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Old 03-30-2010, 12:08 AM   #1
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Well finally took the plunge and pulled off the cloth under the trailer to look at whats under there.Not as bad as I expected ,none of the wiring is rubbing through although it is a little hap-hazard.Was not to surprised to just find the bubble insulation as I had already been warned by the folks here at the forum.I kind of expected the duct work to be exposed and was a little surprised it was not. Any way there is not a real good way to check how well the insulation is placed between the floor joist .We decided to add 2" styrofoam any where we can under there.it clears all the slide mechanisms and such the only place I expect problems is around the tanks there is not enough clearance under them to add insulation.We found a supplier for coroplast here in Denver however they only stock white.(this ought to be interesting to keep clean.)We are going to try to make access points for the valves and all that stuff so its easy to get in there should you need to.will let you know how this progresses and I actually took pictures this time of the before stuff so I can show you what Ive done when we are finished

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Old 03-30-2010, 03:49 AM   #2
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Waiting for the pics. I would love to see how the tanks (gray and black) are mounted and valve locations.

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Old 03-30-2010, 08:15 AM   #3
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I installed 8mm coroplast on my Cruiser a few years ago, also white. It has never been a problem and stays pretty clean, I have never cleaned it. I also used white silicone caulk along the edges to seal the air gaps, figured it might add a very tiny bit of extra insulation and help keep the corrugations from picking up dirt.
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Old 03-30-2010, 01:43 PM   #4
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well here is the start

fresh water tank

channel for gray and black they are secured at the side rails and tanks just set on them
front tank is black then the 2 gray tanks are next

here's the valve arrangement

the valves are actually mounted with a downward tilt so the plastic is going to be pushed down here

insulation around access for slide motor

clearance between wires on top of foam and the slide mechanism

bubble wrap back on the foam and getting ready for plastic

more to follow


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Old 03-30-2010, 11:46 PM   #5
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Keep up the good work!!! Looks good.

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Old 03-31-2010, 02:29 AM   #6
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Eric,



While you are doing all this work are you beefing up the support for the fresh water tank? On mine, one of the three straps was almost completely loose. I raised the tank and used 3/4 inch steel tubing between the crossmembers holding the tank, secured with sheet metal screws. Total either 6 or 7 tubes. This keeps the fresh water tank from sagging and pushing the underbelly down.



From your original post, I thought you were putting the rigid foam directly under the main floor rather than at the bottom of the I-beams. Are you also adding foam along the sides to prevent heat loss thru the sides of the I-beams?
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Old 03-31-2010, 03:05 AM   #7
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Great pics thanks

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Old 04-01-2010, 12:04 PM   #8
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Larry;
Crossroads addressed the sagging butt problem by adding 2 channels side to side on the frame under the fresh water tank.I did not remove the plywood to see if the straps are there or not.I can push the tank up a little I am not sure if I could get 3/4" tube in there.I'm pretty sure that 1/2 tube would fit if I do get a sag. One thing about changing the fabric to coroplast is that it will be simple to remove the under cover if I need to beef it up.Originally we planned on putting the the foam next to the main floor however We got worried that they use radiant heat from the duct to warm the tanks and we would be blocking that heat.Especially the fresh water tank as the duct terminates at the tank.In addition trying to get around the wiring,slide rails plumbing and such would be difficult. I did insulate the side of the I-beam on the sides of the fresh water tank but not the rear beam yet.I think you all need to look at your rear channel on your frame right in front of the bumper,We have 2-2"holes on each side of the fresh water tank.Presumably for ventilation to allow some air flow to prevent mold and such should moisture accumulate.I am worried that this is a excellent access point for rodents and such and the DW came up with the Idea of adding mud dauber screens to these holes with a small bar inside to hold them in place.There are similar holes at the front of the unit but they have plastic plugs in them.In addition for folks who have their slides open for long periods the slide rails have a rather large hole in the I-beam which is not covered when the slide is extended We are thinking of what to use to cover these.right now I think if we camp for an long time I may carry some steel wool in the unit to stuff in there.Now I have to think about the flaw in my plan which you pointed out. How much heat am I going to lose through the rest of the I-beam.I did not even think about it. I am worried about interfering with the slide rails.and ventilation in places however I am thinking the sections which have nothing in place we can partition them and see if we have a noticeable difference in temp at the floor.If we think it is a lot we may go back and insulate all the sides of the beams.I like the idea of the insulation next to the coroplast as it can give it a little more support should something strike it.We hit thrown tread from a semi last year and it left its track all the way under the pickup and hit the panel right behind where we had the damage from our failed tire.At least it was the same side.Any way this is getting long winded,had to work the last few days so the project is on hold till tomorrow if the weather clears.More to follow and check those rear beams.
here's the hole you can see the tank on the left

hole in side frame where black water flush and dump valve cables go through

my idea for a fix pipe insulation

in place

some gorilla tape to secure in place

a little better picture of the valve arraignment the black valve is hard to see the cable runs up in front of the spare tire


Edited by: mapachoo
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Old 04-02-2010, 05:19 AM   #9
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Eric,



I agree about the holes in the rear frame and I-beam slide-out mechanism being open invites to rodents, provided they can find a way to reach the hole. I have had several mice get into the underbelly and basement, but never really located the access. Again, not that the holes don't exist, just how can a mouse reach the hole. I have seen a squirrel jump onto the slide-out track and then chew a hole in the fabric under the main floor. As soon as I put a temporary plug at the slide-out mechanism, I'll forget and then close the s/o causing even bigger problems. But if you come up with a solution, please let everyone know.



I have camped with temps in the teens, the furnace totally shut off, using oil-filled radiator heaters inside, and never had the fresh water tank freeze. In reality, the tank freezing is not the biggest limitation for cold weather camping, the water in the pick-up tube will freeze first and stop the water supply or jam the pump. IF the tank does freeze, it will take a long time to thaw out, but it probably won't crack because it is so flexiable.
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Old 04-02-2010, 05:46 AM   #10
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Just went to see mine, chippy the chipmunk got into the underbelly thru the front storage. No doubt in my mind they got in the 3"+ sized holes in the last frame member. I will be closing them up after the extermination. Luckily no damage, just some acorns!!!
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Old 04-03-2010, 01:41 PM   #11
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I have seen emery(heavy sandpaper) cut in a circle and placed over the slide tube to stop the enter of rodents. The paper is stiff enough and still allows movement of the mechanism and rodents do not like the sandpaper to enter. Worth a try?

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Old 04-03-2010, 11:20 PM   #12
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Went back today and found that the amount of acorns was quite extensive. It appears that anywhere a floor penetration occured the cipmunk or squirrel left acorns. The amount in the living area is small but it is obvious the critter spent winter in the camper. Now comes the part of cleaning up. I will be taking the shop vacto the camper and suck up all the acorn bits.





I thought there were only 2 pairs of holes in the back wall su-frame but I was wrong. I blocked those off last fall but in the dead center of the frame there are two smaller holes about 1.5" each that I missed. I filled those in yesterday and re-inspected the entire underside. I can not find any other place for them to get into, so these frame holes seem to be quite troublesome if you may live in a critter inhabited area.



I plan on buying low expansion "Great Stuff" and filling the floor penetrations to resolve this issue in addition to having blocked the exterior frame vent holes.
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Old 04-04-2010, 10:18 AM   #13
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A six-pack of cold Budweiser andhttp://www.webdsi.com/jebbie/chipmonkstew.html will finish the project.






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Old 04-06-2010, 02:55 AM   #14
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I am trying that recipe!
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