Needing advice on slideout floor under fabric

nfdtrk26 · 06-25-2019, 05:12 PM

We are working on a 2003 Springdale 249BH we bought last October and as first time RV buyers, got taken....leaks and dry rot galore. We have already torn the back end off, re-framed and insulated and fixed the leaks

Currently I am working on replacing the slide out flooring. Thanks to the many fine people on this and other forums, I was able to make a new floor by laminating sheets of plywood to get the odd length (147in). I had ordered RV Underbelly Material Coated Black from RecPro. I did not realize how thin the material they were selling was vs what came from the factory. Factory material is 12 mil. RecPro material is 3 mil.

My trailer is old enough the slide just moves across the carpet, there are no rollers. I am concerned that if I glue the 3mil material onto the underside of the plywood, it will wear out/tear very quickly. I am unable to find any source for the 12 mil underbelly material.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

John

mohead1 · 06-25-2019, 05:16 PM

I think Darco is the underfloor material....check on the web

Logan X · 06-25-2019, 05:45 PM

The Darco under my slide is starting to tear from wear. I am getting ready to install some adhesive backed plastic to the bottom of the slide so the Darco is no longer sliding on the wear bar. The first link below is to the plastic and the second link is to a thread on this forum that pointed me in that direction.

This may be a good option for you to consider since the Darco material sliding on the wear bar eventually causes the Darco to wear and fray. I would use the material you have already and then add strips of plastic for the slide to run on.

https://www.eplastics.com/accessorie...60X-1-000X25FT

http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums...t=30508&page=2

nfdtrk26 · 06-25-2019, 06:58 PM

Thanks mohead1 and Logan X for the quick replys

I have searched most of the afternoon online for Darco. It looks like there is no one online that sells the thicker material. Back in 2010 someone else was having the same problem finding a thicker material https://www.rv.net/FORUM/index.cfm/f...d/23778808.cfm

LoganX, if I can not find a better material, I may try what your considering. I just hate to do it, and then have it tear apart 2 months later and have to tear it all apart again.

John

Logan X · 06-25-2019, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfdtrk26

LoganX, if I can not find a better material, I may try what your considering. I just hate to do it, and then have it tear apart 2 months later and have to tear it all apart again.

John

I don’t want to tear mine apart and redo it either, I hope the solution I have planned will work. I wish I had done mine already so I could give you some feedback as to how well it worked. Anyways, I wish you good luck and I hope you are able to find a suitable, permanent solution.

**chuckster57** · 06-25-2019, 07:38 PM

Here you go:

https://www.all-rite.com/catalogsear...RCO+UNDERBELLY

mohead1 · 06-25-2019, 07:40 PM

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003...m_s..._AAHmxbNX8QBMR

Look at this stuff also, UHWMF, coroplast, slim mend....theres a special tape too cant remember the name of it....

nfdtrk26 · 06-26-2019, 08:33 AM

[QUOTE=mohead1;346648]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003...m_s..._AAHmxbNX8QBMR

Your amazon link doesnt work on my end.

John

mohead1 · 06-26-2019, 12:31 PM

Sorry, it doesnt work for me either....copied bad or something....anyway, it was for the sheet plastic like stuff....coroplast

nfdtrk26 · 06-28-2019, 02:28 PM

Well, after reading a lot on here and a couple other places we jumped in.

Last week my boys and I laminated 4 pieces of 3/8 plywood to make a new floor. The floor measures 12'3" so we had to make our own. The end of the old one was completely rotted away.

Before we started gluing the new fabric down, I went around all the edges with Gorilla Tape to make a smoother edge.

I ended up using the thinner underbelly material as I could not find anything thicker. We glued it down 8 inches at a time trying to keep out the bubbles and wrinkles. We used 3M 90 High Strength spray adhesive. It seems to have bonded very well.
Then at the recommendation of those here, I ordered some UHMW tape from Amazon and put 6in down each side where the majority of the weight is. Hopefully this will help.

At this point it looks good. I get off work Sunday morning, so hopefully after church my boys and I can get it installed back up in the slide.

I have pictures to share, but for some reason it will not let me add them, maybe because I am such a new member.

Anyway I will let you all know how it worked, once we get it in.

Thank you for your input

John

Logan X · 06-28-2019, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfdtrk26

Well, after reading a lot on here and a couple other places we jumped in.

Last week my boys and I laminated 4 pieces of 3/8 plywood to make a new floor. The floor measures 12'3" so we had to make our own. The end of the old one was completely rotted away.

Before we started gluing the new fabric down, I went around all the edges with Gorilla Tape to make a smoother edge.

I ended up using the thinner underbelly material as I could not find anything thicker. We glued it down 8 inches at a time trying to keep out the bubbles and wrinkles. We used 3M 90 High Strength spray adhesive. It seems to have bonded very well.
Then at the recommendation of those here, I ordered some UHMW tape from Amazon and put 6in down each side where the majority of the weight is. Hopefully this will help.

At this point it looks good. I get off work Sunday morning, so hopefully after church my boys and I can get it installed back up in the slide.

I have pictures to share, but for some reason it will not let me add them, maybe because I am such a new member.

Anyway I will let you all know how it worked, once we get it in.

Thank you for your input

John

That sounds like it is going to work out well. Thanks for the update and please post pictures if and when you are able.

nfdtrk26 · 07-01-2019, 08:32 PM

Here is what we started with.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wxr9WQLYNQx7qN1d6
New floor with the plastic glued on at at 90%
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qt6pBGhx6bPcjQVE7
Top side completed
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3EscC8ADgRbZMSoq6
Used this to glue it down...it wont be coming off anytime soon, this is sticky stuff
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4wE6brfjAacK4REY6

nfdtrk26 · 07-01-2019, 09:01 PM

New problem found tonight. We went to start putting the aluminum siding back on, but discovered the middle of the slide has about 1 in of sag/deflection down from the ends. This prevents the metal siding from being reattached in a manor that will keep out water.

Using a string line we finally determined its the U-shaped metal frame under the slide that attaches to to the slide out mechanism has the sag in the middle. I couldn't figure out how to take pics to show this, but here is a picture of the metal frame I am talking about

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AS3h2MTVN25jNZwF9

We discussed just using plastic shims between this frame metal and the new plywood floor to bring it back up to true, but I was wondering if anyone else had any ideas?

Thank you in advance

**JRTJH** · 07-02-2019, 03:28 AM

If you're talking about the metal trim that runs from the height adjustment bracket on the drive ram to the height adjustment bracket on the follower ram, you should be able to tighten both height adjustment brackets so the entire assembly is rigid, then use a jack to push the center of the bar back into the proper alignment.

If you're talking about the actual floor of the trailer, then I don't think there's any easy way to realign that part. Dealing with the sag by using shims may be the only way. Have you considered rollers on the trailer rather than ultra high density plastic shims?

nfdtrk26 · 07-02-2019, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

If you're talking about the metal trim that runs from the height adjustment bracket on the drive ram to the height adjustment bracket on the follower ram, you should be able to tighten both height adjustment brackets so the entire assembly is rigid, then use a jack to push the center of the bar back into the proper alignment.

Sound like a good idea, i think we will try it.

If you're talking about the actual floor of the trailer, then I don't think there's any easy way to realign that part. Dealing with the sag by using shims may be the only way. Have you considered rollers on the trailer rather than ultra high density plastic shims?

Yes I have considered putting rollers in, but I am up against a deadline to get mamma out for her camping trip, so it wont happen this time. I still have to get the siding, insulation, paneling and carpet back in....

Thanks for your advice.

john

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