Thank you for taking your time to do this video. I have a Thor Hurricane 34J and I had to replace the couch and when doing so pulling out the anchor screws they came out really easy. Putting the new ones in it felt like it was delaminated. I have had a soft spot in front of the couch scene we purchased the RV.. Anyway I thought it was water damage when doing the couch.. So it looks likely is probably not... I will probably just live with it now knowing this.
Yep, every place that I took Oliver to the dealer said it was water damage. I am the only owner and we use the RV 365 days, so we knew that was not an option. After lots an lots of research and literally digging into the floor, I determined that even if water had been there, no chance it would have damaged the floor based on the material. If you ever have to remove the linoleum, thing about just doing the soft area like I showed in the video. I did that coming on two years and it is still solid. I have a few new soft spots, co over the summer i am going to pull the floor and do those..
Yes thank you! Every time you ask someone they say it’s water damage. No it’s not. Where our soft/springy floor is it’s right above the water tank thus there is no brace up underneath. So high traffic area over time will lead to this. Thanks for the video. RV manufacturers need to get their head out of their ______!
I feel like all thats being done is creating little pillars that make it feel solid. I suspect those pillars will eventually push through the bottom layer.
I appreciate you taking the time to show how you repaired this. So thinking through this, is the idea that the epoxy is filling in the void areas (that have been created over time & traffic) between the thin layer of subfloor and the compressed structural styrofoam? How is it holding up after 6 months?
@@OlivertheRV okay, that’s good to hear. I guess I will know, after pulling up the linoleum and getting eyes on the 1/4” plywood (and its condition) if this repair method is an option for me. Thanks!
@@facilitiesmaintenancebyarne if yours is a Thor like mine, you will find a white synthetic board. When I initially started down the repair path I expected to see a 1/4” plywood that I could just pull up and replace. Instead I found the foam sandwiched between the synthetic boards. Good luck on the project.
I have this same problem. Thor is no help but after seeing your video I finally got a handle on it. It definitly is not rotted wood. So after 8 years I'll just lice with it. I also found this type of problem with other sprinter models. Just a poor design.
I thought about doing that two. My concern was going to deep on removing the Thor flooring. However, I do think that would be a good solution for small areas. large areas, then we would be adding weight. Good luck and keep us informed on how it goes.
Ok newbie here . Great video glad I found it but I have a few questions please be nice. Started pulling up Lino still very sticky what did you use to remove glue ? How did you get Lino from under the slide ? Last any idea how far down you drilled the holes .TYA
would you do the same thing again? I have a very old Travel Trailer with several soft spots and was thinking about ripping it all out thinking it needed sub flooring repair...
What about just using the Premium thick Vinyl Plank flooring alone? I have the same spongy floor in a 42 FT OPEN RANGE which is a Thor product also. Only 4 years old and stored inside!
I was afraid that the thick vinyl plank would be too thick for the slideout to come over it. Thus why I went for the repair of the floor and use a thinner plank flooring.
Fixing to do the same with my Siesta floors, how has the vinyl plank flooring worked out, I was wondering if the joints would try to flip up of come apart.
I have soft flooring in my bathroom and around the kitchen area, im a first time RV full time living and i've never done any renovation. I'm not sure if this will work or not, I have a 2016 forest river Wildwood heritage Glen. I think I might try this but im unsure, its really really soft in the RR
It would be nice to know how your floor comes out if you do repair it. I have a 2016 forest river vibe and I have the same issues only the entrance and kitchen/living room are soft
I have the same heritage glen. So disappointed in the floor. All around the island is the worst. So embarrassing when guest come inside. I’ve talked to customer service since it began about 2 years after purchase and they are useless and pretend like it’s something they’ve never heard of. A class action lawsuit needs to happen on these. Mines a 2016 as well. Blows my mind that these manufacturers can get away with this. I’ll never purchase another RV with the foam floor.
Good evening. Yes I just kept the multi-tool flush with the floor and removed the overflow. A quick shop vac and all the dust was gone. After completing the job I did not have any unevenness with the floor. I also used the Lifeproof flooring from Home Depot so the floor feels completely flat.
