FLooring remodel at slide (slide tilt/rubbing on floor)

Topic: FLooring remodel at slide (slide tilt/rubbing on floor) (Read 1780 times) previous topic - next topic

FLooring remodel at slide (slide tilt/rubbing on floor)

June 03, 2017, 10:05:01 pm

I had asked for some input about problems/concerns we might encounter when we change out the carpet for industrial grade vinyl. I recently had to readjust the metal "slide" that moves along the carpet, because the slide would not lock into place for travel. I believe that I will have to remove the metal and attach some type of carpet or other product that will take the weight of the slide and not "tear up " the new flooring. Obviously, I will have to account for the difference between the existing carpet/ underlayment??, and the new flooring, which should be around 1/8" +/-. Two Foretravel owners I know have done this renovation, but neither had a slide. This is the only area that gives me concern. PLEASE let me know A) how do I keep the slide from tipping into the coach when I remove the metal angle iron, B) what modification to the metal angle iron I should do to protect the new floor and C) any advice you can offer me that could be of help. I would like to start removing the carpet this week. Thanks for your help.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #1 – June 03, 2017, 10:30:03 pm

When we added the wood on ours and removed the carpet (dealer did).. they added rollers on the bottom to help the slide move over the wood.. only down side so far is a couple small indentations where the rollers sit in the closed position

Not sure if pic will post or not but the wood really changed the look( for the better).
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=29788.0;attach=47317;image

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #2 – June 04, 2017, 05:56:51 am

Thanks, DavidS. It looks great. Really "opens up" the coach. I don't know if you can answer this, but do you know how many rollers the dealer installed??

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #3 – June 04, 2017, 10:52:13 am

I believe it was 2.. he said they had glides? And he changed them to rollers? That is what I remember

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #4 – June 04, 2017, 08:42:06 pm

Quote from: DavidS – June 03, 2017, 10:30:03 pm

When we added the wood on ours and removed the carpet (dealer did).. they added rollers on the bottom to help the slide move over the wood.. only down side so far is a couple small indentations where the rollers sit in the closed position d the look( for the better).
Not sure if pic will post or not but the wood really change
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=29788.0;attach=47317;image

David,

Did they have to remove the slide out for the installation? Our coach is very similar to yours and we really like the wood look. What flooring do you have in the cockpit / entry area?

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #5 – June 04, 2017, 09:20:23 pm

We had ours in for bladder repair at the same time as the floor was done, sides were taken out. I will see if I can drum up the pics.. entry steps are the original rubber/plastic with a black veneer/plastic they added (I'll look for the pics when I get home)

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #6 – June 04, 2017, 10:05:28 pm

I looked at doing it with my 01 and Flanagan said not to as it will gouge. Not only do you have glides but you have a metal bar that adjusts the angle of the slide Andy that scrapes along the floor. It will gouge out what ever you put in. He showed me two coaches that did it anyway that were in the shop for repair and consignment and both had gouges.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #7 – June 04, 2017, 10:31:35 pm

The original design has the metal bar running along the carpet. You can see the carpet indentations from when the slide is in. My slide needed adjustment because it was tipping " in" and the locking mechanism wouldn't engage. I had to override the system just to get the coach in gear. Went to Old Town where Issac loosened the bar, levered the slide to the proper height and then reinstalled the bar. When I asked him about my concerns in replacing the flooring, he said I would have to install something that would slide on the vinyl and then lower the metal bar to take up the difference in the thickness of the carpet vs. vinyl. I pictured gluing carpet to the underside of the bar. Rollers sound too risky, and without knowing exactly what rollers were used and how they were attached to the bar, and how much weight they actually carry, I am reluctant to go that route. We really want to get rid of the carpet. It is 16 years old. I just can't bring myself to start tearing out the carpet and wood floor at the sink without having a clearcut method of dealing with this issue. If some of you have installed engineered flooring, you have had to deal with this same issue. IF you had a slide.
How did you manage it ??

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #8 – June 04, 2017, 10:35:36 pm

I think my 2000 has a different slide. Original carpet when I bought. Ceramic before I picked it up back then. Lux vinyl 2 years ago. No issues with any markka on flooring

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #9 – June 05, 2017, 12:20:40 am

I was told the flooring was at a specific height and could not go higher than whatever that measurement was... All that was explained before we decided on the wood.. so far so good (besides 2 small indents that are not noticeable)

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #10 – June 05, 2017, 06:51:26 am

they didn't have the stair nose trim in the corresponding wood to install at the step well?

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #11 – June 05, 2017, 08:50:35 am

Hey erniee....I know that you install flooring professionally, and I am not trying to compromise your knowledge, but you encounter this situation every time you install engineered flooring. The only difference is that your preferred product is about 3/8" thick and ours will be about 1/8" . Does the metal bar drag on top of your floors? Do you modify the bar in anyway? Does the slide damage your installation in any way ? Thank you for any insights. When we remove the carpet, we have to contend with the difference in the thickness of the flooring. There MUST be a way to approach this !!???

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #12 – June 05, 2017, 05:31:11 pm

Quote from: erniee – June 05, 2017, 06:51:26 am

they didn't have the stair nose trim in the corresponding wood to install at the step well?

