How to fix a spongy caravan floor?

[wendy10]

My caravan floor is spongy and need to fix it but don't know what tools and products I need. 

[twocutekelpies · Accepted solution]

Hi @wendy10 

Is it the whole floor or just a section? Do you know if there's been a leak? Most caravan floors are plywood but depending on year and make, some were made from chipboard or sandwich panel. Is there a full chassis underneath to support it?

Is it a travelling caravan or a static one (doesn't go anywhere). If static, the easiest option would be to lay 9mm ply over the top of the existing floor (cutting around cupboards etc), then lay vinyl or similar over it to make it look like a full floor. This would obviously add weight, not ideal in a travelling caravan. Depending on location and extent of floor damage, the solution might be to cut out the affected floor and replace, ensuring joins are supported by the chassis cross members.

Cutting out the section could be done with a circular saw cut set to shallow cut so the blade doesn't hit the metal underneath. The ply is usually riveted to the chassis with the rivets hidden underneath the vinyl. Depending on the year of the caravan, the vinyl or backing could contain asbestos so care needs to be taken here. 

Hopefully it's not a big job that would require the above. I've had a spongy floor in a small section in a back corner that I've treated with Earl's Wood Hardener, it's great at making soft wood hard again and available at Bunnings. 

Cheers

Shelley

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @wendy10. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about caravan floors.

It's great to see that our resident caravan restoration expert @twocutekelpies has already provided some helpful advice.

I agree that the tools and type of fix required really depend on the extent of the damage. If it’s only a small area, then patching might be the way to go, but if the issue is larger or more widespread, it will likely take a bit more work to sort out properly. If you could share some more details about the caravan and how extensive the damage is, that would really help us give you the best possible advice for your situation.

If there is any physical damage, uploading a few images of it would also be helpful. Let me know if you need a hand posting pictures.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[wendy10]

Thank you ill give it a try. Its an onsite van