Dropped Floor

[Frank]

Question to All,

OK, trying to figure out the dropped floor for the dinning area. How do we support the floor? Use 3/4" plywood for the vertical and bottom pieces and a piece of 1 1/2 angle all around the bottom? Or box the whole thing in with steel? The plywood would not have the insulation, the rest of the unit has. Any ideas ? Those of you that already have built one, how did you do yours?

Frank

[mikeschn]

Question to All,

OK, trying to figure out the dropped floor for the dinning area. How do we support the floor? Use 3/4" plywood for the vertical and bottom pieces and a piece of 1 1/2 angle all around the bottom?

Frank

My plan, unless Steve tells me otherwise, is to have the front and rear dropped floor panels resting on the edge of the frame. The side panels will be bolted into the frame. And the bottom panel will be glued and screwed into place, using angle iron all around.

What do you think?



Mike...

[Steve Frederick]

I was wondering about using a cleat around the bottom of the floor recess. Once glued/screwed, it would be very strong. ???Mike???

[mikeschn]

I was wondering about using a cleat around the bottom of the floor recess. Once glued/screwed, it would be very strong. ???Mike???

The cleat method would work also. And heck, you could even put in a piece of EPS inbetween the cleats!!! But you'll have to make the floor drop down 3/4" further...

Mike...

[Frank]

Saying the cleats work and we put the foam insulation in between making the floor 1 1/2" thick. Will this hold 300 lbs of weight (two people) on a piece of 3/4 plywood 37.75" X 60" with no other support, except around the edges? Be kinda soft in the middle where also the table will be supported?

Mike, I know you're supporting the table on the wall, but I've been told to have two doors, think Steve is leaning toward that also.

Frank

[Steve Frederick]

Be kinda soft in the middle where also the table will be supported?

I would use 3/4 ply, I think it would be plenty-strong. As for placing a lot of standing weight...can't stand in it! !

Mike, I know you're supporting the table on the wall, but I've been told to have two doors, think Steve is leaning toward that also.

Mike's got a door on the curb side, window only on the street side. I am doing two doors. My table will sit on a pedistal, Could add an extra layer of ply in the area of the pedistal base. You could also frame out the recess in steel, like Rik Keller did, then fill in with ply.

OOH!! I like that idea!! Can I steal it Rik!!

[Frank]

Steve,

Yes, I like Rik's idea. and think two cross braces, say 1 1/4 angle across the 56" span with extra 3/4" ply at the pedistal mount would also be good. I know we can't stand in the well, but when you step in to sit down where will your weight be?

Frank

[cracker39]

Here's my $.02 worth on the drop down floor. My idea was to have several pieces of 2"x1/8" flat iron shaped as a low, wide "U", welded to the cross braces fore and aft of the drop down area (see my plans) to support the floor box. But, some of these ideas posted here may be better and lighter. I like fastening the ends, or in my case, the long sides to the cross braces, and supporting the floor with angle iron. With the long sides supporting the floor, only 27" of width would bear the weight, and I think 3/4" ply would hold it. I'll have to think on this a while.

Meanwhile, I've rethunk my frame design. I decided to put a longer axle and have the tires outside of the 63" wide cabin with attached fenders. This eliminates the need to build wheel wells, allows more storage under the bed, simplifies the frame design (cheaper and easier to build), and the wider track should result in better towing and stability. I'll have to add this variation to my web plans.

Hmmmmm...I'm a real novice and here I am trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about!!! But, I have years of camping experience in tents, pop-ups, a large pickup camper, and I know what I don't like and what I do want in a camper. This forum is very educational and I'm learning a lot.

[angib]

Here are a couple of pictures of how Scamp build their frames and dropped floors. You'll see they split the floor area up but then it is a big area. I cannot for the life of me remember if they use 3/4" flooring - I think they do, but they are clever at keeping the weight down.





These pictures were taken from a Scamp customer's tour of the factory.

Andrew