Flagstaff Travel Trailer Floor Replacement

Since the floor softening issue is so common I wanted to write about my experience getting the floor replaced in my 2017 Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BHS. My apologies for the length.

Realizing there was a problem

For about 3 years everything sounded fine when I walked around. Then when I stepped certain places the cabinets would creak. What the heck? Why would the cabinets suddenly start creaking? That was the first sign of floor softening and it took almost 2 years before I could see the floor flexing. If your cabinets start creaking, get suspicious. 

When I arrived in New Hampshire in May 2021 I was walking through my trailer in front of the kitchen and thought the floor felt funny. I chocked it up to paranoia — I sometimes do notice something different and become fixated on it being a possible problem. Within a couple weeks I decided I wasn’t imagining things and stepped in the area in front of my sink and cooktop with a flashlight in hand — I could see the floor was indenting. 

I immediately jumped on line (I’m a researcher) and was appalled to find out this is a known, common problem with travel trailers that have the “sandwich” floor which is an aluminum outside frame with styrofoam inside and 1/8 inch luan plywood on top an bottom. Seriously? What moron thought 1/8 inch luan and styrofoam would hold up with walking on it. I’m a small female and my floor failed at 5 years. If you had a couple or a family with kids pounding through I bet it wouldn’t make it half that long. I realize they are trying to keep weight down, but it’s almost criminal to put in a floor that is destined to fail.

Being lied to

I was livid. The reason I was livid is because before purchasing my trailer I had traveled to the Tampa Super RV Show to talk to David Fought, the manager of Flagstaff and Rockwood division, to do my due diligence. I tracked him down, told him I was planning to travel full-time in the trailer I purchased and asked him if it would hold up or should I consider something else. He said the faucets weren’t going to last since they’re plastic (kitchen failed within 4 months) and maintenance of the appliances would be required, but the frame and axles were quality and should do fine. So I decided to purchase the 25BHS. He didn’t mention that I would need to stand outside and admire my trailer since walking in it would destroy the very foundation of the living area. Like I said — LIVID.

Customer service

I called Flagstaff customer service with the intention to correct the problem since I’d been lied to. I got caught in a 4 month loop of bad customer service from a guy who was ultimately fired. During this loop I was told that people bring there RV there and they lift the entire upper shell off and put a new floor in. What the? How the heck is that possible.

I was furiously researching ways to correct the problem and ultimately decided all of them were short term solutions because softening styrofoam was only going to go from bad to much worse. 

Decision to replace floor

At the same time I was reading about and talking to the receipients of RVs that had many. many problems. Not the time to buy a new RV. Besides I feel like I was blessed with an inordinately good one. I have had problems, but I have been able to resolve them. The slide cut the vinyl floor and it was patched under warranty. The couch seat frame was broken from the time I got the trailer and the dealer wouldn’t cover it, but I recently was able to have it welded and fixed. The outside slide wall was coming away from the floor but many larger screws fixed that. The Murphy bed started pulling away from the frame, but a great post on the Forest River forum told me how to get to it and fix it. I wasn’t willing to trade what has been a good trailer for one that may be ridden with problems. Thank you COVID.

Flagstaff sent me to the person who makes arrangements for people to come back to the factory for repairs. They would not cover the floor replacement since it could have been caused by water leaks. How could they? That would open the door to having to cover the cost of replacing thousands of floors. They only have one bay that replaces floors and I was lucky enough to get the exact date I wanted to arrive.

I had hoped I would be able to get the floor Flagstaff went to the year after my build, but I was told I was stuck with a slightly improved version of what I had since everything above hinges on the floor. I still don’t completely get this, but they wouldn’t budge on it. I got the sandwich floor with the improvement of 2 layers of 1/8 inch luan on the top. 

How complicated a floor replacement is

When the factory sent me the original work order it said EVERYTHING had to be removed from the RV. I freaked out. Since I live in this thing full-time I have a lot of stuff. Fortunately the logistics person at Flagstaff was wonderful and talked me off the ledge and explained that everything had to be off the floor if I was delivering it, and everything out of the RV if it was being transported by someone else. That’s a huge difference, but still a daunting task for a single female. 

Now for making arrangements. I had multiple lists going — what had to go in storage, what had to go to the hotel for the dog and I, what had to be in the truck to pick up the trailer (weight distribution), possible campgrounds, possible hotels, what to do the 4 days we’d be in a hotel.

After many calls I was able to secure storage space 1.5 miles from the factory. Lodging wasn’t too great in the factory area so I ended up booking a La Quinta in Elkhart since I have a large dog. It was 40 minutes away from the factory, but they were absolutely wonderful about my 87 pound Great Pyrenees/Yellow Labrador mix. Other hotels capped at 20 pounds or charged additional daily fees. 

Dropping off at the factory

The next issue was arriving on time since there was no room for problems that caused delays. I started the trip out stressed and circumstances kept me that way.

