our 1988 Excella, the cabinets were not installed over the carpet. Airstream put the cabinets in and then installed the carpet with nail strips like a house. We put in an engineered laminate. Looked at cork (too dark) and bamboo (I did not want to glue it), but went with a very cheap, thin laminate. I went ahead and put in the moulding around the perimeter. Used the vinly moulding, elmers glue, and a few nail gun shots to pin it together. So far (1 year) and 2 caravans it has held up fine. Best modification we have made on the trailer.
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Old 07-27-2011, 02:50 PM   #32
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ANN ARBOR , THE GREAT LAKES
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Coincidentally, I just finished a pleasant and rewarding week-end with my 68GT, installing a maple engineered floor.


Being one who tends to “over research” everything, cautioned and frightened by all the “trailer floor” horrors and myth, I concluded, as many have, that an engineered hardwood, glue and nail-down, is indeed, an appropriate flooring solution.


Considering the coefficients of expansion of all available material, including the original plywood sub-floor, durability, cost, longevity, appearance, and acoustics (I want my wood floor to sound like a wood floor when I walk. I hate the tick-tick sound of wood-look plastic and floating floors), 3/8 engineered hardwood is a safe choice.


I physically inspected all engineered flooring products and chose Canadian Maple by Schon. I was not able to perceive any difference in the manufacture of Bruce and Schon, except the Schon appeared to be of a less blemished, and a more color consistent grade. Other than that, they could have come from the same manufacturer. There are seven laminates in both. The Schon cost $4/sf.


Was it hard to do?? NO... It was easy. I did it by myself.


Was it Challenging?? About like a child's jig-saw puzzle to match color and space end seams.


Does it look good? So good, I want to hug and kiss it!!


My hints for success...
It is important to scrape, scuff, clean and seal the Airstream plywood sub-floor. Your success lies in the prep-work.
Paint two coats of any oil-based enamel over the area that you will glue. Let it dry 'til hard. This will “seal” the floor.
Let the flooring acclimate as per manufacturer.
I work barefoot so when (not if) I step in glue, I know right away so I don't track it around.
Dry-fit half the floor, install that half, then dry-fit and install the remainder.
I started at the door, tongue facing street side, leaving room to fabricate a tapered 3/4 to 3/8 threshold so I can broom-sweep out the door.


Don't “mud-up” a large area with the mastic. I used a 3” notched putty knife to mud one course at a time. Seems like it isn't as efficient, but it really went faster working “cleaner”.
Spend a lot of time measuring and checking your dry-fit lay-out and alignment.
Spend a lot of time measuring and checking your dry-fit lay-out and alignment.
Did I mention, Spend a lot of time measuring and checking your dry-fit lay-out and alignment??


If you don't have a finish nail gun and compressor, I'd buy them according to your budget. You'll find them eternally handy.
You can buy them both at any Chinese Junk Tool Store for under $150 for everything.
Somewhat costly, but Senco gun and Emglo compressor is my preferred combo that I can personally recommend.


Working around corners and edges, if you have difficulty imagining how to cut, fit a paper template first.
I chose to install during the hottest, most humid season, as insurance against buckling. I'd rather a few gaps than buckles. Honestly tho, since by glue and nail, the flooring has become an additional laminate of the original plywood floor, I don't expect that the flooring layer can behave independently from the sub-floor. They should expand and contract together. I left little or no “expansion gaps”.


“Quoting the Scientists”...


“The average coefficient of hygroscopic expansion or contraction in length and width for plywood panels is about 0.0002 inch per inch for each 10 percent change in equilibrium relative humidity. The total change from oven dry to fiber saturation averages about 0.2 percent.


Total dimensional changes of a 48x96-inch panel exposed to this change in conditions may be expected to average about 0.05 inch across the width and 0.09 inch along the length.


The thermal expansion of wood is much smaller than swelling due to absorption of moisture. Because of this, thermal expansion can be neglected ”


There's plenty of research for continued study if you're worried... I'm Not.


In closing,


Don't be discouraged by errors, nobody does it perfectly, and Sister Lucentia won't be there to beat you if you make a mistake.


Any damned fool can do this...


Peace, Wm
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Old 07-27-2011, 02:59 PM   #33
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1968 20' Globetrotter
ANN ARBOR , THE GREAT LAKES
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 689
Coincidentally, I just finished a pleasant and rewarding week-end with my 68GT, installing a maple engineered floor.


