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Post by rvcouple on Apr 19, 2022 16:42:09 GMT -5
We have a fire place we use for heat most of the time, but this weekend we used the furnace because of the low temps. Of course it's in year three, after the 2 year warranty, stupid me for waiting so long.
We have a C261RB with a Climate package.
While the furnace is running and blowing air under the camper (climate package), the whole linoleum flooring balloons upward about a +1/2" in the middle. It's kind of like the kids Jumping Pad they had in the playground. When you step on one end, the items on the floor bounce on the other end.
It's annoying and I consider it another KZ poor construction issue that they didn't glue it down in the first place. Or used a cheap glue if they did.
The question is, is this a long term problem that needs to be fixed?
What is the fix?
Can the furnace output be adjusted to put more air in the vents then under the floor via climate package?
Is there a certain place we should look at where the air under the floor is lifting the linoleum?
Can we seal the bottom of the floor under the camper to prevent the air from lifting the flooring?
Thanks...
Jeff
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Post by jusfloors on Apr 19, 2022 19:36:12 GMT -5
Well I am a former flooring installer. Loose lay vinyl won't expand from heat flowing under the ply wood. Most likely there is a heat register that hasn't been cut out or a seam in the plywood is gaped extremely to let air directly up under vinyl. If it were me I would cut vinyl loose all around living room, pull back, look for gaps, tap gaps perimeter glue back. Good luck
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Post by nvguy on Apr 19, 2022 23:40:24 GMT -5
I would seal the lino at the floor ducts so no air can get under the lino before I did anything else.
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Post by rvcouple on Apr 23, 2022 16:34:29 GMT -5
I would seal the lino at the floor ducts so no air can get under the lino before I did anything else. That is what I plan to do, but the more I think about it, the more I think it is a result of work done by the dealer. We had run the furnace a few times to test it out when we first got the camper and the flooring didn't balloon then. We had it in to the dealer because the black water flush was blocked and not working and the tank sensors were not working. They cut the Climate Package panels under the camper to get to the tanks and flush line. Turned out the sensor wires were so short they were stretched so tight the connections were coming loose. The black water flush line was kinked and they replaced that. I think they might have removed the expanding foam in the floor that sealed those wires and hose and never replaced them. Now when the furnace kicks on and blows air into the space created for the Climate Package, it blows up through those holes they didn't reseal and balloons the flooring. Just a thought. |
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Post by nvguy on Apr 24, 2022 0:20:20 GMT -5
I would seal the lino at the floor ducts so no air can get under the lino before I did anything else. That is what I plan to do, but the more I think about it, the more I think it is a result of work done by the dealer. We had run the furnace a few times to test it out when we first got the camper and the flooring didn't balloon then. We had it in to the dealer because the black water flush was blocked and not working and the tank sensors were not working. They cut the Climate Package panels under the camper to get to the tanks and flush line. Turned out the sensor wires were so short they were stretched so tight the connections were coming loose. The black water flush line was kinked and they replaced that. I think they might have removed the expanding foam in the floor that sealed those wires and hose and never replaced them. Now when the furnace kicks on and blows air into the space created for the Climate Package, it blows up through those holes they didn't reseal and balloons the flooring. Just a thought. Excellent idea, and it makes prefect sense, especially since the only thing changed was done by the dealer. |
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Post by rvcouple on May 5, 2022 7:55:10 GMT -5
I pulled off the tape the dealer used to seal up where they cut the bottom to service it. There was nothing there that would indicate any sealant had been removed.
I closed it all back up and taped the edges of the flooring in each duct. They were screwed down pretty tight so I don't really think that is the issue either, but we will see.
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Post by Edd505 on May 5, 2022 12:29:57 GMT -5
Well I am a former flooring installer. Loose lay vinyl won't expand from heat flowing under the ply wood. Most likely there is a heat register that hasn't been cut out or a seam in the plywood is gaped extremely to let air directly up under vinyl. If it were me I would cut vinyl loose all around living room, pull back, look for gaps, tap gaps perimeter glue back. Good luck Chance the factory cut a vent hole and never cut the vinyl to install the cover? Can't he also get a small awl and poke a hole in the vinyl to let the air out thus the bubbles gone? |
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Post by jusfloors on May 7, 2022 6:59:11 GMT -5
Could be the slide out is causing it to bubble when closing. When the floor bubbles check for the warmest spot should indicate the source.
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Post by rvcouple on May 7, 2022 9:16:38 GMT -5
Could be the slide out is causing it to bubble when closing. When the floor bubbles check for the warmest spot should indicate the source. It is not the slide out. It also isn't a small bubble. The whole floor balloons up like a moon bounce. As soon as the furnace shuts off, it immediately settles back down. Checking for a warm spot is an excellent idea. I'll give that a shot. |
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Post by rvcouple on May 7, 2022 9:28:06 GMT -5
Well I am a former flooring installer. Loose lay vinyl won't expand from heat flowing under the ply wood. Most likely there is a heat register that hasn't been cut out or a seam in the plywood is gaped extremely to let air directly up under vinyl. If it were me I would cut vinyl loose all around living room, pull back, look for gaps, tap gaps perimeter glue back. Good luck Chance the factory cut a vent hole and never cut the vinyl to install the cover? Can't he also get a small awl and poke a hole in the vinyl to let the air out thus the bubbles gone? Can anyone tell me where the floor vents are supposed to be on the C261RB. We have one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen in front of the refrigerator that run parallel to the length of the trailer. There is one in the kitchen front of the sink and one in the bedroom that run perpendicular to the length of the trailer. The furnace is under the stove, between the two vents in the kitchen. We also have the Climate Package installed. |
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Post by jusfloors on May 13, 2022 20:06:19 GMT -5
I looked at mine a 2021 model it is one duct the length of the trailer. It is 12 inches wide. off the front of the kitchen toe kicks. 4 registers all off same duct. Heater is under stove ish. If you have a leak it's somewhere off the toe kicks.
