RE-Flooring a 2006 2350

New day, new project... 

The carpeting on the camper has always been an issue with Mrs V. Not to her standards. And smells.


so... new flooring was in order.

pic 9073 shows the <formerly> existing floor carpeting.

pic 9074 shows why my slide was leaking... rear roller was 'low' due to bending.

pic 9077 shows the cause... carpet had deformed and was impeding roller travel.

pic 9078 shows another angle. Pics dont do it justice, was an impressive mound. Reason #2 carpet must go. :/

pic 9079 - carpet removal. Lots of randomly placed staples. No seat, as it was removed prior to our ownership.

pic 9083 - First bump.  Inboard LP tank and Generator mounting bolts.

pic 9085 - See how this carriage bolt crushes downjust below the surface?

pic 9086 - The gen/LP bolts stand PROUD. 


Off to Home depot for flooring and carriage bolts.

 

Alrighty then. Went and got 4 boxes of flooring, soft mallet and carriage bolts. (Washers and Nylock nuts also..)


Pic 9087 shows the floor after carpet removal. I was sorta hoping the entire surface would be linoleum underneath, but not so.

pic 9089 showed why the carpet was pulling up by the sink... staples were rusted away. Stainless staples would be a nice touch for the BEST MANUFACTURER IN THE BIZ...  But that 2 inch thick floor still has me...well.. floored. 

pic 9090 answers the question of how to do it alone... Mrs V was long ago to bed.     I was underneath with a socket wrench, up top a screw 'held' the wrench on the bolt.   

pic 9093 shows the progress. I LOVE the antique wood flooring. Wont work for the bath, however. Needs to be whiter-brighter. But thats for another later today.



I am going to enjoy a shot...maybe two...    then bed.  I am VERY happy about progress today. 



 

Great Effort!  Great Results!

I take it that your "Carriage Bolt" idea wasn't going to work.  That did seam ideal to get the head below the surface of the decking.

Any thought about adding a 3rd captain seat where your barrel chair used to be?  Or maybe a wall cabinet there like some PCs opted for?

As far as the flooring goes.....my wife would kill me if I picked it out without her.  

I could see myself one day ripping up the carpet and installing a laminate floor.  But our carpet and vinyl is still looking great.  Laminate or real wood is many years away.

Well done there,  Volkemon !          Appreciate all the pictures !
How are you fastening the flooring down ?

Yes, Phoenix uses marine plywood for the main deck.  At least they did back in 2006/2007, assumed they still do today.

Well done there,  Volkemon !          Appreciate all the pictures !
How are you fastening the flooring down ?

Thank You!

Well... not fastening it down. it is a 'floating floor' system.  per install PDF - ""Do not glue, nail, screw or fasten to substrate.""
 Its pretty solid stuff with a rubber-like backing. I am going to caulk around the edges to seal it. The manufacturer calls for a 1/4 inch gap on all sides for expansion from heat... and I am tighter than that in a few places. With the 'side to side' maximum width at 7 feet, I dont think it will be a problem. The 'front to back' will have a cap over the front, and will allow for slight movement.

It IS a bit of an experiment.. the install PDF says ""CAUTION: DO NOT INSTALL IN all exterior installations, seasonal porches, boats, campers, RV's, sunrooms, solariums, non-temperature controlled rooms or homes""  

and ""Vinyl planks are not intended for use on stairs or vertical surfaces"" but I will be gluing it on the vertical part of the entrance stair. Be gluing/screwing for trim and under the sink also.

But... for ~$300 in materials it wont 'break the bank' if it fails, and other flooring must be installed. It looks SO good i will gamble and see.
 

More pictures coming tonight!

Yes, Phoenix uses marine plywood for the main deck.  At least they did back in 2006/2007, assumed they still do today.

  good stuff. I pre-installed mounting bolts for the battery storage. I was IMPRESSED at the 2" thick floor. And I must have hit a steel brace on one hole, as it was slow going. Not critical in its placement, so i moved it a little.

There were voids in the plywood, as there were a couple carriage bolts that dimpled the wood down, but did not crush in. I am putting large washers and lock bolts on all of them tonight to ensure everyone stays down.


Still deciding on the bathroom floor....  in a past VW Bus project I used wall tile glued to 1/4 plywood with liquid nails. Then I grouted it with black silicone. The grouting was done over a few weeks, as it had to be done one line at a time.  Took quite a while, but it lasted. Job was done in 1992, and in 2010 I pulled the floor out. Had a few cracked tiles from impacts, and the backing had ROTTED OFF but the tile/grout stayed together in a sheet. Very impressive.

I am confident the same glue-down method will work, but I am hoping this grout will cut the finish time down to one day - https://www.homedepot.com/p/SnapStone-Charcoal-Grey-9-lb-Urethane-Flexible-Grout-11-219-02-01/205814131?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-Pro-PLA%7c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7rqloZ3a2AIVFhuBCh3iRg_oEAQYAiABEgKZcPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CO6fm6md2tgCFUIeHwodNU4OCw

Been reading the install PDF, and it can be floated in the same manner as regular grout. Charcoal grey with white tile might make a neat look. Of course, all selections will be approved by Mrs V first.

Pics after work today. Wish I had stayed home to play with the camper, but better I work to PAY for the camper.. 

Front floor fixes....

Mrs V and I are NOT carpet fans, and wish to get rid of the last carpet in the front of the camper. I am looking into the Full front rubber mat as seen in ryder trucks, etc that use this ford chassis. ONLY thing I have found is the replacement part from Ford, $550. 

Junkyard finds will probably be chewed up with holes, etc.  so a New item is in order. Any suggestions beyond the Ford part?

