How difficult is it for a Do-It-Yourselfer to install a wood floor and light updating

[Barney]

We are searching to buy our first Prevost which will likely be an early 90's model needing some updating.
I'm not up to a complete remodel job, but I'd like to find out how to attach the basics, new floor, re-upholster the furniture,
and recover the matching trim, valances, window dressings etc. If you've done this or watched it done, please
tell me what I'm in for in. Labor and dollars. I don't even know what the subfloor material is and if you can remove old tile
without destroying what underneath, help.

[coreygrubb]

Barney, It really is not very different than updating stuff in your home. Sofas unbolt from the floor and the arms unbolt. Now it is a re-upholster job like any other. Attachment of trim is all over the board, sometimes glued, screwed, clipped or velcroed. Subfloors are marine grade plywood and can be handled as any other floor.

[Joe Camper]

If there is tile it will be on its own sub not the prevo plywood floor from the factory.

Carpeting is much easier than tile that usually has 18 gazilion screws mouting the sub to the prevo floor and the heads will be hidden by mastic. CC tile in bathrooms and its sub floor is very very difficult to remove and prep for new for this reason, for example.

SEATS in the cockpit are UNBELIEVABLY HEAVY and if your flooring correctly they need removing.

I have done many floors . Pergo in a Royal H3-45, a 3/4 T&G American Walnut in our Hickox. A 3/4 Cherry T&G in a CC. Marble floor in a CC from the first step all the way thru to the rear of the bedroom (on a 45). Tiek wood in a Marathon entire bus w/o the cockpit or stairs (took 4 days). I installed a Marble floor in a 04XLIIDS a Superior conversion on a 45 in a subway stagger (that install made it ito BCM magazine).

Numerous marble and granite installs on entry steps. Rodger how is yours holding up?

If you have done one before to tile only theCockpit including stairs a Day to disassemble 2 days to tile and grout day back togeather.

Wood floring (not including cockpit or stairs but doing the entire bus.) 1 day to disassemble 2 days flooring 1 day back togeather. If you need to get up exizisting tile in the bathroom that will add a day . The CC and Superior that I did full bus marble those took a week.

The couch will have to be disassembled into 3 pieces to get out the door and it is very very heavy as well.

Corey the methods are the same as I did at home BUT for example as you get to the rear and have walk in and out of the bus 3 or 4 or 5 times with 1 piece to get it perfect you will appreciate the additional challanges you are dealing with when your in that bus. IMO it is a great deal more challanging physical and time consuming and I agree once you get by the requirements of the bus the install itself is very very similar to residential work.

[coreygrubb]

Joe, you are absolutely correct that CC tile and marble is a bitch and given the confines and close quarters of working in a coach makes for more wok and time. The point is that given basic skills, it is not overly complicated.

[Joe Camper]

Corey Here is what I came up with for the tile subs. Multiple multiple multiple cuts with the circular saw set to the same thickness as the sub. The more the better the easier

That seems like the quickest way to begin to free things up quickest and as usuall I had to learn that the hard way.

Then all of the other primitave implements come to play.

[coreygrubb]

Joe, again you're right on. If I remember correctly- even though we just removed the tile between the front seats to the steps- we cut as you described in 4 or 5" chunks. worked pretty well.

[rahangman]

Joe C....middle step cracked in almost a perfect cross top-bottom and side to side, when I (never light on my toes at 260#) slipped coming up steps with snow on my shoes....up till then, no problem of install, side mirrors are still great, I set up a small blue LED light on iside of door that is on when outside door light is on so that when first opening door, the first step to the ground is lit up along with the floor slide lights.....

[dale farley]

Barney, Even if you don't want to do all the work yourself, you can save significant dollars by removing all the components yourself and hiring a pro to do the things you can't do yourself. Either way, you will learn a great deal about the bus while in the remodel process.

[Barney]

Thanks to all of you, The wife and I are so excited. I bet each of you can remember your first purchase and pulling that monster
on the road for your first trip. Now it's old hat right?
Thanks again.

[coreygrubb]

Barney, It's never old hat. They ride and drive so nice that the the trip itself is looked forward to, not just the destination,