I'm curious, has anyone ever taken the flooring out of an alumi bunk sleeper? Seem's the folk's who owned this truck before me had a little foo-foo dog and i can't get rid of the smell. And with all this humidity it's really making it ruff in here (hoo-hoo)! I've scrubbed and vacuumed and fabreezed everything in here 10 times over and i can't clear the smell. i've taken the bed apart, vacuumed all the bunk heating and cooling components, took out all the vent's including the one's on the dash board, (yes, they were filled with fluffy's little fur ball's),, dog hair under the dash, who am i kiddin....dog hair everywhere! anyway, i'm staring at the floor wondering..."what would happen if i pull up this carpeting"...but before i get carried away and end up having a big mess on my hand's, maybe someone else might know what lurk's beneath?
Sleeper floor
- Thread starter grog111
- Start date
FAMILYEXPDT
Seasoned Expediter
We have out of many of those sleepers...removing the floor is one option.....we have also used febreeze, pulled up old carpeting, then laid down a matting, then covered and laid with a pergo oak flooring. Not only does this eliminate smells but it dresses up the sleepers quite nicely.
-charlotte
-charlotte
Hello Grog...
Was in the Fire Service for 35 years
and unfortunately ran across some very
gross "body fluid" situations.
I wish I could remember the spray-on product we used.
It rarely required more than one application.
Find a professional cleaning supply store.
(that is where we got our "stuff"...)
They have very powerful solutions for
eliminating these "situations" ... both smells and stains
PLEASE, use disposable gloves AND eye protection
as these chemicals are ruff on the skin...
KEEP SMILING ... :+ :+ :+
plus ...
Was in the Fire Service for 35 years
and unfortunately ran across some very
gross "body fluid" situations.
I wish I could remember the spray-on product we used.
It rarely required more than one application.
Find a professional cleaning supply store.
(that is where we got our "stuff"...)
They have very powerful solutions for
eliminating these "situations" ... both smells and stains
PLEASE, use disposable gloves AND eye protection
as these chemicals are ruff on the skin...
KEEP SMILING ... :+ :+ :+
plus ...
dieseldoctor1
Expert Expediter
This stuff works great.
http://www.sparkleauto.com/odor_foggers.html
That place is a car detailing supply place, mainly. They carry the entire line of Sprayway products. I use many Sprayway products. The adhesive remover, for example, is great for removing the residue from vinyl lettering, and stickers on windows and bumpers. You know, the stuff that the dealers, mechanics and detailers use.
The Sprayway 050 glass cleaner is just killer, similar to Stoner's Invisible Glass (I think Wal Mart carries that), only better, I think. Considerably cheaper, especially by the case.
http://www.sparkleauto.com/glass_cleaners.html
The Sprayway 983 Heavy Duty multi-surface wipes are the best wipes out there, by far. Will remove bugs from glass and hood. I buy those by the case, and each case will last me nearly a year, usually. Don't get the Industrial wipes, as they are designed to remove paint.
The wipes and the glass cleaner is the same thing that Autolite Auto Glass places use, rebranded under their Pro Grip brand. I cannot recommend the Sprayway stuff too highly. Cheaper than most retail products, and far better.
The Plastic cleaner is the best thing I've ever seen for cleaning a laptop screen. The Crazy Kleen 031 citrus cleaner blows everything else out of the water.
http://www.sparkleauto.com/spray_cleaners.html
Like I said, I cannot recommend the Sprayway stuff highly enough. I don't necessarily recommend Sparkle Auto as the place to buy this stuff, bit's just that's the best place I've found to get it, is all. You can order Sprayway stuff from amazon.com, even, but it's Sparkle Auto that it ships from, and it's cheaper to buy from the source rather than going through Amazon. I have had excellent experiences with them. Good people, good service.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
http://www.sparkleauto.com/odor_foggers.html
That place is a car detailing supply place, mainly. They carry the entire line of Sprayway products. I use many Sprayway products. The adhesive remover, for example, is great for removing the residue from vinyl lettering, and stickers on windows and bumpers. You know, the stuff that the dealers, mechanics and detailers use.
