How do we remove the carpet edge under the main slide Montana 345 DBQ

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jrabbit

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We need to replace the floor in our kitchen/living room + slide.  (We are demo'ing and rebuilding our kitchen, so while the cabinets are out, floor will be changed.)

How do you do the "edge" under the slide, where there is a metal flange and a carpet edge?  The carpet is wrecked and gross and needs to be removed.  I would prefer not to replace it with carpet, as pets have caused the current level of damage.  (Pets are not optional, and they don't seem to agree with our standard of housekeeping.)

We are in a rural area with minimal resources (Menards is our primary option), and no alternatives but DIY.  We are fully capable of the project, just a bit concerned with this detail.  We will be wintering in the northwest, so the rv needs to maintain its ability to withstand the weather.

Thanks for any advice.
**and, yes, I searched the forum before I asked this question.

Pictures for explanation at:  https://philhyde.smugmug.com/RV/HarveyTwo-boring-pictures/
 
you maybe able to pry the edge of the carpet under the exterior of the slide. pull the rubber seal down and you should be able to see the edge of carpet. you may, also have to bring slide in a little to elevate it and give you more clearance
 
Do you think we will need to install something to fill the gap left by the carpet? We have decided that sheet vinyl flooring is our best choice for the new floor.
 
We didn't have a problem with that, but we did elect to use a strip of plastic runner (two places where the rollers are) to provent scratching the vinyl when moving the slide.

Ernie
 
On mine, the flange is removable, making access easy. The screws were underneath the flange, driven into the edge of the slide floor. With the slide part way in, the hex screws could be removed easily enough with a socket and extension (I used a 1/4' drive ratchet plus 8" extension).
 
I am having trouble visualizing which part might be removable. But I will investigate again!  Were you able to see the screws from under the rv?
 
That "metal lip" you described and showed in the photos. It's inside, protruding from the edge of the slide. It covers that carpet you want to remove.

On mine the lip is actually a sturdy plastic piece. As the slide comes inward, the slide rises up and you can see underneath and get at the screws. I have no idea whether yours is that way or not, though.
 
So, I did a little investigating, and mine is not the same. The edge appears to be solid wood, beveled and covered with some type of heavy duty tape. When the slide is pulled in slightly, i can get my fingers under it to the knuckles, but there is nothing indicating screws.

And there doesn't seem to be a way to shove any flooring past that first few inches. So, now I think I need to find a solution that we can wedge under the beveled edge, just enough to keep the slide elevated the 1/4" that the carpet elevates it.

https://philhyde.smugmug.com/RV/Uploads/i-dX9d57J/A

There is a new complexity now, though: the vinyl ON the slide is going to have an edge that will need to be finished somehow - like a carpet edge might have a binding on it. I have looked at threshold products, but they don't cover the "flush" edge of the slide. I wouldn't mind a step up, if the edge could be sealed off.

Ugh. The clock is ticking. I need to finish this ASAP!  Quicker than ASAP!
 
You should be able to jack up the inside edge of the slide from outside the rig, it's just resting on the floor.

Pull the slide in slightly so the edge flanges aren't contacting the main wall.  Then you should be able to lift the slide at least as high as it rises as it comes in.  With luck it may even go a little higher before it hits the top of the wall cutout giving you a gap to work with between the main floor and the bottom of the slide.
 
if you are installing vinyl on the slide, instead of carpet, you will need to add a piece of plywood on the slide to extend past where the slide goes down when extended. A stair nose vinyl trim would be needed to cover the raw edge of the vinyl. This whole affair is not a fast 1 day job
 
Each RV builder does them a bit different, so the techniques vary a lot. If yours isn't like mine, ignore my suggestion.

Your first set of pictures appears to show a black strip on the edge of the slide and your message described a "flange". However, I don't see that in the latest picture. Already removed?  If so, just tuck the new flooring in as well as possible and then re-install the flange and/or apply the plywood extension that Ernie described. Either one will cover the joint.
 
Not trying to finish in one day -- but every day I delay makes the time I can spend on the project shorter.
 
Ernie, we have come to the conclusion that a plywood extension would be helpful, but we are unsure of how to make that happen.

Gary, the black is tape along the edge of the plywood that is on the slide. Until I inspected it closer, I thought it was something applied. It now appears to be a beveled edge on the actual plywood -- although HOW they got that edge to be so perfect, I don't know.

Some type of edge treatment will be necessary on the vinyl on the slide itself. Honestly, that part of the job can be done later, if needed.

Getting the old vinyl and old carpet out from under the slide is going to be difficult, at best. I am coming to the conclusion that there will be no way to remove all of the carpet. I just hope I can secure the new vinyl sufficiently under the edge of the slide.
 
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