It was a problematic 3 day trip. It was like my luck had run out and at I managed to break at least one thing every day. But they were small enough I could keep going. The exciting problem was not far from the factory. In pouring rain there was a piece of tire from an 18 wheeler on the road. I thought I had gone to right enough to miss it, but must have caught the edge and heard it clunk under the truck and was ticked with myself. Just another thing…

Shortly thereafter I checked my rear camera. It was off. Oh, no. I looked at the trailer and the marker lights were off. Crap, I had no trailer brake lights! Traffic was awful so I had to wait until I could exit the tollway. With no brake lights I was terrified. That stupid piece of tire had perfectly hit the towing harness and knocked it off. It had dragged for at least 4 miles and would barely stick into the 7 way plug. But it did stay so I was able to continue. Getting to the storage area the next morning it failed completely and I had no lights for the 1.5 mile drive from the storage area to the factory bullpen. 

I arrived at the storage area on Saturday and spent several grueling hours pulling everything out that was on the floor. I had worried about rain, but it was cloudy and in the 50’s so it was great weather for working hard. I spent the night at a local RV campground with more things to do before dropping off the trailer. I had ordered my trailer without an oven (I travel with a Breville Smart Oven) so I could use the oven area for storage. I had reinforced the area under the sink and the area where the oven should be with PVC pillars under the floor of the cabinet since those floors sagged under any amount of weight stored on them. I had to get those out so I wouldn’t lose them. I also had to remove all the bedding and store it. 

On Sunday I had to drop the bedding and PVC pillars at the storage area before I dropped the trailer at the factory bullpen. I was able to enter the locked bullpen because they had provided me with the code. This is where you drop your RV and pick it up.

I was beyond exhausted after the 3 day trip from New Hampshire and unloading the trailer. Zoey (my dog) and I checked into a hotel. That was an interesting experience since Zoey had never slept in a building. 

Floor replacement

The factory had told me 4-5 days for the replacement. I was really hoping for 4 since all my camping reservations hinged on that. I thought I needed 4 days to recover before the reload.

The factory called me the next day, on Monday, and said I had to come back to pick a floor since the vinyl flooring in my trailer was no longer available. Things I wish I would have known earlier. 

This ended up being a really cool experience since the service manager was just an awesome person. I picked my floored and then picked his very knowledgeable brain about so many things pertaining to my trailer and learned so much. I will forever be grateful for his interest and his time. He was awesome! And I got to see what was going on with my trailer. The scary thing was how gutted the wiring was and I hoped it all got reconnected properly. They said they covered repairs if they did something wrong.

I lucked out and they had my trailer ready to go Thursday morning. I had worried that repacking would take longer than unpacking, but it ended up being the opposite. Everything went back into place more quickly. The trailer was completely repacked and I was at a local RV campground that afternoon. Since I thought it would take longer I had to move all my camping reservations heading south up a day. I was lucky and they all worked out. 

Final thoughts

When they removed my floor they found absolutely no signs of water damage, as I had told them over and over again. I imagine they get told all sorts of things, but it frustrating they didn’t believe me.

When I was at the factory to pick flooring I was embarrassed that I had missed a can of chicken broth that they found in a floor cabinet. They laughed and told me stories of the trailers they get in where nothing has been removed and the RV is filthy. If they find things they just start throwing them in microwave boxes and your repair is delayed. My advice — have the RV properly cleaned out and clean when you drop it off. Why should they care about your repair if it’s obvious you don’t care about your RV and the work they have to do? They told me I obviously cared for my trailer and were very nice to me. 

I admittedly was nervous that things weren’t put back together correctly. Again, I lucked out and everything seemed to be fine. Right up until I tried the LED awning lights. Their customer service spent a lot of time with me checking the wiring at the monitor panel, the inverter, the wiring going outside to the awning arm. I had power everywhere so they kicked me to the curb. I finally researched the right question — how can you have power at the flat plug to the light strip but no light? The wires are reversed. I reversed the wires and viola! The awning lights work again. I had already ordered a replacement LED strip from Ebay so now I have a backup.

Be warned that the floor will be really dirty from construction, much like it was when I got the trailer new. Both times I had to wash the floor multiple times before it was clean. 

I was also missing screws on the skirting and they sent me replacement screws that are painted the same so I can replace them.

The cabinets aren’t attached as tightly to the floor as they were before. I know this because I painted my cabinets 3 years ago and they were snug to the floor. I don’t know if I can tighten that connection, but at some point I’ll try. 

When they reinstalled the couch they didn’t center it and it’s crammed tight the left and a gap on right. I’ll try to correct that too if there’s room when the bolts are loosened. 

My paint on the cabinets definitely got nicked and they broke off a trim piece on the dinette that I have had to replace. I’m working on restoring all to it’s previous condition. 

All in all, as invasive as a floor replacement is I think they did a great job and it mostly looks exactly as before. There are so many things connected to the floor – cabinets, furnace, water heater, water pump. All electrical and plumbing had to be detached and they got it all back together properly. They pressure test both the trailer and the plumbing for leaks for returning it to you.

I really like the new vinyl I picked. I feel lucky I’m whole again and can walk across the floor without soft spots. I think this was the best, although expensive, solution available. The cost of the floor replacement, storage area, and hotel were significant.

In this post-COVD markey I know if I was inclined to sell (I’m not) I could sell my trailer for as much as I paid for it now that it has a new floor. I plan to enjoy my new floor and be grateful it’s extended my time in the trailer. Really glad that whole complicated undertaking is in the rear view.