The Sprayway 050 glass cleaner is just killer, similar to Stoner's Invisible Glass (I think Wal Mart carries that), only better, I think. Considerably cheaper, especially by the case.
http://www.sparkleauto.com/glass_cleaners.html
The Sprayway 983 Heavy Duty multi-surface wipes are the best wipes out there, by far. Will remove bugs from glass and hood. I buy those by the case, and each case will last me nearly a year, usually. Don't get the Industrial wipes, as they are designed to remove paint.
The wipes and the glass cleaner is the same thing that Autolite Auto Glass places use, rebranded under their Pro Grip brand. I cannot recommend the Sprayway stuff too highly. Cheaper than most retail products, and far better.
The Plastic cleaner is the best thing I've ever seen for cleaning a laptop screen. The Crazy Kleen 031 citrus cleaner blows everything else out of the water.
http://www.sparkleauto.com/spray_cleaners.html
Like I said, I cannot recommend the Sprayway stuff highly enough. I don't necessarily recommend Sparkle Auto as the place to buy this stuff, bit's just that's the best place I've found to get it, is all. You can order Sprayway stuff from amazon.com, even, but it's Sparkle Auto that it ships from, and it's cheaper to buy from the source rather than going through Amazon. I have had excellent experiences with them. Good people, good service.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
Go To
www.ecoquestintl.com/rcarey
Look at the Breeze AT or FreshAir to Go !
These are indoor air purifiers that kill odors/mold/mildews, etc.
I can order you whatever you want
Thanks
rmctt2
www.ecoquestintl.com/rcarey
Look at the Breeze AT or FreshAir to Go !
These are indoor air purifiers that kill odors/mold/mildews, etc.
I can order you whatever you want
Thanks
rmctt2
WOW! These are great suggestion's! I love charlotte's pergo flooring idea! Although i'm a little worried that fluffy may have had a piddle party and ruined the sub flooring. I wonder what kind of a pain in the neck it would be to pull that out? I would think the solution's of which Firegears speak's would permeate sub-flooring's. I mean...um...if somebody loses their bodily fluid's,(yuck), in a 23rd floor apartment i don't think they'd go through the trouble of tearing the floor out. I like the idea of a fogger too! Alot of those type's of smells seem to get in the crack's and crevices and permeate the material,(crushed velour?),of the wall's and curtain's. I would think a fogger would be like setting off a bomb...without the carnage. Although what's a little carnage during germ warfare :7
greg334
Veteran Expediter
OK here is the third attempt in trying to reply to this.
I think that you need to rip out the carpet, not mess around trying to clean anything – especially if the truck is more than 3 or 4 years old. Normally a house with low traffic needs the carpet changed every 7 to 10 years but high traffic homes need to replace it every 5 years - according to the carpet people themselves.
Cleaning things like solid surfaces is not a real issue but cleaning the carpet is, most of the time you will not actually clean it but just change the odor which will eventually come back. The other issue is that there are some things that you won’t kill that can get you sick.
The problem with sleepers is two fold,
One problem is that a sleeper is not made to be cleaned the right way. Most ‘factory made†sleepers I looked at had the carpeting going under the cabinets and in many cases the carpeting is made cheaply enough that it has a quick wicking capabilities. This is a problem to the point that if you spill something and it soaks into the carpet, some of it will end up under the cabinet and you can’t clean it properly.
The other problem with most sleepers lacks real ventilation to move air into and out of the sleeper at all levels, most have windows vents above the floor and intakes on the floor. When you have problems with moisture and no or little ventilation, you have a chance to grow some really neat bacteria that sometimes isn’t seen in public. Believe me I have seen some nasty stuff in the places I bought in the past.
Remember that when winter comes, you close up the sleeper and those things come alive and can get you sick quickly.
I would look at a hard floor with a bare metal sub-floor – I don’t know what AA uses as a floor but anything less than a metal floor with insulation below is cheap to me. I have looked at pergo, but I went to Home Depot and bought two boxes of returned bamboo flooring for $10, more to do two of my sleepers. I am trying to figure out how I will put it down and what I will use as the foam sub-floor below the wood, I am actually thinking of a sound proofing material which will also add to the insulation to the floor.
