Questions About Flooring Part II: The Sequel

[user 29503]

Upon other Van Dweller's wisdom I have decided to veer away from fastening 1x2's to my van floor using self tapping screws.  I have instead, per suggestion, gone with Liquid Nail.  My van floor is covered almost entirely with Kilmat. There's really not many wood to metal routes I can go that don't sacrifice integrity.   I experimented with one 1x2 and checked it today.  It's affixed quite solidly but my neurosis says when it gets hot, the Kilmat will get gooey, and that foil backing on the Kilmat might come up.

Am I right, or worrying too much? 

Yours truly and forever,
Rabbit

 

[highdesertranger]

I have to ask, Why the 1x2's? In other words why do you want to attach 1x2's to the floor? What is the the reason? Highdesertranger

 

[user 29503]

I have to ask,  Why the 1x2's?  In other words why do you want to attach 1x2's to the floor?  What is the the reason?  Highdesertranger

Sub floor. Respectfully of course,  I'll save you back and forth about it...if that is the wrong route, and it's plywood, I won't be hard headed about it. Just trying to cut on weight and cost.  Also, when I looked at 1/2" to 3/8" plywood at Lowes, it was, for lack of a better word, pretty shitty.   As in more wavy and twisted then it typically is.  I said I wasn't paying all that money for garbageJust figured bigger than that would be wrong/heavy. I had several treated 1x2's I didn't end up using for another part of van.  Was going to space them closely together perpendicular across the ribs with liquid nail. 
I was fervently asked in my previous post not to use self tapping screws in my van floor, that person then said nothing after.  If the solution is plywood, than please advise the best method to secure.  Basically, if I'm all jacked up about putting my floor in, unjack me.
Thanks HDR

 

[highdesertranger]

Well are you going to attach anything to the sub floor? Cabinets, bed, etc. If you are I would use 3/4 plywood. On my cargo trailer it already had a 3/4 plywood floor. So I used 1 inch polyiso then 1/8 inch plywood sub floor the the rubber diamond flooring. So anything that I attach gets screwed to the 3/4 ply. Highdesertranger

 

[user 29503]

Well are you going to attach anything to the sub floor?  Cabinets,  bed,  etc.  If you are I would use 3/4 plywood.  

I’m trackin’. Two last questions:
1. Would I cut it really snug avoiding screws or go ahead with screws
2. Considering that there’s things you can’t get around if you want a camper van, is the weight difference minimal (as in when people gasp at the idea, they are “over engineering”-got gasped at is why I ask)

 

[bullfrog]

If you use plywood you can pretty well jig saw puzzle it to fit so it locks itself into place and you won't have to fasten it once the cabinets/bed are screwed to it. It also makes it easier to take back out if it becomes necessary.

 

[highdesertranger]

If you are attaching stuff to the walls and the floor there is no need to screw the floor down.
You really only need 3/4 if you are anchoring stuff to it.
Considering a van floor is not that large the weight difference is minimal. However if you are not anchoring stuff to the floor you really don't need 3/4 ply.

Highdesertranger

 

[Matlock]

With your Van floor covered with Kilmat it's not worth trying to glue anything to it.

Buy 5/8" 4x8 plywood, (I prefer the "Sanded one side) version. Put the worst side down and position so the butt joint is not down the middle of the Van where you'll be walking of crawling the length of the Van.
Ideally, in my opinion, I'd center the 4x8 sheet down the length of the Van and cut and fit pieces to fill in the spaces on either side going to the walls. (Or across the width with only one seam... either way...make a template). Once all the pieces are cut and fit, take them out, paint (seal) all the surface's, top, bottom and edges and reinstall when dry. You may choose to add adhesive to the edges of the smaller pieces to adhere to the larger sheets (don't paint those edges). If you have planned where cabinets, bed, etc are to be located the sheer weight of those items may keep some of those smaller pieces in place.

Add vinyl or whatever covering you want over the plywood. Glue it if you want. Or, my preference, just leave it painted and add a couple throw rugs that you can shake out as needed.

You may find that you need to screw a cabinet down because of where it's located. If so, Buy "L" brackets with a zink coating or stainless steel and use wood screws of the appropriate length to fasten to the plywood.

As mentioned, once you've added whatever you've chosen for wall covering like paneling, that should be installed to go over the 5/8" flooring you installed. Nothing is going to move on the floor and... If it's sealed, it won't warp.

just my 2¢

 

[gizmotron]

I have moved away from bolting my structural boards to the bare floor with the original seat's hard points, and gone with 1x4's interlocked and glued to the floor with Loctite PL 400 subfloor adhesive. It's bombproof, resilient to vibration, and helps deaden sound too. By interlocking 1x4's I have squares of blank areas that will be filled in with Owens Corning 1 1/2" pink foam board. On top of that will go 3/4" CDX plywood.

 

[MrNoodly]

I anchored the heavy stuff in my van — an Adrian Steel Cabinet, for example — by bolting it through the van floor. That's the way it had been mounted before, only on the other side of the van. Quarter inch bolts, locking nuts. I used construction adhesive in the holes as a sealer. No problems with leaks or rust after eight years. Oh, an my flooring is just the jute-backed rubber mat from the factory. No other insulation — except shoes.