Build update!
I learned about carriage bolts, and their cousin, the elevator bolt. Carriage bolts have a rounded/domed top. The problem with using these bolts, is that the domed part will protrude through your flooring: not good. The solution is a flat top bolt, which when tightened up enough, will seat itself into the flooring making it not noticeable through vinyl flooring. These bolts are called elevator bolts. The type that is readily available through fastener supply have a square "shaft seat". This square seat is designed to fit into a square hole in metal plate. It will work in a wood floor, but there is a better option if you can get it: instead of the square bit, you have a couple teeth that bite into the wood. They said the type with the teeth has a minimum order qty. of 50, as well as a 3 to 5 week delivery delay. The type with the square seat had a minimum order qty. of 25 and was available in 2 days. Guess which one I took...
Here are the old and new bolts:
Note" two of the bolts at the front need to be replaced with longer ones (longer than the 3" ones I bought). I asked about finding 3/8" elevator bolts longer than 3inches" no such luck. As this bolts are in the front storage compartment, I will use what I hope are readily available 3/8" x 4" ones... Keeping fingers crossed...
I found a cavity at the end of the insulation under the slide-out compartment. I asked the manufacturer what this was about. The woman told me she didn't know, but that it was OK for me to replace these channels with insulation. I figured out what they were for: fishing wires under the floor. As this model doesn't have any exposed floor in that area (it's covered by slide-out couch), they just left all the wires, etc... on top of the floor. It's a pain in the you-know-where when you're laying flooring, but you I prefer having them exposed: makes working on them much easier.
This is what one of the 4 channels looks like:
I think this is the circuit breaker for the slide-out control. I had to undo most of the wires: always good to take a picture of it so you can put it back together. :)
This is bugging the******out of me: does anyone know how to fix this? It's where the tip-out tent pole mounts to the trailer roof. The metal bracket looks like it should have a plastic sleeve in it:
Floor demo done!!! With the damage discovered under the slide-out seat, I decided that having a strip of 1/4" plywood in the centre didn't make sense: makes fitting in the pieces more difficult to cut, and it makes the floor weaker. The logic is to have as many pieces of flooring spanning the entire width of the trailer in order to offer as much support.
First picture is from the entrance, and the second one is facing the front.
I finally got the stairs done! This is out of sequence: I got the flooring done in this section, but I haven't taken pictures because it's still covered with tools! hehe! :)
This is a close up of the side: is there another step I can add to this one? It is a bit high for anyone with mobility issues, and I don't like using a portable step.
Some of the flooring shapes are mostly rectangles, and some are more complex. This was one of the more difficult ones to cut out:
Under the bathtub/shower enclosure, I noticed some water damage. It appears to have come from the p-trap. I think it's not properly glued in. I'll have to test it, and effect any repairs. So when I stuck my head under there, I saw this hole in the floor! The hot and cold drain pipes didn't have nice round holes like in the other area: there is a 3" x 3" hole cut in the floor! The insulation has long since gone, and now it's just a gaping hole!!!
Here is the damage: it looks like it was leaking around the back tent, as well as from the shower enclosure: the damage is very minimal, and just required cleaning.
Lastly, when you're installing plywood in a trailer, don't do it when you\rte tired, and it's getting late and you're struggling. In my case, I had to fit a piece over one obstruction, and under another. In my first attempt, I didn't notice I was pressed up against the window, and I busted it.
I think I will call this picture "There: I fixed it!" ;)