Right now my sleeper has no floor in it, I am using a throw rug and don’t care right now. I need to get rid of the rest of the sub-floor which is plywood and rotting. I got the aluminum sheet to put under the sleeper and I will use insulation to sandwich between the two sheets to keep the floor a little bit more tempeture stable. I already learned that floor insulation
I think that you need to rip out the carpet, not mess around trying to clean anything – especially if the truck is more than 3 or 4 years old. Normally a house with low traffic needs the carpet changed every 7 to 10 years but high traffic homes need to replace it every 5 years - according to the carpet people themselves.
Cleaning things like solid surfaces is not a real issue but cleaning the carpet is, most of the time you will not actually clean it but just change the odor which will eventually come back. The other issue is that there are some things that you won’t kill that can get you sick.
The problem with sleepers is two fold,
One problem is that a sleeper is not made to be cleaned the right way. Most ‘factory made†sleepers I looked at had the carpeting going under the cabinets and in many cases the carpeting is made cheaply enough that it has a quick wicking capabilities. This is a problem to the point that if you spill something and it soaks into the carpet, some of it will end up under the cabinet and you can’t clean it properly.
The other problem with most sleepers lacks real ventilation to move air into and out of the sleeper at all levels, most have windows vents above the floor and intakes on the floor. When you have problems with moisture and no or little ventilation, you have a chance to grow some really neat bacteria that sometimes isn’t seen in public. Believe me I have seen some nasty stuff in the places I bought in the past.
Remember that when winter comes, you close up the sleeper and those things come alive and can get you sick quickly.
I would look at a hard floor with a bare metal sub-floor – I don’t know what AA uses as a floor but anything less than a metal floor with insulation below is cheap to me. I have looked at pergo, but I went to Home Depot and bought two boxes of returned bamboo flooring for $10, more to do two of my sleepers. I am trying to figure out how I will put it down and what I will use as the foam sub-floor below the wood, I am actually thinking of a sound proofing material which will also add to the insulation to the floor.
Right now my sleeper has no floor in it, I am using a throw rug and don’t care right now. I need to get rid of the rest of the sub-floor which is plywood and rotting. I got the aluminum sheet to put under the sleeper and I will use insulation to sandwich between the two sheets to keep the floor a little bit more tempeture stable. I already learned that floor insulation
Greg,
I remember you saying you were doing major interior work and i was hoping you'd reply! That wicking thing sounds very ugly and just from my experience with mobile homes i know you're dead right. When you pulled up your sub flooring,(or did you?), was it one piece that you could pull out? Or does it too, run under the bed and cabinetry,(i'm afraid i already know the answer x( ),? Also, how is it secured to the floor, I.E. screws through the metal that are rotted and corroded or bolts perhaps. Or maybe some impossible to get off black goop?
I remember you saying you were doing major interior work and i was hoping you'd reply! That wicking thing sounds very ugly and just from my experience with mobile homes i know you're dead right. When you pulled up your sub flooring,(or did you?), was it one piece that you could pull out? Or does it too, run under the bed and cabinetry,(i'm afraid i already know the answer x( ),? Also, how is it secured to the floor, I.E. screws through the metal that are rotted and corroded or bolts perhaps. Or maybe some impossible to get off black goop?
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Let me tell you the whole thing, it may be easier to explain the problems I found.
I made one big mistake when I bought this truck, I really didn’t check out the sleeper and it was my fault. When I got the truck home I went into a very wet sleeper. I took one entire day to get this cleaned up and washed down.
What I ended up doing first was cutting out the center section of the carpeting and matting below the carpet first. Under the matting, there is an aluminum floor (this is the real floor to me) that of course gets white socks to be gray socks quickly. This floor is actually ‘sealed’ and riveted to the bottom frame of the sleeper. I like the way the floor is sealed but I would have supported the floor with at least two more cross supports and would never have used plywood to support the floor.