I bought an old travel trailer 1975 I think it's what it says and is needing lots of repair and replacement I'm pretty sure the floor in the bedroom is riding at least it is next to the Walls and have no idea of how or the cost. I will be doing the majority of the work by myself. I can borrow the tools have no one to help or show me how.The trailer only cost me three hundred dollars. First thing I really need to take care of is installing installation and the door. Has holes in and out close to window. Was lucky I didn't have to find a place to park it. Any suggestions for this 67 year on a fixed income. I do know how to lay carpet and I've helped my car composition shingles this is all new to me.I like to call it Rachel's little castle and in a lot of was perfect for me and my firbabies cause I was able to get away from the abuse from a couple of family members. Thank you and God Bless
Awesome that you found the travel trailer. In regards to the insulation, that becomes a little tricky, every RV ceiling is held up a little different. For the floor, I am sure yours us simply plywood or wood material. You would repair it no differently than if you pulled the carpet and found rotten wood in your house. Those are pretty simple repairs, just takes a lot of time and can be done with a simple saw and floor screws. I wish you the best of luck on your adventure.
So the only thing I am confused a bit about is how does the epoxy flow underneath inside your grid/drill holes? Seems like it would just flow back up through the hole.
The way the floor is setup there is a thin layer of synthetic board, foam, then another layer of synthetic board. You want to drill, cautiously, through the top layer and only the foam. You will end up with the epoxy filling the holes and going between the foam and the bottom board. You get the stiffness underneath, the pillar of epoxy, and some between the foam and top board. I kept a handful of dowels in my hand and if the epoxy started coming up, I would plug the holes. Then I just cut the dowels off in the epoxy flush against the floor. Thanks for the comment.
That was a recommendation that was made to me before I did this project. I was 1.) afraid of the weight 2.) I wasn't sure what to put in as the new floor. Plywood?
@@OlivertheRV I have 1/2” plywood in mine. Looking at yours now and the camper manufacturers never cease to amaze me on how cheap they can build these things. Good job
@@downwithosama1 I do not have an affiliate link, but here it is on amazon. www.amazon.com/West-System-105-B-Hardener-Metering/dp/B089NVXNJV/ref=sr_1_16?crid=N3DRWL46TJOZ&keywords=west+systems+epoxy&qid=1675903653&sprefix=west+systems+epoxy%2Caps%2C65&sr=8-16/&WZoneDirect-no-more-redirect
I assume that if the floor is soft and caved in, this is just kind of a bandaid solution, if I were to do this, the floor would become stiff but still caved?
Mine was not 'caved' in my was just soft. I did this and then replaced the vinyl floor with a a plank flooring that gave the entire floor stability. Thanks for the watching the video. Good luck with your floors.
There isn't wood under the white plate. Thor does not use OSB nor wood as the subfloor. They take two pieces of material with a Styrofoam like material and compress it together. There isn't anything that can be water damaged. However, the foam material can become soft, thus all of our problems.
Were all Thor floors for 2014 built like this? Mine is also soft. When i took out the receiver for the table leg, the floor looks like it is wood sandwiched between two layers of plastic/aluminum. I'm just curious if they were all built that way as in your video. I plan on srartimg this project as soon as the RV gets back from the mercedes dealer. Should be about 2 weeks before go time.
I am assuming the receiver on the table is actually on the slideout. If yes, the slideout has a thin layer of wood on top of a steel floor. If you look in your dinette seats you can see the two black 24 in slideout tracks, if you lift on of them you can see the wood/steel lays of the slideout. Onto the floor, from everything that I have read, the Thor / Four Winds / Siesta / Sprinter floors are all made of the same material. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching the video and good luck.
@@OlivertheRV Thanks for the info. My receivers are in the floor in 2 locations. In front of the slide when its out and in front of the forward seats when they are turned around.
