Community Forums

Barditch · 09-13-2014, 08:21 PM

Does anyone have experience in replacing the carpet and tile with wood laminate and maybe some better looking tile? I have a 2004 HR Scepter DST(bath & 1/2) that we love except for the floors (and that terrible looking 3M front end shield--another subject). Would appreciate any advice. Thanks, Barditch

vsheetz · 09-14-2014, 02:48 AM

Welcome!

Suggest to use the search feature as there are several already existing threads on replacing flooring. Vinyl, laminate flooring, etc. are viable options.

RV Wizard · 09-14-2014, 02:51 AM

Let us know what type of flooring is under the slideouts and the brand of slideout mechanism used. This may be an issue in certain scenarios.

MSHappyCampers · 09-15-2014, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barditch

Does anyone have experience in replacing the carpet and tile with wood laminate and maybe some better looking tile? I have a 2004 HR Scepter DST(bath & 1/2) that we love except for the floors (and that terrible looking 3M front end shield--another subject). Would appreciate any advice. Thanks, Barditch

Look at my post #75 in this thread. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/anot...-213472-6.html

Good luck (you're gonna need it), happy trails, and God bless!

akeyzoo · 09-15-2014, 09:49 AM

I DIY'd mine and documented the process.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/new-...ss-195805.html

Chris

Hitchin · 09-16-2014, 08:52 AM

I replaced the carpet in our Vectra 40AD with cork flooring which we absolutely love. It's warm under foot in the cooler periods and blends in with the existing tile and wood colours. I transitioned between tile and cork using aluminum trim with a beige plastic cap. I replaced the carpet in the drivers area with heavy duty rubber which is far more durable and looks good.

A word of caution, if your slides retract over the carpet be sure the leading edge will clear the new flooring!

Gary RVRoamer · 09-16-2014, 04:49 PM

Laminate is not the top choice - it has a composite backer that is moisture susceptible and is designed to be a free-floating floor held in place by edge moldings. It can be used in an RV, but a much better choice would be luxury vinyl plank (or tile, if you prefer) or engineered wood. These can be glued down and be fit tight to the walls (no expansion space needed).

Be aware that your flush floor slide won't be flush anymore if you put wood, laminate or vinyl on it. There will be a slight step up, anywhere from 0.5"-0.75" in most cases.

You also must be very careful that the new flooring isn't too tall, so that the slides go over it. Exactly what "too tall" means depends on the design of your slides. A friend just put vinyl plank in his 2004 Diplomat and got it a shade too high, so has to be slip a spacer in before retracting the flush floor lounge slide, to avoid scratching the main floor. This is a job that really calls for real experience to get it perfect.

I just replaced the carpet in my own coach and stayed with carpet, even though we like wood and vinyl floors. Carpet doesn't scratch and is forgiving on height, plus it feels good to my toes!

akeyzoo · 09-17-2014, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

Laminate is not the top choice - it has a composite backer that is moisture susceptible and is designed to be a free-floating floor held in place by edge moldings. It can be used in an RV, but a much better choice would be luxury vinyl plank (or tile, if you prefer) or engineered wood. These can be glued down and be fit tight to the walls (no expansion space needed).

Be aware that your flush floor slide won't be flush anymore if you put wood, laminate or vinyl on it. There will be a slight step up, anywhere from 0.5"-0.75" in most cases.

You also must be very careful that the new flooring isn't too tall, so that the slides go over it. Exactly what "too tall" means depends on the design of your slides. A friend just put vinyl plank in his 2004 Diplomat and got it a shade too high, so has to be slip a spacer in before retracting the flush floor lounge slide, to avoid scratching the main floor. This is a job that really calls for real experience to get it perfect.

I just replaced the carpet in my own coach and stayed with carpet, even though we like wood and vinyl floors. Carpet doesn't scratch and is forgiving on height, plus it feels good to my toes!

+1

Shapi · 09-17-2014, 01:34 PM

We just did ours and the jury is still out. They look great, but I used the peel and stick vinyl "wood" strips. Some folks have reported they will bubble up. Mine so far have not, but it has only bee 2 months. However if they do stay in place and dnot bubble up I think it will be beacuse of a few reasons: 1. I was maticulous in cleaning the subfloor first. In fact I went through 6-8 of the painters tack cloths and made sure there was almost no dust/dirt left. I think that is the biggest issue (glue doesnt stick to things when there is dirt in between!). 2. Its been hot where I live in Livermore, CA so I "think" the glue was more tacky and able to absorb somewhat into the wood creating a more complete bond? Again, this is all specualtion, and it is early. I'll let you know what happens when it gets cold and the floors want to contract!

Ernie Ekberg · 09-17-2014, 05:09 PM

what Gary said!!

jeffwit · 09-17-2014, 05:56 PM

I did mine, too. I don't know how to link to it here, but you can find the thread under my name. Or search for Allure and look for Replacing Carpet with Allure. Ouch! There's a lot in there about what NOT to do.

Totally worth all the issues in the end, though.