Once I got the center section of cr*ppy wet stinky carpet out of the sleeper and on the ground, it gave me room to work with. I removed the right cabinet first, after I removed everything from it, Microwave, TV and fridge. Could not get it out of the sleeper without destroying it and didn’t want to do that yet but got it on the bed frame out of the way. I then ripped out everything behind the cabinet, the siding, the insulation, the moldy carpeting and anything else I could from the top of the cabinet to the bottom. I cut the bottom of the cabinet off between 5 and 7 inches where the wood was rotted and built a frame to support it, not much of a frame but between the wall mounts and the frame it actually supports a lot of weight.
I worked on the left cabinet but there is where I had a lot of problems, I could not get the rotting wet insulation out of the corner, since I did get everything out. I also cut the bottom off of that one and built the frame for it – same mounting system was used.
Once that was all done, I cleaned everything. I took apart the bed frame the best I could and tried to remove the plastic mat underneath but it is glued and does not retain water, so I left it alone. I have to actually take the bed frame completely out of the sleeper and get to the rest of the insulation.
I am not too thrilled at the plywood sub-floor, it has been rotting for a while and not easy to replace or it looks like it is not easy to replace. There are two pieces, one on the right, and one in the center. There may have been one on the left side but I don’t find any evidence of one being there. The center one is rotted where water has accumulated and sits between the mounts of the sleeper to the frame and it the problem. The issue for me is two fold, one is standing on the floor and being able to bounce up and down with a lot of deflection and the second is a lack of good solid insulation so I don’t have a cold/hot feet. To give you an idea how bad it is, I had 16 lbs of ice I got in Gila river AZ (neat road side ice house) and by the time I got near San Diego all the ice melted. The entire sleeper was hot and when I took temps, the floor was a little over 98 degrees.
This sleeper leaked a lot, I could not find a lot of the leaks for the longest time, and it wasn’t coming from the seal between the cab and sleeper, it was coming from different areas of the sleeper. I wrote about the roof leaks in detail in the past and most of those are fixed or sealed enough not to leak. The windows leak and the window on the left side is sealed with an entire tube of silicone sealant to stop the leaking. At this time I hit two heavy rain storms and there was only a small amount of leaking and since I found that one and fixed it.
I finalized my plans for the new cabinets but haven’t had the time to start getting them put together (I have drawings that I will be posting on my website when I finish them). I am still up in the air on using a metal frame (aluminum) or use a wood frame for them but that is for later and I am trying to find the right sink to put in, I don’t have the room for a RV type sink. The right cabinet will be the easier of the two, but until I get home, I will just continue collecting the parts and wood I will be using. I am taking the boat owner approach to this by the way, ‘if it can happen in a boat, it can happen in a truck’.
Once I get the cabinets done and ready to put in, I am going to rip out the electrical and start over with it, using new wire, new connectors and put a remote power panel at eye level instead of the front of the bed frame where it gets kicked a lot. I also want to upgrade the inverter but that won’t happen for a little while. The air/heat duct work is also going to be changed to get the proper flow in the sleeper, not this two outlets for the entire sleeper and that is under the coat hook.
Surprisingly the cost is not that bad, I am spending more on the electrical fun stuff than I am with anything else.
When I got this truck, I called Bentz to get info about the construction of the sleeper and for instructions on how the shore power system worked, I got nowhere with them. After the third phone call to Bentz leaving the serial number of the sleeper and my contact info again, I never got a call back and no response to my emails, so I gave up and figured out everything on my own. I don’t buy into how great they are with their customer service, they wanted to sell me the seal and that was all. when I started to take things apart I found the quality of workmanship in my sleeper to be ok in some areas but very poor in others, like the electrical. For example, there was an electrical out let in the right cabinet, after I pulled the cabinet out, I found they ran the cable through holes in the sleeper frame without grommets or even debur the hole after it was drilled out. The cable was being cut into to the point that when I pulled it to replace it, it was actually cut through and exposing both the hot and neutral wires. There are a few other things that I have in my note book but the electrical is the biggest issue for me. I know that a good company would want to work with some one who has their older products to find out how to improve on their products but not apologetic that I have heard this before and don’t tolerate not having my calls and emails return.
Oh by the way, the wicking thing of the carpet also applies to the insulation, I found that the insulation will retain a good amount of water; some times the insulation would be wet 6 inches from the floor.
Hope this helps.
