Floor rotting in 1988 Starcraft

[mwarner]

I have a 1988 Starcraft Starstream pop-up camper.  The camper is in great shape except for one detail... the floor has developed some soft spots.  

The entire floor is not bad, only in a couple of spots on both ends of the interior.  I noticed this for the first time about 2 years ago.  From conversations with my dealer's tech people, they seem to feel the floor is rotting due to water coming in through (or around) any, or all, of the (4) roof support posts.  This camper does not have canvas covers over the posts which makes sense to me why the water would be coming in.  I have sealed around the base of the posts as recommended by the dealer.  

Has anyone experienced this issue with a similar camper?  Does anyone have any suggestions for supporting the floor where the soft spots exist?  The dealer can only suggest replacing the entire floor deck which is a major job to do.  The dealer said they could have the camper sent out and have the floor replaced for around $5000.  I could attempt to do it myself but would probably buy a different camper before investing the amount of time (and effort) involved in replacing the floor.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Mike

[jdpok]

Hey Mike, I just sold a 1987 starcraft Nova that i had for 5 years. The previous owner had replaced the entire floor board. I am very handy and was real curious as to how he did it. He explained that it wasn't really that hard. All of the cabinets unscrew from the floor and the floor was screwed to the frame in sections. Their is a tin floor underneath to protect the floorboard from underneath, make sure you keep that intact. To be honest the trailer was in great shape. We replaced the canvas from Bear Creek Canvas for about $625 and I made beds from ordering the foam and padding for about $200. We paid $1500 for the trailer and just sold it for $2500. The floorboards and new floor made it look brand new. If you have the time and desire It's definately worth it. You are right that you can buy something for around $5000 that would be nice but that starcraft was well made. I don't think the new ones compare to that quality. The only reason we sold it was the setup and takedown time,not to mention the torrential rain the last time we had to break camp. My wife said, "you better upgrade me now" after watching the guy next to us pull in with a 25 ft travel trailer and setup, in the rain, in about 15 minutes. Good luck with whatever you decide. John

[mwarner]

John - Thanks for the reply and vote of confidence.  Other than the floor, my camper is in great shape, and short of not having a "slide out," it's as big as any of the pop ups that I've seen.  I've been considering replacing the floor myself but wanted to hear from someone that has already done it before I begin tearing it apart (again).  You said that on your 1987 there was a piece of tin underneath the entire floor.  My camper has a sheet of vinyl underneath which I believe contributed to the floor rotting by trapping moisture.  I was planning to eliminate the vinyl should I decide to replace the floor.  The new campers I have looked at don't have anything underneath.  I only see the bottom of the wood decking.  What type of material did your previous owner use for the floor?  Do you know what (if any) type of sealer or weatherproofing they used to protect the floor?  Also, last year I started removing some of the cabinets just to see how easy they would come out.  I stopped when I noticed that the cabinets appeared to be attached to the walls with glue (as well as screws) which would damage the paneled walls when removing the cabinets.  When your previous owner replaced the floor in your camper, did they replace the paneling in the walls as well?  By the way, I make a point of only camp on heavily wooded sites.  This way if it rains while we are setting up or tearing down, my wife won't be able to see the other campers with the nice big 25' travel trailers.  So far this has worked and I've been able to save some $$$.  Thanks again, Mike