Favorite flooring...

[CMSmith]

What is preferred, sheet vinyl, peel and stick vinyl ("wood strips"), or laminate flooring. I am leaning toward peel and stick strips because of ease of instal and weight.

[InsideOut]

I would be concerned with the peel-n-sticks and the heat that an Airstream gets subjected to when sealed up & stored. It softens the "stick" and they shift. Our '56 had them when we bought it - they were awful! We did a total restoration on our trailer and went with Forbo Marmoleum. LOVE IT! This is the second trailer that we've had Marmoleum installed, IMO it is great because it is period correct for our '50's trailer.

Have you considered VCT squares? They are almost as easy to install as the peel-n-sticks but are glued down, easy to clean and are period correct for a 70's trailer.

Ultimately, you can put down whatever you want - but I would steer away from the sticky adhesive products - it the glue doesn't "set" the product will shift, shrink &/or expand with temperature changes.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do ~

Shari

[twilder]

You can get laminate (pergo style) flooring pretty cheap, and it is easy to install. I put it in tow of my Airstreams and love it. Looks great, easy to clean, and even the cheapest of it will last a lifetime of RVing. I was concerend about the weight, but when compared to alternatives it is about the same or a little more. I too looked at the peal and stick strips, but opted not to try that. Didn't look good, and I had fear that they wouldnt stay down.

[richg]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

I would be concerned with the peel-n-sticks and the heat that an Airstream gets subjected to when sealed up & stored. It softens the "stick" and they shift. Our '56 had them when we bought it - they were awful! We did a total restoration on our trailer and went with Forbo Marmoleum. LOVE IT! This is the second trailer that we've had Marmoleum installed, IMO it is great because it is period correct for our '50's trailer.

Have you considered VCT squares? They are almost as easy to install as the peel-n-sticks but are glued down, easy to clean and are period correct for a 70's trailer.

Ultimately, you can put down whatever you want - but I would steer away from the sticky adhesive products - it the glue doesn't "set" the product will shift, shrink &/or expand with temperature changes.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do ~

Shari

Shari, did you use the sheet Marmoleum or the squares??
Rich G

[tesstoaster]

What about click and fit vinyl? It would not be subject to glue failure. Something like Allure Ultra.

[c_lewis77]

I used engineered heart pine. It has worked great so far.
as far as resilient materials are concerned, look at the amtico products. They have some interesting/ unique materials. Some of the "metal" colors appear to have a texture but are perfectly flat.
Product Search - Amtico

[Bill M.]

Used the thin, cheap enginered laminate over mdf from Lowes. It has been fine for 2 years now. Floats over the subfloor on a vinyl foam sheet. Not very heavy.

[SL4BLLT]

CMSmith,
we use Pergo laminate that had the pad on it. Know as a floating floor, we have had it in high heat and extreme cold and are very pleased with it. It took about 12 cases to cover the 31 foot International with a box left to spare. I waited until it went on sale and have about $490 into materials.
here's a picture of it with the front u-shape dinette.

Good luck,
SL4BLLT

[idroba]

I am the strange one I guess. I still love carpet in my RV's. It is relatively inexpensive, when it wears out you can toss it and all the dirt that it always accumulates, even when vacuumed normally.

It is warm underfoot, and lightweight. It feels soft and helps with noise and acoustical issues. It will not hide water or trap it forever like laminate or even tile. I really don't understand why carpet has fallen out of favor.

No shag harvest gold or Ugly greens of course....grin.

[SeasideSteph]

In the first Airstream (his), we looked into a lot of different flooring materials and decided no matter what, we wanted to prime and paint the subfloor to protect it. Used "MoPoxy", and never covered it. The look, feel, strength, and easy-to-clean factor made it. Mine is getting the same treatment. We will see if I decide to cover it, or stick to the good 'ol standby. I'm full-timing in her, and love the idea of re-painting if I want to redecorate. $150 for a two gallon kit, and it only takes one.

[Toldfield]

I used a big sheet of vinyl that looked like wood for many years. Now we have cork. It is wonderful and just the opposite of a Thermos. Warm in the winter, cool in the summer. How do it know?

[SeasideSteph]

I've thought about cork, how hard is the install? Price? I worried I would tear it up somehow.

[Gene]

Flooring has been the topic of many threads. Things to watch for are whether glues can work at a wide temperature range, expansion/contraction issues, whether the height of a new floor creates problems with cabinet doors, what kind of trim to use around all the edges and ability remove it if there's a leak underneath.

Airstream installs flooring in many trailers underneath all the cabinets, walls, etc., causing expansion/contraction issues. It is best not to do it that way.

Weight is also an issue in any RV. Laminates and wood are heavy. The thicker the flooring, the heavier and then more issues with clearances.

If you buy interlocking tiles or planks, once removed for any reason, the locks may not work well again as they can be pretty fragile.

Once you expose the subfloor, you may want to coat it with something to protect it from water. I used an exterior spar urethane.

Glues have to work with a temp. range that may be from 130˚ to -50˚ F in some places and when you travel. It is not easy to find out the range of temps for glues except through internet searches and most commonly used glues for flooring are for interiors. In fact, most attractive flooring is for interiors.

Nonetheless, people report success with all sorts of flooring, though after 5 or 10 years, they may not be so happy and may not report it. Try searching for floors, flooring, or similar words in the search function.

Gene