I made one big mistake when I bought this truck, I really didn’t check out the sleeper and it was my fault. When I got the truck home I went into a very wet sleeper. I took one entire day to get this cleaned up and washed down.
What I ended up doing first was cutting out the center section of the carpeting and matting below the carpet first. Under the matting, there is an aluminum floor (this is the real floor to me) that of course gets white socks to be gray socks quickly. This floor is actually ‘sealed’ and riveted to the bottom frame of the sleeper. I like the way the floor is sealed but I would have supported the floor with at least two more cross supports and would never have used plywood to support the floor.
Once I got the center section of cr*ppy wet stinky carpet out of the sleeper and on the ground, it gave me room to work with. I removed the right cabinet first, after I removed everything from it, Microwave, TV and fridge. Could not get it out of the sleeper without destroying it and didn’t want to do that yet but got it on the bed frame out of the way. I then ripped out everything behind the cabinet, the siding, the insulation, the moldy carpeting and anything else I could from the top of the cabinet to the bottom. I cut the bottom of the cabinet off between 5 and 7 inches where the wood was rotted and built a frame to support it, not much of a frame but between the wall mounts and the frame it actually supports a lot of weight.
I worked on the left cabinet but there is where I had a lot of problems, I could not get the rotting wet insulation out of the corner, since I did get everything out. I also cut the bottom off of that one and built the frame for it – same mounting system was used.
Once that was all done, I cleaned everything. I took apart the bed frame the best I could and tried to remove the plastic mat underneath but it is glued and does not retain water, so I left it alone. I have to actually take the bed frame completely out of the sleeper and get to the rest of the insulation.
I am not too thrilled at the plywood sub-floor, it has been rotting for a while and not easy to replace or it looks like it is not easy to replace. There are two pieces, one on the right, and one in the center. There may have been one on the left side but I don’t find any evidence of one being there. The center one is rotted where water has accumulated and sits between the mounts of the sleeper to the frame and it the problem. The issue for me is two fold, one is standing on the floor and being able to bounce up and down with a lot of deflection and the second is a lack of good solid insulation so I don’t have a cold/hot feet. To give you an idea how bad it is, I had 16 lbs of ice I got in Gila river AZ (neat road side ice house) and by the time I got near San Diego all the ice melted. The entire sleeper was hot and when I took temps, the floor was a little over 98 degrees.
This sleeper leaked a lot, I could not find a lot of the leaks for the longest time, and it wasn’t coming from the seal between the cab and sleeper, it was coming from different areas of the sleeper. I wrote about the roof leaks in detail in the past and most of those are fixed or sealed enough not to leak. The windows leak and the window on the left side is sealed with an entire tube of silicone sealant to stop the leaking. At this time I hit two heavy rain storms and there was only a small amount of leaking and since I found that one and fixed it.
I finalized my plans for the new cabinets but haven’t had the time to start getting them put together (I have drawings that I will be posting on my website when I finish them). I am still up in the air on using a metal frame (aluminum) or use a wood frame for them but that is for later and I am trying to find the right sink to put in, I don’t have the room for a RV type sink. The right cabinet will be the easier of the two, but until I get home, I will just continue collecting the parts and wood I will be using. I am taking the boat owner approach to this by the way, ‘if it can happen in a boat, it can happen in a truck’.
Once I get the cabinets done and ready to put in, I am going to rip out the electrical and start over with it, using new wire, new connectors and put a remote power panel at eye level instead of the front of the bed frame where it gets kicked a lot. I also want to upgrade the inverter but that won’t happen for a little while. The air/heat duct work is also going to be changed to get the proper flow in the sleeper, not this two outlets for the entire sleeper and that is under the coat hook.
Surprisingly the cost is not that bad, I am spending more on the electrical fun stuff than I am with anything else.
