Starcraft Travel Star Restoration

[StarryOne]

I just bought a 2004 Star Starcraft Travel Star. Its damaged from water, so I got a good deal on it, and I think between hubby and I we can handle the gutting, Its the rebuilding I'm concerned about. What kind of wood does the floor need? How thick? Pressure treated?? etc. We are picking it up tomorrow and will start the ripping out over the weekend. I appreciate any suggestions! Thank you!

[marcarolle]

We owned a 2004 Starcraft 215SS Antigua Hybrid from 2013 to 2016 (4 seasons).

After season #2, the floor on the front was soft. My independant RV tech added some 2X4 studs from under the trailer, to reinforce the floor. He peeled off the cushion floor (from front to halfway) and let the floor dry off. He fixed the location of the leak (coming from the bunkend hinges). Then replaced the cushion floor by gluing it to the floor. Once back at its place, the cushion floor was a bit too short, so he added a white quarter-round molding. Our cabinets were white. That did the trick for us. The floor remained a bit soft when walking on it, but we knew that everything was sturdy underneath. After all, the TT was an older model, and it was not worth spending $$$ to gut it and repair - either by myself or getting someone to do it.

This my 2 cents.

BTW, that's not the reason why we sold it. We looooved that Hybrid trailer. But we were ready to move to the dark side with a travel trailer, no canvass.

Good luck and happy camping!

[StarryOne]

Again, thank you. I suppose at this point its finding suppliers for things like the metal tubing. I dont want to add weight to the camper. Think we found the source of a roof leak, a broken, mangled refrigerator roof vent. Now to get a ladder tall enough to reach it!

[StarryOne]

StarryOne wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:
A 2004 Travel Star is laminated panel construction including the floor, and dealing with the laminated construction is not anywhere close to being simple as just replacing "sheets" of plywood. It can be done, and has been done, but it's not exactly easy and involves adding a lot of additional supports, as the aluminum structural supports in the panels are placed far apart. The top layer of the floor under the vinyl flooring will be nominal 1/4" (around 3/16") and the bottom layer 1/8" with 1x1-1/2" aluminum tube on 32" or wider centers with nothing between but 1-1/2" beaded foam. On the wall panels they'll have 1/8" plywood inner and outer with 1" tubes and foam between, those tubes could be 4' apart or further with no framing whatsoever around openings.

I realized you are saying there are 2 floors?? Could you walk me thru that? 2 sheets of different sized wood?

Thank you, Ralph! Now I completely get it.. It makes more sense than what I was envisioning!

[westend]

StarryOne wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:
A 2004 Travel Star is laminated panel construction including the floor, and dealing with the laminated construction is not anywhere close to being simple as just replacing "sheets" of plywood. It can be done, and has been done, but it's not exactly easy and involves adding a lot of additional supports, as the aluminum structural supports in the panels are placed far apart. The top layer of the floor under the vinyl flooring will be nominal 1/4" (around 3/16") and the bottom layer 1/8" with 1x1-1/2" aluminum tube on 32" or wider centers with nothing between but 1-1/2" beaded foam. On the wall panels they'll have 1/8" plywood inner and outer with 1" tubes and foam between, those tubes could be 4' apart or further with no framing whatsoever around openings.

I realized you are saying there are 2 floors?? Could you walk me thru that? 2 sheets of different sized wood?

What Ralph is saying is that you have composite panels, both in the walls and in the floor. A composite panel is made by sandwiching foam between two other sheets of material. It is made in a factory where glue is used to secure the two sheets and foam together. What you end up with in a floor is that sandwich and metal supports at certain intervals. It is not like a conventional wood floor. The complexity of repair involves repairing any deteriorated wood sheet and fixing any crushed or broken foam. It is more complex than just cutting out a floor sheet and replacing it.

It can be done, it's just more work. An owner can remove any top flooring wood sheet that is failing fill the cavity between it and the bottom sheet with new foam or spray in new foam. Since the Mfg's of these composite panels rely on a cheap expanded foam, any replacement with extruded foam or spray foam is an upgrade from the original.

