I've been doing flooring for about 14 years and bro I promise you I would have done it the same way you did for something that small good job it looks great 👍
I'm a flooring guy and for a van build THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA!! Too many keyboard warriors with closed minds that have NEVER built out a van and don't know the chaos that ensues when you try to build in a van like you would in a home. Super good idea to trace out the flooring with the subfloor...this is why your channel is SOOO helpful for so many of us! You actually solve problems and come up with brilliant ideas! :)
Besides lots of useful tips and a clear explanation, this is a really good video. I didn't think floor installation would be interesting but this video was.
When you say you'll screw the furniture to the floor what do you mean? Cause the main solid fixing point is the frame, the rest (insulation, cork insulation, laminate) cannot realistically be used to get a secure fixing for 'heavy' furniture. Are you betting on the subfloor plywood for the secure fixing of the furniture? How think is that plywood?
@DualEx the only possible issue I see is the floor. it's called a floating floor not only because it's not physically attached to the sub floor but also because the material expands and contracts and needs to be able to move. when installing a floating floor you need to have a quarter inch gap between the edge of the flooring and the wall. this gap is then covered by quarter round trim or baseboards in a house. this is to allow the flooring to expand. without that expansion gap, the flooring will expand with nowhere to go so it will buckle. similarly, installing the floor first and screwing things down on top of it will also cause buckling issues as well as the planks trying to pull apart when they contract in cold weather. floating flooring is sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. whenever it's installed in a house you typically have to let the material acclimate in the home for 24 to 48 hours before installing it. the reason for this is because when you buy the flooring, it might have been kept in a warehouse that may be temperature controlled to a certain extent but not the same as in your home. say for instance it's winter and you buy some flooring and the warehouse it's kept in is 15° cooler than the temperature in your house. you go home and install it right away. a day or so later as the flooring starts to expand because of the temperature difference it buckles because it expanded beyond the quarter inch gap you have around the perimeter of the flooring. personally I would use cedar tongue and groove planks, screw them down and finish with tongue oil. the reason for cedar is that it naturally resist moisture and is used in a lot of outdoor applications which would be better suited for a van than a product designed for indoor use. tung oil because it's relatively inexpensive and easy to work with and a good product. while the cedar may be a little on the pricey side it wouldn't be too bad considering that the area you're working with is small. and when you screw it down, use a quarter inch spade drill bit and drill an 1/8" deep hole everywhere you want to put a screw. then you can get a 1/4" cedar dowel and cut into 3/8" long pieces. using wood glue, install one in each of the screw holes. may need to tap in place with a hammer. let glue dry. once glue is dry. use a palm sander to sand dowels flush with the flooring. you could also sand the entire floor which would make all the joints flush with each other.
Woah those r good tips I never thought about that but it's common sense.i seen wen dey built house I go in da house that r being built 2 see da layout.I've noticed Dat dey put da subfloor and dey keep built-in everything else but da final flooring
I love this way of doing the floor, no sticking anything to the actual van floor so it's easily removed if you want to resell. Great idea with tracing out the laminate then installing. Thanks for the great ideas.
I'm not sure why would you disassemble this beautiful build to resell it as a cheap used van, when you can just leave it as it is and sell it as a stylish cozy camper
Good afternoon. It's Saturday at 1130am on July 13th. My friend bought a sonoma. He wants to convert it to living space. We will be working on the flooring part soon. I'm watching your video to have an idea how we can do it. I'll fo a RUclips video as well. Yay. I'll watch your other videos too.
I appreciate the different parts of the build videos. Def more detailed than other vids out there. Showing the process makes it seem more doable for ppl like me that feel overwhelmed to tackle a project like this.
I really like your explanations and I love your flooring choice! It looks so good! I always wonder why other types of flooring aren't considered for vans like bamboo, resin, rhino Lining, and rubber floors. I get that there are many factors in choosing a flooring like cost, weight, access, installation, and sustainability.
