How to replace rotten floor section?

[PwrWgnWalt]

Been searching the site for a couple of hours for advice... but couldn't find anything specific to my 'new' issue.

In the rear driver's side corner the plywood floor is severely rotted from a long-term roof leak prior to our purchase. Fixed that last year, and has been bone-dry since. There is lower wall paneling damage there too, but the advice on the site has prepared me to fix that (will remove and reseal windows at same time).

From what I am able to see, the coach house frame is constructed of welded 1" square steel tubing, resting on the plywood floor.  The floor is made up of 5/8" plywood subflooring, then 2" of white styrofoam, then a pretty thick aluminum sheet underneath, exposed to the road. The floor decking appears to be frequently attached (side to side) with screws, through the plywood, to 1" square steel stringers, to the aluminum sheet beneath.

The walls are 1"of white styrofoam sandwiched between the outside skin (alumunm sheet or what appears to be ABS plastic around the bottom) and the interior paneling.  I do not yet know the rest of the construction details, as it started snowing(!) and was getting dark. However, I suspect there are likely some kind of attaching bolts from the square tubing coach frame to the chassis stringers.

Assuming I am able to somehow lift the coach frame an inch or so at the rear corner and remove the subflooring section there, what suggestions does anyone have for installing the new section?

Or, is there a good product that will turn what is there now into solid material again?  (like an epoxy or other)

Probably not a 'must do', as it seems the rest of the flooring is in remarkably good condition, but one of those things I think is worth doing while I'm back there... to get the mold/mildew out if nothing else.

Will post some pictures tomorrow, hopefully.

[Oz]

I'm not sure if you found this one but take a look at this topic and see if it helps:

http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,2847.msg12459.html#msg12459

[kattkisson]

I just did a large area floor repair in my 93 Winn. warrior.  In this model the floor consists of (from the bottom? alum sheet and 5/8" OSB. -- no insulation.

I drilled holes thru the OSB on about 1" centers down to but not thru the Alu. sheet.  Ace Hardware sells a rot repair kit that consists of 2 part epoxy and the mixing and application bottle. This is a low viscosity material that soaks into the wood/whats left before it hardens. I put on a couple of coats until the holes that I had drilled filled up with the material.  The material has a certain amount of give and I leveled it some more with some flowable floor leveler used for tile application before I put vinyl back down. This time I applied floating sheets of vinyl instead of glued down to allow moisture to escape   when any gets under it.

[PwrWgnWalt]

Thanks Mark, saw that one and it helped some (the most of all, I think), but my construction appears to differ.

Yes Katt, that's kinda what I was thinking about doing, but am afraid what's left there may be too far gone... the 5/8" plywood is fall-apart rotten in that corner for a short (4-6") in from the side/back.    D:oH!
The good news is the underneath (last pic) still looks fine, and the steel stringer (under ply floor) is still intact.  Just don't know how I'd get anything under there to lift the side wall a hair to slide the new plywood floor under it, so the epoxy route may be the way I go.  If I add some filler (fiberglass shreds, or microballoons) to the rotten area where the wood is 'gone', it may help provide some structure there...

Edited my original post to be an accurate representation of the construction of the floor and walls, and here are some pictures...

The first is an existing hole in the floor (table), down to the heavy aluminum sheet
#2 is the depth to that aluminum sheet
#3 is the effected area (back corner), and the PO's previous mod removing some of the side paneling, which exposed the styrofoam, to squeeze in the oversized water tank.  Note the prodigious use (not advised) of expanding foam sealant to fill gaps
#4 shows more of that expanding foam underneath, along the side

[TerryH]

You may want to look into West Systems Injection Epoxy that is used commonly and very effectively on wood boats. It flows and bonds to whatever wood is left behind the rot area and acts as a seal. Not permanent as a stop to further rot continuation, but I've used it on two boats where it did - over a ten year period - stop the rot expansion.
T

[Rickf1985]

Another source I have used for rot repair is an outfit called Rot Doctor. Google it and check out their CPES product. It has the consistency of diesel fuel and will soak into all rotten wood. Their website covers their products well. The good thing about their epoxy is that it is wood based and stays flexible so it will not crack like the West System stuff does.

[Oz]

I looked up the Rot Doctor... He's a Gyno!   

[Rickf1985]

A what? Here is what I am talking about. www.rotdoctor.com

[PwrWgnWalt]

I looked up the Rot Doctor... He's a Gyno!   

Ooooooowwwwwwweeeeee!  .
So I don't want to read the ingredients, I'm guessing... 

[Oz]

Whew!  Thank you, Rick!

[cosmic]

lmao. W%

[Stripe]

I looked up the Rot Doctor... He's a Gyno!   

:)rotflmao