Repair spongy floor advice sought

[Adventurers]

We discovered a roof leak when we found a ceiling panel over the bed slightly warped, arggg! I sealed everything I could find, which appeared to solve the problem. Just the same, we took it to a dealer nearby to check the roof, replace the ceiling panel and tighten loose slide out cables.
Even though we made an appointment to have the work done, our trailer sat in their yard for over a week before they brought it in to examine. They told us the roof needed to be resealed and quoted for that and the cable work. It was another week and a half before they brought it in to work on it. There were several heavy rain storms during that time.
Jump to pickup day three weeks later. The white ceiling panel had dark putty blotches and protruding staples, the trim boards on the slide out were ugly with new nail holes and protruding brads and one piece was sticking out away from its place. The carpet had also been torn. As you can imagine, we were very unhappy now. Then we stepped up along side of the bed to look at the ceiling panel again only to find the floor spongy.
It took several conversations to get them to agree to repair the damage to the trim that they did while repairing the cables, but they won’t fix the floor. I understand that I have no way to prove the floor damage happened while it sat in their yard in the rain for several weeks before they got around to resealing the roof, even though that was one of the reasons we made an appointment to bring it in.
I’m disappointed that I hadn’t insisted on a pre-exam the day I brought it in. Perhaps the we might have had an argument about the firmness of the floor when we’d dropped it off.
I don’t trust them to do the work. Their attention to detail is very disappointing. It’s going to be DIY.
I don’t know what the floor is made of, probably particle board, based on how fast it got spongy. I think I can make surgical cuts to the flooring along the outside wall, across front wall and back parallel to the outside wall under the bed frame ( which I’ll remove ). This would give me a flap of flooring to lift out of the way and give access to the floor. Replace the bad section and glue the flooring down, then seal around the edges.
Has anyone tried this? Anyone with a better idea?

 

[donn]

Most do some version of your idea. Cut the rotted stuff out, check the framing, usually 2x2. Replace any that is wet or spongy. Sister in New 2x2 to the old solid ones. Apply glue and fit new plywood/osb in place. Smooth everything out and add floor covering. RVs are built super cheap so be prepared for more damage.

 

[OldMarine]

I just went through this with my bathroom floor. Actually came out pretty good. Under the carpet/linoleum, you'll find a thin, rotted, sub floor, 1/4 inch thick. Cut it all out, and use some fresh 2x4's to reframe. Use nice sanded birch plywood for a new subloor. It's a lot of time, but not really that hard to do. In the end your floor will be stronger than when new!

 

[Sooeycute]

These days I try to do everything myself. Too many shysters in just about anything you try to get done not just RV's. I also tend to be impatient.

I don't mind paying for quality work. You have found a gem when you find that guy.

To me the most important part of an RV is that roof. Once compromised it is a huge job to repair properly

 

[Adventurers]

Most do some version of your idea. Cut the rotted stuff out, check the framing, usually 2x2. Replace any that is wet or spongy. Sister in New 2x2 to the old solid ones. Apply glue and fit new plywood/osb in place. Smooth everything out and add floor covering. RVs are built super cheap so be prepared for more damage.

Many years ago I bought a 19' trailer, cheap. The floor was shot. It took a bit of work, but I replaced the entire floor, including new vinyl, re-decorated the interior and had the stove re-surfaced. It came out really nice, but it was a lot of work and I was much younger then. I'm hoping the floor vinyl comes up easily and cleanly so it will lay back down over the new wood and look like a factory new floor. Fingers crossed.
Enjoy the ride

 

[Adventurers]

I just went through this with my bathroom floor. Actually came out pretty good. Under the carpet/linoleum, you'll find a thin, rotted, sub floor, 1/4 inch thick. Cut it all out, and use some fresh 2x4's to reframe. Use nice sanded birch plywood for a new subloor. It's a lot of time, but not really that hard to do. In the end your floor will be stronger than when new!

Thanks for that and the photos. I'll take a bunch and share some after. Hopefully with a selfie with a big smile.

 

[Adventurers]

These days I try to do everything myself. Too many shysters in just about anything you try to get done not just RV's. I also tend to be impatient.

I don't mind paying for quality work. You have found a gem when you find that guy.

To me the most important part of an RV is that roof. Once compromised it is a huge job to repair properly

Being a lifetime DIYer, I have a real problem letting anyone else do work for me. Too many times, I've been disappointed. I get that time is money, but too many businesses don't seem to understand that quality is future business.

 

[OldMarine]

Many years ago I bought a 19' trailer, cheap. The floor was shot. It took a bit of work, but I replaced the entire floor, including new vinyl, re-decorated the interior and had the stove re-surfaced. It came out really nice, but it was a lot of work and I was much younger then. I'm hoping the floor vinyl comes up easily and cleanly so it will lay back down over the new wood and look like a factory new floor. Fingers crossed.
Enjoy the ride

not to bum you out, but I thought the same thing when I did my bathroom...not even close, just impossible to get up without tearing. Wound up doing peal & stick tiles. Easy to do and Looks fine.

 

[Loose Nut]

These days I try to do everything myself. Too many shysters in just about anything you try to get done not just RV's. I also tend to be impatient.

I don't mind paying for quality work. You have found a gem when you find that guy.

To me the most important part of an RV is that roof. Once compromised it is a huge job to repair properly

Haha, ain't that the truth about the shysters? I'm a DIY kinda guy, always have been... I don't pay ANYBODY to do what I can do myself (automotive or cycle repairs would be a good example), and with so many web tutorials available now, there's no excuse for not TRYING, to say the least. As for impatience, my friends always laughed when I told 'em I wasn't the most patient man on earth. But I'm working on it, same way I've been working on it for decades, lol...

Being a lifetime DIYer, I have a real problem letting anyone else do work for me. Too many times, I've been disappointed. I get that time is money, but too many businesses don't seem to understand that quality is future business.

Adventurers, that last line is about as true a line as I've ever read, and I'm no slouch when it comes to reading, lol. The quality of work done today is generally going downhill, no doubt about it... across the board too, more's the pity. Moi, I enjoy tinkering with stuff and making things right, so I prefer to tackle jobs myself unless I feel totally out of my depth, aye? Web tutorials are one positive aspect of the Internet, though some tutorials are better than others, lol.

P.S. I'd like to share a Zen Buddhist proverb with y'all, this proverb covers a lot of ground and it has really helped me through bad times and negative experiences. I'm not really into organized religion, but I'm drawn to Buddhist principles & proverbs, they seem to help me and offer more comfort than other religions or philosophies, 10-4? As I tell many folks, "The wilderness is my church." And that's all there is to it, no disparagement of other believers involved. Here's my favorite Zen Buddhist proverb:

IF YOU ARE FILLED WITH DESIRE, YOUR SORROWS SWELL LIKE THE GRASS AFTER THE RAIN... BUT IF YOU SUBDUE DESIRE, YOUR SORROWS FALL FROM YOU LIKE DROPS OF WATER FROM A LOTUS FLOWER.