Hi there

[alcoaroller]

Just wanted to introduce myself. I go by Alcoaroller which is my user name on Airforums and decided to keep the name for here as well. I am now an Avion owner. I purchased a 1989 34'xb about 6 months ago as I travel with my job and full time in my RV while on the road. My previous 1963 Airstream Overlander was just too small for full timing. Anyway, I sold the Airstream and purchased the Avion. Wow ! What an improvement in space.

I must say that I love the Avion. I had two new ac units put in, it originally had one and I put in a new Refrigerator. I redecorated a bit putting in my own touches. I pulled out the dinette and just made a long table/desk along that wall. It did not have any original furniture in it so I did my own thing with that as well. When I bought it the previous owner or two had put in hardwood laminate. I knew there were a few soft spots but had no problems with the floor for the past 6 months.

Well.......what a difference a road trip makes !!!!!! While towing the unit from Wichita KS to Baton Rouge LA, I thought the whole unit might come apart on me. The front quarter panels in the curves on the front began to disconnect from the trailer. I could see them hanging in the rear view mirror. I just about lost my mind !!!! Luckily I was close to an exit and made it to Lowes. Got some plumbers strap and self tapping screws and was able to secure them well enough to make it home.

The long and short of it is I have severe floor rot. Someone along the line of title put the laminate over the subfloor to hide what is a substructure that used to be wood and now approaching the consistancy of dirt.

I'm pretty handy and did some work on my old Airstream but I have never had to tackle anything this extensive. If I were a rich man I'de give the thing to charity and be done with it but Im not a rich man. As a matter of fact I am a man who likes a challenge, I just don't like being forced into them like this one and I sure don't like being taken advantage of by a fraudulent seller. It is what it is however and now the work begins.

I have removed the laminate in the den and virtually everything is rotten down to the aluminum that makes up the ceiling in the basement compartments. The wood under the c channel walls is shot. The wood runner supports are shot. This is going to be an entire replacement of the den as well as front door area. That's as far as I have gone thus far.

I will post photos as the work progresses. I would love to hear from anyone on the forum that has experience with floor replacement on the basement model or any links you could share. I have tried to search for info but have not found anything specific to basement models. There are definitely some differences compared to what I have read about other models. I know I will have specific questions as this project continues. Right now I am overwhelmed but know that any big steak requires the one bite at a time method.

I look forward to any input you can give me.

Thank you in advance.

Ken

[Razorback]

Hi, Ken.... glad to have you here!

Sorry to hear of the unexpected troubles, but it sounds like you’re plenty capable to fix it. What else would you be doing with all the spare time and money that would be burning a hole in your pocket?!?

I am of no help regarding the floor replacement.....

Looking forward to following this project.

[alcoaroller]

Thanks Razorback and glad to be here. I assume you are a UA fan. Ole Miss myself. I guess this is not the year for either of us to discuss football.

[Razorback]

Thanks Razorback and glad to be here. I assume you are a UA fan. Ole Miss myself. I guess this is not the year for either of us to discuss football.

Well, we have lived in NW Arkansas since 2003. We are both from Oklahoma. I generally like the Oklahoma Sooners, she likes Oklahoma State. We decided to meet in the middle and both support the Razorbacks. That is painful, most years (football, anyway.... they excel in most other sports).

[KYAvion]

This is not specific to the basement model, but still may be worth reading...

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=544

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=740

[alcoaroller]

Thanks KY. Those links are indeed helpful.

Ken

[silverloaf]

Thanks KY. Those links are indeed helpful.

Ken

Hello Ken,

Welcome to the forum. We joined shortly after we purchased our '88 30P in July, 2017. It has been a valuable source of information and somewhat of a "crying towel" for the newbie in restoration.

The belly pan on our trailer hid a lot of moisture-related damage. I had to replace sections of rotted floor and rusted-out steel framing in its front and back. It seemed the deeper I went, the worse it got. The feelings of regret were intense. After a few weeks, I finally hit "ground zero" and was able to develop a strategy for reconstruction. You will likely face the same thought line as you progress.

The XB model adds a little more twist. I recall talking to Chuck Cayo of Cayo Trailer Repair (269-463-5068) in late 2017 about its construction. If I remember, the basement envelope was constructed of fiberglass panels sandwiched over oriented stand board (OSB). The board is not well-suited for enclosed areas with little ventilation to dry out moisture. When wet, it swells which can cause the board to delaminate from the fiberglass. This may be what previous owners faced, followed by the barn-job repairs you mentioned.

There are enough forum members here who have experience in reconstructing the floors once the basement sections are removed. Reconstructing the fiberglass segments could be a whole different animal. I suggest calling Chuck. His family founded Avion in the early 50's. He himself repairs and restores them at his shop. It's best to call him in the morning. He doesn't return calls.

Keep in touch!

[alcoaroller]

Hi Silverloaf and thanks for the reply.I do intend to call Chuck before this is over for sure. I want to verify that I think I know what I think I know. As for the basement area, I dont really have any issues there, well except for the quarter panels that became detached but that due to the rotten floor and the fact that they attach to the wood of the floor from the underside. 99% of the issue is the floor which can all be worked from above thankfully.

Thanks again for the input and stay tuned. Fyi if anyone would like some wood mulch I currently have about two 50 gallon bags full of it. It once was a subfloor. Free to the first caller. Shipping is extra.

Ken