In this article, I finish the van floor insulation and subfloor installation in my van. This took me a lot longer than I had anticipated, there are a lot of steps that require patience, creating templates, etc. I am stoked with how it turned out though, my floor feels super solid and secure.
Materials/Tools Required
Miter Saw
Circular Saw
Jigsaw
3M Contact Adhesive
Sikaflex 221 Sealant
Rust-Oleum Primer
Por 15 Top Coat Spray Paint
Reflectix Tape
Loctite Construction Adhesive
Foam Brushes
Simple Green Cleaner
M8X1.25 screws (for tie down threads)
Dewalt Safety Goggles
Makita Driver Drill
Kraft Paper
3/4″ RMax Polyiso Rigid Foam Board Insulation
1×2’s (primed with rust-oleum mold/mildew prevention primer)
3/4″ Birch Plywood
Ram ProMaster Van SubFloor Steps
1] Create a template with kraft paper for the entire subfloor. If you aren’t certain on your template, use a cheap piece of wood to test before cutting your nice plywood.
2] Cut out the subfloor with a jigsaw. Drop the pieces in and make sure they fit. Sand any areas that are tight. Leave 1/8″ – 1/4″ around the edges for flexing.
3] Prime the subfloor with mold & mildew resistant primer.
4] Use as many of the existing tie down threads to secure the subfloor with long M8x1.25 bolts.
5] Put a few screws into the subfloor, making sure to hit the 1×2’s that were installed underneath.
You shouldn’t need too many screws, just put a few in, see where things are still moving around, and continue adding screws until the floor feels secure. Keep in mind that you’ll most likely have cabinets and things on top to also secure the floor.
In the next article, we’ll start working on insulation in the van.