sitej11
New York
New Member
Joined: 07/03/2009
View Profile
 Offline
|
I have an rv with a rotted floor. Support beams are 2x2's and eaten by termites. I need to replace the rear 5 floor joists and I'm hoping to do most of it from below so I don't have to rip out the bathroom sink, shower and cabinet that houses the fridge. I can't just put a new joist next to the old because there are 2x2's perpendicular to the joists. I have to get out the non-rotted pieces of floor joist to do the replacement. I was thinking I could drop the tanks and do it from below. These are the four joists that actually support the holding tanks. Problem is the tub drain is just at floor level where it 90's into the grey water tank. I'd cut it, but it's all in an area where the pipe seems to go from 3" to 1 1/2" (no place for a connector to glue it back together). Any suggestions would be appreciated.
The trailer is just the right size for us and everything else works. Should I be thinking of trashing it.
|
crickeydog
Marietta, Ga.
Senior Member
Joined: 01/29/2004
View Profile
|
IMHO: I'd start from the top and work down. If there's visible termite damage, you can bet when you start ripping into your TT you'll probably find more damage below the surface hidden from view. You may end up replacing the entire floor which again, IMHO, might not be such a bad idea. At least then you'll know you have a completely solid new floor and no termite damage left behind. You might also consider replacing yer holding tanks as well depending on the age of your TT's tanks. I mean you'll already be there; beat's ripping out all of your hard work to replace'em later. Good luck. If yer suit's ya, rebuild that sucker and drag'er till she slap flat fall's apart around ya.
Happy camping!!! See ya'll down the road!!!
* This post was
edited 07/03/09 06:28am by crickeydog *
USAF RETIRED
2006 GMC 3500 CC DRW D/A LBZ 4X4 SLT,4" BANKS,PREDATOR, VOLANT CAI, FS-2500, AIRDOG, SHIFT KIT.
1997 FORD F-350 CC DRW 7.3 XLT, STOCK.
2004 HR PRES 30SCD
CHEROKEE & CHEYENNE DOXIE'S.
LOADED LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN, FLYIN LIKE A JET PLANE.
|
sitej11
New York
New Member
Joined: 07/03/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
I hear what you're saying. I'm just afraid that once I start pulling cabinets, they'll never go back the way they came out. It's older and everything is made out of stapled together half furring strips. New tanks would also run me over $300, and along with flooring etc.... I just want a quick fix to get me back on the road for summer. We're still waiting for summer to arrive in NY. Had to put on a sweatshirt last night and it's been raining for weeks. By the time it gets here it will be time to winterize.
|
tvman44
Southwest Louisiana
Senior Member
Joined: 09/25/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Also get some good termite poison and spray all over to kill the little darlings that may be else where.
Papa Bob
1* DW "Granny"
1* 2008 Brookside by Sunnybrook 32'
1* 2002 F250 Super Duty 7.3L PSD
Husky 16K hitch, Tekonsha P3,
Firestone Ride Rite Air Springs, Trailair Equa-Flex, Champion C46540
"A bad day camping is better than a good day at work!"
|
nny12972
NY
Senior Member
Joined: 10/25/2006
View Profile
|
To say the least---you got your work cut out for ya'! My neighbour restores Airstreams....most of the time they go at one that sounds like yours, they remove the entire body-shell from what's left of the OEM wood framing...after having removed all interior cabinets, etc.....in other words, to do it right, they gut it! BIG $$$$$$! If you're anywhere near Plattsburgh, you might wanna' take a look at what they do---while it's raining!!!!!
Sooooooo, is the entire floor coming apart--front to back--inside and out? Having built a couple TT/THs recently, I can tell you that the floor/framing IS the support for everything! You may luck out and the wall structure MAY support cabinets during a floor rebuild, but I'd be ready to make up some interior "wedging" to help keep cabinets/tub/shower from sagging/dropping....if at all possible, I would NOT remove the existing flooring if it's at all serviceable---get rid of rot for sure---sealing anything that can remain after you treat it.....if there's enough solid framing left to solidly attach to, adding PT sheathing below with PT studs might do it for you....but it's gonna' add some weight...
I'd be engineering as I go...and consider having a pro-bug guy spray your rig before reassembling begins....