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Post by jusfloors on May 13, 2022 20:10:39 GMT -5
Try pulling heat registers if the air is being diverted under the vinyl by the registers it should flow free then and not under vinyl.
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Post by rvcouple on May 15, 2022 18:41:55 GMT -5
Try pulling heat registers if the air is being diverted under the vinyl by the registers it should flow free then and not under vinyl. I haven't tried the furnace since I got 3 of the flooring taped to the sub floor with aluminum duct tape on 3 of the 4 registers. I'll do the fourth before testing. I don't think it is the air getting under the flooring at the registers because 1. the register covers are down pretty tight and squeeze the flooring to the sub floor pretty tight. Most air is coming out of the register, not under the flooring. 2. I have the Climate Package and my understanding is the furnace has a vent into the void between the floor and the plastic sheeting at the bottom of the frame to keep water lines from freezing. I believe it is the air forced into the void that is pressurizing the void and getting back up through the sub floor and making the flooring balloon. I just don't know if the ballooning is a serious issue or not. I suspect not. I also don't know how to go about finding where the forced air is getting under the flooring without pulling the climate package off and doing a visual inspection. The visual may miss something if I don't know what I'm looking for. |
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Post by jusfloors on May 16, 2022 6:17:45 GMT -5
That's frustrating, one solution creates another problem. Well familiar with that my fixes usually become bigger fixes. We have same model we have larger carpet runners threw out wouldn't know if floor was bubbling. Good 🤞
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Post by rvcouple on May 18, 2022 6:56:17 GMT -5
That's frustrating, one solution creates another problem. Well familiar with that my fixes usually become bigger fixes. We have same model we have larger carpet runners threw out wouldn't know if floor was bubbling. Good 🤞 We have the carpet runners also. You would know if the floor balloons when the furnace is on, even with the carpet. We had a small cooler sitting near the bathroom door and stepping on the ballooning floor near the stove will cause the cooler to bounce. Like I described, it's like a moon bounce, not bubbling, the whole floor balloons up at once for as long as the furnace runs. |
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Mark T
Newbie RV’er
Longer days ahead.
Posts: 43
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Post by Mark T on Jul 4, 2022 17:53:15 GMT -5
Vents in my 261RB are the same as you have.
There should be a huge amount of air leakage under the trailer and I see no way that the trailer belly would ever get pressurized. The plastic belly panels are just laying on the frame rail with no sealing anywhere.
Sounds like KZ just didn't bother to glue it down at all. And as others have suggested air is escaping along the vent/ducts above the plywood. I assume the duct is only cut open at the vents and a couple other holes for the belly. You should be good after taping up you vents.
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Post by rvcouple on Jul 23, 2022 16:51:25 GMT -5
Vents in my 261RB are the same as you have. There should be a huge amount of air leakage under the trailer and I see no way that the trailer belly would ever get pressurized. The plastic belly panels are just laying on the frame rail with no sealing anywhere. Sounds like KZ just didn't bother to glue it down at all. And as others have suggested air is escaping along the vent/ducts above the plywood. I assume the duct is only cut open at the vents and a couple other holes for the belly. You should be good after taping up you vents. I'm hoping so. The Climate package does put warm air from the furnace under the floor to keep water lines from freezing. I agree, it shouldn't pressurize much with all the leaks, but I suspect it could be pressurized enough that if it leaks through a seam in the plywood flooring, that could be the cause. It seems like the vent covers hold the flooring down pretty well at the vent openings so I would be surprised if they get that much leakage. Nobody has said they had this issue so I'm guessing the advice about the vents is more speculation then actual experience. We'll see when I get a chance to go out and try the taped down vent areas. Unfortunately we haven't had a chance to use it in the last few months and may not get it out again until late August. I just haven't wanted to go out and run the furnace in 90º-100º heat. |
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Post by rvcouple on Oct 29, 2022 19:05:09 GMT -5
So I used aluminum tape at all the floor vents to seal the flooring to the base board and aluminum vents. No way for air to get under the flooring from the vents.
We still get some ballooning of the floor when the furnace runs. Not as bad as it was before taping it down at the floor vents.
The only thing I can think of that is causing it now, is the opening where the furnace blows under the floor for the climate package. I figure the next step is to remove/lift the furnace unit and tape the flooring down at that point like I did the vents.
If that doesn't work, it has to be coming from underneath and up between the plywood flooring, which would mean dropping the plastic corrugated panels and try to seal the seams from the bottom. Wish they would have taken care of this kind of thing when they built it.
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offgridalways
Newbie RV’er
Two dogs and campgrounds don’t mix so we off grid camp.
Posts: 24
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Post by offgridalways on Nov 5, 2022 17:58:08 GMT -5
We have the same model and haven’t noticed any bubbling. **knock on wood** I’m thinking some of the others were right and KZ didn’t glue the floor down.
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Post by rvcouple on Nov 11, 2022 20:15:04 GMT -5
We have the same model and haven’t noticed any bubbling. **knock on wood** I’m thinking some of the others were right and KZ didn’t glue the floor down. I'm thinking you might be right. I'm hoping that sealing the flooring where the furnace blows under the floor for the climate package will fix it. The other option would be that seams in the plywood flooring is allowing air to come up from underneath. I think that would be a much more difficult issue to fix. |
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