When I got this truck, I called Bentz to get info about the construction of the sleeper and for instructions on how the shore power system worked, I got nowhere with them. After the third phone call to Bentz leaving the serial number of the sleeper and my contact info again, I never got a call back and no response to my emails, so I gave up and figured out everything on my own. I don’t buy into how great they are with their customer service, they wanted to sell me the seal and that was all. when I started to take things apart I found the quality of workmanship in my sleeper to be ok in some areas but very poor in others, like the electrical. For example, there was an electrical out let in the right cabinet, after I pulled the cabinet out, I found they ran the cable through holes in the sleeper frame without grommets or even debur the hole after it was drilled out. The cable was being cut into to the point that when I pulled it to replace it, it was actually cut through and exposing both the hot and neutral wires. There are a few other things that I have in my note book but the electrical is the biggest issue for me. I know that a good company would want to work with some one who has their older products to find out how to improve on their products but not apologetic that I have heard this before and don’t tolerate not having my calls and emails return.
Oh by the way, the wicking thing of the carpet also applies to the insulation, I found that the insulation will retain a good amount of water; some times the insulation would be wet 6 inches from the floor.
Hope this helps.
OMG! Yes Greg, it helps a great deal. Thank you. Man, it sound's like a real nightmare that you've had on your hand's. I guess I'll start by pulling up the carpet and see what's going on underneath. maybe i can get the rest of the carpet, flooring and insulation out from the sides after the mid section is removed. Ya know, I gotta mention this, my sleeper unit is more or less integral with the cab on the top but separated by the hump on the floor. The floor of the cab gets warm enough to fry egg's on, and the seals around the window's and door's are pathetic! I may try caulking around the window's, but i wonder if the door seam's are replaceable, i mean they seem to be just fitted strips of rubber that can slide right off. I wonder if they're made to be replaceable, not too much unlike a refrigerator door. The thing is...i had my starter replaced 2 week's ago, and now, especially when the truck is moving, warm humid air keeps hitting me in puff's and even though the AC is blowing cold it gets overly warm and sticky in the cab. I don't know if they opened a secret floor vent or forgot to replace a boot or a grommet or what, but in this heat, it's highly annoying.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Glad to help, I should get a camera to take pictures but it is too late now.
The first thing about windows is I have yet seen really good windows on any of these sleepers I looked at. Many of them are cheap to me at least. I have talked to the people who make windows for R/Vs like Prevosts and have a design I want them to make for my, it is pretty neat and with a built in shade.
All seals are replacible, just remember these sleepers are not mass produced and you should be able to find them.
What truck do you have, on the FL70's type cab there is a foam plug that is on the firewall which the a/c lines go through that gets pushed in, I got air coming from the dash and ended up pushing the plug back out and reseating it properly. it still gets pushed in every 5000 miles or so and it is because of the tap they used for the A/C in the sleeper.
The first thing about windows is I have yet seen really good windows on any of these sleepers I looked at. Many of them are cheap to me at least. I have talked to the people who make windows for R/Vs like Prevosts and have a design I want them to make for my, it is pretty neat and with a built in shade.
All seals are replacible, just remember these sleepers are not mass produced and you should be able to find them.
What truck do you have, on the FL70's type cab there is a foam plug that is on the firewall which the a/c lines go through that gets pushed in, I got air coming from the dash and ended up pushing the plug back out and reseating it properly. it still gets pushed in every 5000 miles or so and it is because of the tap they used for the A/C in the sleeper.
pelicn
Veteran Expediter
Carpet in a truck is an issue that drives me crazy and I guess it's because I don't like carpet in my house either! I realize that a "new truck" looks really good with that pretty carpet, but that lasts about 30 seconds out here. Carpet holds dirt, odor and is impossible to clean give me throw rugs that can be washed in the washing machine or tossed out if that's what needed.
Grog? You have your work cut out for you!
Greg? Hat's off to you for all your work on that sleeper!
Grog? You have your work cut out for you!
Greg? Hat's off to you for all your work on that sleeper!
Greg,
Again, thanks for the insight, I'll have to check that plug in the daylight. I've got an fl 106 , which for all practical intents and purposes is pretty much the same as my old fl 70. I think that the whole fit and finish thing was discussed in another thread a while ago, but, the medium duty freightliners leave alot to be desired. The controls, the vents the seats...all fine i suppose for a city truck, but not really designed for over the road use. Of course age makes a difference, mine is a 2001, but when you get in a big truck and look at the controls and sit in the seat and open and close the doors you can certainly tell the difference. Funny thing is, back in 1997 or 98, when i was driving my 1989 international 4900 day cab with no air, both myself and several of my buddys thought that those fl 70's where the ultimate expediter.
