Vinyl plank flooring install and Carpet or not

I am getting ready to start some updates in my 2000 Bounder. The first is to install some stain master vinyl plank flooring in the kitchen area and bathroom to replace the existing linoleum. For those that have done this are you letting the floor float or using glue? I know I will have to glue around the toilet where it steps up just not sure what to use yet.

Also my carpet is in decent shape but slightly discolored in a couple areas. I have considered removing all of the carpet to do vinyl planks also but my wife is afraid it will lose those that warm home type feel. For those that have done it, are you happy you did it? Any before and after pics?

Here are some before and after pictures of my project.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,69841.msg636238.html#msg636238

We installed the laminate flooring in our old bounder about 5 years ago. We love it. Easy to keep clean, looks good and it's lighter. Have a lot of rugs to keep the elderly dog from slipping. We did the whole coach from just behind the driver and passenger seats. Let it float about 1/4" from walls and such, then covered loosely with 1/4 round. The metal trim and 1/4 round holds the toilet area in place without glue. Hardest part of whole job was pulling carpet staples. Way over stapled

HueyPilotVN said:

Here are some before and after pictures of my project.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,69841.msg636238.html#msg636238

Click to expand...

Looks great!

jubileee said:

We installed the laminate flooring in our old bounder about 5 years ago. We love it. Easy to keep clean, looks good and it's lighter. Have a lot of rugs to keep the elderly dog from slipping. We did the whole coach from just behind the driver and passenger seats. Let it float about 1/4" from walls and such, then covered loosely with 1/4 round. The metal trim and 1/4 round holds the toilet area in place without glue. Hardest part of whole job was pulling carpet staples. Way over stapled

Click to expand...

Do you have any pictures by any chance?

A couple years ago, I helped my dad re-do the floor of his toybox. We removed some carpet and installed those interlocking vinyl planks. We left them floating, because the instructions said to, and they've held up very well.

Kev

get rid of the old carpet and use some scatter rugs

Ernie Ekberg said:

get rid of the old carpet and use some scatter rugs

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Do you recommend gluing the vinyl planks down or letting them float?

Think about housekeeping.

Do you really want to lug around a heavy duty vacuum cleaning capable of keeping the carpets clean? Where will you store that big beast?

Do you want to spend your time vacuuming and cleaning? Do you go fun places like the beach or camp in nature with trees  (think falling leaves and/or pine needles)?

I ripped out all the carpet in my rig, went with wall to wall vinyl and washable rubber backed throw rugs.

It's fast and convenient to sweep out the dirt, shake out the rugs and get on with life.

When needed I toss the throw rugs in the washer and the doggy does his best to bring them back to his comfy smelly state afterwards.  8)

If RV manufacturers knew how much RVers rip out their carpet, they would only build 5% of them with carpet. But in my opinion, RV manufacturers don't care what the consumers want. 

In my 7 years of 24/7 full timing, I have seen mountains of carpet at the park dumpsters.

I was so disgusted with my carpet, I ripped it out and was walking around on the bare sub floors. Even though I borrowed a carpet vacuum and went over it 3 times carefully, when I started tearing it out, the dust cloud was unbelievable. All my sinus troubles cleared up. Apparently the carpet was terrific at holding onto allergens and pollen.

I was visiting friends who came to look at my new-to-me used RV and asked me what in heck happened to the floor. Next thing I knew they were dragging me out shopping and in under 2 days we had all the floors done in vinyl tiles.

If I could have afforded the heated floor system, I would have added that, but I couldn't at the time.

Anyhow, 7 years later... no regrets!  8)

PS

I typically spend a month at the beach spring and fall.

Heaven on earth to spend time at the beach, not slaving over carpet cleaning.  8)

If your floor is smooth, I'd glue. If not, get the floating material

Ernie Ekberg said:

If your floor is smooth, I'd glue. If not, get the floating material

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I will pull the carpet out and find out what the floor is like soon. If you let it float, is there anything special to do around the slide?

And how do you deal with the stairs, I have a pic attached.

We floated Allure (premium) in our last mh. Leave about an eighth inch around the edges and use quarter round (1/2 inch as I recall) on the baseboards.

Ernie

Leave the bottom 2 steps the way they are now.

Deal with the rest of the rig first.

Later you can decide what to do with the steps.

If they are carpet now, it's kind of nice to just leave them that way and  have something to wipe your feet on.

Vacuuming that up with a handheld vac isn't so bad.

I forgot to mention, that I did leave my carpet up front in the cab area. It's about an inch lower than the rest of the rig and the carpet goes around the roundish dog house, so I didn't want to risk increasing noise.

Also, oddly enough, I left the carpet inside the tiny broom closet bathroom because it keeps it warm and feels good on the feet. At the time I didn't want to mess with the toilet removal.