Being one who tends to “over research” everything, cautioned and frightened by all the “trailer floor” horrors and myth, I concluded, as many have, that an engineered hardwood, glue and nail-down, is indeed, an appropriate flooring solution.


Considering the coefficients of expansion of all available material, including the original plywood sub-floor, durability, cost, longevity, appearance, and acoustics (I want my wood floor to sound like a wood floor when I walk. I hate the tick-tick sound of wood-look plastic and floating floors), 3/8 engineered hardwood is a safe choice.


I physically inspected all engineered flooring products and chose Canadian Maple by Schon. I was not able to perceive any difference in the manufacture of Bruce and Schon, except the Schon appeared to be of a less blemished, and a more color consistent grade. Other than that, they could have come from the same manufacturer. There are seven laminates in both. The Schon cost $4/sf.


Was it hard to do?? NO... It was easy. I did it by myself.


Was it Challenging?? About like a child's jig-saw puzzle to match color and space end seams.


Does it look good? So good, I want to hug and kiss it!!


My hints for success...
It is important to scrape, scuff, clean and seal the Airstream plywood sub-floor. Your success lies in the prep-work.
Paint two coats of any oil-based enamel over the area that you will glue. Let it dry 'til hard. This will “seal” the floor.
Let the flooring acclimate as per manufacturer.
I work barefoot so when (not if) I step in glue, I know right away so I don't track it around.
Dry-fit half the floor, install that half, then dry-fit and install the remainder.
I started at the door, tongue facing street side, leaving room to fabricate a tapered 3/4 to 3/8 threshold so I can broom-sweep out the door.


Don't “mud-up” a large area with the mastic. I used a 3” notched putty knife to mud one course at a time. Seems like it isn't as efficient, but it really went faster working “cleaner”.
Spend a lot of time measuring and checking your dry-fit lay-out and alignment.
Spend a lot of time measuring and checking your dry-fit lay-out and alignment.
Did I mention, Spend a lot of time measuring and checking your dry-fit lay-out and alignment??


If you don't have a finish nail gun and compressor, I'd buy them according to your budget. You'll find them eternally handy.
You can buy them both at any Chinese Junk Tool Store for under $150 for everything.
Somewhat costly, but Senco gun and Emglo compressor is my preferred combo that I can personally recommend.


Working around corners and edges, if you have difficulty imagining how to cut, fit a paper template first.
I chose to install during the hottest, most humid season, as insurance against buckling. I'd rather a few gaps than buckles. Honestly tho, since by glue and nail, the flooring has become an additional laminate of the original plywood floor, I don't expect that the flooring layer can behave independently from the sub-floor. They should expand and contract together. I left little or no “expansion gaps”.


“Quoting the Scientists”...


“The average coefficient of hygroscopic expansion or contraction in length and width for plywood panels is about 0.0002 inch per inch for each 10 percent change in equilibrium relative humidity. The total change from oven dry to fiber saturation averages about 0.2 percent.


Total dimensional changes of a 48x96-inch panel exposed to this change in conditions may be expected to average about 0.05 inch across the width and 0.09 inch along the length.


The thermal expansion of wood is much smaller than swelling due to absorption of moisture. Because of this, thermal expansion can be neglected ”


There's plenty of research for continued study if you're worried... I'm Not.


In closing,


Don't be discouraged by errors, nobody does it perfectly, and Sister Lucentia won't be there to beat you if you make a mistake.


Any damned fool can do this...
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Old 08-31-2011, 12:30 PM   #34
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Some people are saying that they've had trouble with the Allure flooring buckling in heat and the glue strip coming unglued. How has your floor held up?
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Old 08-31-2011, 01:28 PM   #35
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I went with "FLOR" carpet squares in the bedroom and bathroom. I like soft surfaces under my feet at night. Carpet squares are easy to work with in the restricted space and if you make a mistake, it is seldom an expensive mistake. I have an extra square in case of damage somewhere along the way.

I did have to use molding at most edges since the squares were a bit thinner than the original carpet and pad.

When you cut along the bases of the cabinets, you can use a blunt piece of wood and a hammer to drive the carpet back a bit. This prevents the frayed edges from showing. I also found that a cheap serrated knife, kept super sharp, eliminated most frayed edges. Those that were left were mostly in corners.
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