Vinyl Plank Flooring

I did mine with laminate from Home Depot as well...my linoleum split from stem to stern in the cold. It is necessary to leave an expansion gap around the perimeter so it can expand and contract - NO GLUE! It needs to move...this is the 3rd year with the stuff and I am happy! Oh - when you put down the 1/4 round to hide the gap, shoot the nails horizontally rather than into the floor. That way the flooring can still move.

I have pictures of my floor with a thermometer and it was below zero, no problem!

I did not do the slides as it would have been difficult and the slides carpet is fine. I took the flooring up to and under the lip of the carpet so the edge doesn't show. The slide doesn't touch the floor as it is sliding, so no problems there.

Tim

We went the laminate route and have not regretted it. Much easier to clean. We left the carpet in place on the slideout as it's basically under the sofa and the dinette seating area - low traffic.

For those of you who replaced every thing vinal and carpet how do you handle the slide out?

My 5th wheel has a vinal on the kitchen side and carpet on the slide side. The carpet is split down the middle and slides across the carpet when sliding in and out.

Thanks

Dave

I've done a number of vinyl plank flooring jobs at volunteer jobs, after our son's house flooded last fall and am now doing my own house. My 1# suggestion is don't use thin planks, nothing under 5 mm. The thin stuff just doesn't have a robust locking system, it can be easily damaged during installation and may not have the strength to hold together in an RV.

I've used Smartcore 5.5 mm from Lowes, the core is very dense and rigid, so the tongue and groove are very robust. It is a little difficult to install, sometimes takes a good hit with the rubber mallet to get it locked, but it is tough enough to take the hits w/o damage.

I'm using Tranquility 5 mm from Lumber Liquidators. It is easier to install than Smartcore since it is more flexible. I've done about 1000 SF so far, haven't damaged a single tongue or groove, at times it requires a light tap with the mallet. The wear layer is extremely tough.

I'm also using a 1 mm pad from LL and recommend it for an RV. It has a plastic layer on one side that enables the floating floor to move easily as a full floor. If plank flooring is installed directly onto plywood or other rough surface, temperature changes and flexing is more likely to put stress on individual joints and result in joint failure and unsightly gaps.

Finally, with whatever you are considering, check the tightness of the joint, too much play will allow small gaps to trap dirt.

I use wood floating in my FW for 3 years now with no problem.

There is a vinyl floating floor that locks together. You can find them at lower or home depot, whatever you do, don't use laminate flooring. Laminate requires it to be climate control for moisture reasons.

Vinyl laminate plank works really well, but can have issues from low temps over a winter just like sheet flooring. One of the most important things is to provide an adequate expansion gap all around the perimeter and where there are holes needed in the flooring like a toilet flange, floor vent, etc. You'll need a small baseboard strip for this. I installed laminate plank in a previous TT and didn't have quite enough of a gap along one wall and a joint pulled apart over the winter.

Allure is a popular brand that RV-ers use. There might be others on the market with a thicker wear layer that might be better. Some have used the type with an adhesive seem but I think a click joint is better. You need to plan carefully where you start and plan on finding that walls and cabinets aren't straight, square and parallel and may need to scribe some cuts. Green painter's tape is really usefull..

How is the edges of the slide outs handled?

We've installed Allure in two motorhomes now. The newer style snaps together, rather than sticks like the older version. Use the newer style. It works well, and holds up. I would definitely advise you to put a sub floor down first. The Alure looks and is very thick, but believe me, the little bumps in the subfloor will start to show. We've had ours down about 5 years now I think.

We installed vinyl flooring in our fifth wheel last year...ok so far. We purchased ours from Home Depot...not an expensive way to go and if it needs to be replaced, relatively cheap and easy to accomplish.