Volkemon, I've had good luck with Weathertech floor mats in other vehicles.  Very sturdy, and the ones I have bought for Toyotas fit perfectly.  I presume the Ford Econoline mats would be right for PCs.
http://www.weathertech.com/ford/2014/econoline-e-series/floor-mats-all-weather/
John

Front floor fixes....

Mrs V and I are NOT carpet fans, and wish to get rid of the last carpet in the front of the camper. I am looking into the Full front rubber mat as seen in ryder trucks, etc that use this ford chassis. ONLY thing I have found is the replacement part from Ford, $550.  

Junkyard finds will probably be chewed up with holes, etc.  so a New item is in order. Any suggestions beyond the Ford part?

This: Select E-350 Super Duty to see the one piece mat. Be sure to specify your correct console type. With storage compartment means there's a flip down door on the bottom with an open cubby hole above. The mat fits  snugly but it's  designed to use on top of the carpet. The back edge stops about 2"  before the cab meets the raised  floor, and it doesn't quite cover all of the  driver's  side wheel well . Lots of colors for Mrs V to choose from

http://www.autoanything.com/floor-mats/79A4424A0A0.aspx

If you decide to do the front cab area be aware that heat in that area from the engine and exhaust is a concern. I recommend you leave the existing carpeting in place to serve as insulation and put a rubber mat over it. If you remove the carpet I would lay down an insulation material for heat and sound abatement and put the rubber mat over that. You will find that the floor , particularly in the front passenger area , gets quite warm while driving in hot summer weather.
You have done well with your rig, keep up the good work.

We have the full floor Ford rubber mat over the carpet and I worry about moisture under the mat, held in by the carpet, and rusting the cab floor. I don't know if that would happen but I hope to someday take out the seats, remove the mat, and tear out the carpet (I hate carpet.) My original thought was to have a bare floor and get it spray sealed like they do in truck beds. Someone suggested I check with an installer and see if they'd give me a deal if I brought the rig in when they were doing other jobs as they could use the excess goop in our cab. I haven't checked that out yet.

Once we got the rig and experienced the heat, I modified my plan to this: rip out carpet, get floor sealed AND put Ford mat back on top for insulation. Since we went with vinyl throughout, that would leave only the bit of carpet on the stair riser and that should be an easy replacement with vinyl.

Thank you McDucks!  But the WeatherTech mats are 2-piece for the E350. I am looking for the 1-piece solution.

Thank You to CalCruiser also. I found that link also, but the dimpled pattern was not to our liking.

If you decide to do the front cab area be aware that heat in that area from the engine and exhaust is a concern. I recommend you leave the existing carpeting in place to serve as insulation and put a rubber mat over it.

Thanks DynaDave!
After looking closely at the flooring in front, and talking with Mrs V, this does appear to be the plan of action now.

We have the full floor Ford rubber mat over the carpet and I worry about moisture under the mat, held in by the carpet, and rusting the cab floor. I don't know if that would happen but I hope to someday take out the seats, remove the mat, and tear out the carpet (I hate carpet.) My original thought was to have a bare floor and get it spray sealed like they do in truck beds. Someone suggested I check with an installer and see if they'd give me a deal if I brought the rig in when they were doing other jobs as they could use the excess goop in our cab. I haven't checked that out yet.

I went searching through many other forums about putting down the vinyl plank, and often there was HORROR stories about people trying to remove the glued on carpet... and a few tugs here and there made me think the carpet in the front of our cruiser is WELL glued on most of the floor. (Not at the very front, however)

I have experience putting on bedliner, and there was no 'excess goop' from jobs. We used what we needed out of the drum. If the drum had a small amount that would not be enough for the next job, we switched to a new one. Then once the new one was drawn down, put the remainder of the old in.

About the water being trapped... I had a HUUUUGE leak when i first got the camper that soaked the drivers side floor on a regular basis. Removing the step guard, and peeling back the carpet shows no sign of rust (WHEW!) I think the glue may protect...


So... after *actually looking closely*    at the front floor, I realized that it is going to be easier than I thought. 

I am going to leave the original glued in carpet for noise and heat control. May put a radiant barrier above it for a little more heat control. and because I happen to have a roll to use.

The step wells on my cab are black plastic.    AND they cover the edge well. And there are only simple bends, no compound curves (ie:bowl shape) except for the very top under the pedals/forward of the passenger feet. 

So I am topping it with this -
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Diamond-Deck-5-ft-x-9-ft-Battleship-Gray-Golf-Cart-Mat-82059/206315010?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-Pro-PLA%7c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrbOGl83c2AIVT57ACh2ykQ5ZEAQYAiABEgJVQ_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMPqlZzN3NgCFcQPgQods4AA-Q



""Great for workshops, basements, trailers, laundry rooms, mud rooms, bathrooms, toy haulers, motor-homes and camping. Perfect whether you need a temporary or a permanent flooring solution that is tough, waterproof, durable and easy to install.""

YEAH BABY!!!

1/8 thick PVC. The areas in the front that have the slight compound curve can be easily formed with a heat gun and sandbag. IF needed, I can even solvent-weld it. Not to mention its about 12% the cost of the Ford rubber mat AND tougher. Will look tough also. Even matches the grey of the dash.

May need to 'shave' the carpet fibers off around the edges to get a good fit, but otherwise looks like a WINNER.

Sorry about no pics... had a large Honey-do list to attend to after work, then interior design meeting with Mrs V. I have to pull out some of the planking below the slide to shim up the floor for the rollers. Needs to be up ~1/4 inch. No biggie.

Just my 2 cents on this.      We place strategically cut pieces of clear stairway runner on our carpet  for cleanup and preservation reasons.      The piece that covers the  carpeted area between the
front seats  gets surprisingly wet underneath when driving.    I always lift and let it dry at the end of the day.    Not doing so might  cause the trapped moisture over time to promote mold which is
never welcome.