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05-18-2017, 11:07 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: So Cal
Posts: 61
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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.
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05-19-2017, 08:21 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,102
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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."
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05-19-2017, 09:17 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 3,261
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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
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05-19-2017, 12:58 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Western North Carolina
Posts: 1,258
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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...
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05-19-2017, 01:09 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 1,420
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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
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05-19-2017, 04:07 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: So Cal
Posts: 61
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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.
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05-19-2017, 05:46 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: TN
Posts: 10,222
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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.
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05-19-2017, 11:13 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Peninsula
Posts: 809
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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
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.
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Yikes!
__________________
'99 EB ex ENG KSWB news van, low rent 4x4 conversion (mostly fixed by now), home built interior.
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05-19-2017, 11:41 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 1,420
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~200 in my van
__________________
<br>
Tim - 2013 EB V10 Agile 4x4 SMB PH Ginger Army All Terrain Mobile HQ
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05-20-2017, 09:17 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Long Island New York
Posts: 101
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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
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