19H Partial Floor Replacement

Scott91370 · 09-22-2017, 01:22 PM

As many of you have seen I had to redo the roof on this trailer due to a leaking a/c gasket (CHECK IT AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR!). I will be replacing this at least every other year no matter how good it looks. It's way cheaper than replacing a roof and floor!
Cost for the floor was only about $300. Biggest expense was glue and flooring. I did buy a few other things but most of it I had laying around as 'scrap' and was able to make it work for this.

Here is a picture summary of the floor replacement. I'll give a little summary but for the most part the pics speak for themselves.

Here is the first pic after removing the linoleum. Try your best to locate the rot…

Front right corner. You can see the board under the wall frame has rotted away. This happened on both sides. I cut them out at a point far enough back that I was at good/dry wood and replaced them with 2x4.

Just a couple of the damage.

I removed this first section then decided it wasn't quite enough.

More flooring removed and I decided I would also replace the belly because the material had several tears in it.
On the front wall the bottom piece of aluminum had gotten bent because the floor sagged so badly. I remove the 'cage' and replaced the bottom piece with a piece of steel. I also put the insulation back up and used a piece of luan to cover the entire cage to keep it in place and also be able to make this usable space.

Scott91370 · 09-22-2017, 01:26 PM

Under this first piece of wood I put a piece of 3x3 angle iron to make sure it never sagged again.

The three floor supports and sidewall replacements. I don't know what the joint is called but where the supports meet the wall plate I removed half of each board this way the top board could actually sit on the bottom board for more support.
After this I got the belly pan put in from underneath and glued the styrofoam insulation to it (forgot pics).

Here is the floor with the new luan in place all glued and screwed in place.

Flooring in. I did not do the bathroom but I have a transition there so we don't stub a toe!

And all the furniture except kitchen. I have to redo the counter top - I'll add a pic of that when I'm done.

Overall a good experience but again a lot of work. Nice part is I could run the a/c while doing it which made it way better than working on the roof.

The section between the front bunk and the couch/dining will become more storage. The entire thing is empty so I figure if I make it hinge open to the top I could put quite a bit of stuff in there. It's an area about 12" deep x 48" across x 20" high.

Next is redoing the front bunk. The wood on the (when folded up) bottom right corner has gotten wet but it's not in nearly as bad shape as the roof and floor so I think I'll be able to get away with peeling the old wood off, letting everything dry really good and gluing new wood in place. I'll do a small write up on that as well.

ALJO · 09-22-2017, 01:38 PM

Good job! Water intrusion is an RV killer. Check your roofs and if you have the foam seals in the windows and storage doors, replace them with automotive butyl tape (at least 1/4 ") A lot of time the foam seals have hidden leaks and show after a couple of years (soft wood usual has some rot and mildew by then).

bdreinv · 09-22-2017, 03:18 PM

Really nice job on the flooring! Much nicer than the dealer would do!

Scott91370 · 09-22-2017, 08:53 PM

Thanks guys! I figure it's apart I might as well put in something halfway decent. It wasn't very expensive flooring (60cents a foot) but it looks nicer and also has a nice room feel walking in it.
I just hope all this can help someone i the future if they try to do the job or even makes them check their a/c gasket.

ALJO - the only seal I have seen on mine that is foam is the a/c. I do however have one window frame that is bent so the window will not close tightly. I do cover it though.

Now to find the leak on the front bunk. Ugh!

hbravo · 09-23-2017, 12:24 PM

You Sir, are a Beast!

ALJO · 09-23-2017, 12:45 PM

Remove a window and you'll see a rubber/foam gasket. On the fiberglass walls they doing not to bad. But on aluminum siding most of them will leak from the factory.
Many years ago they used to have front windows you could open, I have never seen one that didn't leak. Hope they have a good drip cap on the front assembly and that the seals are in good shape. Water intrusion is so easy at those places. Did you raise your TT or is it still original?

Scott91370 · 09-25-2017, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbravo

You Sir, are a Beast!

I wouldn't go that far.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALJO

Remove a window and you'll see a rubber/foam gasket. On the fiberglass walls they doing not to bad. But on aluminum siding most of them will leak from the factory.

Did you raise your TT or is it still original?

I haven't removed any windows but the walls are all still solid - no delamination like the floor and roof had.
I did raise it about 3" and went with a slightly larger tire (205/75-14 from 185/80-13) which gave an additional .80". The plumbing was so close to the ground it had been broken off and repaired by the previous owner and I take it up to Gunnison National Forest yearly and the additional ground clearance was a necessity. Plus it rides level now.

Scott91370 · 09-25-2017, 09:25 AM

Quick note. I did a full roof replacement and here is the link:

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...t-39639-2.html

Scott91370 · 10-03-2017, 01:26 PM

Just a couple of pictures - almost done!!!

