Posted 2012-04-05 1:27 PM (#142826) Subject: Raising the floor of my conversion
Regular
Posts: 55
Has any one raised the floor of their conversion. I would like to raise it so there is no step down into the trailer. I have 4 1/2" for it. What would you all suggest to keep the weight down? I have 1" insulation. Can I leave a void between the insulation and the plywood? I plan to make a closet in the slant wall corner with plans to someday replace it with a shower. Does a shower need a p-trap? If so would it be above or below the trailer floor? Thank you.
Posted 2012-04-06 10:26 AM (#142853 - in reply to #142826) Subject: RE: Raising the floor of my conversion
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Wis.
We also raised our floor in our remodel. That lip at the door tripped us soo many times it had to go. We bought cedar 2x4's for the floor, and stood them upright. Pre-drilled holes in the floor and then screwed them down. We then filled the space in between with rigid foam insulation. One top of that we then laid down the plywood. We put in a floating wood floor and it is the perfectly to the base of the door. No more tripping over the lip. Good luck.
Posted 2012-04-08 9:02 AM (#142892 - in reply to #142826) Subject: RE: Raising the floor of my conversion
Regular
Posts: 55
Gard, I wish I could use your instructions, unfortunately yours only brought the floor up a little over 2". My floor has to come up 5". So I glued 1x3's around the perimeter and pieced in my left over 1" insulation. I bought some 2x3's to go across and screw each end into the 1x3's. I am thinking of adding bracing in between the 2x3's (actually 2 1/2) in various places. I bought 7/16's OSB to go on top. Still have 1 1/4" shy of doorway height. And I have a 2 1/2" void under the 7/16's OSB. Any suggestions? Also does a shower need a p-trap or can it just drain straight down? Thank you all for your input.
Posted 2012-04-08 10:05 AM (#142894 - in reply to #142826) Subject: RE: Raising the floor of my conversion
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
We only wanted to raise the floor enough for minimal insulation, and to have a means to fasten the wooden flooring materials, without drilling holes into the trailer's metal floor. The final height was predetermined to be just under the lip of the door entrance. The risers or sleepers could have been made any height that was necessary.
Installing blocking between the sleepers will prevent them from racking. With the ends fastened, and if you are placing the sleepers across the width of the trailer, you should only need blocking near the center of the floor.
Without a trap, you will get sewer gasses into your trailer's interior. For a shower to work well, the drain can go into the tank's vent line. If you have both a gray and black water tank, the gray water that the shower and sink use, will not have as much odor problems as does the black tank. We only installed a black water tank, with the sink being a minimal usage, we plumbed it there. His shower was set up as a cowboy style in the first stall, and not in the bathroom.
There is an alternative to a "P" trap that does not take up any more space than a drain line. It's called a "Hepvo" waste valve. It's simple installation, uses no fluid for sealing the odors, and requires less vertical space than a trap. You might want to consider it for your installation.
Posted 2012-04-08 3:52 PM (#142897 - in reply to #142826) Subject: RE: Raising the floor of my conversion
Regular
Posts: 55
Thank you Gard, you have been of great help since I started my project. More time in thought and asking questions than actual doing. The website you aimed another person to for holding tanks was very useful too.
Raising the floor of my conversion
