What Flooring to use

Kuhlbreeze · May 7, 2023

Finally getting around to taking the carpet out of my coach. What type of flooring have people used? Was thinking stick down tiles vs floating floor. What works well we have a pair of golden retrievers and it would be nice to eliminate the carpet. What also have people used in the step area?

jacwjames · May 7, 2023

The first time I did our coach I used a snap lock type laminate floor. It actually held up well but unfortunately I had a leak that caused soft floor and had to tear it all up again but was surprised the floor was still in good shape, when I installed the snap lock I did use a glue in the snap lock joints (not on the floor) also and it helped as the flooring came out in pretty large section. This was floating floor.

This time I went back with LVP Pergo from Lowes, the salesman said it was the best the offered, time will tell. This is a floating floor and so far so good. Here's a link I did on the install, not fixing the floor wasn't an option, turned out to be ~4X6' area right behind the passenger seat. After fixing the floor putting in the LVP just took time.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/new-flooring-tricks-564571.html

CLIFF918 · May 7, 2023

Just finished my floor project.

I used Lifeproof vinyl plank from Home Depot. I used the same material in the stairwell. Stairwell was glued, and the edge on the driver side where the slide is was glued down on the edge, so it wouldn’t catch the slide.

Dennis N - 2005 Windsor · May 9, 2023

For those of you that have replaced the carpet with plank flooring, did you notice a difference in sound volume when you were driving down the road? Our carpet is getting bad and we are debating hard flooring or carpet. Thanks, Dennis - 2005 Windsor

Georgia Mike · May 9, 2023

Can’t help you on the difference in sound but I went with carpet. I would like to replace it all with tile but time was a factor in my decision. The carpet cost about a $1000 and I installed it myself. Took about 3 days in total. I had a local carpet company do some edge binding to make runners and stair treads and it looks a lot better then the old yellowed beige carpet that was there. The wife is happy and as we all know that’s what counts.

CLIFF918 · May 9, 2023

Nice Job looks good.

Cliff

jacwjames · May 9, 2023

1 hour ago, Dennis N - 2005 Windsor said:

For those of you that have replaced the carpet with plank flooring, did you notice a difference in sound volume when you were driving down the road? Our carpet is getting bad and we are debating hard flooring or carpet. Thanks, Dennis - 2005 Windsor

We migrated from a Ford Class C to our Monaco Windsor. It was a huge difference in engine noise and heat

I pulled the carpeting soon after getting the Monaco and installed the laminate so don't really remember but as a comparison I still get agitated at the cabinet doors when the squeak or rattle. So the road noise must not be that bad.

Scotty Hutto · May 10, 2023

On 5/9/2023 at 7:37 AM, Dennis N - 2005 Windsor said:

For those of you that have replaced the carpet with plank flooring, did you notice a difference in sound volume when you were driving down the road? Our carpet is getting bad and we are debating hard flooring or carpet. Thanks, Dennis - 2005 Windsor

We had 2006 vintage carpet for the first 4 years and engineered hardwood for the past two. I didn’t notice any difference in sound levels (traveling or stationary), although logic says there probably was some difference. We have two large dogs that travel with us (Great Pyrenees), and it’s a lot easier to clean up the coach with hard-surface floors.

For our situation, the hardwood floors were a great improvement, but as always, “your mileage may vary” based on your situation…

Kuhlbreeze · May 10, 2023

Where did you get the “stair molding you used around the step area

Kuhlbreeze · May 10, 2023

On 5/7/2023 at 8:12 AM, jacwjames said:

The first time I did our coach I used a snap lock type laminate floor. It actually held up well but unfortunately I had a leak that caused soft floor and had to tear it all up again but was surprised the floor was still in good shape, when I installed the snap lock I did use a glue in the snap lock joints (not on the floor) also and it helped as the flooring came out in pretty large section. This was floating floor.

This time I went back with LVP Pergo from Lowes, the salesman said it was the best the offered, time will tell. This is a floating floor and so far so good. Here's a link I did on the install, not fixing the floor wasn't an option, turned out to be ~4X6' area right behind the passenger seat. After fixing the floor putting in the LVP just took time.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/new-flooring-tricks-564571.html

Jim where did you get the stair molding for around your step?

CLIFF918 · May 10, 2023

Brian,

The stair moldings I made from 1/4 round on my compound miter saw.

The black tape on front edge of each stair is non skid with a glow in the dark green stripe it helps both the wife ang the dog.

Cliff

jacwjames · May 10, 2023

3 hours ago, Kuhlbreeze said:

Jim where did you get the stair molding for around your step?

All the molding I used was from Lowes, it was matched with the Pergo LVP flooring, it is a stair trim for the 90 degree top. This was an issue because they only stocked the transition molding but not the corner molding. I had to special order and wait, and because of the price I didn't want to buy extra so made multiple orders.

I removed my original black stair tread that has the front edge molded in it and just cleaned it up real good and reused. I just glued that down.

When I installed the Pergo LPV flooring on the sides I cut everything to fit so it was pretty d*** tight, and then I installed the stair riser fronts, gluing them in place. I made the fronts a tight fit so I didn't have to use any quarter round on the joints. I then used the stair edge molding around the top. All the molding except the transition piece had to be special ordered and they don't easily show it on their website, I got with a sales rep in the flooring department to find it. Below are the different pieces I bought.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SimpleSolutions-4-in-1-Vinyl-Champagne-Oak/5001956565

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SimpleSolutions-Stairnose-Vinyl-Champagne-Oak/5001956481

The color match was pretty good. I used a regular cutoff saw to cut, and luckily I didn't waste much. The trim pieces were about 1/3 of the total cost of the floor replacement. I had contemplated making my own transition pieces but the color match would have been tough.

I also did the bed box and engine hatch. I used construction adhesive liquid nail to attach it all including the corner pieces and it all seems to be holding. I had to get creative holding it in place using large craig clamps while it dried.

One other thing everyone should look at if they take the time to remove the bed box to do the flooring. I had been having trouble with my slide getting harder to extend retract and also pulling it all the way in so the slide contacts the side of the coach, I had previously reattached the bed box to the slide but I did not completely remove until I redid the flooring including the shelf the bed box attaches to. I found the bottom of the box chewed up but the rollers that support it going in and out. I had heard of this problem and the solution was to add metal strips for the rollers to run on. I did this AND I reinforced the floor bottom under the bed, it was thin plywood and whenever I had to put weight on it to check the motor etc it flexed. It is a lot better now since I added ~1X6" pieces glued and kreg screwed in place