I have a hard enough of time with lifting my feet.. we didnt do the steps with the wood so I didnt want just the trim on the toe..easier to keep clean.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #13 – June 05, 2017, 06:09:29 pm

more and more of flooring manufacturers are offering the trim pieces that compliment the flooring. These can be found at full service flooring stores, not the box stores.
If this metal bar has an impact on the main floor, I give clients some cheap vinyl planks to elevate the slide just a little so it won't scratch the main floor.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #14 – June 05, 2017, 07:42:01 pm

PS- if you are contemplating flooring- ask away. I am always available to guide you thru the process. After 45 years in the business, I'm starting to wind down my career-

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #15 – June 06, 2017, 09:22:08 am

Thanks, Erniee,
Let me try a different approach to my question . I watched Issac, at Old Town, adjust the metal bar that goes across the leading edge of the slide, when he aligned my slide to " lock" when traveling. I believe that the bar takes " weight ", as we had to lever the slide up to get it to operate correctly. What I don't understand is how it works with the carpet below the slide. How can carpet support the weight of the slide??
Does anyone out there know how the slide on a 2001 FT works?? I have yet to get an answer to my original question. What do I have to do to the metal bar to allow for the difference in thickness of carpet vs. vinyl??!! There seems to be quite a few FT owners out there that have changed flooring to wood. How did you protect the flooring when operating the slide??

Maybe I'll try irv2's forum. SOMEBODY must know the answer to my question. Thanks, once again.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #16 – June 06, 2017, 05:35:49 pm

Glenn- if an individual had to adjust up on the slide to get it locked, something is amiss.
Close the slide and go outside and look at your graphics. At the factory, when these were painted, the lines all met. If there is any deviation in your lines, then the slide may have dropped. It is difficult to "see" all this from the printed word.
What manufacturer of slide mechanism do you have.
I maybe lax in responding the next couple days as we are going to Montana for 3 weeks- no work, just play

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #17 – June 06, 2017, 07:12:08 pm

Montana sounds great!!

I don"t know anything about my slide. Was working great....then one day locks would't engage ( you could hear that something wasn't right ), and then the coach wouldn't go into gear. I called the FT trouble line, and was told to override the system from below. Fortunately I was heading to Nac for some PM. You could see from the " reveal" of the slide to the side of the coach that she was leaning in at the top. I don't have any idea how this happened. The fix was, as described above. Seems to work fine now. Had to drill some other holes through the metal to allow for the adjustment. How can carpet support the weight of the slide?? I just don't " get " it. Looks like I'm just going to take a deep breath, wedge the sides of the slide up as I remove the carpet AND the metal slide, and engineer something myself. I just hope I don't open up a Pandora's box. I hate getting beat up by inanimate objects. Wish someone out there had some words of advice, though.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #18 – June 06, 2017, 08:13:26 pm

When I installed my floor I wrap two layers of felt around the bar, so far so good in not scratching the floor.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #19 – June 06, 2017, 08:18:51 pm

Call Temecula Valley Rv and tell them you are interested in doing wood.. explain what coach you have. Travis could probably tell you off the top of his head what it needs and answer your questions.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #20 – June 06, 2017, 09:11:12 pm

Quote from: GleamB – June 06, 2017, 09:22:08 am

Maybe I'll try irv2's forum.

Were they any help?

Does anyone have pictures of the metal bar? What is it's purpose? How is it attached to the slide bottom?
Does it contact the carpet?

Re: FLooring remodel at slide

Reply #21 – June 07, 2017, 07:30:01 am

Quote from: GleamB – June 06, 2017, 09:22:08 am

Maybe I'll try irv2's forum. SOMEBODY must know the answer to my question. Thanks, once again.

Quote from: Travelin' Man – June 06, 2017, 09:11:12 pm

Were they any help?

I'd be very surprised if there is more knowledge about FT slides on any forum other than Foreforums. Now, on iRV2 you'll get from folks with other brands (a common frustration), but what applies to their slides doesn't to a FT.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide (slide tilt/rubbing on floor)

Reply #22 – June 07, 2017, 09:30:23 am

Note - this is a 2001 slide. The slides in 2002 and 2003 coaches have a different mechanism and don't have the bar GleamB is referring to. Flooring installation concerns are likely to be different (see JohnS's post above)

Re: FLooring remodel at slide (slide tilt/rubbing on floor)

Reply #23 – June 08, 2017, 06:45:19 pm

Michelle,

Now THAT makes sense !! Guess I'll just have to learn as I go and engineer something that doesn't mar the flooring, but can take weight AND maybe be adjustable. I'm seeing some type of roller/ screw height thingy. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. If it works
over carpet, it will just have to work over vinyl. I'll take pictures.

Re: FLooring remodel at slide (slide tilt/rubbing on floor)

Reply #24 – June 09, 2017, 12:43:07 am

Glenn,
When the PO replace the carpet and pad in my rig they didn't install the right ride height on the bar thus in turn eventually took out the bladder. James at MOT show me how to adjust the bar so when I installed my wood floor it wasn't a major issue. There are 2 bars the goes across the slide open, they are 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 with a Teflon bolted on one side and the other side has mounted holes about 12" apart. Take a measurement from the ceiling down to the bottom of the slide to get you close to level, when set right the slide should move easy and flush outside in lock position. Also As a side note I had to elongate the bar holes to make up the different height between carpet/pad and the 3/8 wood plank.
Hope this helps some,
Steve

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