Again, thanks for the insight, I'll have to check that plug in the daylight. I've got an fl 106 , which for all practical intents and purposes is pretty much the same as my old fl 70. I think that the whole fit and finish thing was discussed in another thread a while ago, but, the medium duty freightliners leave alot to be desired. The controls, the vents the seats...all fine i suppose for a city truck, but not really designed for over the road use. Of course age makes a difference, mine is a 2001, but when you get in a big truck and look at the controls and sit in the seat and open and close the doors you can certainly tell the difference. Funny thing is, back in 1997 or 98, when i was driving my 1989 international 4900 day cab with no air, both myself and several of my buddys thought that those fl 70's where the ultimate expediter.
jaminjim
Veteran Expediter
Try to remember that these expedite trucks were not meant to stay in service for ten years, and I doubt that the sleepers will stay in good shape for more than six or seven years.
If I had the money (I don't) I would go out and buy an ICT or ARI sleeper, and do without the condo. Then when buying a new truck, they could yank it off the old truck and do a quick reconditioning/update to the sleeper and slap it on the new truck. I would think that it would be a lot more cost effective that way.
If I had the money (I don't) I would go out and buy an ICT or ARI sleeper, and do without the condo. Then when buying a new truck, they could yank it off the old truck and do a quick reconditioning/update to the sleeper and slap it on the new truck. I would think that it would be a lot more cost effective that way.
When our house-sitter's cats messed up our carpet, we used a product called Atmosklear with good results. One application and the cat urine odor disappeared, for good. The stuff is not cheap but it works exactly as advertised. If you are correct about fluffy's piddle party, you might think about simply pouring some Atmosklear like water onto the floor and let it soak in. We bought it from Ace Hardware.
See: http://www.maryellenproducts.com/atmosklear
Our custom-built sleeper came with a linoleum floor. I was surprised to learn that at least one custom sleeper builder builds them with a carpet-only option. When we got the truck, we purchased some carpet tiles at Home Depot and used them to cover the floor. They work great. The seams do not show. There is a non-skid surface on back that keeps them in place. If we had a spill, it would be a simple matter to replace one tile with another.
See: http://www.maryellenproducts.com/atmosklear
Our custom-built sleeper came with a linoleum floor. I was surprised to learn that at least one custom sleeper builder builds them with a carpet-only option. When we got the truck, we purchased some carpet tiles at Home Depot and used them to cover the floor. They work great. The seams do not show. There is a non-skid surface on back that keeps them in place. If we had a spill, it would be a simple matter to replace one tile with another.
Here is the link to the carpet tile manufacturer:
http://www.millikencarpet.com/MillikenCarpetWebsite/Americas/Residential/CarpetPanels/Legato/
http://www.millikencarpet.com/MillikenCarpetWebsite/Americas/Residential/CarpetPanels/Legato/
Thanks Phil, I will definitly try the atmosclear. I think I'll rip out the carpet though and try that stuff on the base boards and sub flooring. I'm afraid that ultimatly Greg may be right. That whole floor may have to come out. I get a head ache just thinking about it though!
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
Reading this thread made me think back to late Jan/Feb. I was out of the truck for about a month, with my son being born. Then drove for a couple weeks, got a run home and got sick. Two weeks later went out. Got a run home and got sick for another week and a half. Only when it started warming up was I totally good to go.
I'm thinking I got sick from the bunk. Granted, the truck was 3 years old, but it leaked. So I knew there was mold in there. Not to mention all that felt was shedding like a persian cat. Totally screwed up my sinuses.
-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!
I'm thinking I got sick from the bunk. Granted, the truck was 3 years old, but it leaked. So I knew there was mold in there. Not to mention all that felt was shedding like a persian cat. Totally screwed up my sinuses.
-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Well here is something else to add to the mix, as much as I hate to admit to this I am posting it to help others.
I try hard to keep things clean, haven’t done well in the last few weeks in washing the truck, wiping down the cab floor or cleaning the dead bugs off the windows (don’t ask me why this happens but I can’t figure out why on the side windows) etc.. but in the last week with the change in climate going from San Diego to LA to Denver and now in Chicago, I have a bigger problem – Bed Bugs.