This was dead space between the dinette/couch and the bunk area. It's about 5'wide x 1" deep by 16" tall. Great for storage...
Had to use pano mode but couldn't hold it steady.

Only a couple of things left.
Make lid for above cubby, caulk around the holes for all of the drain lines and wiring where they go from inside out and put a little trim on. Taking it out this weekend!

bankr63 · 10-03-2017, 01:38 PM

Love your work Scott, thanks for sharing.

I really like the idea of salvaging the space under the front bunk edge. Earlier versions of the 19H had a cubby there with an access hole in the front wall beside the sofa, but it had disappeared by '11. I was considering adding this back in, but I like your idea of a hinged lid.

With the lid off, does the front wall feel at all "wobbly"? My one worry is that the lid area may in some way add structure and stiffness to the front wall of the HTT. If you think it is still very solid, I may change my plans and follow your lead.

New flooring looks great - love it!

Scott91370 · 10-03-2017, 01:55 PM

Thank you!

Mine is a 2007 and did not have the front open door - odd.

The front wall is just as sturdy as before. And actually when I had the small grip of aluminum out where I had to replace the bottom piece of angle iron I climbed in the bunk and couldn't tell any difference. There is an inner structure of 1"x1" aluminum for the wall plus it is connected to the side walls. All of this give it plenty of stability. And honestly, as flimsy as this front section is I don't think it helps much, if any, structurally.

The floor is my favorite part. I honestly didn't think I was going to like this color but it contrasts just enough. I may, in the distant future, replace the sink/faucet with black if it drive me crazy. The white is just too much now with the darker counter top.

brianhunter01 · 02-17-2020, 10:45 AM

I know this thread is old and I hoping for some advice. I have a Jayco 19h with a soft rotten floor by the front door and stove area, I have not yet located the leak and will have to locate it prior to fixing the floor. I plan on attacking this project over the spring. I am looking for advice from anyone that had similiar leaks and where they located the source of intrusion. As far as the floor repair, can anyone advise the size plywood and foam the floor consists of. Is it the underbelly, plywood, foam and then toplayer of plywood?

Scott91370 · 02-17-2020, 03:21 PM

The flooring is a sandwich of 1/8" luan, 1.5" foam, 1/8" luan glued together for strength. The down side is that it won't be as strong as factory because when they make the floor & roof they are able to vacuum it together and the bond is much stronger. I ran a couple of extra cross braces on mine to help with this and it is also at the front where the tongue V is which also helps with flex.

Make sure that when you pull the kitchen out you take LOTS of pics. There are a ton of wires where the switches connect (by the door). Make a drawing, even a crude one not to scale with measurements. The more the better. And overall as many pics of everything will make it easier.

I have a document save with the above post and pics. If you want me to email it, and the one of the roof being done, I'd be glad to do so, just PM me you email address.
The foam I had cut to my measurements at a place nearby. They will do pretty much any size needed. and the glue sticks to it instead of melting it. I learned about melting the insulation the hard way. I used StaBond e183 for foam to wood. It is VERY flammable and the vapors are even worse so make sure it is well ventilated.

If you have any questions, let me know.

bankr63 · 02-28-2020, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianhunter01

I know this thread is old and I hoping for some advice. I have a Jayco 19h with a soft rotten floor by the front door and stove area, I have not yet located the leak and will have to locate it prior to fixing the floor. I plan on attacking this project over the spring. I am looking for advice from anyone that had similiar leaks and where they located the source of intrusion. As far as the floor repair, can anyone advise the size plywood and foam the floor consists of. Is it the underbelly, plywood, foam and then toplayer of plywood?

I really respect Scott's good work, but would caution you to think carefully before doing such a radical repair.

My 19H had floor rot in the same location as yours. And I have taken a somewhat simpler approach than a full restoration. After all, the camper isn't really worth that much $$$ and I will be happy to stretch another 4-5 years out of it.

First up, locating the leak(s). I really like Sealtech testing; pressurizes the whole trailer and uses a soap solution on the outside to find leaks via air bubbles (similar to how you check a gas line connection). It has led to a lot of maintenance of seals and caulk, and I eventually used Eternabond across the entire back edge of the roof. That said, I still seem to keep developing leaks, so may not be out of the woods yet. Had it sealteched again in the fall and a bunch more caulking done.

Here is a view of the beginning of demolition. Check a couple of the other photos in that album for more views.
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/m...ture10699.html

The challenge that you will have in this area is that the black tank is directly beneath the repair area, not to mention the bathroom walls over top. Luckily for me, the rot did not extend under the bathroom wall, so I was able to cut out the bad section up to the wall.

