Flooring question

[mike802]

I just finished ripping out the original flooring.  I am converting an MCI 9 and only found one little rust spot over the left side front wheel well because of a mouse nest.  I was concerned because most of the rust I found in the walls was on the left side.  The cold air duct was no where as dirty as pictures I have seen on other buses.  I could have left the original floor in place, but now that it's gone I can up grade the insulation and lay a thicker sub floor.

I am not really concerned about my bus leaking, it leaks now because of some cracks in the window frames.  That water is waat caused the rust in the wall on the left side.  I plan on removing some windows and I will either repair the cracks in the window frames that stay, or replace them with the frames I remove if they are not cracked, but that water does not get into the bus where the floor will be.  My main concern is the floor getting wet from a plumbing problem, or an over flow of some sort.  My mother had laminate installed in her kitchen, the sink overflowed and the floor is damaged.

I have plenty of maple that was given to me and I am thinking of milling it into flooring.  I checked the moisture content last night and it is at 13%.  A little higher than I would like, I checked all the other wood I have in the shop, Oak, Maple, Mahogany and it is all at 13%, some of it is air dried and some of it is kiln dried, so looks like it has taken on the ambient humidity.  Even it I was to buy 7% moisture content kiln dried prefinished flooring and have it acclimate to the bus for a couple of days, it would jump up to 13%.

We are not really interested in flooring the whole coach with stone, or tile.  We may do that in the bath, but that would probably be it.  We prefer the warm feel of wood, or at least a wood look.

[luvrbus]

What can I say my 96 Vogue had the HWH hydraulic levelers I watched those being installed in Iowa my friend in Neb has a 93 CC with HWH hydraulic levers the 2006 H-45 VIP I am driving to Michigan to the Prevost Prouds rally has HWH hydraulic levelers that's all I know except the Xlll with factory slides have beams running down each side for support of the slides and the jacks attach to those beams.
I am sure Doc's 2012 H will have hydraulic levers never knew of him buying a Prevost without HWH hydraulic levelers and he has bought a few over the years the 2006 is a American Coach from Mark in Ca top of the line I must say

[Joe Camper]

The way Ive been doing nice stone or ceramic on the stairsis simple.

On the Prevo it is a molded piece of fiberglass.

Put 1/2 in backboard on the treads and nothing on the rises.

Rough up the rises and glue the stone directly to them with liquid nails for marble,

Use thin set on the pieces for the treads just like your suppose to. For the sides same as the rises liquid nails for marble.

I have made templates out of stiff cardboard for the sides and gone to a mirror shop and have 4 in beveled mirror strips for the sides it is only about 60 bucks looks fantastic.

Also if you really want marble but not the hassle of scratching and polishing porcelain tile laddies that's the ticket. Not porclan coated ceramic but true porcelain. wont scratch looks dynamite with 0 maintenance. That will be the next floor I install guaranteed.

You can get your entrance stairs on a prevo looking dynamite for peanuts and some time.

I paid 2.75 a piece for st Croy brown marble from Lowe's did not have 200 into total materials and I did stairs and  the entire cockpit floor back to just past the front 2 seats

[Joe Camper]

Go to all the used for sale prevo website find something really nice you like and copy it.

It is really quite simple and inexpensive to get a real nice result.

[Van]

 In regards to the laminate, here's what we did. On a chance while at a flooring discount center in town, we decided to try out a box of laminate as a test. I needed to get something on the kitchen floor, and at 22.00 a box (aprox 25. somthing sq.ft.) it was worth the test (good or bad), and It turned out pretty decent and seemed to hold up even after a sizable leak in the roof hatch had been descovered, and ran a good amount of water across the flooring during one of our rare down pours out here. It seemed to dry out ok . On to the living room floor, I layed new carpet for the living room floor, and after a week of me running back and forth, in and out of the bus decided the center of the carpet will turn to crap in short order, and putting runners over the carpet was out!!! I decided to extend the laminate up the middle of the living room floor, and then stand back and ponder on the results of it being trampled on. Here are the results:





We put this stuff down last december, I have been working on the coach since that time almost every day. The bus is parked in the desert, so you can imagine the effects the dirt and rocks would have on the flooring, but to my surprise, this stuff has held up pretty well. I layed this stuff down on top of padding, making it a floaty floor. So far, I am inpressed with the results. YMMV


Happy flooring!
        Van

[thomasinnv]

I put down a laminate floor before the walls went in. It has survived a leaky roof hatch, and a plumbing mishap, as well as a dog water dish being spilled over several times.  Been in a year now and looks just like the day it went in. We spend a lot of time in the desert as well and it is very durable stuff. Got it at HD on a 75% off clearance sale. Did the entire bus for under $100.

[mike802]

Thanks Van and thomasinnv:  This is just the type of info I was looking for.  For 100 bucks, wow I would give it a try also, haven't found any deals like that yet, but one would surly influence my decision.  I tend to be swaying between hardwood flooring vs wide pine, or a laminate look alike.  I would like to achieve the look of an old sea side cottage, not really interested in the executive suite, or a lot of "bling", but I do appreciate the craftsmanship people on this board have put into their "look" even if it is not for me. Thanks for all the responses.

[Van]

Maybe one of these guys might have something for ya

http://www.flooringamerica.com/states/vermont.aspx

[DMoedave]

I put down a toungue and groove floor about 10 years ago in our coach which is basicly right down the center. It has survived all the usual mishaps. At the time i was leary of gluing it to the subfloor (3/4 ply) so i actually nailed it down with finish nails and a nail set. No issues what so ever. Every once in a while i run some lemon oil on them and again they shine.

[artvonne]

  The biggest issue I think many here arent catching, or paying attention to, is that laminates dont breathe. While the laminate flooring itself can withstand water, it also will not allow any water that seems under it to evaporate, and that can and will rot the plywood floor underneath it. Tile would act simularly.

  Plain hardwood flooring does breathe, and any water that seeps under it can evaporate so your floor dont rot out.

  So we either have to guard judiciously against any and all leaks, or use materials that wont trap water beneath them.

  Its been discussed here also, that once stabilised inside the Bus, wood will expand and contract at the same rate as the plywood floor, so there shouldnt really be any big issues. Just bring the wood inside the Bus and leave it in there a week or two before you install it.

[mike802]

Van:  Thanks for the link.

DMoedave:  what species of wood did you use?

The idea of the floor breathing, had not thought of that, thanks.