@@ChiefStones here is a link to the photo of my slideout floor and the slideout guides. drive.google.com/file/d/10JR5qMhxKlQx7HEGbK0R1XAqmyVHkrUH/view?usp=share_link
Thor is not the only brand which uses the laminated or bonded floors. I have a 2019 Mesa Ridge manufactured by Highland Ridge and the area in the kitchen has become very soft. I think this is going to be the trend with this type of floor. I wouldn't doubt most of the RV manufacturers have gone this route with the trend to as light as possible so your half ton truck can haul a larger unit.
Have to tackle this on my forest river travel trailer. Thanks for sharing
You are welcome and go for it! :-)
Thanks for making this video. Just finished repairing the floor in my truck camper.
How did it come out?
It came out really good.
Very nicely, concise and very informative. Thank you
Thank you for taking your time to do this video. I have a Thor Hurricane 34J and I had to replace the couch and when doing so pulling out the anchor screws they came out really easy. Putting the new ones in it felt like it was delaminated. I have had a soft spot in front of the couch scene we purchased the RV.. Anyway I thought it was water damage when doing the couch.. So it looks likely is probably not... I will probably just live with it now knowing this.
Yep, every place that I took Oliver to the dealer said it was water damage. I am the only owner and we use the RV 365 days, so we knew that was not an option. After lots an lots of research and literally digging into the floor, I determined that even if water had been there, no chance it would have damaged the floor based on the material. If you ever have to remove the linoleum, thing about just doing the soft area like I showed in the video. I did that coming on two years and it is still solid. I have a few new soft spots, co over the summer i am going to pull the floor and do those..
We definitely had some soft floors. We’re in a full reno of an 86 Toyota odyssey. Thanks for the info! Cheers!
Good luck with the renovation!!!
Yes thank you! Every time you ask someone they say it’s water damage. No it’s not. Where our soft/springy floor is it’s right above the water tank thus there is no brace up underneath. So high traffic area over time will lead to this. Thanks for the video. RV manufacturers need to get their head out of their ______!
Exactly!!
Yup. We have the same issue right above the grey tank. 2014 Cougar 5th wheel. Figured water got trapped between it and the floor. Hope its not rot.
Great fix!
I feel like all thats being done is creating little pillars that make it feel solid. I suspect those pillars will eventually push through the bottom layer.
Whats it like 2 years later, is everything still good?
Thinking of trying it myself....thx
I appreciate you taking the time to show how you repaired this. So thinking through this, is the idea that the epoxy is filling in the void areas (that have been created over time & traffic) between the thin layer of subfloor and the compressed structural styrofoam? How is it holding up after 6 months?
Yes, plus the epoxy pillars gives additional stability. I have one area I need to redo but the rest of it is still solid.
The one area to redo isn’t because of the epoxy, it was just an area I didn’t do.
@@OlivertheRV okay, that’s good to hear. I guess I will know, after pulling up the linoleum and getting eyes on the 1/4” plywood (and its condition) if this repair method is an option for me. Thanks!
@@facilitiesmaintenancebyarne if yours is a Thor like mine, you will find a white synthetic board. When I initially started down the repair path I expected to see a 1/4” plywood that I could just pull up and replace. Instead I found the foam sandwiched between the synthetic boards. Good luck on the project.
I have this same problem. Thor is no help but after seeing your video I finally got a handle on it. It definitly is not rotted wood. So after 8 years I'll just lice with it. I also found this type of problem with other sprinter models. Just a poor design.
Yes, horrible design, and Thoor acts like you and I are the first to have the issue.
I just watched your video and I have to thank you for the info. So the foam actually absorbs epoxy?
The epoxy goes under the foam and above the subfloor. Then the foam in the drill holes acts like little pillars, giving it stability.
I have an RV specialist that is reccomending a fix by cutting out the tile and spreading a thin layer of self levelling floor compound thin set
I thought about doing that two. My concern was going to deep on removing the Thor flooring. However, I do think that would be a good solution for small areas. large areas, then we would be adding weight. Good luck and keep us informed on how it goes.