Now i am reluctant to drop the black tank and don't think I can replace the bottom layer without, so attempted the repair on the top layer only. Initially I replaced with the same thickness plywood as original. Results are okay, but the area is still a little springier than I wanted. Talking it over with my local indie repair shop, they got my point about not being worth a full frame off restoration. They took a look and came up with the suggestion of using stiffer aluminum or steel plate instead of the plywood.

That will be my attempt come spring; remove the plywood patch and use it as a template to get the metal cut to size. I will use a special metal adhesive to glue the patch to the frame underneath. I am leaning toward 1/4" aluminum plate for the weight saving, but will want to see how flexible the material is before deciding.

Again, my objective is repair to the point that I can continue to enjoy the trailer for a few more years until we upgrade for retirement.

One other point, if the rot does not extend under the kitchen cabinets then you might not need to remove the entire kitchen. I was able to remove all of the screws that attached the cabinets to the walls and floors, and then lift the cabinets enough with pry bars to work the new flooring material under the cabinet edges by about an inch or so. IMO, a lot easier than disassembling all the plumbing and propane. I did remove the dinette and sofa to run the new flooring, but used quarter round across the front of the full height fridge/pantry cabinet.

Total time for repair was a couple of weekends of time (one for demo and patch, next one for laying in new floor).

brianhunter01 · 02-28-2020, 06:14 PM

Thanks for the info. I actually started to tear the floor apart last weekend, my rot looks exactly like the picture you sent the link to. You said you ended up sealing the edge of the back roof, was that the main issue with getting that much water in? Were there any other places where a lot of water was getting in?

As far as my rot, it seems to end right at the bathroom wall and goes unfortunately a little bit under the stove, the rest seems good. I plan on just doing the rotted area and rebuilding just that area. I would like to get a few more years out of my trailer and then get something else, so I don't plan on going too crazy with it. I just want to make it functional and most importantly, leak free! As far as the floor you put in, what kind of floor is that? it looks great.

Again thanks for the feedback, you and Scott have been a great help.

bankr63 · 03-01-2020, 08:43 AM

I think (not positive) that the leakage was at the upper right corner of the roof edge. However the initial resealing didn't stop it, so I went with the tape. That seemed to get it for a while, but moisture problems re-appeared over the summer leading to another round of sealing.

Outside of the Sealtech I used a moisture meter to measure the moisture in the inside walls and zero in on the source area. Be thoughtful about where you use the meter as it does leave 'bite' marks in the wall. I would also recommend resealing around all of the upper marker lights and the taillights. The hardest part is knowing (or not) if you have actually sealed the culprit - only time can tell if you have been successful.

Another tip, I actually demo'd in the fall, then used a couple of the big pails of Damp Rid (WalMart) over the winter storage season to draw the moisture out. Things were much drier come spring when I did the reflooring.

SmarCore (Rustic Hickory) is the product I used. Got a good deal at Lowes. It is a medium thickness vinyl - wanted something thick enough to not telegraph imperfections, but not so thick that it added too much weight. I used about 4 boxes, adding about 100 lbs to the GTW. This is a floating floor with interlocking edges which (I feel) should withstand the expansion and contraction better than a glue down. I had only one short edge seam open up so far, luckily near a wall so it will be easy to fix up.

I did not run the floor into the bathroom saving me from having to pull the toilet. I cut the flooring diagonally at the door and added a metal transom strip.

Note also that I removed the cabinet facing from under the back bunk and pulled the power panel up, pushing it back into the cavity behind while I redid the floor.

A final note, I don't have a location to work on the trailer. My driveway is very steep so this was all done while parked on the street in front of my house. That was another reason for my choosing to do less than a 'frame-off' restoration - there are limits to my neighbors' and bylaw enforcement's patience.

brianhunter01 · 03-01-2020, 04:46 PM

well I think my leak is at the upper right corner as well. I removed all the wood under the back bed by the front door and tucked the electric back behind the bathroom wall like you did. When I started to continue to rip up the floor to the back wall, I noticed the wood wet and going up the back corner wall (which is location of the small cubby with the door) I went about a foot up the wall and all the wood was soaking wet in that corner, it stopped about a foot up. I guess I will have to work on that back corner by the roof. Thanks again for all the feedback

brianhunter01 · 03-07-2020, 01:13 PM

Well I found the issue. It was the lower corner by the rear tail lights. Water apparently got behind the tail light and got through the corner. I am thinking of using eternabond tape to seal it.

brianhunter01 · 03-07-2020, 02:26 PM

I used self tap screws to secure the fiberglass shell to the frame. I then used caulk to seal the seam. I plan on putting eternabond tape over it tommorow. There is a rubber seal attached to the taillight assembly, since it did not keep water out, I may actually just use caulk there instead so no water gets behind it.

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