How to Upgrade Your RVs Flooring

Here on RV On The Cheap we know all about nasty carpeting in used RVs. Every used RV we’ve owned has included carpeting that is beat down, stained, and for the most part long beyond shampooing to bring it back.

Carpeting will also hold odors, not a good thing when your RV spends lots of time in storage. Then there is the stench of old cigarette smoke if the previous owner was a smoker. I won’t even consider an RV that smells of cigarette smoke.

You could strip out the old carpeting and replace it with new. Admittedly this can be the cheapest route to go, but think down the road. After a couple years of people going in and out, tracking in little bits of dirt and debris from that nice wooded campsite, you’re going to be right back in the same boat.

Why not do the work once and be done with it, replace that old carpeting with something that’s a whole lot easier to keep clean.

My first attempt at this upgrade was in a 25′ 5th wheel trailer. It was a weekend camper, and sat in storage through cold winters. I used the convenient 12″ square peel and stick floor tiles that you can get for less than a dollar each. Sure the floor went down quick, and during that first summer the RV looked great.

After that first north Texas winter I discovered the problem with peel and stick tiles. In an unheated situation, like a stored RV, the adhesive fails and tiles come loose. Fortunately I had spares, so I got by with occasionally replacing the random loose tile.

In my next 5th wheel trailer I made the extra effort to use one piece vinyl flooring in the kitchen and I returned to carpeting for the living room. I did switch to a very low pile, berber carpet that was easier to keep clean.

Last year I converted a Chevy Express cargo van (The Stealth Van Dweller). This time I used laminate flooring, a simple and easy way to go. Snap the panels together, trimming to go around obstructions as needed, and in short order I had a snazzy looking floor system that could be easily cleaned and with a 30 year warranty should stay looking good for many years.

On our new (to us) RV here at RVing On The Cheap we lucked out. The previous owner apparently got tired of trashed carpeting and had already removed all but what is in the bedroom. He went one step farther when he installed wood flooring, he installed real hardwood flooring that can be sanded and refinished if the need should arise in the future.

I’ve noticed that even the manufacturers are finally getting the point. Our last new, low end travel trailer, had one piece vinyl flooring throughout. Being able to sweep out the trailer, and shake out the throw rugs sure beats lugging the old upright vacuum cleaner from the house. Besides there are many small spots the old Hoover just can’t reach.