Love that you address the issue of there being many ways to achieve an objective. The cork foam install is a very good suggestion and I will use it in my van build-out, which is at the floor install part right now. Thanks for another interesting and informative video.
seems like there are lots of opinions on insulation for vans for the reasons you mentioned - large changes in temperature and moisture. could you share more on why you chose the foam board that you used?
Great videos, ive got a van that im slowly working on, may take a few months to finish, im learning a lot about how to do this stuff the correct way, I like how you take your time and get everything right.
Ok Next class when building is that insulation very expensive or can you find less expensive insulation that won’t compromise the integrity of the floor. Is the wood on top just plywood? I don’t want to sound stupid but I’m trying to get details.
curious do you not feel flex in the middle with no cross bracing? im assuming your top layer and flooring is enough support. what about for 600lb van lifers?
In my van I used marine grade plywood on the floor and painted it with Kilz primer. Installing the floor that way will make it impossible to replace a piece if you need too in the future, the floor should go in the traffic area last after everything else has been built, so it'll be easy to remove in the future.
Love it!!! I am enjoying this build and learning at the same time. Came across your channel a few months ago and love your content!! Keep up the good work and wishing you all the best!
Dude, you’re editing is immaculate. Everything about this video was perfect the way you described. Everything was so simple. This is the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
Thanks again for the excellent information. If everything works out, I will have a very nice used 2004 Ford Econoline E350 Extended Van here this Friday and start my RV build to be ready for next summer.
Pretty interesting video. The use of the pocket screws on the foundation seemed odd to me, but if it works, it works. I would have tried to have been more exact tracing the sub-floor. Why would the original mat not have fix when you traced it? Also, I might have put down a layer of that moisture proofing house wrap stuff on the metal floor and used spray insulation as a way to support the sub-floor more, as well as use thicker plywood. The video is good, but seem longer than it needed to be since we have to watch every little cut. Sorry to be critical, and I just do it to provoke discussion. You have to make the design decisions as to cost, time and resources and you did a bang-up job - you just gave me some ideas in case I ever had to do something like this. Did you mention what kind of van this was? Good video +1.
NICE job. Not crazy about the budget laminate...they're paper based,and any water makes them swell at joints. Waterproof IS more expensive, yes, but water is a non-issue. I have to replace a floor that's swollen from water spillage.
It's very helpful seeing your ideas come to life... My thoughts are that when that little strip of flooring gets worn, and it will since it is exposed to ALL traffic, you'll have a devil of a time replacing it since it is under everything. This only matters if you plan on keeping and using the van for a while, however... Thanks for sharing.
Someone could always add a new floor on top of this one, if it became worn out. Doors and drawers shouldn't come all the way down to the floor anyway. You may want to put a rug down.
Thank you for sharing this video! I followed most of the same steps. I ended up bolting the frame to the floor of my van (where there were threaded inserts) to avoid it moving around when driving or shifting. I also ended up using sheet vinyl flooring because I’m too broke for the nice laminate (def. Had to take a hit on the aesthetics). I liked the idea of building the floor first as well. I am going to design in a way to detach the frame if needed if there are any issues with it. One idea I liked from another channel was putting down sound proofing on the van bed before building the floor so that it’s not noisy when you are cruising. This wasn’t in my budget for now so didn’t pursue it
I just ripped out my factory made Van Camper floor. From Coachmen. They did not have any framing 2x2. It was just a thin layer of wood. Carpet on top. Worked fine for 34 years. But now putting in a thick laminate flooring. Do I have to put in the frame? I was not going to. Only thing I was adding under the thin wood was some cork and even was going to use their wood as it still good. It will save me 2 inchs too! Foil Tape is a great Idea. I did not even think of that.