The tank thing? Haven't a clue what you have, but if reto-fitting new tanks comes into play, try ronco.com....I've had them custom-build tanks for both my TH builds....they'll put the fittings where you want them, and the size you want---that could eliminate your drain sizing problems, too....5 years ago I got two 25G tanks set up the way I wanted for less than $300....and it made putting my rig together a piece o' cake!!!
Good luck,
J
|
|
|
sitej11
New York
New Member
Joined: 07/03/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
My problem is the middle 4 feet of the floor joists have disintegrated. It's a jayco and the floor framing boggles my mind. In between the wheel wells there is a 2x6 running up the middle and the 2x2's are just stapled to it. It almost seems the chip board provides more support than the joists. I've been poking around the internet and I'm hoping the connection to the gray water tank is a rubber grommet that comes apart on its own when I drop the tank. With the tanks out of the way I may be able to replace two joinsts. I'm thinking of bridging the metal cross members with some 2x4's just so I can get some plywood down for the toilet and get some use out of it this year. Maybe I'll find a super deal on another small rv, but in the meantime, I'll keep plugging away.
|
chrisser
Cleveland OH
Senior Member
Joined: 05/05/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
My floor had severe rot and I had to replace it.
I started doing it piecemeal, but I reached a point where I decided the whole thing had to come out.
For me, removing all the cabinets and appliances was the best method - it was just too difficult to try to work around them, and they just unscrewed on my old Coachmen.
What you may find helpful is what I ended up doing...
Mine's aluminum sided, so I was able to take off the lowest panel of siding all the way around.
Then I screwed 2x6s to the bare wood frame that extended down the sides to below the metal trailer frame. This let me jack the walls up off the trailer frame. I did this at about 6 points - one in each corner and one on the long side (I have a 16', of which 13' is actual trailer length).
Anyhow, I did this in stages, a little at a time so as not to distort the body, sliding scrap wood between the frame and the floor as I lifted it.
In the end, I cut longer 2x6s and screwed them to the frame after it was jacked up at each point. The end result was the body was on stilts, suspended about 2" over the floor. This gave me the ability to slide the old floor and framing out, and slide the new in. With the roof and most of the sides still on, I had protection in case of rain.
I wish I had done this at the start - would have saved me about a week of screwing around trying to get pieces of the floor and frame out and replaced a little at a time.
|
sitej11
New York
New Member
Joined: 07/03/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
Thanks for replying. Aren't the walls screwed to the floor? Does this mean you took off all the interior walls as well, or was there no sheathing between the wall studs and the siding, or did you cut under the walls to detach them from the floors? Also, are all the electic lines run from the ceiling down into the walls? This sounds like a big job. How long did it take you? In my jayco, the fridge has only a cabinet face and even though I unscrewed the door, it wouldn't budge as the caulking is holding it fast. I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into.
|
nny12972
NY
Senior Member
Joined: 10/25/2006
View Profile
|
Also, if you have to cut the PVC drain pipe to drop the tank, there are rubber "cuff connectors" with SS hose clamps on each end, for almost any size PVC---as long as you can access things once the floor/studs are done.......they're available at any good plumbing supply....
As you explain further, it sounds as though you may be able to just remove the rot and scab-on replacement flooring and cross members---I'd just cut off the other framing and bridge it all back together...
J
|
chrisser
Cleveland OH
Senior Member
Joined: 05/05/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
sitej11 wrote:Thanks for replying. Aren't the walls screwed to the floor? Does this mean you took off all the interior walls as well, or was there no sheathing between the wall studs and the siding, or did you cut under the walls to detach them from the floors? Also, are all the electic lines run from the ceiling down into the walls? This sounds like a big job. How long did it take you? In my jayco, the fridge has only a cabinet face and even though I unscrewed the door, it wouldn't budge as the caulking is holding it fast. I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into.
Taking off the lower outside siding gets you access to the wall cavities to unscrew them - no sheathing on mine between the siding and the studs. Electric lines all came out of the walls by the converter, so disconnecting them and allowing them to dangle worked OK.
I bought the TT in May. The floor's been in since early June, if it weren't for waiting for Eternabond (I had to wait a month from one vendor) and now the last two weeks of rain, I'd have it put together and painted already.
So, I'd say a month of evenings and weekends to disassemble it and completely replace the floor (and the whole front wall framing on mine).
If I can get a couple consistent days of sunny weather to paint, I expect to have it back together by end of July.
|
|
|
|
