Magnitude "floating" vinyl floor.

[deezrvz]

OK another "how hard will this be to fix" question. I received my 2021 Thor Magnitude late November 2020 already winterized and didn't get to use everything during the winter. I winterized again this year after only being able to take a couple short <300 mile trips. I decided to see how the furnace works in this thing. Last year I didn't know how to use everything so I just used a space heater on mild winter days. This year I turn on the furnace (of course all kinds of stuff blows out the vents) but then I noticed as I started walking in the coach the vinyl flooring is floating up. Puffed up like all the air is under it. As you walk its like 1/2 inch hovering above whatever hard surface is beneath it throughout the entire coach. I'm loosing a lot of heat to who knows where. I've seen this in cheap apartment rehabs where they end up just putting 2-sided tape around the vents to keep air from getting up under the floor. I tried that on the 3 vents I saw to no avail. Thor says the floor is supposed to float so as not to tear during shifting and slide use? Has anyone else experienced this or have any suggestions? Thx

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by deezrvz

OK another "how hard will this be to fix" question. I received my 2021 Thor Magnitude late November 2020 already winterized and didn't get to use everything during the winter. I winterized again this year after only being able to take a couple short <300 mile trips. I decided to see how the furnace works in this thing. Last year I didn't know how to use everything so I just used a space heater on mild winter days. This year I turn on the furnace (of course all kinds of stuff blows out the vents) but then I noticed as I started walking in the coach the vinyl flooring is floating up. Puffed up like all the air is under it. As you walk its like 1/2 inch hovering above whatever hard surface is beneath it throughout the entire coach. I'm loosing a lot of heat to who knows where. I've seen this in cheap apartment rehabs where they end up just putting 2-sided tape around the vents to keep air from getting up under the floor. I tried that on the 3 vents I saw to no avail. Thor says the floor is supposed to float so as not to tear during shifting and slide use? Has anyone else experienced this or have any suggestions? Thx

Don't follow the 2-sided tape unless it's under the sheet vinyl. I'd suggest removing the floor register vent and tape the top of the vinyl a short bit down into the ducting. Seal the openings so no air from the furnace can go under the sheet vinyl.

[kwplot34]

My floor does the same thing also, I keep meaning to pull the vents and secure the edges down to stop air from going under the floor.

[Elite Washington]

Different model but ours does that as well. It hasn’t caused us any issues so I have just put it off for the last 5 years.

[Gmthrust]

Isn’t that the new heated floors offered by Thor
Seriously, now I have to run our furnace to see what happens.

[deezrvz]

Originally Posted by chunker21

Don't follow the 2-sided tape unless it's under the sheet vinyl. I'd suggest removing the floor register vent and tape the top of the vinyl a short bit down into the ducting. Seal the openings so no air from the furnace can go under the sheet vinyl.

Yeah I tried taping the way you suggested down a ways into the duct which just runs a short bit as metal then they just let the wood channel carry the air after that. I ran a borescope down in and there are big gaps where the wood butts up against things. I pulled out the bottom drawers in the bedroom closet and saw that the flexible ducts from the furnace just had these little short screws holding them down and no seal so I foil taped them down too. Good heat comes out of the one vent exiting the lower dresser. I'm guessing not having dedicated ducting and using just the wood framing to carry the air is the reason. They are using cheaper than dryer vent material. If I can find a way to fish some flexible ducting end-to-end it would probably be shweet.

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by deezrvz

Yeah I tried taping the way you suggested down a ways into the duct which just runs a short bit as metal then they just let the wood channel carry the air after that. I ran a borescope down in and there are big gaps where the wood butts up against things. I pulled out the bottom drawers in the bedroom closet and saw that the flexible ducts from the furnace just had these little short screws holding them down and no seal so I foil taped them down too. Good heat comes out of the one vent exiting the lower dresser. I'm guessing not having dedicated ducting and using just the wood framing to carry the air is the reason. They are using cheaper than dryer vent material. If I can find a way to fish some flexible ducting end-to-end it would probably be shweet.

I pulled the slatted cover off the heater compartment looking for mice evidence and saw those flexible ducts. Looks like the heating ducting is worse than the A/C ducting. Another great thor "quality build". Obviously as such, my suggestion of tape won't help. Looks like another use for the borescope I got.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Adds a whole new meaning to "floating floor"! Maybe Thor could patent that and call it "ThorFloor".

Seriously though - I hope you come up with a solution. That's a tough fix.

[kwplot34]

When I get done with the cap remodel I will have to take a look at the heating duct work in mine also as the vinyl floor lifts when the heater is on.
You guys should really put some big hose clamps on the flexible hoses as they come out of the heater, had 2 come off last year and all the clothes in the drawers were toasty warm, front of the coach not so much. And where the hose feed into the floor tape the sheet metal connection down good, used the foil backed tape on them air would leak out between the connection and the floor.