At first I thought it was mosquitoes biting me but last night the weather was great and there were no, repeat no mosquitoes in the truck at all. I woke up in the middle of the night with bites all over my feet, to say the least I have been up since 3 and tried everything to get rid of the itching except using Fels.
Yea I know – yuk!
Well a long time ago I learned in some of them urban warfare classes I had to take in college about these little creatures and that many people don’t realize that you can get these things just by buying clothes and material from a store, in my case buying clothes at Wal-Mart (china’s outlet to the world). I should have heeded the advice of my Ma, wash everything when you buy it but again the wisdom of the older generations are lost with the stupidity of the newer ones.
In a closed environment like a sleeper, I think that the choices are limited for prevention and elimination, another reason not to have carpeting in the sleeper. The manufactures don’t make it easy for the owner to clean up a pest problem; I guess another complaint about these guys that I will have to add to my list. With the cardboard used in the backing of the panels, the cheap wood use in many (even expensive) sleepers, the cracks and crevices that allow things to hide – it is sometimes difficult to get rid of a pest.
In my case because bed bugs like small dark places to live in the smallest cracks any where, which is most of any sleeper has all kinds of them, I will most likely tear apart the sleeper to get it clean. But unlike fleas which I can and often have dealt with, you don’t always know that Bed Bugs are around.
Oh well… I am going to end up home before the end of the week so when I do get home, I will have another job to deal with – yippy!
By the way, there are some things that can be used, Steri-fab for one (I think any Permethrin product will work). I think that I am going to search my dad’s house to see if he has any DDT because I know that will get rid of them – And did you know that since ‘banning’ DDT, there has been an very sharp increase in Mosquito based Malaria, Bed Bugs (which were eradicated in the US for the most part), other diseases carried by insects and given us new stuff like West Nile virus.
Maybe we should reconsider the ban?
I try hard to keep things clean, haven’t done well in the last few weeks in washing the truck, wiping down the cab floor or cleaning the dead bugs off the windows (don’t ask me why this happens but I can’t figure out why on the side windows) etc.. but in the last week with the change in climate going from San Diego to LA to Denver and now in Chicago, I have a bigger problem – Bed Bugs.
At first I thought it was mosquitoes biting me but last night the weather was great and there were no, repeat no mosquitoes in the truck at all. I woke up in the middle of the night with bites all over my feet, to say the least I have been up since 3 and tried everything to get rid of the itching except using Fels.
Yea I know – yuk!
Well a long time ago I learned in some of them urban warfare classes I had to take in college about these little creatures and that many people don’t realize that you can get these things just by buying clothes and material from a store, in my case buying clothes at Wal-Mart (china’s outlet to the world). I should have heeded the advice of my Ma, wash everything when you buy it but again the wisdom of the older generations are lost with the stupidity of the newer ones.
In a closed environment like a sleeper, I think that the choices are limited for prevention and elimination, another reason not to have carpeting in the sleeper. The manufactures don’t make it easy for the owner to clean up a pest problem; I guess another complaint about these guys that I will have to add to my list. With the cardboard used in the backing of the panels, the cheap wood use in many (even expensive) sleepers, the cracks and crevices that allow things to hide – it is sometimes difficult to get rid of a pest.
In my case because bed bugs like small dark places to live in the smallest cracks any where, which is most of any sleeper has all kinds of them, I will most likely tear apart the sleeper to get it clean. But unlike fleas which I can and often have dealt with, you don’t always know that Bed Bugs are around.
Oh well… I am going to end up home before the end of the week so when I do get home, I will have another job to deal with – yippy!
By the way, there are some things that can be used, Steri-fab for one (I think any Permethrin product will work). I think that I am going to search my dad’s house to see if he has any DDT because I know that will get rid of them – And did you know that since ‘banning’ DDT, there has been an very sharp increase in Mosquito based Malaria, Bed Bugs (which were eradicated in the US for the most part), other diseases carried by insects and given us new stuff like West Nile virus.
Maybe we should reconsider the ban?