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Topic: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade (Read 1641 times) previous topic - next topic

1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Finally got the pictures for the floor replacement in the photo album section (I think!).  I should have taken pictures while I was working or had better before pictures.
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=197

The front had oak trim around the top stop with oak strips from the front to the back of the driver/passenger seats.

Carpet until the galley & under the table.  Oak floor in the galley, tile in the bath and carpet in the bedroom.

Dirty carpets, mismatched oak/walnut and the tore up bathroom tile over the aft bulkhead seam forced the DW to beat me into submission and "do the floor".

Furniture was removed. (Drivers seat was hard because the mount bolts are in front of a cross beam under the coach)  Carpets came up easily.

Galley wooden floor and (after-market?) oak area in front had to be chiseled out a small piece at a time as FOT did a fine job of gluing it to the sub-floor plywood.  Some of the sub-floor came up with it leaving chunky holes and divots.

I tried to get the tile up in the bath.  Heat, scrappers, chisels, grinders did not work.  Took hours to get 1 sq ft up.  A friend that is in the commercial floor tile business said to rout out the tile seams, fill with body filler and lay the new tile over it after tapering it down to the subfloor level.

Routed out bath tile, tapered floor levels, filled in divots (used a gallon of bondo, at least) and put the new floor down.  Wife is happy! :))

The original carpets cover the wire runs down to walls.  With the new floor, that was impossible.  I had to build walnut chases and molding to cover the wires and replace the carpeted wood trim in bedroom and bath.  Why would anyone put a carpeted chase in the bathroom with men around?  Especially in a coach that moves?  Anyway...

It turned OK considering I'm not a cabinetmaker, although, the trim is not finished yet in some places and the DW is expecting finer work as I get practiced. (She was dropping the hint of a hand carved walnut fountain in the middle of the living room! :o)
Michael Baldacchino
'97 40' U320

Re: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Reply #1 –
Quote
It turned OK considering I'm not a cabinetmaker
I think it is a little better than OK  8)
Looks fantastic and a great color.
You may have found a second career :D
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Reply #2 –
Mike,
 
Great job.  Absolutely a first-class job.  Looks like it was done by someone who has done high-end tile work for the past 20 years.
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Mike Baldacchino –
Finally got the pictures for the floor replacement in the photo album section (I think!).  I should have taken pictures while I was working or had better before pictures.
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=197

Wow, you did a great job on the flooring, Michael!  What kind of tile did you use?  The color matches very well with the cabinetry.

BTW...  Kim wants to know when you'll be around the Austin area...?  :))
Bill Jackson & Kim Sweeney
2013 27' Lazy Daze RK
2002 U320 PBDS 36' Build 5941 (Sold)
1999 U320 40' (Sold)
2005 Country Coach Intrigue 40' (Sold)

Re: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Reply #4 –
It was an Armstrong commercial vinyl tile that the DW found in Home Depot.  not cheap, but, forever!  It could be installed with or without grout, she chose without.  I don't think that it comes with self-stick.  Ours was not, and I used Armstrong's recommendation.

I wished that I took more pictures.  I never think of it until I'm done! :(

I chose to put them in on a diagonal.  It was more work , but I am straight line challenged and felt the straight line seam down the center of the coach would look like the wake of a drunken sailor!  The diagonal made it look like I knew what I was doing!

the best part is that the carpets are out. The wife is happy! happy! happy!  Throw rugs can be washed and cleaned. :))
Michael Baldacchino
'97 40' U320

Re: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Mike Baldacchino –
It was an Armstrong commercial vinyl tile that the DW found in Home Depot.  not cheap, but, forever!  It could be installed with or without grout, she chose without.  I don't think that it comes with self-stick.  Ours was not, and I used Armstrong's recommendation.

I wished that I took more pictures.  I never think of it until I'm done! :(

I chose to put them in on a diagonal.  It was more work , but I am straight line challenged and felt the straight line seam down the center of the coach would look like the wake of a drunken sailor!  The diagonal made it look like I knew what I was doing!

the best part is that the carpets are out. The wife is happy! happy! happy!  Throw rugs can be washed and cleaned. :))

Thank you!  Yeah, laying on the diagonal is the key - looks very good.  It would seem straight line would make the inside look too symmetrical.
Bill Jackson & Kim Sweeney
2013 27' Lazy Daze RK
2002 U320 PBDS 36' Build 5941 (Sold)
1999 U320 40' (Sold)
2005 Country Coach Intrigue 40' (Sold)

Re: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Reply #7 –
Mike ;
            Did the sound level increase?
            Is the floor colder now?
            Looking good,,,Want to do the same but do not want addn'l sound or cold....
Gary
Gary & Sharon Karnes
1999 295 WTFE 3600

Re: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Reply #8 –
First, our coach doesn't know cold.  My mission, after the mission tape burns up, is to keep the DW at 70 degrees OAT.  It is getting scary.  With global warming, I'm going to have to drive from FL to Goose Bay every summer!

Second, the bath was tiled before and the galley and cockpit were wood. We had rugs spread out on the hard floors before.  Even on the carpets!  Easier to clean.  I don't think that the sound difference is noticeable.  Still carpets spread throughout so easy on the sound and feet (no shoes in the house), and, sooo much easier on the DW with the vacuum, and I don't' have to do the "steam clean" dance to clean the environment out of the carpets.  Whooo Hooo! :))

Who knows what evil lurks in those carpets! :o
Michael Baldacchino
'97 40' U320

Re: 1997 40' U320 Floor upgrade

Reply #9 –
Don't steam clean them after spending a goodly amount of time at the beach.
 
A friend of ours did and they turned into concrete!
___

best, paul
"Thriving not surviving" <(*¿*)>
Paul Schaye (at 2008 NYC Marathon)
See our blog at LazyDazers.com
 
Quote
Who knows what evil lurks in those carpets! :o
1999 U320 40' 1200 watts on roof. 12cf AC/DC Cold plate fridge/freezer. VMS 240 CL Honda Element