Help With Plywood Floor

[jj214]

With 10 thumbs and few tools, what is the best way to install a plywood floor in a E250 (not extended) - seams? Just use gravity and cut it around the wheel wells to hold it down. How many sheets will it take?

[Turtle]

I used large self-tapping screws, about a foot apart, around the perimeter and down the middle. I laid out e-track on the floor so that the outer edged of the e-track were 48 inches, and then installed them with screws about every foot, as well. Then measured the interior between the inside edged of the e-track, and cut the 4x8 foot plywood to fit in between the e-track. I have 9 feet of cargo space, which meant I had to add another foot of plywood to the deck, added farthest from the rear doors, then filled and sanded the seam.

Decks in cargo vans are subject to a lot of skids being scooted and dragged, so the decking can take quite a beating with all the scars and scrapes. Many people flip theirs after 6 months, then after another 6 months they replace the plywood. I gave mine 3 or 4 coats of Minwax Polycrylic, which not only protects it, but makes cleaning it very easy. Oil and other stuff won't seep into th wood. Instead of flipping mine every six months, I add another 2 or 3 coats of Polycrylic. Mine is still going strong after more than 3 years. I did have a forklift operator somehow manage to slide a fork into the edge of the plywood and take out a chunk the size of a dinner plate, but regular ol' automotive Bondo, a power sander and some more Polycrylic fixed 'er right up.



The old Ford E-350


The new-ish Sprinter

[theoldprof]

After the rear edge of my GMC van got chipped away by careless fork truck drivers, I thought about making the first six inches of the rear floor a separate piece. That way if it got too buggered up it could be easily replaced without replacing the whole floor. Just replace the six inch edge, seal it, and be on my merry way. Never did that, though, but thought about it.

I had my E-track too far apart, also. Sometimes I had trouble holding down narrow skids.

[jj214]

Thanks so much for your information. I am thinking of placing the etrack on the sides as the van has wood runners at three different heights on both sides. I may have had cabinets installed at one time on these wood strips. If I do not have etrack on the floor, what is the best configuration for the plywood floor. seam running side to side or front to back ?

[Turtle]

Side-to-side or front-to-back won't matter, as long as the seams are filled with wood filler or something, and then sanded down smooth so they don't catch something sticking out of the bottom of a skid. It effectively eliminates the seam, so where the seam actually was, isn't much of a factor. But cutting off a single 1-foot x 4-foot piece and adding that to where the 8-foot piece ends is a lot easier than doing lengthwise seams that you're gonna have to fill and sand.

Since a single piece of plywood is 4 feet wide by 8 feet long, I'd highly recommend using a single piece, then using a smaller piece to fill in. You truly don't need it any wider than 4 feet. You can cut it out all snuggly and fit it around the wheel wells and go wall-to-wall, but you're much better off installing a 1-foot high vertical wall along the inner edges of the wheel wells to protect them from careless forklift drivers, anyway. And, it gives you a place to store junk, like ratchet straps and stuff.

[guido4475]

I welded my 2 -8 ft sections of e-track to the floor, about 24 inches apart, so that I can still secure smaller freight down as well as full-size.I also welded 1 section to each side wall.My van came with metal studs that were welded to the floor and to the top corner inside, about every 18 inches, with wood strips screwed to them lengthways. This made things a whole lot easier.As far as the plywood is concerned,I used 3/4 inch and cut it to length in 8 ft strips to fit in between the e-track, and used self-tapping screws to hold it down, and then polyurethaned it twice.I have 8ftx 53 inches wide of cargo area.No problems getting freight inside yet.I also welded 12"x 8' long sections of steel along the sides and front of the cargo area to keep freight in that area, etc.A little heavy, but it works.Insulation and paneling will be next someday, along with a roof vent.

[Moot]

Another option, if you want to cover the whole floor involves four pieces of 3/8 plywood. Cut two pieces to fit around the wheel wells with the seam running lengthwise and at least 8" offset from the center line of the van floor. Glue these pieces down using PL-400 or Liquid Nails (a little dab will do ya).

Cut the remaining two pieces to fit only this time run the seam dead on center of the van. It will look nicer and be offset from the sub floor seam. Screw these pieces into the glued sub floor so they can be replaced when needed.

