REPLACING CARPET WITH TILE - PROBLEMS?

[OpaRon]

I have a 2005 DSDP (4009) and want to replace the carpet in the living/dining room with tile. I've heard that several of you have done this yourself (or had it done by a local tiler.) Did you have any problems with the LR slide retracting and the lock arms engaging?

A 2nd topic is price. I know that Newmar or Duncan can do the job and everything will work properly - BUT the cost, whoa! I've gotten a wide ranges of prices. $4K+ by using a transition from the entry rather than taking it up and starting over so that the lines line up, etc. $6K+ for a full and complete job (like it would come from the factory.) I've talked with one DSDP owner who had it done "locally" for $1700. What am I missing here?

[OpaRon]

I have a 2005 DSDP (4009) and want to replace the carpet in the living/dining room with tile. I've heard that several of you have done this yourself (or had it done by a local tiler.) Did you have any problems with the LR slide retracting and the lock arms engaging?

A 2nd topic is price. I know that Newmar or Duncan can do the job and everything will work properly - BUT the cost, whoa! I've gotten a wide ranges of prices. $4K+ by using a transition from the entry rather than taking it up and starting over so that the lines line up, etc. $6K+ for a full and complete job (like it would come from the factory.) I've talked with one DSDP owner who had it done "locally" for $1700. What am I missing here?

[RVDude]

Don't know about pricing but how about GVWR? Weight distribution? Tile weighs a whole lot more than carpet.

[GaryKD]

Make sure the slide rollers are changed to the ones that are for tile.

[Lane]

I asked the million dollar question when I was told a tile job would cost over $4,000. Was told you cannot use the same materials (tile, mastic, grout) that would be used in a typical residential house environment. Special tiles, mastic and grout are extremely expensive but are necessary for a successful job in an RV. My recollection (which is failing fast) is that the grout alone cost about $150 a gallon. Regular mastic and grout get very hard and brittle and will blow out when you hit the first bump in the road. The other major cost was prep time that included removal of all furniture from the coach (sofas, driver and passenger seats, desks, etc) and covering everything else for protection because the only way to remove the existing tile is to grind it off. This conversion is a little like golf - it is harder than it looks!

[Latitude]

Hey John

I am thinking replacing "Carpet" not "Existing Tile"!!!!

Rick

[Lane]

Hi Rick,

I was addressing OpaRon's query regarding carpet to tile.

For you, carpet to carpet should be a piece of cake for someone with your skills. (When will you be at RB?)

[OpaRon]

The problem is that "to do it right" Duncan says you have to take up the entry tiles, plus any 1/2 tiles at the edge of the carpet. All that just to get the lines straight. That's why I'm looking at doing a small transition between the entry and the carpet area. To heck with lines. Some folks even suggest taking up all the old tiles to "make sure they match."

[Latitude]

Hi John

"I" or should I say "Cecile" would like the Carpet replaced with Tile 'Ceramic' Porcelin' or 'Marble' or
With 'Wood'????


Is that possible?????


We will be in RiverBend 'Hopefully' early March

Rick

[Lane]

Rick, I now understand your question. I guess the carpet can be replaced with tile or wood or plastic laminent but I do not know how. A search in this forum may turn up some answers for you.

Hurry on down. The water is warm and the other liquids are cold.

[GaryKD]

Hi Rick,
All the materials you mentioned are okay except real wood flooring. Laminate, is okay but not real wood.

Like previously posted, the vendor should be well skilled in flooring for a coach. Different brands of materials are used. At the large RV shows, there may be a vendor or two who specialize in RV flooring. Also, the RV magazines usually have vendors that specialize in this work.

[RVDude]

Need I repeat, weight? Especially marble. Laminates are much lighter and more flexible.
Weigh your rig, calculate the square footage to tile, calculate the weight of the tile. add it to the coach weight. Compare that to the GVWR.

OpaRon: You have a hefty investment; why try to upgrade half-way. I wonder how you would respond to uneven lines, in the tile work, when you purchased your coach. Better yet, what you would expect Newmar to do about it, or anything else they need to repair.
Last November, we had Newmar replace the carpet, in our bedroom with a wood floor, and replaced the glass closet doors, with wooden doors to match our unit. The cost was less than $5,000; and the work was excellent. Spend the money, its not as easy, as it seems; as therte is a lot involved.

[OpaRon]

Kenneth,

Certainly something to consider - and we have to some degree. Frankly we are more concerned with changes to the LR slide than the lines in the tile. (Lines can be minimized with a transition section, cutting the cost of taking up all the entry tiles, etc.)

I was purposely vague in my initial query to see if I could get an answer from folks (like you) who have actually had the work done and could lay out some of the pitfalls of the "doing it yourself" way.(I didn't want to front load the conversation with my concerns so that I could see others' concerns, which I haven't thought about.)

Part of the $$ concern is putting large chunks of cash into a depreciating asset. But, on the other hand, it IS our home, and quality of life issues may trump financial/cheapskate concerns!

Thanks for your reply, experience and wisdom.