[Judge]

This must be an XG32 thing..... I don't have this problem in my SV34. I'm so happy I finally don't have a problem other people have.

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by Judge

This must be an XG32 thing..... I don't have this problem in my SV34. I'm so happy I finally don't have a problem other people have.

Not sure it's all XG32 either but probably is. When were were in WV it got cold a couple mornings and I ran the heater a bit and didn't notice any floor floating. Since it's back home I'll fire up the heater this morning and see if it happens and I just missed it.

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by chunker21

Not sure it's all XG32 either but probably is. When were were in WV it got cold a couple mornings and I ran the heater a bit and didn't notice any floor floating. Since it's back home I'll fire up the heater this morning and see if it happens and I just missed it.

EDIT just went out and turned the heater on high and a bunch of sawdust blew out, not surprising. I must have had it on low before. No billowing floor but could feel the not glued down sheet vinyl so some air getting in perhaps. Later I'll pull the vent registers and be prepared to add some foil tape.

[kwplot34]

Originally Posted by Judge

This must be an XG32 thing..... I don't have this problem in my SV34. I'm so happy I finally don't have a problem other people have.

LOL, you SV34 owners have it made
I will look into mine next, was going to do it last year but got busy with other projects.

[williamprunty]

Originally Posted by Judge

This must be an XG32 thing..... I don't have this problem in my SV34. I'm so happy I finally don't have a problem other people have.

Not having a issue like that either, but I do not have floor vents.

[Tire]

My xg32 floor did the same thing. Dealer told me it happens when the factory is installing cabinetry, walls, furniture. They screw into the duct chase. The dealer cut my floor around the edge and then glued it down. That was 17 months ago and no issues with the floor.

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by chunker21

EDIT just went out and turned the heater on high and a bunch of sawdust blew out, not surprising. I must have had it on low before. No billowing floor but could feel the not glued down sheet vinyl so some air getting in perhaps. Later I'll pull the vent registers and be prepared to add some foil tape.

Pulled the registers and they are taped but not very well. I'll add some tape along the edges and inside. Maybe a pound or 2 of sawdust from the floor vents and vents not connected under the wardrobe. It will be a week or more before I can borescope the vents to see how bad it is. More styrofoam blowing from the A/C vents so further inspection there later too. Meanwhile still catching mice outside but nothing inside. Something ran or crawled off with 1 trap and tripped others outside. No more evidence inside of any.

Renegade Valencia or Verona research continues.

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by chunker21

Pulled the registers and they are taped but not very well. I'll add some tape along the edges and inside. Maybe a pound or 2 of sawdust from the floor vents and vents not connected under the wardrobe. It will be a week or more before I can borescope the vents to see how bad it is. More styrofoam blowing from the A/C vents so further inspection there later too. Meanwhile still catching mice outside but nothing inside. Something ran or crawled off with 1 trap and tripped others outside. No more evidence inside of any.

Renegade Valencia or Verona research continues.

Well I scoped the ducts as best I could. First the scope is hard to manage especially when extending more than 12" into the duct. What I found on the A/C ducting is it's in OK shape for a styrofoam box. The gaps that I found and previously repaired were up front around the front vent. I didn't check the ducting around the shower skylight.
In the floor heating vents the ducting between the first floor resister and the one in the bath was confusing so I didn't learn much. I did hook my shop vac up to a duct opening and blocked the other registers openings and ran the heat with the vac going. Hopefully I got the first 100 pounds of sawdust out. Did the same thing in the A/C ducting trying to reduce the Styrofoam snow showers.

[kwplot34]

I have scoped my a/c ducting last year and found no issues with it and while I had the cap apart and the roof vent out found no openings there.
I will get around to scoping the heat vents and will run a smoke machine in the ducts and look for leaks to the outside/under the coach and will report back with what I find.

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by kwplot34

I have scoped my a/c ducting last year and found no issues with it and while I had the cap apart and the roof vent out found no openings there.
I will get around to scoping the heat vents and will run a smoke machine in the ducts and look for leaks to the outside/under the coach and will report back with what I find.

What I did find was the heater box under the wardrobe. The 4 ducting connectors that connect the flexible round ducting to the box. They rotate and clip into the heater box. Not securely and leak. I put some foil tape around the edges as best I could but it's not a 100% job. I'd have to take the heater out to do that. But that makes your clothes in the wardrobe toasty warm.

[Greybear]

No sign of this in our BH35, but every darn time I read one of these and think to myself "nope, not me"...

*sigh*