As mentioned apply several coats of a polyurethane product. You can even "drip" a line of poly down the seam, let it dry, sand and apply the full coat. I have found that diluting the poly for the first 2 or 3 coats helps it soak in deeper. Then finish off with 2 or 3 full strength coats.

If you choose to use self tapping screws (Tec Screws) drill a smaller diameter pilot hole through the plywood and van floor. Be sure you know where you are drilling. There are all kinds of crazyass stuff like brake lines, fuel lines and a gas tank on the underside of your van. When finished, get a can of rubberized undercoating and spray the ends of the screws and the area around them.

I personally prefer E-Track recessed mounted on the floor. I use Tec Screws and wherever possible stainless steel bolts. My first van I went with a plywood floor. My current van has a plywood subfloor and a composite plank top floor screwed to the subfloor.

[Dakota]

I'm putting this out here, but don't know if it will work or the cost.
I used to do pickups for a place here called Total Plastics and a lot of what I picked up were sheets of plastic in all dimensions 4x 8 being the most common, they had the thickness of a sheet of plywood and had the texture of one of those plastic cutting boards or cut tables you see in resturants. Pretty durable stuff, drawback would probably be the cost and it would be more slippery.
Just an idea

[ebsprintin]

Thanks for the source, Dakota. I've been considering something like that, but not sure where to find the stuff. It is heavy though.

Moot. Is that cross piece of e-track at the door of your van? I added a piece like that at the rear door to give me extra forklift-driver-protection. Also comes in handy as anchor point for the odd, long piece of freight.

eb

[ebsprintin]

Oh, and the seams. I got lazy with the seams. No special treatment. Just screws within two or three inches from the edges of the joining panels. The panels went in lengthwise, so the first seam to run into a sliding skid is eight feet into the vehicle, so lot of freight never makes it to the seam. A year and a half of expediting and the seams are no worse off than the rest of the floor. The poly coat seems to be the key.

eb

[Moot]

Moot. Is that cross piece of e-track at the door of your van?

Yep. Vertical E-Track.

I added a piece like that at the rear door to give me extra forklift-driver-protection.

Yep, that's why its there.

Also comes in handy as anchor point for the odd, long piece of freight.

Yep. I use it for that also.

My floor is made of a plastic composite sold at Home Depot as fascia. Comes in 12' lengths, 8" wide and ½ thick. The stuff is heavy, but very durable. I'm guessing it adds about 60 to 70 pounds more than 5/8 plywood.

[Jack_Berry]

reflectix on the bottom. wood on the top




my floor is made of alloc flooring. no seams.


.

[sandman821]

I used large self-tapping screws, about a foot apart, around the perimeter and down the middle. I laid out e-track on the floor so that the outer edged of the e-track were 48 inches, and then installed them with screws about every foot, as well. Then measured the interior between the inside edged of the e-track, and cut the 4x8 foot plywood to fit in between the e-track. I have 9 feet of cargo space, which meant I had to add another foot of plywood to the deck, added farthest from the rear doors, then filled and sanded the seam.

Decks in cargo vans are subject to a lot of skids being scooted and dragged, so the decking can take quite a beating with all the scars and scrapes. Many people flip theirs after 6 months, then after another 6 months they replace the plywood. I gave mine 3 or 4 coats of Minwax Polycrylic, which not only protects it, but makes cleaning it very easy. Oil and other stuff won't seep into th wood. Instead of flipping mine every six months, I add another 2 or 3 coats of Polycrylic. Mine is still going strong after more than 3 years. I did have a forklift operator somehow manage to slide a fork into the edge of the plywood and take out a chunk the size of a dinner plate, but regular ol' automotive Bondo, a power sander and some more Polycrylic fixed 'er right up.



The old Ford E-350


The new-ish Sprinter

What Store is the best place to buy e-track.alread tried Ta & Flying J, with no luck

[Turtle]

What Store is the best place to buy e-track.alread tried Ta & Flying J, with no luck

Your best bet is a trailer place, especially horse or utility trailers, but most big truck trailer repair places will have E-track, too.

[Dakota]

What Store is the best place to buy e-track.alread tried Ta & Flying J, with no luck

Right here on EO is an advertiser US Cargo Control, I haven't used them personally, but the prices seem very fair.