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Hi guys. thought i might pick your collective brains... if you don't mind

Our Swift Challenger 490SE.

Wondering what to do re the gas locker... Looking underneath the front edge of the lower plywood is very tatty flaking away and peeling/delaminating (to about 2 inches in from leading edge most of the way round the leading edge. The sides and rear of the floor are fine) and there is (what appearrs to be by design) a large gap of about 1/2 an inch running all around the front edge. Big enough to allow smaller objects to fall out (which I hadn't thought about before...

The centre of the floor panel is fixed to the A frame with two very rusty bolts (which will be replaced) and the floor panel either side of the A frame flexes like a pair of wings... (worrying)

However given its age (1994) the condition of the floor ply/polystyrene/ply sandwich doesn't look too bad. There isn't any sign of rot or damp problems (which is good. Apart from the lower layer of ply delaminating at the leading edge as mentioned above) the wood batons which are used to join the rear of the floor panel to the main floor of the caravan are sound. It feels quite strong when "flexed" no sign or sounds of cracking etc.

But my gut feeling is its just not right... Is the floor normally "fixed" to the GRP shell of the gas locker itself? This would certainly stop the flexing, but is the floor designed to flex? Especially when towing and bumps/bounces etc with the weight of the gas canisters should it be allowed to move?

Is there supposed to be a large gap all around the front of the floor. (Between the floor and the wall of the grp front of the locker)?

Possibly to let out water and or for ventilation, but then the holes for the gas cannisters would do that anyway...

Any one any ideas?

Thanks for that

Anyone any ideas re the flexing?

Hi Jamie. In the end I decided to completely replace the floor.

Glad I did  because I could almost push my finger through it!. Removed the two almost non existant J bolts holding the floor to the A frame beneath. 2 batons that sort of joined the floor to the main floor of the caravan, then sawed it in half and removed the parts.

I bought 2 lengths of Ply, 1 x 25mm sheet of polystyrene, and some non solvent adhesive. Made a sandwich of the 3 items, Traced around the remains of the old floor. Cut all the holes out, and then chopped the new floor in half (I didn't want to have to take the front of the van off to get the floor back in through the gas locker opening) I joined the two halves together with metal braces and bolts through to the other side with large washers to spread the load a bit. I also glued in a 25mmx25mm baton into the rear side of the floor inbetween the two ply sheets running the whole width of the floor for extra strength and to give something for the screws to bite into.

Got some new J bolts and used them through the floor to attach to the A frame. A couple of coats of varnish on the underside and we were done.

I am glad I did it now.