Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 05-18-2017, 11:07 PM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: So Cal
Posts: 61
Smile About to put a plywood floor down in my e350- what should I know...?? HELP!

Just got a bunch of free plywood and I'm keen to put it on the floor of my van, and then put down some carpet I have.

Never done this before!

What should I watch out for?

Should I be doing something before I do this?

Where do most people end the plywood?

Sheet metal screws? Glue? What spacing? The interior is stripped bare, except the front seats...

THANKS!





P.S. Still moving to Norway, but it might be next year.

amockalypsenow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 08:21 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,102
I pulled over 100 screws out of the floor of my van when I ripped out the old plywood floor installed by some previous moronic owner. I had the fuel system out so I welded them shut.

I suggest as short a screw as possible and only through the higher floor ribs. Watch out below so you don't put screws into the gas tank, fuel lines, or wiring.

Six screws in mine punched right through the tanks.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 09:17 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
1der's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 3,261
Do not use screws, they are not needed. If you have bench seat bracket holes, threaded or not, you can use those, if you really want a way to hold down the floor, but even those are not needed. And no glue.

A properly constructed and installed floor needs no fasteners at all, imho and experience.
__________________
Ray
Beastie 3: 2002 7.3 EB Cargo: Agile TTB, CCV High Top, Custom Walk Through, Lots of stuff added. www.BlingMyRig.com
1der is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 12:58 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Bbasso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Western North Carolina
Posts: 1,258
I agree, if you cut the wood to fit perfectly, the floor won't move.
It's what I did and couldn't be happier.
When adding items to the inside be sure to get the correct length screws/fasteners so they don't go through the van's metal floor.
__________________
Rob.
Current:
2001 E350 PSD w/ a bunch of stuff.
And had three other E350s...
Bbasso is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 01:09 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Flux's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 1,420
Free float it and go from there. My build took long enough that I had some warpage so I used T-nuts and placed a few strategic screws up from the bottom, through the plywood and then into a recessed T-nut. I used a sealing washer and then trimmed the screw flush. Worked well and kept the floor very flat. I probably could have used better plywood. I also put some strips in the valleys so I could screw the sheats together and keep the seams flush.

Before you lay the ply is a good time to consider some sound deadening and insulation. I butyl type sound deadener and some ensolite foam. not the best insulator but it kills road noise. Most build threads here have the flooring part in them.

I made a template, then oversized my cuts a little, then adjusted and worked it in there. Really nice to have a floor!!
__________________
<br>
Tim - 2013 EB V10 Agile 4x4 SMB PH Ginger Army All Terrain Mobile HQ
Flux is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 04:07 PM   #6
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: So Cal
Posts: 61
Low investment.

I've hit peak cash investment in this van, so I am going to be as frugal as possible.

Sound deadening isn't super critical for me.

The plywood is something like 3 foot square pieces, so it will be a little more squirrelly to tack down with out using some kind of fasteners.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll get some pics up here soon.
amockalypsenow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 05:46 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
86Scotty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: TN
Posts: 10,222
One of the things, maybe the only thing, Sportsmobile really does a great job on is cabinet/floor mounting IMO. I really like the way they do it.

1. Cut a fitting plywood floor and lay it

2. Use huge (YUUUUGE 1"x3"x6" tall) L brackets bolted through the floor mounting both the cabinets and anchoring the floor down. The bottom of the L bracket lies flat on the plywood floor and is bolted through the plywood and metal flooring with big washers in about 6 places, 3 or so per side for a full cabinet buildout. The standing up part of the L bracket is usually bolted between two cabinets securing them both together and to and through the floor.
Also, SMB cabinets are quiet. No squeaks on the ones I've been around. That's hard to accomplish with any other method I've tried.

If you look at the bottom center and bottom right of this photo you can see the L brackets standing that secured the gaucho in this SMB.

86Scotty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 11:13 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
MadScience's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Peninsula
Posts: 809
Consider including some sort of heat insulation. For both keeping the warmth in on a cold night, and the heat of the mechanicals out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pntyrmvr View Post
I pulled over 100 screws out of the floor of my van when I ripped out the old plywood floor installed by some previous moronic owner.
Yikes!
__________________

'99 EB ex ENG KSWB news van, low rent 4x4 conversion (mostly fixed by now), home built interior.
MadScience is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 11:41 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Flux's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 1,420
~200 in my van

__________________
<br>
Tim - 2013 EB V10 Agile 4x4 SMB PH Ginger Army All Terrain Mobile HQ
Flux is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2017, 09:17 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Lenny's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Long Island New York
Posts: 101
Garage
I would suggest you use the the existing mat or flooring as a template.

Next if you want to keep it simple and get the cheapest and most bang for your buck, use a heavy adhesive roofing membrane (seals any protrusions from the top) on the floor and continue at least a couple of inches up the
sides.

Next spray any screw protrusions on the under body with something like flex seal.

I personally used 3/8" plywood which is a sturdy base but not too high that would cause problems with the vinyl side door step and rear threshold. It also would be a good idea to know where your body mounts are located and think about access to them in the future....Just my 2 cents
Attached Thumbnails
PICT0925.jpg   DSCF4293.jpg   DSCF4335.jpg  
Lenny is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.