Good job man thanks for the vid
Ok newbie here . Great video glad I found it but I have a few questions please be nice. Started pulling up Lino still very sticky what did you use to remove glue ? How did you get Lino from under the slide ? Last any idea how far down you drilled the holes .TYA
Are you happy with the choice to use Plank flooring after the repair? Did you glue the Plank down or let it Float? How is it Now? Thanks for the Video
would you do the same thing again? I have a very old Travel Trailer with several soft spots and was thinking about ripping it all out thinking it needed sub flooring repair...
What about just using the Premium thick Vinyl Plank flooring alone? I have the same spongy floor in a 42 FT OPEN RANGE which is a Thor product also. Only 4 years old and stored inside!
I was afraid that the thick vinyl plank would be too thick for the slideout to come over it. Thus why I went for the repair of the floor and use a thinner plank flooring.
I have a 42 ft open range also, with high wear areas that are soft. Interesting info. Hope I don't have to replace floor! Mine is a 2017.
Fixing to do the same with my Siesta floors, how has the vinyl plank flooring worked out, I was wondering if the joints would try to flip up of come apart.
I have soft flooring in my bathroom and around the kitchen area, im a first time RV full time living and i've never done any renovation. I'm not sure if this will work or not, I have a 2016 forest river Wildwood heritage Glen. I think I might try this but im unsure, its really really soft in the RR
It would be nice to know how your floor comes out if you do repair it. I have a 2016 forest river vibe and I have the same issues only the entrance and kitchen/living room are soft
I have the same heritage glen. So disappointed in the floor. All around the island is the worst. So embarrassing when guest come inside. I’ve talked to customer service since it began about 2 years after purchase and they are useless and pretend like it’s something they’ve never heard of. A class action lawsuit needs to happen on these. Mines a 2016 as well. Blows my mind that these manufacturers can get away with this. I’ll never purchase another RV with the foam floor.
Hello, did you ever attempt this fix on your RV? If so how did it come out. I have same model, same issue.
So just use the multi-tool and scrape off the epoxy overflow? Can you feel any unevenness after putting the flooring down?
Good evening. Yes I just kept the multi-tool flush with the floor and removed the overflow. A quick shop vac and all the dust was gone. After completing the job I did not have any unevenness with the floor. I also used the Lifeproof flooring from Home Depot so the floor feels completely flat.
Thanks!
Welcome!
What kind of epoxy did you use?
what type of epoxy did you use, Im going to do the same to mine, the video was great, thanks
I bought an old travel trailer 1975 I think it's what it says and is needing lots of repair and replacement I'm pretty sure the floor in the bedroom is riding at least it is next to the Walls and have no idea of how or the cost. I will be doing the majority of the work by myself. I can borrow the tools have no one to help or show me how.The trailer only cost me three hundred dollars. First thing I really need to take care of is installing installation and the door. Has holes in and out close to window. Was lucky I didn't have to find a place to park it. Any suggestions for this 67 year on a fixed income. I do know how to lay carpet and I've helped my car composition shingles this is all new to me.I like to call it Rachel's little castle and in a lot of was perfect for me and my firbabies cause I was able to get away from the abuse from a couple of family members. Thank you and God Bless
Awesome that you found the travel trailer. In regards to the insulation, that becomes a little tricky, every RV ceiling is held up a little different. For the floor, I am sure yours us simply plywood or wood material. You would repair it no differently than if you pulled the carpet and found rotten wood in your house. Those are pretty simple repairs, just takes a lot of time and can be done with a simple saw and floor screws. I wish you the best of luck on your adventure.
So the only thing I am confused a bit about is how does the epoxy flow underneath inside your grid/drill holes? Seems like it would just flow back up through the hole.
The way the floor is setup there is a thin layer of synthetic board, foam, then another layer of synthetic board. You want to drill, cautiously, through the top layer and only the foam. You will end up with the epoxy filling the holes and going between the foam and the bottom board. You get the stiffness underneath, the pillar of epoxy, and some between the foam and top board. I kept a handful of dowels in my hand and if the epoxy started coming up, I would plug the holes. Then I just cut the dowels off in the epoxy flush against the floor. Thanks for the comment.
How much epoxy did it take you approximately? 1 gallon or more?