I think your pretty amazing, the fact that you do know about so many different things, I'm looking into buying a bus, The one I'm looking at has a propane powered engine, which I know nothing about well very little about. All I'm looking for is advise on if it a smart desition for a conversion build. Wondering if you have an opinoun?I would greatly appreciate if you would take a min. to answer me. Thanks Bunn'e
Hola, espero que sepas español, te sigo hace tiempo y disfrute con tus primeros vídeos, pero de un tiempo a esta parte cada vez son más aburridos, demasiadas explicaciones y promociones que son interminables… Espero que vuelvas a tu esencia, a lo de antes, videos más entretenidos, con buenas camperizaciones, y buenos trabajos e ideas.
smh high ass floor literally like 3in 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ ill be mad just lay the play wood and that’s it add heated film on top of that play wood and then ur w.3 .. ams stressed loking at u doing this floor
I wonder how this floor holds up? The instructions for this type of plank clearly stated that nothing should be drilled through it or attached to it as rhis plank expands and contract with the heat and the cold. Your video starts off with you explaining that there is s different effect from using a product intended for a home not a van...but then i am assuming you will be attaching your furniture to this floor. Hmm??? Your thoughts dir?
I don't get y ya keep asking bout attaching da Frame 2 dA van floor.he said Dat it's not attached, da subfloor is flush against da wall so it not going 2 move unless u pry it up and by addin more weight/furniture it makes it sturdy
Do you custom car vans? I have a Pacifica I would love for you to put a floor in for me and convert to a van. How would I get in contact with you to discuss. I love your videos, they are the best I’ve seen.
One of the best videos I've seen on flooring install. Lots of common sense techniques and I really appreciate how he explains why he does something as opposed to doing it another way. I also really like the intro portion on why one type of flooring is better.
▬▬▬▬▬VIDEO CONTENTS▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Intro
2:16 - Starting Point
2:32 - Step 1: The Frame
4:15 - Step 2: Sub Floor
6:33 - Step 3: Insulation
7:51 - Step 4: Laminate Flooring
10:50 - Final Installation
12:35 - FAQs
13:34 - Ending
I've been doing flooring for about 14 years and bro I promise you I would have done it the same way you did for something that small good job it looks great 👍
I'm a flooring guy and for a van build THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA!! Too many keyboard warriors with closed minds that have NEVER built out a van and don't know the chaos that ensues when you try to build in a van like you would in a home. Super good idea to trace out the flooring with the subfloor...this is why your channel is SOOO helpful for so many of us! You actually solve problems and come up with brilliant ideas! :)
What a TREMENDOUS compliment Sir!
Dude is there a literally hundreds of videos outdoor people doing the same thing for years this isn't anything new😂
Besides lots of useful tips and a clear explanation, this is a really good video. I didn't think floor installation would be interesting but this video was.
here early. whats up!? 🤓
Looks good.. I don’t see any issues with ur flooring technique.. if it seems crazy, but it works, it ain’t crazy 🤷♂️
When you say you'll screw the furniture to the floor what do you mean? Cause the main solid fixing point is the frame, the rest (insulation, cork insulation, laminate) cannot realistically be used to get a secure fixing for 'heavy' furniture. Are you betting on the subfloor plywood for the secure fixing of the furniture? How think is that plywood?
@DualEx the only possible issue I see is the floor. it's called a floating floor not only because it's not physically attached to the sub floor but also because the material expands and contracts and needs to be able to move. when installing a floating floor you need to have a quarter inch gap between the edge of the flooring and the wall. this gap is then covered by quarter round trim or baseboards in a house. this is to allow the flooring to expand. without that expansion gap, the flooring will expand with nowhere to go so it will buckle. similarly, installing the floor first and screwing things down on top of it will also cause buckling issues as well as the planks trying to pull apart when they contract in cold weather. floating flooring is sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. whenever it's installed in a house you typically have to let the material acclimate in the home for 24 to 48 hours before installing it. the reason for this is because when you buy the flooring, it might have been kept in a warehouse that may be temperature controlled to a certain extent but not the same as in your home. say for instance it's winter and you buy some flooring and the warehouse it's kept in is 15° cooler than the temperature in your house. you go home and install it right away. a day or so later as the flooring starts to expand because of the temperature difference it buckles because it expanded beyond the quarter inch gap you have around the perimeter of the flooring. personally I would use cedar tongue and groove planks, screw them down and finish with tongue oil. the reason for cedar is that it naturally resist moisture and is used in a lot of outdoor applications which would be better suited for a van than a product designed for indoor use. tung oil because it's relatively inexpensive and easy to work with and a good product. while the cedar may be a little on the pricey side it wouldn't be too bad considering that the area you're working with is small. and when you screw it down, use a quarter inch spade drill bit and drill an 1/8" deep hole everywhere you want to put a screw. then you can get a 1/4" cedar dowel and cut into 3/8" long pieces. using wood glue, install one in each of the screw holes. may need to tap in place with a hammer. let glue dry. once glue is dry. use a palm sander to sand dowels flush with the flooring. you could also sand the entire floor which would make all the joints flush with each other.
