Pam(or anybody that might have wet back carpeting)..What you probably don't realize is that the "carpet" in your van consists of a top layer of carpeting with about a 3/8" rubber base to it..and under that is something like a horse blanket over the actual metal floor with 1/4" deep troughs in that metal floor.Water sits mainly UNDER that rubber base and never does dry out..rusting out the floor itself.
Just so you won't be in shock if you do take my advice about removng the trim strips and lifting the carpet..I did mine at the end of that 3 month heat wave without rain and STILL had a soaked undercarpet and some water to deal with.You can pull the trim off from around your removable seat posts,take out the back trim and side door upper trim piece and lift most of the carpet up to see what is under it for water.MOST water is underneath the rubber base of the carpet..what on top is probably just a small amount of what is there.
Pictures..shows the back HALF of my rolled up carpet(1/2 of what is up to behind the seats)..the undercarpet on the outside Notice the grooves or troughs in that base carpet which hold the water,and rust out the floor.
My new floor..has bubble wrap insulation over the grooves,1/4" plywood sturdi-floor,screwed down over that(screws probably every 6"),then a layer of foam for under the tongue and groove laminate flooring..the trim is lifted about 1/4" so I added the aluminum strip under the side door's trim at the step..and cleaned/screwed the trim back down.The aluminum transition strips behind the seat finishes off the front old carpet to the laminate flooring.Someday..I'll change out the front carpeting..but i'd like to find a good "cargo van's mat up there for the dirt and mud from around here..easier to take out and clean.I have a loose carpet for over the laminate floor area that shows,so if it gets dirty,I can just pick it up and shake it out the door. The old plastic trim strips are about a 1/4" higher than the floor..holding the dirt there that is tracked in.
If you have lots of water..I suggest removing the carpet at least up to the seats,set it outside to dry(both top and bottom..and clean/deodorize it if you need to
outside the van(hose,brush, and laundry detergent?)..
let it dry..and reinstall it the same way it came out.It'll NEVER dry inside the van.
My rust wasn't bad..dried it out and repainted the bad areas..
I cut my carpet in half and scraped off the undercarpet(after the picture),dried it,and rolled it up for storage.If I ever need to cut the floor for a seat or two in the back,I can just lay it back out where it goes over the new floor,
and mark the old seat anchor holes using the old original carpet cuts..rout the marked holes out through the laminate floor and plywood, and screw the trim back in around those holes(I have no screws in the plywood where the holes are),a simple job only because I'll still know where they are because of the carpet!
It's called thinking ahead..Someday..me..or a new owner.. may need those holes which are still imbedded in the metal floor.My cabinets are removable and the back bench seats wrap the carpeted wheel humps.. unbuckle from the framing over the wheel humps.The holes are under the bench seat base area so I can rout the bottom of the bench seats for the trim that sticks up also..so they remain smooth on the floor.
Sorry six-six..I'd rather have someone realize it isn't that hard to do..and know what to expect by doing it rather than a big fat surprise..and "You didn't tell me about that!". Can Pam do it?..I think so..and probably a lot more people with the same water problem.While their carpet is drying out of the van,they may have better luck findiing where things are leaking also..and fix things.
