T@B floor construction question

Estancio

There are some very weak spots in the floor of my 2011 T@B. They have always been there, but seem to be more noticeable of late. I'm a small guy weighing only 170 pounds and my wife weighs in at only 100 pounds. We both notice the weak spots when we walk in the camper doorway. I noticed there are no intermediate framing members between the 4-foot span of the right and left side steel channels. Before I tear into a rebuild, can someone describe to me the exact construction of the floor? Would adding underneath framing members help? Or do I need to completely open up the floor from the top side?

Tommy

Good morning @Estancio this subject seems to have been discussed a lot. Try searching for "soft floor" and it will put up several threads with potential solutions other than tearing the floor out.

wizard1880

Floor is 1 inch thick foam, sandwiched by aluminum structure and a composite.  The bottom is then protected by a vapor barrier and the top covered with the flooring vinyl (or whatever it is ).  Literally invincible and rustproof, but it does have high and low spots, at least I've noticed on my early 2014 model.  Not sure if it gets any worse over time but it will never collapse.

Cyclonic

Just a note, on the 2011 the floor does not have the composite material, it was made of wood.

There is a lot of give in the same spot on my 2012 as well.  It is a very common problem in both the DM T@B's and the earlier LG T@B's.  LG did install an extra angle iron under the T@B to try and brace it better, but I found it was still very soft.



I then installed laminate flooring in the T@B, which, while not solving the problem, does give the floor some added strength and distribute the weight a bit better, so it is not nearly as noticeable.



Good news is, this is a common problem and is not usually a result of water penetration.  Bad news, there are no easy fixes to it.

irvingj

I did have water penetration, but chose to reinforce from below:

Estancio

Thanks, Cyclonic, for the info on the floor being solid plywood. This helps in planning a solution. My engineer brother and I examined it, tested a variety of options, and we have settled on a side-to-side extra steel member that will be placed about the centerline of the door. Will use rectangular steel tubing with welded mounting tabs on the ends to bolt directly to the side channels. Only obstacle is the 1/2" steel gas pipe for the furnace which I will have to lower by a couple of inches. I'll post a pic when the work is complete. Thanks to all for your suggestions and information!

Cyclonic

@Estancio The floor is not solid plywood, it is made with a foam that is sandwiched between two thin layers of wood.  That wood has these days been replaced with a composite material, but for our T@B's it is still wood.

I think your solutions sounds like a good idea.