Spongy floor prognosis

JohnM20 replied on 24/04/2023 19:37

Posted on 24/04/2023 19:37

Like many others, my Lunar caravan has developed a spongy floor in the kitchen area. I’m planning to rectify it later in the year but purely out of curiosity what would be the problem if the repair wasn’t carried out. There must be a limit to how much the top layer of ply on the floor construction can flex. It isn’t a matter of joint movement in this particular case.

dave the rave replied on 27/04/2023 13:02

Posted on 27/04/2023 10:42 by JohnM20

Whilst I know of the various kits and/or adhesives available, the original question was what would happen to the floor if it wasn’t repaired. This is just out of curiosity as I do intend to rectify it. Because of some mobility issues, crawling under the caravan would be difficult so it will be done from above a job that I am certainly capable of doing. Is the vinyl covering stuck down all over or is it just at the sides of the caravan?

Posted on 27/04/2023 13:02

Usually just around the edges but my memory of Lunar floors is now a few years old!

jennyc replied on 03/05/2023 22:37

Posted on 03/05/2023 22:37

Well John, no one has responded, so here’s my take. It’s not quite what you asked, but in my experience vinyl, when it’s been laid, tends to have been applied right across the floor, to the walls, then cabinets are screwed down on top. In the days before lose carpets they tended to be laid down with just the border under cabinets. In both cases, regardless of whether they are stuck down, you’ll need to very neatly cut around the edge. In the case of vinyl you’ll probably need to glue the edges afterwards to stop them from curling. Cutting around it sounds like a nightmare to me - what about those places like under the overhang at the front of the fridge? Maybe you can cut some bits then roll it back. I sense plenty of problems with that though. With regard to weather leaving a soggy floor alone is OK, all I can say is that when left, the problem seemed to spread, slowly. Rebonding in our case stopped it dead. I’ve had a couple of domestic carpet off cuts bound around the edges by our supplier, which might be worth considering if removing your vinyl or carpet neatly isn’t achievable. We did replace the whole carpet in a van years ago, which was a bit of an upgrade. The original carpet once cut out was used as a template. All recent vans have had loose fit, bound carpets, over vinyl,  from new. We bring them indoors for a thorough vacuum when we get home, which saves me scrunching around in a confined space. Good luck with whatever you decide.

JohnM20 replied on 04/05/2023 15:45

Posted on 04/05/2023 15:45

Does anyone have any recommendations for the floor repair kits or adhesives.. There appears to be a wide price range. I don't want to pay the earth for something that is unnecessary but, equally, I don't want to have to do the job again at a later date. I will be repairing the floor from inside the caravan. TIA.

dave the rave replied on 04/05/2023 19:09

Posted on 04/05/2023 15:45 by JohnM20

Does anyone have any recommendations for the floor repair kits or adhesives.. There appears to be a wide price range. I don't want to pay the earth for something that is unnecessary but, equally, I don't want to have to do the job again at a later date. I will be repairing the floor from inside the caravan. TIA.

Posted on 04/05/2023 19:09

Check "Bondrite Adhesives".their products are good (in my own experience).Prices are not too bad and delivery quite quick.

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