[StarryOne]

Ralph Cramden wrote:
A 2004 Travel Star is laminated panel construction including the floor, and dealing with the laminated construction is not anywhere close to being simple as just replacing "sheets" of plywood. It can be done, and has been done, but it's not exactly easy and involves adding a lot of additional supports, as the aluminum structural supports in the panels are placed far apart. The top layer of the floor under the vinyl flooring will be nominal 1/4" (around 3/16") and the bottom layer 1/8" with 1x1-1/2" aluminum tube on 32" or wider centers with nothing between but 1-1/2" beaded foam. On the wall panels they'll have 1/8" plywood inner and outer with 1" tubes and foam between, those tubes could be 4' apart or further with no framing whatsoever around openings.

I realized you are saying there are 2 floors?? Could you walk me thru that? 2 sheets of different sized wood?

[StarryOne]

Good to know. Thank you. It lets me know that I should expect frustrations!!

[Ralph_Cramden]

A 2004 Travel Star is laminated panel construction including the floor, and dealing with the laminated construction is not anywhere close to being simple as just replacing "sheets" of plywood. It can be done, and has been done, but it's not exactly easy and involves adding a lot of additional supports, as the aluminum structural supports in the panels are placed far apart. The top layer of the floor under the vinyl flooring will be nominal 1/4" (around 3/16") and the bottom layer 1/8" with 1x1-1/2" aluminum tube on 32" or wider centers with nothing between but 1-1/2" beaded foam. On the wall panels they'll have 1/8" plywood inner and outer with 1" tubes and foam between, those tubes could be 4' apart or further with no framing whatsoever around openings.

[StarryOne]

Thank you for your info, all is helpful.. It came in the yard Friday night, and won't even be able to get into it till Monday. I'm hoping the floor damage is only under the front, seating/sofa area, but since the walls and ceiling also have water damaged I'm expecting the worse. The running lights are also running intermittently, on off, might be a bad wire or the plug itself, no way to tell yet. Have no idea if any of the appliances are working, A/C, heater, etc. So, on a wing and a prayer, hoping we can get it done by next years(2019) Sept. vacation. Hope we haven't bitten off more than we can chew..

[nypatnva]

take lots of pictures

[westend]

stevemorris wrote:
ive replaced major sections of floor in two trailers(no wall damage)
its not difficult.

start by removing all of the appliances and cabinetry. some plumbing may have to be cut and rejoined later. upper cabinets can stay but its easier to wrestle large sheets of plywood in there if the're gone

remember the interior and exterior walls are built on top of the plywood floor you are replacing and if the subfloor is rotten under the walls it must be replaced

I had two bad spots in the original floor. I was able to cut or grind any fasteners that secured the floor sheet underneath the walls. I cut new pieces of plywood and slid them back underneath the wall frame. I also relocated the toilet in the bathroom so that flooring sheet was replaced, as well.

That's one of the really nice things about restoration, a guy can move things around so that the trailer better fits the owner's needs.

[stevemorris]

ive replaced major sections of floor in two trailers(no wall damage)
its not difficult.

start by removing all of the appliances and cabinetry. some plumbing may have to be cut and rejoined later. upper cabinets can stay but its easier to wrestle large sheets of plywood in there if the're gone

remember the interior and exterior walls are built on top of the plywood floor you are replacing and if the subfloor is rotten under the walls it must be replaced

[westend]

You will find out the extent of the damage after you have walls opened and floor uncovered.

FWIW, I restored a '71 Wanderstar, full gut out and rebuild. It too, had framing and floor damage from water leaks. It took me 6 mos. of nearly full-time work to get it all done right.

My flooring is 5/8" CDX plywood attached to wood joists. I'm not sure about Starcraft's construction material evolution. You will find out what you have when uncovered.

If you need process-specific answers, PM me with details or post in this thread. FWIW, I'm a semi-retired Residential Building Contractor.

Most restorations involve tedium. That is the sweat-equity payment you make. Commit to a longer than anticipated work schedule and don't lose momentum. There are a lot of gutted and never completed project trailers out there. Good luck!