Seasonal caravan awning - flooring?

[MissisLippy]

Hi all.  New member here.   We have a new seasonal caravan pitch (well, when we can get back on site sometime this year!) which is on flagged hardstanding.  We've bought a full seasonal awning which will stay up all year (March - December) and we're trying to work out what sort of flooring to put in it.   We've thought about the interlocking foam tiles covered by awning carpet, but my son-in-law has suggested wooden pallets over the flags so any water will drain through (the site is quite boggy in parts, having a small lake and being in the Vale of York), but what do we put on top of pallets to fill in the gaps?   I also thought about foam carpet underlay under the awning carpet, but hubby says it will just act like a sponge if it gets wet.    Any ideas will be welcomed.  TIA.

[rovinmad]

51 minutes ago, MissisLippy said:

Hi all.  New member here.   We have a new seasonal caravan pitch (well, when we can get back on site sometime this year!) which is on flagged hardstanding.  We've bought a full seasonal awning which will stay up all year (March - December) and we're trying to work out what sort of flooring to put in it.   We've thought about the interlocking foam tiles covered by awning carpet, but my son-in-law has suggested wooden pallets over the flags so any water will drain through (the site is quite boggy in parts, having a small lake and being in the Vale of York), but what do we put on top of pallets to fill in the gaps?   I also thought about foam carpet underlay under the awning carpet, but hubby says it will just act like a sponge if it gets wet.    Any ideas will be welcomed.  TIA.

How about covering the pallets with plywood?  Then you could lay imitation  grass or breathable awning carpet.  Also you can get interlocking foam tiles.

[joeuk]

I had a seasonal pitch for 10 years you need to put a frame and the floor on it so it got a gap and you need to put jubilee clips on polls so when the wind is strong it don't push the polls in together and I put the awning skirts on top off frame and floor on top I put a carpet on top if you need any more help let me no

[PMW]

The only way to be sure of keeping your floor dry would be as joeuk says to construct a raised floor but then you are getting into a big(ish) job and degree of expense. Worth it maybe if the can is to be sited in the same place season after season. 

 

Otherwise a standard carpet but you will need to roll it up each time you leave the van and sit it on bearers or a pallet to keep it off the floor

[Alfie T]

18mm OSB board onto battens 50x50 @400mm centres floor covering a cheap foam backed carpet at the end of the season store boards under the van roll carpet up

Job sorted

[AndersG]

Standard pallets from a pallet company are cheap and you can sell them at the end of the season. A custom wood floor is an option if you will do seasonal pitches for a few years.

We put a tarp on top of the wood but I don't think that's necessary.

The grey interlocking foam on top of that. Costco have them cheap if you are a member.

On top of the foam you could use a normal awning carpet but many use a fitted carpet.

Get 4 axle stands, you're not going anywhere for a while and they will make the caravan very steady.

[Pebble]

If you raise the floor by the height of a pallet or similar, just double check that your awning will still fit. Raising the floor level by 100mm might mean you won't be able to tension the awning and it'll flap like you won't believe. Been there and made the same mistake.

[AndersG]

I put up the awning first and then put the pallets in. If pitching on top of the pallets you really need ramps under the wheels but i cant see an advantage with that.

[Pebble]

1 hour ago, AndersG said:

I put up the awning first and then put the pallets in. If pitching on top of the pallets you really need ramps under the wheels but i cant see an advantage with that.

[CJ1149]

All good suggestions, tried and tested.  On our current site we've experimented with plastic "grass" over tiles and that was ok but drainage was ok too.

Just one thing - make sure wardens/site owners are agreeable.   A site we stayed on required flooring to be easily and quickly dismantled and removed /disposed of.  No problem with tiles, carpets, etc  but wouldn't allow pallets, battened panels or even interlocking loft boards.   At the other end of the site there were statics with verandahs, decking etc and twin axle caravans on static pitches with upvc conservatory style "awnings" but no concession for seasonal tourers.