Replacing Motorhome Flooring

[Floorit]

Hello

check out our web site at www.flooritmotorcoach.com

[ronandsue74]

I replaced my carpet with engineered wood. This was a DIY project, it was not difficult. About 16 hours of labor and I had the floor less moldings completed. I am very pleased with the result.

RJ

2005 Inspire #51264

[erniee]

looks nice

[Floorit]

Looks Great!

[nitehawk]

Just finished installing the Allure brand vinyl flooring in our 26 year old Foretravel DP. Very easy to work with and it is the floating flooring. Looks great and was very easy to work with--if you have an adequate supply of razor blades. I did the hallway from the kitchen, past the bathroom, and all around the bed in the back. The most difficult part was in the bathroom, as our bathroom is off the hallway on the driver's side. Also did the entire living room area up front.

Took 3.5 boxes of tiles (12 tiles of 12x24" per box) at a cost of around $48 +tax per box at Home Depot.

Removal of old carpet, pad, staples and nail strips took about 14 hours of crawling around on my hands and knees. Installation of the tile behind the kitchen--took about 17 hours. Up front--about 6 hours as there were fewer corners and changes in elevation.

Our carpet was a faded almost powder blue shag. Why anyone in their right mind would put that type of carpet in a coach is beyond me.

DW likes the look so much that now she is making new curtains for the entire coach, to go with the new granite look flooring, and to get rid of the crappy looking original curtains and valances.

[Koliver]

Last year we went shopping. the coach we bought came with tile in three areas, front to behind the seats, middle in the galley and eating area and half bath, rear in the bathroom, carpet in the couch area and in the bedroom. from day 1 we were looking for the right tile to replace the carpet. this is a Monaco, 2007 Dynasty, with tile that looks a lot like dirt. Monaco said they didn't have any more, and since it was made in Italy, couldn't get any more.

Since we winter in the Palm Springs area, where there are lots of tile stores, we packed the spare tiles in the car and over the first 3 months of the winter, dropped in on several stores until we found the pattern the same, in a different size, from a different manufacturer, though still from Italy.

The front part of the carpet is gone, the tiles look like they were always there...a perfect match. After a break for a few weeks, the bedroom will get done too.

Don't give up if the only thing keeping you from cutting out the carpet is difficult to find tiles. Worth the wait.

[erniee]

How do the grout lines match up?

[mikendar]

I have an 02 Winnebago Adventurer and want to replace all the flooring with vinyl, probably wood floor look. The slides ride in on the carpet so I am concerned about how to get the new flooring under the slides both in the LR and BR. I would also like to run the new floor up front to the firewall. Any input on this would be appreciated. I am a fairly accomplished DIYer but am not sure about working around the slides.

Thanks

[erniee]

You can install the vinyl planks up to the edge of main floor. I give folks extra pieces of planks to lay under the slide and let the slide come in on top of them. After slide is extended, you can store them under the couch

[mikendar]

Thanks for the quick response. Just a couple of more questions if you don't mind.

Any trick to getting the old carpet out that is under the slide?

Do the slides need to be adjusted or raised to do this?

Can I run the flooring all the way to the firewall in front?

How about the bedroom slide? On this coach the bed and closet are on the slide.

I appreciate the info as I have not tackled this before.

Mike

[erniee]

I usually cut the carpet about an inch away from the slide. This way when you start pulling, you don't have that much material to pull on.

I never adjust any slide on any coach I add flooring to.

Yes, you can run the flooring to the firewall. If you have a black collar around your steering column made of plastic, you can remove that. There you will see a grease zert in the knuckle- you can shoot a little grease in that while you have this apart.

Does the bed base move when slide is retracted? If not, I bet the carpet is just installed against that base.

Go slow. I see you have the same hair color as me- so going fast is not in the cards anymore.

[mikendar]

The bed moves in and out on the slide and the carpet is under it as well. This may be a dumb question and I should have asked it earlier but do you let the floor float or glue it down or does it matter in a MH?

Thanks again for the great info. You are one of the most helpful people I have dealt with. I look forward to meeting you. I saw somewhere in one forum that you are heading to WI in Aug. Will you be at the FMCA rally? We will be there and at a prerally ealier in Jul.

Thanks again,

Mike

[erniee]

I went to the FMCA rally in Madison 3 years ago.

I adhere all my engineered wood. I'm old school and I cut the wood tight against the walls, cabinets, etc. Rock solid and does not sound hollow when you walk on it.

[BearAndMoon]

Here's a link to the mods we have done to our 2003 Newmar Dutch Star. We just finished the floors.

http://s551.photobucket.com/user/DaBearpnw/library/Coach%20Mods?sort=6&page=1

We used Allure "Ashlar" vinyl plank, This is the 5th floor my wife and I have done together, the first in an RV. The Allure went down fast, and easy. I'd use it again if ever I needed to....