Woah those r good tips I never thought about that but it's common sense.i seen wen dey built house I go in da house that r being built 2 see da layout.I've noticed Dat dey put da subfloor and dey keep built-in everything else but da final flooring
@@dd___dcpolyurethane or like he said tung oil
I remember having pergo at home yeah you need a crown molding baseboard piece to let the wood breathe I guess
jack black thank you …
Do you install van floors? If so I would gladly pay you, I getting a Chevy Savanna
I've been a fan for a while, I'm always so impressed at what you do & how you do it. That's why I keep on watchin'.
I enjoy watching your videos! Good stuff! I always feel like I can renovate, diy and install just like you🤣
I love this way of doing the floor, no sticking anything to the actual van floor so it's easily removed if you want to resell. Great idea with tracing out the laminate then installing. Thanks for the great ideas.
I'm not sure why would you disassemble this beautiful build to resell it as a cheap used van, when you can just leave it as it is and sell it as a stylish cozy camper
Good afternoon. It's Saturday at 1130am on July 13th. My friend bought a sonoma. He wants to convert it to living space. We will be working on the flooring part soon. I'm watching your video to have an idea how we can do it. I'll fo a RUclips video as well. Yay. I'll watch your other videos too.
Wassap! First one here. Hi from Palestine
Great floor diy I took away some tips.
Saw the Timelapse everytime I see it I get inspired
Great information. Good looking work and great video editing. Thanks Don
Your video is awesome. You do great work. Glad I found your channel
Good type of video. Interesting.
WATCHING ON VIEDO A LAMINATE FLOORING OF GRAY A VAN MAKE TO PRETTY AT HIM 😎😍👌
Got me thinking I can do this.Really contemplating van life or Skoolie.Great video.
I appreciate the different parts of the build videos. Def more detailed than other vids out there. Showing the process makes it seem more doable for ppl like me that feel overwhelmed to tackle a project like this.
I really like your explanations and I love your flooring choice! It looks so good! I always wonder why other types of flooring aren't considered for vans like bamboo, resin, rhino Lining, and rubber floors. I get that there are many factors in choosing a flooring like cost, weight, access, installation, and sustainability.
I have been doing flooring for O years and this is an excellent way of doing flooring! Lol. Thanks, I start my floor on January 3rd.
Fantastic video. Easy subscription. Explained everything great!
Loved the videos. I find them to be relaxing.
Wonderful as always !! ☮️💟
Love that you address the issue of there being many ways to achieve an objective. The cork foam install is a very good suggestion and I will use it in my van build-out, which is at the floor install part right now. Thanks for another interesting and informative video.
seems like there are lots of opinions on insulation for vans for the reasons you mentioned - large changes in temperature and moisture. could you share more on why you chose the foam board that you used?
Great videos, ive got a van that im slowly working on, may take a few months to finish, im learning a lot about how to do this stuff the correct way, I like how you take your time and get everything right.
Ok Next class when building is that insulation very expensive or can you find less expensive insulation that won’t compromise the integrity of the floor. Is the wood on top just plywood? I don’t want to sound stupid but I’m trying to get details.
Bro, that’s some boss ass creative mind you have. I am throughly impressed 👏🏽 well done friend
I love the CAD system. Cardboard aided design 🤓 good job man!
So the subfloor is also floating? The main reason I watched this video was to see how you were going to attach that.
awesome!
the break down and the explanation of the videos are nice
Thanks for plain and simple instructions so that a first timer can do it.
