proper glue for installing vinyl flooring tiles in RV

I don't think any glue is designed to stop expansion and contraction of a manufactured flooring product. Hold it down? YES
Stop expansion and contraction? NO
What EXACTLY were the directions given on the installation sheet that came with the flooring? If there was a glue needed, I am sure they would have specified exactly what type to use when going over a wood underlayment.

GREGORYJ wrote:
Hi usersmanual, there are 4 styles Costco.ca is currently selling, no glue is used, just "click" together and each tile is quite thin at only 0.16 inches :
http://www.costco.ca/.product.100283142.html

yes I understand what you were showing. All I was saying was when I was referring to glues and separations I was referring to a solid glue down product thats only 1/8 inch thick and does not click together.
I did not know the heavy laminate pictured was also referred to as vinyl planking.
two different products with the same name
I have done two DPMH with the glue down 1/8 thick solid vinyl planking and have experienced zero separation or none that was visible to me but again its a different product than in the picture and I suspect what the OP was using also

I think I would consider using individual tiles with a grouted edge which could be re-grouted or compressed as required.
bumpy

usersmanual wrote:
what is this stuff in the picture? house areas are way larger and I doubt u will see anything this bad in a MH
some parts of Canada have extreme weather temp changes but lots of it do not

I did a glue down vinyl plank in my motorhome. I did the install, mid-winter, in Florida, and it has been in for about eight months now. The rig spent the spring and summer above the Mason line. The manufacturer is very clear about installing the product in a temperature controlled environment for a good reason. It can fail, in a manner similar to the picture, if it ends up exposed to large temp. swings. I have end gaps between my planks, and always will, due to simple physics, not installation issues, or glue selection.
My floor is not nearly as bad as the picture, and it is a top quality, thick, beveled edge commercial product by Armstrong.

The reason for the gaps is simple. Vinyl has an expansion coefficient that is roughly 4-6X greater than wood. My vinyl planks are 36" long and will vary in length by 1/8" depending on how hot it is inside the RV. The problem is that the installation is done at a comfortable temp. say, 65*. Later, the rig sits in the hot sun, and hits 100*, or more. The planks expand and push the flooring, length wise. The planks all move a bit, and the ones at the front and back of the rig, move the most since the expansion pushes them farther. Things cool down to the "base line" temp. that the installation was done at, and they DO NOT return to their original position, but still have visible gaps of 1/32 to 3/32, since they are glued to the floor, but have all slightly shifted by virtue of expansion and relocation while they were "hot". The only time my floor is truly tight is if it's parked on a hot day, and it's really hot inside. I know however, that once the interior cools, the gaps will return.

Bottom line is that Ernie is right. Vinyl is a pretty marginal product for use in RVs, and if you are going to put a huge amount of effort in to doing it right, the cost of a quality,engineered hardwood product is well worth the upgrade.

Hi usersmanual, there are 4 styles Costco.ca is currently selling, no glue is used, just "click" together and each tile is quite thin at only 0.16 inches :
http://www.costco.ca/.product.100283142.html

GREGORYJ wrote:
usersmanual you are correct, not all areas in Canada are as cold as here and some aress in the east like Ottawa. This picture is vinyl plank flooring in a cottage that was kept at 40 F. week days and 75+ F weekends and after one winter. Each plank contracted when cooler exposing the glued joint (black) and that exposed black area kept increasing with each cycle of temperature change. This also can be a problem in RV's in areas like ours with this type for flooring and our greater temperature changes. Like JCMack indicated, the force of contraction from cold broke off the top click portion of some vinyl tiles. Probably not a problem in BC.

the only Vinyl plank flooring I have seen or used is about 1/8 thick does not click together and is glued down period

usersmanual you are correct, not all areas in Canada are as cold as here and some aress in the east like Ottawa. This picture is vinyl plank flooring in a cottage that was kept at 40 F. week days and 75+ F weekends and after one winter. Each plank contracted when cooler exposing the glued joint (black) and that exposed black area kept increasing with each cycle of temperature change. This also can be a problem in RV's in areas like ours with this type for flooring and our greater temperature changes. Like JCMack indicated, the force of contraction from cold broke off the top click portion of some vinyl tiles. Probably not a problem in BC.

what is this stuff in the picture? house areas are way larger and I doubt u will see anything this bad in a MH
some parts of Canada have extreme weather temp changes but lots of it do not

I would not recommend gluing them down as some have mentioned. Our temperatures are too extreme here in Canada when the RV is in storage. Good luck finding a glue to glue them to each other, but if you have no luck in the end you may need to find another brand with a better "click together" design. I've seen the self adhesive vinyl plank flooring used locally in cottages and after one season, the cool winter temp's cause each plank to contract allowing black glue to show at many or most joints They never come back together when brought back up to warmer temps.

Mannington MT-711 is the adhesive That I use for the luxury vinyl planks. Follow the instructions to the letter and you will have a no fail installation.