[mikendar]

Thanks for the info. You've done some great work on your coach. Did you do the slides as well? Are your slides level with the floor or raised? What was the biggest issue/problem you encountered?

Thanks,

Mike

[gbrinck]

Last year I replaced the carpet in mine (we stayed with carpet) and then helped a buddy put the luxury-grade Allure (called Allure Ultra) in his. Both came out well. We glued the Allure Ultra down, but I think a float would have worked as well. You end up with moldings on the slide lip anyway, whether glued or floating, and also around the stair well, joins to galley tile if you have that, etc. I've seen laminate nicely done on coaches too. In my opinion, the ones that I have seen with problems could are more attributable to sloppy wrkmanship rather than the type of product chosen.

Be very careful with the resulting height vs the slides. A flush-floor slide may actually ride on the flooring (rollers or skids), or may glide just above it. Either way, the height is critical. Slides that aren't the flush floor type usually glide enough above the floor that there is no issue, but I wouldn't swear its that way in every brand/model of coach. Do a lot of studying beofre you start!

In mine, the base of the bed does not move, even though the bed platform itself moves with the slide. Carpet just butts to the base of the bed.

[mikendar]

Thanks. good info. I think my biggest concern is the slides. I have seen slide glides damage new flooring. I like your comment to do a lot of studying before I start.

Regards,

Mike

[BearAndMoon]

Thanks for the info. You've done some great work on your coach. Did you do the slides as well? Are your slides level with the floor or raised? What was the biggest issue/problem you encountered?

Thanks,

Mike

We left the carpet in the slide out in the living room, it's next years project. We're going to have a custom carpet piece done and have it edge bound. The bedroom slide carries the bed and a closet, so that room was by far the easiest to do.

The living room slide sits almost level with the room. It looks like the new floor sits about an eighth to three eighths lower than the carpet and Pergo™ that we removed. Whether this will be a problem for the slides when they are retracted has yet to be tested, I have plenty of things to make slide glides with.

The two problems we had with the installation were:

1. Getting seams to line up when you have to "Back lay" the tiles. We ran a centre line down the length of the coach, we wanted a full tile width on the long axis. Then we figured out what size to cut the first row, and started work. At the kitchen cabinets, the bathroom, and the bedroom, we had to measure back, cut the tiles and slip the tongue side of the tile under the lip of the tiles in front of them. Getting the seams perfect is crucial. I hope that makes sense...

2. There are a whole lot more angles in this place than I realized...

We had some mouldings left over from our last floor install in the stick house before we sold it. It felt right to use it in our new home, so we did.

Our toilet was a bit long in the tooth, so we replaced it when we did the bathroom floor. Having it out made doing the floor in that tight space a bit easier.

Half way through the project, our Norcold fridge died. We bought a 10 cu. ft. residential and will install it this month. right now it's in the shed that comes with our space. running on a spare 30 amp extension cord. Overkill I'm sure, but it was handy.

Our "Entertainment center" is a left over sample cabinet from my days as a cabinet maker, the TV stand was my wife's idea, and my engineering.

I have to say that I have worn many hats in my years of employment. I think this new home, and the life it brings, makes me appreciate that more every day.

[BearAndMoon]

So. We just tested the slide for the first time since doing the floors. Everything went perfectly. I guess we did it right! On to the next project.....

[roadking]

Ernie,

Looked at your site you do great work. I'm looking to remove the carpet in my Mountain Aire, I'm on the fence as to whether to use engineered or vinyl. Cost wise by the time I add a piece of under layment bring it up level with the tile it will be a wash. Have any of your customers had any moisture issues with the the engineered?

One more question how do you attach the bull nose on a slide, I see where you have it clamped in place to fit it. With my slide in there is roughly a inch between the slide and the floor with it in. I'm concerned that walking back and forward with the slide in the nose will come loose.

thanks

Jim

[erniee]

I always add a piece of plywood to extend the slide past the ramps on the main floor. I use a BASF adhesive and allow to set over night. There are no moisture issues with engineered wood. Have that in my coach, home and hundreds of other coaches I have done. Make sure you sand the back of the stair nose to get the glossy finish off or the piece will not stick.

[roadking]

Thanks Ernie, I'm going with engineered.

[huffypuff]

I replaced the flooring in the front part of the coach last month. See pictures below:

[jleamont]

Puff, nice work!

I have been looking at our carpet trying to figure out what I should do with it.

[huffypuff]

Thank you! This looks very nice compared to the carpet when snowbird with dog and cat in hot desert sands. It already been dog tested perfectly. I will not miss the carpet as dust mop and built in vac will keep it clean.