Fitting altro vinyl around floor rails - glue to ply outside or inside van?

[meza]

I’m fitting a new ply and Altro floor around my fabworx rails.



I’m not looking forward to scribing the altro down the long edges of the floor rails! I’m imagining it’s going to be tricky to get a neat and straight edge.

anyway, I’m trying to work out if it’s better to

A. Glue the altro to the ply floor outside the van,
roughly cut altro,
drop the ply with altro into the van and then
trim edges

or

B. Fit the ply floor first then lay the alto in the van
Fit ply in van
loose lay the rough cut altro,
trim,
glue down.

I’m pretty sure it’s going to need glueing as there are two long thin parts alongside the rails which are likely to flap up otherwise.

I’d Appreciate advice from anyone who’s done this!

 

[meza]

I think I’ve worked out the answer… have to do B, because I want to screw the ply floor down in a few places.

Sorted

 

[Salty Spuds]

Don’t the rails have a rebate under the top edge to receive the flooring?

 

[meza]

They do have stainless steel trim covers, which give a slight rebate underneath, but I’ve built the floor up higher than this rebate as I don’t want the rails to protrude as much.

So I guess no there isn’t a rebate any more!
Also the stainless covers were stuck down at the factory (vhb or similar?) and I’m loathe to try and prise them off.

 

[Smileysmile]

They do have stainless steel trim covers, which give a slight rebate underneath, but I’ve built the floor up higher than this rebate as I don’t want the rails to protrude as much.

So I guess no there isn’t a rebate any more!
Also the stainless covers were stuck down at the factory (vhb or similar?) and I’m loathe to try and prise them off.

How did you get on? Any photos?
I have had a STIDE rear seat installed (photos attached). I'm now looking to install flooring.
My understanding is you should use 9mm batens all around the floor ridges. Glued down then 12mm plywood screwed to it.

I'm not sure I will do it myself. For a start I don't have storage for the seats as they'll need to come out.

Then there's making a decision on what to put on plywood that'll compliment the van colour. I'm not sure about carpeting. It doesn't appeal to me. So something like altro or wood effect. I need to see samples in the flesh. Looking on line for pre cut ply and baton packer.

Also, struggling to find a professional floor installer.

 

[meza]

How did you get on? Any photos?
I have had a STIDE rear seat installed (photos attached). I'm now looking to install flooring.
My understanding is you should use 9mm batens all around the floor ridges. Glued down then 12mm plywood screwed to it.

I'm not sure I will do it myself. For a start I don't have storage for the seats as they'll need to come out.

Then there's making a decision on what to put on plywood that'll compliment the van colour. I'm not sure about carpeting. It doesn't appeal to me. So something like altro or wood effect. I need to see samples in the flesh. Looking on line for pre cut ply and baton packer.

Also, struggling to find a professional floor installer.

View attachment 247422

Not heard of STIDE seats before. Where did you get that from and how much was it? looks good. Seems like it is using recessed unwin track?

I agree with Eclipse in your other thread that it would have been easier to fit the floor before/during the rail fitting - because, if it is recessed track, these rails have a top lip which the sub floor and floor covering should tuck under.

Packers
Personally I wouldn’t bother with packers in all the very narrow gaps, just the larger places. I mastic’d (stixxall) 9mm packers and loose laid the floor (9mm to save weight and allow some space for XPS insulation). I screwed the top floor down to packers and to the metal floor rail pan (my rails are joined to a huge metal sheet). I countersunk the screws and filled and sanded before laying the altro.

Your flooring build up thickness is going to be determined by the height of your rails.

I didn’t use any sound deadening. No point on the floor. Save it for the body panels.

Doing it again, I would use vinyl planks rather than a large sheet. It would be so much easier to cut a straight edge along the rails with planks.

For a fitter - I guess any VW van converter would be a good start, as every campervan needs a floor at the start of the conversion!

 

[meza]

Is this your track?

Unwin Rail Cargo Tracking 2 meter - Low Profile flush fit - Campervan Culture

Cargo Tracking sometimes calledd loadbed tracking or aircraft tracking is commonly used in 4x4s and expedition vehicles where it is extremely effective as a flexible load containment system. The aluminium Cargo Tracking can also be used to good effect on roof-racks, within the loadbed of...

campervanculture.com

If so you’ve got 12mm to fill with subfloor and top covering (not packers, as these will be underneath this)

So could be like this

Top
3mm self adhesive vinyl planks
9mm ply
Bottom

 

[Smileysmile]

Is this your track?

Unwin Rail Cargo Tracking 2 meter - Low Profile flush fit - Campervan Culture

Cargo Tracking sometimes calledd loadbed tracking or aircraft tracking is commonly used in 4x4s and expedition vehicles where it is extremely effective as a flexible load containment system. The aluminium Cargo Tracking can also be used to good effect on roof-racks, within the loadbed of...

campervanculture.com

If so you’ve got 12mm to fill with subfloor and top covering (not packers, as these will be underneath this)

So could be like this

Top
3mm self adhesive vinyl planks
9mm ply
Bottom

View attachment 247868

That looks about right. I have put a bit of 12mm ply under track and fits perfectly. There's a enough lip for ply to slide under.

Other poster posted a 4 minute video of STIDE seating. As tracks go from one end to the other then fitting flooring will be easy though in 3 parts. The STIDE is becoming more popular and a £1k cheaper than REIMO. The track is screwed down in places. Using the factory holes for VW campers.

 

[meza]

I imagine you’ll want the floor finish to slide under the rail rebate as well as the ply, rather than it butting up to the rail edge (which is chamfered).

Maybe you’ll need 4 flooring pieces not 3. As I don’t know how you’ll get a single piece in between the rails without bending it, removing a rail, or sliding it in from the end?

Although thinking about it, if you can slide it in from the rear (ooeer) that’s a winner!

Another bit to note is the rail looks close to the rear n/s wheel arch. That’s going to be tricky to slice the ply to fit that narrow gap without it being very fragile.

Good luck!

 

[Smileysmile]

I imagine you’ll want the floor finish to slide under the rail rebate as well as the ply, rather than it butting up to the rail edge (which is chamfered).

Maybe you’ll need 4 flooring pieces not 3. As I don’t know how you’ll get a single piece in between the rails without bending it, removing a rail, or sliding it in from the end?

Although thinking about it, if you can slide it in from the rear (ooeer) that’s a winner!

Another bit to note is the rail looks close to the rear n/s wheel arch. That’s going to be tricky to slice the ply to fit that narrow gap without it being very fragile.

Good luck!

Removing the seat is the best thing to do.
It's a simple installation then.
If it were me I'd cut all pieces out first, the middle being the easiest. Fix of them all in and then glue the Altro or similar to 12mm ply then when they fit glue them to packing or/and ridges.

If the lip/rebate is 6mm each side then it's easy to slide one side in and lower the other side and jiggle it equally so the ply is under each lip 3 to 4mm.

I probably can do it myself.

I don't have the cutting tools. I think the ends all need a straight cut.

It's deciding what finish to have.