Flooring issues

browntl2454 · 09-30-2020, 03:20 PM

Just purchased a 2021 Montana HC 295RL in June. Took a maden trip to Estes Park, Co. then to Devils Tower, then Bad Lands SD, while there, the temperature dropped to the low 40s. Turned on the furnace to take the chill off. As I came down from the bedroom to the kitchen area, and stepped on the floor, my foot touched the flooring material before I felt the hard surface below. After closer inspection, the furnace blower was pumping air under the flooring, puffing the flooring about 1/2 inch above the floor base. Upon returning home, I called the selling dealer and asked the question as to if the flooring was supposed to be glued down. The answer was yes, and to solve the problem, I was told to take the vents off and apply adhesive under the flooring around the vent opening. My question is what happens if a stone pebble gets under a slide out roller, will this cause a rip or tear in the flooring, or could some other condition occur?

NH_Bulldog · 09-30-2020, 03:55 PM

The vinyl floor is only adhered around the vent cutouts or pipe penetrations.

Vet4jdc · 09-30-2020, 04:30 PM

Our 2019 MHC331RL did this too when the furnace ran. We have 2 floor vents in the living area and the entire living room floor was floating. Sure enough, it is only glued at the vents but some are was passing by and "blowing up" the vinyl. Fixed by gluing all around the floor vents.

browntl2454 · 10-02-2020, 01:53 PM

Thank you, I went and purchased some vinyl adhesive, pulled all of the vent covers off and applied the adhesive each, and will test it out this weekend.

berg · 11-02-2020, 07:59 AM

On our second "cool weather" trip out in our 2021 Montana HC 376FL we had this exact same problem in the front living room - with the gas furnace on the entire floor was floating a good half inch. We normally have an ottoman centered in the room so maybe didn't notice it before.

Did this solve your issue? My dealer is 2.5 hours away and if this is a simple fix then I'm all for it. I'm concerned there may be other corners cut as this coach was most likely a Covid-build...

So to clarify - the entire floor is supposed to be glued from the factory or just around the vents?

**JRTJH** · 11-02-2020, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berg

On our second "cool weather" trip out in our 2021 Montana HC 376FL we had this exact same problem in the front living room - with the gas furnace on the entire floor was floating a good half inch. We normally have an ottoman centered in the room so maybe didn't notice it before.

Did this solve your issue? My dealer is 2.5 hours away and if this is a simple fix then I'm all for it. I'm concerned there may be other corners cut as this coach was most likely a Covid-build...

So to clarify - the entire floor is supposed to be glued from the factory or just around the vents?

The vinyl flooring is NOT glued to the subfloor throughout the trailer. It is stapled to the subfloor around the perimeter and is "often times" (not always) glued to the floor around furnace vents and plumbing stacks.

That is a "intentional design" not an "omission of vital construction steps" for your trailer.

The floor, if it were glued to the subfloor, would shift differently "on the bottom as the subfloor moved" and in time, would stretch/break/tear the vinyl at any seams in the subfloor.

Additionally, vinyl expands/contracts at a different rate from wood or OSB, so when exposed to extremely cold weather, the vinyl would "pull away from the subfloor" as they contracted at different rates and would also "pull away from the subfloor" as they expanded when the sun hits the trailer on "warmer winter days"... The result, if the vinyl were attached permanently to the subfloor would be torn vinyl in the spring.

If your vinyl is lifting from furnace air, you can remove the furnace floor vent, either tape or glue (I recommend tape) the vinyl around the edges of the vent, so you seal the vinyl to the duct run. Reinstall the furnace floor vent and you're done.

It's not "shoddy workmanship" rather it's a "intentional part of construction".....

berg · 11-02-2020, 09:09 AM

Thanks John. Not bashing the Fiver or the Brand. Absolutely love it; as with anything there's always little fixes and improvements to be made.

**JRTJH** · 11-02-2020, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berg

Thanks John. Not bashing the Fiver or the Brand. Absolutely love it; as with anything there's always little fixes and improvements to be made.

You're right, there's always a bit more to do to make it your own.... Don't overthink the "lifting vinyl" issue... Gluing down too much can definitely cause more harm than good. There's a reason the vinyl is a "floating floor" much the same as most laminate flooring is "floating" rather than "adhered like floor tile...

berg · 11-02-2020, 10:55 AM

Right, I just didn't expect it to literally be floating. LOL

Sarge2 · 11-02-2020, 01:25 PM

Good to know about the vinyl flooring... I noticed that around the floor heater vents there was some bubbling up... I sort of figured that it was a temperature change type of issue... I didn't do anything with it and after it set for awhile there was no more bubbles in the vinyl... I will try the tape thing around the vinyl surrounding the floor vents... I'm was pretty sure it was normal... what amazes me is how thin that vinyl flooring really is... sure not like the stuff in mom's kitchen back when...

**flybouy** · 11-02-2020, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berg

Right, I just didn't expect it to literally be floating. LOL

Mouse moon bounce?

browntl2454 · 11-03-2020, 07:07 AM

Berg, yes I was told by the dealership that the floor is not glued down, but supposed to be glued down around the furnace vents only. I did as the dealership said, and removed each vent and glued the area around them, as we are an hour and half away from the dealership. Unfortunately we were not able to go out with our unit to try it out. As to the reference to being a unit being built directly after the Covid shutdown, one other thing that we were not happy about, was the underside of the left side of the unit, under the Water Command Center, it was all exposed to the elements. When looking at a 2019 unit this area was all inclosed. The dealership did inclose a small area around the Water Command Center, but still not happy, as this is a way cut manufacturing cost, and speed up production with all of the high demand for RVs. If you want more info on what I just described, you can PM me.

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