Flooring question - What to do with the side areas

[MargaretA]

Yesterday I bought a 4x8 sheet of plywood for part of the Yeti's flooring. I knew I needed more than that - there's about 12' to cover - but I wasn't sure exactly how much, so I decided to wait until I got home and did some more measuring.<br><br>But now that I'm looking more carefully at what's on the floor I'm seeing stuff that will get in the way of any extra plywood I put down. I knew I would have to work around the wheel wells but now I also see a heater vent just in front of the driver's side wheel well and there's an unknown something in front of that. And behind the wheel wells there's a spare tire on the passenger side and the battery compartment on the driver's side. (Sorry - the pic I tried to take with my phone today is too dark. Will try again tomorrow with a better camera...)<br><br>I definitely need more plywood for that 4' or so in the main back area and fortunately Home Depot does sell smaller pieces so I don't need to buy another big sheet. But what do I do with those small spots? That would be an awful lot of cutting for them to do and I'm not sure they'd do that. But if I don't put something there, there will be a pretty big height difference between the plywood (and the tile I bought to go on it) and the van floor. Even if I try covering it with furniture it won't sit straight; the front will be higher than the back.<br><br>Suggestions, anyone? Has anybody had to deal with this, and if so what did you do?<br><br>Thanks!<br><br>Meg<br><br>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<P>Take your time and do your floor right. <FONT color=#0000ff>That would be an awful lot of cutting for them to do and I'm not sure they'd do that.</FONT><BR>Go to HD when they aren't busy.&nbsp;They are more likely to do several cuts. Plead with them or ask how much additional cuts will be because you don't have any money to buy a saw and have never used one. <BR>Do you go to a church? If you do ask someone there if they will help you.<BR>Is there a vocational school near you? That may be a source to have a student cut your wood too.<BR>I just looked at Roniit's build thread <A href="https://vanlivingforum.com/post/My-New-Van-amp-Progress-5565193?pid=1271143639#post1271143639" target=_blank target=_blank>https://vanlivingforum.com/post/My-New-Van-amp-Progress-5565193?pid=1271143639#post1271143639</A></P>Do you see what they did with the top of the wheel wells, last post? Good insulation on them. It certainly helps to have someone that knows what they are doing. I wish I had been allowed to take shop class when I was in school. It really should be a requirement, especially for girls. I hate to be this age and reliant.<BR><BR>&nbsp;<BR>

 

[akrvbob]

Are you open to learning how to do it yourself? Do you have a little money to spend on tools? HD sells a great set of Ryobi cordless circular saw and drill for $100. The saw is small and light and not at all scary. If you are open, I can walk you through it pretty easily. I think you'd be surprised at what you are able to do.<br><br>You can see the tools here:<br>http://cheapgreenrvliving.com/Converted_Cargo_Trailer.html<br><br>

 

[myvangoghs]

Lowe's does two cuts (per sheet) for free, which is handy.&nbsp; The guy who cut my plywood into 4x4 squares the last time was convinced that plywood came in various sizes, sometimes it would be 8 ft long exactly, sometimes larger or smaller.&nbsp; I didn't have the heart to point out that it was the way he was using his tape measure that made the measurement look different.<br><br>If money is an issue, buy a jigsaw (mine was $35 at Lowes) then you can cut nearly anything into any shape, including nice rounded edges that look cool.&nbsp; Check out youtube for how to use it if you don't know.&nbsp; A chop saw is good and a circular saw is also handy, but I don't want to store all that gear or pay the money to buy them again (since I lost mine in my divorce) so I chose to buy the jigsaw only.&nbsp; With a jigsaw and a piece of plywood, you can cut pieces to fit in any weird little space.&nbsp; <br><br>I have some furniture in my van and I used the jigsaw to cut the plywood flooring to fit, and a utility knife to cut the foam insulation below that.&nbsp; I will cover the plywood with flooring when I get time.&nbsp; Having the flooring cut to fit my specific furniture (which sits directly on my van's floor) has actually made things fit in really snug and keeps them from flying around when I drive.&nbsp; I love it!<br><br>You'll be amazed at what you do once you give it a try.&nbsp; It's never as hard as you think it's going to be.&nbsp; I promise.<br><br>

 

[johnny_canuck]

Take at look post 43 and 44 of my "Simple Survival Expedition" thread.<div><br></div><div>I did not insulate anything in my cap. Same with a van. Two things. Windows lose heat. And you need&nbsp;ventilation&nbsp;for heat and humidity. I prefer to heat with my propane heater and use a fan to distribute heat. High and low vents. Questions?</div>

 

[MargaretA]