I like the way you think, smart. Work smarter not harder and who likes to be crouched in the van your thought process makes total sense
a great job-man/thanks much
Excellent choice of music. Good build. Helpful tips. Solid all around.
The floating floor is great... I think I'm gonna do the same within my bus build
Thanks for video renovating a van currently and having a hard time putting flooring down
Floors, instruction and knowledge were awesome.
The real question though, when are you returning to the Octagon?😁💪🤣
We are planning to buy a van. How can we contact you to build it out for us? Your work is awesome!
I didn't see you glue the frame to the floor, is that something you don't have to do
Music at ~3:40 says we are getting down to serious business!! 🤣
I love watching you. You’re an amazing young man. So talented
curious do you not feel flex in the middle with no cross bracing? im assuming your top layer and flooring is enough support. what about for 600lb van lifers?
Excellent from start to finish.
Your videos have great content and you explain it in such great ways that anyone can understand it thank you Dual for all you do
Pretty detailed! 👍
In my van I used marine grade plywood on the floor and painted it with Kilz primer. Installing the floor that way will make it impossible to replace a piece if you need too in the future, the floor should go in the traffic area last after everything else has been built, so it'll be easy to remove in the future.
That’s one benefit, but I’m personally not a fan of doing the flooring at the end
This was a joy to watch. My brain works this way as well. Thank you. Stay safe and TFS💖
Your videos have gotten so much nicer, like them before but like them even better now. Keep up the good work looking forward to the end product
Love it!!! I am enjoying this build and learning at the same time. Came across your channel a few months ago and love your content!! Keep up the good work and wishing you all the best!
Nice day outside. Damn. Thanks for your perseverance.
I love the way you do it and makes it simple
I love watching you work.
Dude, you’re editing is immaculate. Everything about this video was perfect the way you described. Everything was so simple. This is the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
1st to comment ~
Thanks again for the excellent information. If everything works out, I will have a very nice used 2004 Ford Econoline E350 Extended Van here this Friday and start my RV build to be ready for next summer.
I agree I like how you did the floor and putting your build on top of it definitely seems to be best way . Great tutorial! Thanks
I love this channel. Dude is a craftsman. He actually puts effort and passion into his builds.
What about the frame you first put down; does that get attached or does that also float?
This man is giving a master class on how to build a a van
This is so helpful! I swear I’m gonna get a FTC
Once again, amazing video, common sense approach. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great video and I see you stepped up the video making skills. Keep going! 🌟
Pretty interesting video. The use of the pocket screws on the foundation seemed odd to me, but if it works, it works. I would have tried to have been more exact tracing the sub-floor. Why would the original mat not have fix when you traced it? Also, I might have put down a layer of that moisture proofing house wrap stuff on the metal floor and used spray insulation as a way to support the sub-floor more, as well as use thicker plywood. The video is good, but seem longer than it needed to be since we have to watch every little cut.
Sorry to be critical, and I just do it to provoke discussion. You have to make the design decisions as to cost, time and resources and you did a bang-up job - you just gave me some ideas in case I ever had to do something like this. Did you mention what kind of van this was? Good video +1.
Thanks! I'm going to use this method!
NICE job. Not crazy about the budget laminate...they're paper based,and any water makes them swell at joints. Waterproof IS more expensive, yes, but water is a non-issue. I have to replace a floor that's swollen from water spillage.
As always thank you for the help!
Hay dude, wtf , that was great job and process only error is I think there is only
999,999 way to do shit...ha...
Specially when working alone... jeez
It's very helpful seeing your ideas come to life... My thoughts are that when that little strip of flooring gets worn, and it will since it is exposed to ALL traffic, you'll have a devil of a time replacing it since it is under everything. This only matters if you plan on keeping and using the van for a while, however... Thanks for sharing.
Exactly what I was thinking, if you ever have to replace a piece it's impossible.
Someone could always add a new floor on top of this one, if it became worn out. Doors and drawers shouldn't come all the way down to the floor anyway. You may want to put a rug down.