I would rip the floor up and put in aluminum angle iron for bracing.
That was a recommendation that was made to me before I did this project. I was 1.) afraid of the weight 2.) I wasn't sure what to put in as the new floor. Plywood?
@@OlivertheRV I have 1/2” plywood in mine. Looking at yours now and the camper manufacturers never cease to amaze me on how cheap they can build these things. Good job
Where did you get the epoxy and approximately how much did it take to complete the project?
My guess is home depot. He got his flooring from there.
I got it at a marine supply center. Total cost of materials was just under $275
@@OlivertheRV What was the name or do you have a link? I'll use your affiliate link if you have one? Or pay you on Patreon or Cashapp.
@@downwithosama1 I do not have an affiliate link, but here it is on amazon. www.amazon.com/West-System-105-B-Hardener-Metering/dp/B089NVXNJV/ref=sr_1_16?crid=N3DRWL46TJOZ&keywords=west+systems+epoxy&qid=1675903653&sprefix=west+systems+epoxy%2Caps%2C65&sr=8-16/&WZoneDirect-no-more-redirect
@@OlivertheRV Many Thanks! Safe travels.
I assume that if the floor is soft and caved in, this is just kind of a bandaid solution, if I were to do this, the floor would become stiff but still caved?
Mine was not 'caved' in my was just soft. I did this and then replaced the vinyl floor with a a plank flooring that gave the entire floor stability. Thanks for the watching the video. Good luck with your floors.
Hello, how do you know if there wasn't wood rotten by water under the white plate?
There isn't wood under the white plate. Thor does not use OSB nor wood as the subfloor. They take two pieces of material with a Styrofoam like material and compress it together. There isn't anything that can be water damaged. However, the foam material can become soft, thus all of our problems.
Where did you buy this epoxy mix?
Amazon
same thing in my 2007 starcraft never buy a camper with a floor made this way there aught to be a law
Were all Thor floors for 2014 built like this? Mine is also soft. When i took out the receiver for the table leg, the floor looks like it is wood sandwiched between two layers of plastic/aluminum. I'm just curious if they were all built that way as in your video. I plan on srartimg this project as soon as the RV gets back from the mercedes dealer. Should be about 2 weeks before go time.
I am assuming the receiver on the table is actually on the slideout. If yes, the slideout has a thin layer of wood on top of a steel floor. If you look in your dinette seats you can see the two black 24 in slideout tracks, if you lift on of them you can see the wood/steel lays of the slideout. Onto the floor, from everything that I have read, the Thor / Four Winds / Siesta / Sprinter floors are all made of the same material. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching the video and good luck.
@@OlivertheRV Thanks for the info. My receivers are in the floor in 2 locations. In front of the slide when its out and in front of the forward seats when they are turned around.
@@ChiefStones here is a link to the photo of my slideout floor and the slideout guides. drive.google.com/file/d/10JR5qMhxKlQx7HEGbK0R1XAqmyVHkrUH/view?usp=share_link
@@OlivertheRV Thank you.
We’re did you buy the opoxy and syringe?
Just off of Amazon
What type of epoxy is it , do you have the name and any details.thanks
I used the West System 105 epoxy and 205 hardeners.. It should be available at any marine dealership near you.
The take away message is DO NOT BY THOR!
Thor is not the only brand which uses the laminated or bonded floors. I have a 2019 Mesa Ridge manufactured by Highland Ridge and the area in the kitchen has become very soft. I think this is going to be the trend with this type of floor. I wouldn't doubt most of the RV manufacturers have gone this route with the trend to as light as possible so your half ton truck can haul a larger unit.
I think your camera is on LSD
Yep, I am still trying to refine my filming. Thanks for watching.
@@OlivertheRV How can you be sure it is NOT water damage? I have a Kodiak Skamper with soft spots near front entrance. Thanks!!
@@ReissmannStolarzBand1983 water damage wouldn't be fixed with epoxy and other people have had the same problem and they stored theirs inside.
Smh...thanks for the video. Good job but where's your mask Buddy? Epoxy is poison.