About tools - yes, I suppose I could buy some, and I did check out a couple of videos on YouTube - one for circular saws and one for jigsaws - which were really clear. Based on that, I'm wondering:<br>- Where would I do this? It doesn't look like an inside project - too messy for either the apartment or the van - and I don't have anywhere outside to work.<br>- What else would I have to buy besides the saw? A sturdy table to do the cutting on? Something to hold the wood in place? Safety goggles, dust mask, earplugs? I do have earplugs - they're a necessity when you live in the city - but I don't have any of the other stuff.<br>- Neither of these saws is stationary; you have to hold them in your hand and move them around. The ones in the video looked big and heavy so I went to Home Depot's site and checked out some specs; they had a circular saw that was 6.6 pounds and a jigsaw that was 4 pounds. For comparison I tried picking up my half-gallon bottle of daily drinking water, which I estimate weighs about 4 pounds (since a gallon weighs 8). That's a lot of weight to move around, and one those saws is even heavier. I'm not sure I'd be able to control where the saw went, which means not only would it be hard to make the cuts in the right places, but the whole process could be dangerous.<br>- Even if I could get past all the other issues, what would I do with all this stuff - tools, table, etc. - when I'm finished with it? I don't want to carry it around in the van and I don't want to pay for storage, especially since I will never be using it again.<br><br>That leaves getting someone to cut the wood for me, which I could probably find - either HD when they're not busy or hiring someone off Craigslist (more $ to spend). But there's one other thing: When I didn't get any answers here (the notification system must not be working - again) I put the question on another forum and the first answer there was "You don't want a lot of little pieces." I agree; even if I can manage to get all these cut, how do I get them to stay together so I can put something over them and not have them shift around all the time?<br><br>I'm sure this all sounds ridiculous to those of you who are used to doing this kind of stuff. But I'm not. The biggest reason I'm listing all this is in case anyone is in a similar situation to mine, in which case I would say - buy an RV. That's what I'm wishing I'd done at this point.<br><br>Meg<br><br><br>

 

[johnny_canuck]

I built all my interior at the building supply store. When I needed a bolt or more screws I just went into the store. My floor is 72" long. So I had them cut a 4X8 sheet of exterior plywood 5/8" thick. I then cut where the tire wells are and then joined the two pieces together. I have a jig saw that I plug into one of my power packs. The power pack can be charged from your cigarette lighter while you are driving All my framing was 2X2 #2 pine. This I cut to size for my frame and folding beds. I used 3" wood screws and wood glued everything. Half inch ply for the beds. Hinged legs.<div><br></div><div>I could go on and on.</div><div><br></div><div>I've been working with wood all my life and can build just about anything.</div><div><br></div><div>If you do not have the skill level to do the job, it will be a learning experience.</div><div><br></div><div>All you need is a jig saw and a drill.</div><div><br></div><div>Did you take a look at my pictures? My thread has a lot of info.</div><div><br></div><div>Keep it simple. Fold up bed with storage underneath. Split bed with access to the toilet. Fold down tables.</div><div><br></div><div>I kept everything simple. I knew that I had a very limited space to work in.</div><div><br></div>

 

[Bear]

<P>Hi Meg, In a previous van I had the same&nbsp;problem and am not "handy" either. I&nbsp;would suggest you make a cardboard master with all the small cutouts you need done. This master will serve many functions.</P>Tape cardboard sections together as needed and <b>make</b> <b>as precise a master as possible</b>. Mark the holes where the seats used to be attached to the floor&nbsp;(hopefully you have those bolts) so you can you can drill the holes precisely where you want to fasten the flooring to the already existing bolt holes.<BR><BR>Then fold your master and take it to Home Depot and ask them if they could make the cuts. I offered the cutter $25 cash which he accepted and then later declined when he realized what I was doing and why. That $25 was probably what I'd've spent on tools if I had to&nbsp;I suppose.<BR><BR>Here's what I learned - (1)&nbsp;have a sm hand saw or hand file and some sand paper when you take the flooring back to the vehicle so you can smooth out any rough spots. (2) consider applying something to seal the wood - even spraying&nbsp;a coat of paint or cheap stain can prevent some moisture and rot. That step adds a day to your process but an ounce of prevention ...&nbsp;(3) have a solution for the "seams" between the boards because a single 4x8 sheet won't suffice (I used duct tape because that's what I had on hand but cut&amp;flattened coke cans tacked down is an old construction trick to close gaps in flooring too). (4) save your master - you can use it to cut the carpeting/insulation etc. <br><br>I had a drill for the holes, and if&nbsp;they won't lineup perfectly at first you can bore out a bit more wood until the bolts will fasten. I added washers to close the small gap in the area&nbsp;around the bolt. Between the carpet and wood I cut some carpet padding so the bolt heads didn't protrude into the carpet. <br><br>Sounds like a lot of work, but making a precise master is the key step.<BR><br>

 

[Guest]

Cardboard is your friend. Use it! Make templates!<br>I found it works much better than hundreds of measurements and all the math, becasue in vehicles, walls &amp; floors are not perfectly flat, or at 90 degree angles from the floor/ceilings...angles are not your standard 90, 45, 22.....<br>Yeah, what Bear said - use the cardboard!<br><br><br>

 

[akrvbob]

In all my rigs I have followed the Kiss principle. I usually just put down some cheap carpeting and cut out for the wheel wells and and anything else. Is it to late for you to do that? Seems like that would solve the whole problem. Bob<br>

 

[Wild_E]

Suggestion;<div>a. get the Ryobi tools that Bob said, I have them, they are good quality and easy to use.&nbsp;</div><div>b. get some cast off material from a building site or some cheap end cuts from Lowes or Home depot</div><div>c. start playing with the tools, just cut, re-cut, drill, cut re-drill ... until you get familiar with the tools</div><div>d. have fun, use the cheap stuff to learn, when you use the more expensive stuff, if you make a mistake, it is your mistake, laugh, smile and get on with it again.</div><div>Fun, have fun</div>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>from Wilderness return&nbsp; d. have fun, use the cheap stuff to learn, when you use the more expensive stuff, if you make a mistake, it is your mistake, laugh, smile and get on with it again.</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>Fun, have fun</FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT color=#000000><b>Wood putty is a (this)&nbsp;girls best friend.</b></FONT></DIV><DIV><b></b>&nbsp;</DIV><DIV><b><FONT color=#ff00ff>Dragonfly</FONT></b></DIV>