2004 Starcraft TravelStar w/ soft floor

I can't tell you what to decide or do.....but, I wouldn't touch it and I'm fairly handy and I like projects...

My bet is that once you uncover the soft spot you are going to find a lot more than you expected.....a lot more.

Anyway, good luck with you decision. For me it would be an easy choice.

Run Forest Run
bumpy

Soft is one thing, rotten is another. It's possible supports on the floor with the particle board / plywood on top are spaced too far apart. But then, it could be completely rotten.

Is there any way you can get under the trailer and see the floor from below, or is it enclosed? First determine how far apart the supports holding the floor really are. Second, take a screwdriver and simply poke around (from the under side) and see if anything crumbles. If it crumbles ... RUN! If it's solid, then the floor is probably still good with no issues, it's just not got much support, but no rot.

I'd start with this and see where it leads.

Now ... if you cannot see the floor from under the trailer, I think I'd just move on and find a different camper. You may save yourself a couple thousand with the initial purchase, but you'll be tripping that back into the camper to fix it.

Another thing, if the floor really is rotten, then you really need to figure out where the original water damage came from. And if it's REALLY been fixed. Next time it rains, you may end up with a wet floor. I'd wait for a good rainy day and then check it out again.

If there is no enclosure under the floor, it's possible road wetness (rain - water from the road) splashing up over time could cause the floor to begin rotting too ... especially if it's untreated particle board. Something to think about. You should approach this purchase with the attitude ... "I don't want this camper. Convince me I really do! Prove to me it's good."

@DutchmenSport:

Well, it's a hybrid, so the construction is quite a bit different from what you would see in a 'typical' hardwall RV.

The floor is basically a single laminated unit with the following layers:

Linoleum
1/4" Luan
1.5" Polystyrene embedded in a square-tube aluminum frame with supports on wide centers (I think 40" in this model)
1/4" Luan
Moisture barrier

The layers were all glued together and put through rollers at the factory, then laid on the frame in one piece before the walls were put on. From what I've read, it's a very strong, lightweight construction as long as it isn't compromised. The poly used has good compression strength, and the Luan did enough to spread the weight suitably to allow for a good load rating with the wider joist spacing.

You can't really probe the bottom without puncturing the moisture barrier, which introduces new problems.

The problem is that if moisture gets into the floor, it is essentially locked between the linoleum above and the moisture barrier below where it just sits. It doesn't take very long for the top and bottom luan to rot into wet cardboard consistency, at which point the now-unsupported polystyrene starts to break down from compression and wear.

I think I have a good handle on the repair process:

The typical repair process is to remove the interior fixtures around the rotted area, pull up the linoleum, and remove the layers of rotten luan and styrofoam down to the moisture barrier. You need to do this so that you got back to supports on either side of the repair area.

You then start to build the floor back up. Because it's not really practical to replicate the original well-bonded 'styrofoam sandwich' construction that gave the original floor it's strength, you need to create new supports in the now vacant area. Most people seem to do this by framing in 2x2" joists attached to the original aluminum supports.

The most practical way seems to be build a frame with joists, attach a layer of luan to the bottom, then drop it into the cavity between the existing supports, then attach it to the existing frame.

Fill the spaces between the 2x2 joists with closed-cell polystyrene, bonded as well as possible to the below luan and joists with a suitable adhesive. Apply a new layer of luan to the top, again with a good layer of adhesive.

If done right, this should be the same thickness as the original floor. You can then finish it off with new floor covering - I'd probably be thinking of a Vinyl Plank flooring. Then re-install the fixtures you took out at the beginning. The weight of the trailer will be up by the weight of the extra lumber you used to support the repaired area, but that shouldn't bee too bad.

I feel like this can all be done in a few Saturdays... however, I can also see where it can get cost prohibitive when you are paying $105 / hour at the local trailer dealership.

Sounds like you have a plan, and have though this out pretty good. In which case, if you feel comfortable doing the work (and doing it yourself), then really, ... only you can determine the feasibility and the cost it will take on you, and sense of personal accomplishment when you are done.

I wish you well in your decisions here. Keep everyone posted how all this works out, if you decide to skip this camper, and if not, how the the repairs go! Everyone love photos too!

Happy camping!

I wouldn't buy it.

I had a travel trailer that had a soft spot near the kitchen cabinet. The spot was only about 6 inches square. I pulled up the flooring to replace it and ended up tearing up a piece of floor that was 4 foot by 2 foot. You have to go out as far as the floor joists and the soft spot doesn't really show the extent of the damaged area. It's truly a pain to replace the flooring when it goes under the cabinets.

I had planned on taking a few hours to fix my trailer and it took me three weekends.

I just sold my 2005 18SB and it didn't have any leaks/soft spots that I was aware of, but I did have to tend to some issues that certainly would have been if I hadn't caught/repaired them.

There are a lot of things in that area that could be the culprit as there is a ton of plumbing things in that general area. It could be:

1. Roof vent caulking for the fridge is shot(eternabonded mine when it started to get sketchy)
2. the drain hose for the fridge no longer drains outside (mine drained on the floor, so I had to turn the pan around and use a catch container to stop it)
3.The city water connection leaks (had to replace mine when I caught it leaking a little)
4.Some other various plumbing fitting is loose/leaking (outside shower, water pump, sink drain, etc.)

Brian, it looks like you have a pretty good grasp of the construction. I had an 03 195CK that was a repair nightmare and made a couple trips back to the factory. Living in Indiana I went to the plant both time for inspection before I brought it home and got to watch them be built. I also was allowed to spend a fair amount of time in the repair shop.

With that said, my hobby of 30+ years is rehabbing houses for rent or resale. I am a very accomplished carpenter. Would I tackle your proposed project? As a hobby project maybe. Because it is a good buy? NEVER. When it is all said and done you will not save a dime so only buy it if it is just for fun.