[A/S] floor rot/repair

["Tuna" <rctowns@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The archives for this and the Vintage Airstream lists can be searched at :
www.tompatterson.com

Go to the site, and click on 'Search Site'... it takes some practice, but
you'll catch on - search on 'floor' and narrow your search from there...

Basically, most people piece in the floor in sections with 5/8" marine-grade
plywood (no 'voids' in the layers) AND saturate it with penetrating epoxy;
however, if there's enough material there, you could try saturating it with
penetrating epoxy and letting it harden. It helps to drill lots of 1/8" or
smaller holes into the flooring to help the 'penetration'.

Some people replace parts of, or the entire floor - in sections, shell on...
this usually means 'gutting' the unit, or at least removing and replacing
cabinets/bulkheads/fixtures as necessary.

The masochists amongst us remove the belly-pan and shell, make repairs to
the frame if necessary, replace the floor, reattach the shell, and
re-fit/replace the interior.

Most importantly - locate and stop the leaks that created the rot in the
first place. Have you been able to determine the source of the leaks? Seem
odd that a less than 20-year-old trailer would have this kind of damage
around 'much of the floorboard perimeter'...

Tuna
Reno, NV
'48 Trailwind (Shell Still Off)