Some things are built to last a lifetime, one can be death before that happens...
Ur amazing!
Thank you for sharing this video! I followed most of the same steps. I ended up bolting the frame to the floor of my van (where there were threaded inserts) to avoid it moving around when driving or shifting. I also ended up using sheet vinyl flooring because I’m too broke for the nice laminate (def. Had to take a hit on the aesthetics). I liked the idea of building the floor first as well. I am going to design in a way to detach the frame if needed if there are any issues with it.
One idea I liked from another channel was putting down sound proofing on the van bed before building the floor so that it’s not noisy when you are cruising. This wasn’t in my budget for now so didn’t pursue it
I just ripped out my factory made Van Camper floor. From Coachmen. They did not have any framing 2x2. It was just a thin layer of wood. Carpet on top. Worked fine for 34 years. But now putting in a thick laminate flooring. Do I have to put in the frame? I was not going to. Only thing I was adding under the thin wood was some cork and even was going to use their wood as it still good. It will save me 2 inchs too! Foil Tape is a great Idea. I did not even think of that.
I think your pretty amazing, the fact that you do know about so many different things, I'm looking into buying a bus, The one I'm looking at has a propane powered engine, which I know nothing about well very little about. All I'm looking for is advise on if it a smart desition for a conversion build. Wondering if you have an opinoun?I would greatly appreciate if you would take a min. to answer me. Thanks Bunn'e
Hey man, love your work. Could you give us a feedback regarding the noise? Isn't that insulation material rather squeaky?
Hola, espero que sepas español, te sigo hace tiempo y disfrute con tus primeros vídeos, pero de un tiempo a esta parte cada vez son más aburridos, demasiadas explicaciones y promociones que son interminables…
Espero que vuelvas a tu esencia, a lo de antes, videos más entretenidos, con buenas camperizaciones, y buenos trabajos e ideas.
I’m pretty sure the floor insulation was upside down…. Shiny foil side faces out to reflect heat and cold…..!! Otherwise an awesome vid!
Clear and simple! Thank you for sharing this video 🤗
smh high ass floor literally like 3in 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ ill be mad just lay the play wood and that’s it add heated film on top of that play wood and then ur w.3 .. ams stressed loking at u doing this floor
@dualex how did you screw/secure your furniture onto the floor. Did you somehow mark where your subfloor was and screw into that?
nice flooring
Rockin that floor
Great video! Super clear and useful... But the music... Man, the music...
I wonder how this floor holds up? The instructions for this type of plank clearly stated that nothing should be drilled through it or attached to it as rhis plank expands and contract with the heat and the cold. Your video starts off with you explaining that there is s different effect from using a product intended for a home not a van...but then i am assuming you will be attaching your furniture to this floor. Hmm??? Your thoughts dir?
How is the floor holding up with the changes in moisture, temperatures, and vibrations while driving?
wtf are you doing bro!!!. just kidding lol. finally found detailed flooring thx man
Awesome idea, I'll be using this technique for my van conversion.
Superb Video. I’m doing mine this way deffo. George U.K.
I don't get y ya keep asking bout attaching da Frame 2 dA van floor.he said Dat it's not attached, da subfloor is flush against da wall so it not going 2 move unless u pry it up and by addin more weight/furniture it makes it sturdy
Gone be a beautiful home.
Do you custom car vans? I have a Pacifica I would love for you to put a floor in for me and convert to a van. How would I get in contact with you to discuss. I love your videos, they are the best I’ve seen.
One of the best videos I've seen on flooring install. Lots of common sense techniques and I really appreciate how he explains why he does something as opposed to doing it another way. I also really like the intro portion on why one type of flooring is better.
Thanks!
You mention that furniture will be screwed into the flooring. Doesn't the laminate have to be free to float? Trying to decide what to use in my van.
Well ✅
Completely unrelated but does anyone know what shoes/boots he's wearing?
Ya, the floor is heavy. Once it all in you can not left it up anyhow. I use floating floors for my home. It weighs death