Vinyl flooring, anchoring furniture

I've been searching the forum for information about flooring. We're still deciding what to put down. We had done laminate in our previous camper and it worked just fine, but someone left a vent open and water got under it. We were able to pull up a few boards and get it under control, but was a pain.
So, we were thinking about vinyl, peel and stick or glued down. We saw the new floating vinyl floor, and got some samples.
The only trouble we foresee with the floating vinyl is that there is a sofa that has to mount to the floor (in the front). So, it would be holding the vinyl in place. I'm wondering if that will not allow it to expand/contract properly.
Also, the front of the camper, where the sofa is, has a front slide for the bed to extend out. The sofa stays in place, but the bed rests on the back of it (when folded down).
We have new plywood on the floor, as it was water damaged, and we're guessing how since it wasn't in our possession when it happened.
Bad photo of couch area, and old linoleum that has been ripped out. https://www.flickr.com/gp/14236065@N05/6RXK63

I think the better grades of vinyl are pretty much temperature-stable - they don't seem to expand/contract as much as the cheaper grades. That's just a casual observation, though, and not backed with any solid facts.

An RV floor isn't large, so movement due to expansion should be small anyway.  Probably only 1-6 feet in any direction from a given point.  Maybe no harm is bolting the sofa down?

Thanks Gary. I think Dh has same thought. We're going back to menards to look at flooring this week. They some special buy vinyl plank, that was click style. It had 20 something year residential and 5 yr lib commercial on warranty if I recall. We're going to see if we missed other stuff that isn't special buy.

You don't need very many sq ft of material for an RV floor, so buy a better quality product. You won't regret the small amount of extra cost. There is some darned nice stuff starting at about $2.50 per sq ft. Look for "luxury vinyl plank" or tile.

Gary- I'm with you on your statement about better grades of flooring. You can't go wrong with quality, first class materials. The cheap stuff- I've read enough horror stories about what happens.

I think Dh changed his mind about the floating floor. He is back to glue down vinyl. Hopefully we'll get to the store in the next few days. He's almost done with floor repair. Sports and sick kids this week throwing a wrench in work schedule.
I think his main concern is to keep any potential water from going under the floor surface.

Note that you can glue down the vinyl plank/tile that is designed to be floated. It's an acceptable alternative way to install it. A friend glued down Allure Ultra, a rather nice grade of vinyl plank that can be found at Home Depot. Note that it is Allure Ultra, not the less expensive regular Allure. There is a major difference in material quality. It's been in his coach for two years now and has been fine.

Another question. I thought I read on here allure plus was better than allure, or is it the allure ultra that is best? I searched online at Home Depot and all the allure plus says discontinued. And that is all trafficmaster, correct?

I've not heard of Allure Plus, so can't help there.  Allure Ultra is the top grade from Trafficmaster.

Try this on Home Depot site:  http://www.homedepot.com/s/allure+ultra?NCNI-5

Mannington Adura is also reputed to be a top grade, but I haven't used that yet myself.
http://www.flooringmarket.com/_e/gdept/11/Adura.htm

Lowe's has vinyl planks made by Stainmaster. $2.48 sq/ft.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_737998-84875-LWD9542CCF_1z0wd73__?productId=999957695&pl=1

Be very careful with these vinyl planks as far as expansion and contraction. I just used some in our new three season sunroom. I used it only in front of the door leading to the outside. The area measures 43" wide X 40" deep. I then laid the peel and stick carpet tile, also from Lowe's, on the rest of the floor. I then put a flat metal transition piece, also from Lowe's, ontop of the edges of the planks and barely over the carpet just to hide the joint because they're not perfect. The thickness of the planks and the carpet was the same.
The transition pieces already had holes in it for #4 flat head wood screws spaced about every 6". I drilled a small pilot hole down through the center of the metal strip holes into the vinyl and then installed all the screws. That was yesterday. Today the sun finally came out and when it hit the vinyl planks, it had no room to expand so it bucked up in the middle.
So now what I did is I removed the metal transition pieces, drilled out all the holes in the ends of the vinyl planks to 3/8" and put everything back together. I tightened the screws down somewhat tight then backed them off 1/2 of a turn. I'm hoping this will allow the planks to expand and not buckle up in the middle.

If this doesn't work, I'm thinking of using mastic in the center part of the tiles so it doesn't buckle up and let the ends expand or maybe using mastic under the entire area.
Any thoughts as to which way I should go from here if my 3/8" clearance hole idea doesn't work" 

just glue the whole business with pressure sensitive adhesive and be done with it
roll it with a roller- go on to next project

Ernie Ekberg said:

just glue the whole business with pressure sensitive adhesive and be done with it
roll it with a roller- go on to next project

Click to expand...

Thanks Ernie. Do you have a brand you would recommend?
Would you use something like this: http://www.lowes.com/pd_4621-70680-7130885021___?productId=4764741&pl=1&Ntt=pressure+sensitive+adhesive

How do you apply it? Do you need to put it on both surfaces and wait for it to dry, then lay the vinyl or do you lay the vinyl while it's wet and let it dry?

that adhesive  is good. directions are on the bucket

Ernie Ekberg said:

that adhesive  is good. directions are on the bucket

Click to expand...

Thanks for your help Ernie.

I'm convinced that some vinyl plank/tile expands more than others, but cannot prove that except from casual observations. The better grades are thicker and seem to be more temperature stable. I don't know if that is true across the board, or just with certain brands.

Ernie, I cannot conceive how gluing the vinyl would down change its propensity to expand and contract? No adhesive is strong enough to overcome the physics of expansion/contraction. We are talking nuclear energy!

Its all rocket science.  It improves after 5 with a cold one~

I'm confused as well about how the floor can move when glued down? Leave room at the edges for it to move as a whole? But all in on the cold one's at 5. I only want to do it once when I do mine. Let the glue dry/tack before laying the planks. Will

when you trowel the adhesive, with the correct notches on the trowel, when the valleys are clear, you can start installation. You can reposition a piece if needed. If the whole business gets clear, make sure you place the plank where you want to, cause that piece will be stuck. Vinyl planks and carpet tiles need less adhesive.

Ernie Ekberg said:

when you trowel the adhesive, with the correct notches on the trowel, when the valleys are clear, you can start installation. You can reposition a piece if needed. If the whole business gets clear, make sure you place the plank where you want to, cause that piece will be stuck. Vinyl planks and carpet tiles need less adhesive.

Click to expand...

Ernie,
Now I'm confused a little. First you said to use a roller and now you say to use a trowel for the vinyl planks I'm installing.  If I should be using a trowel, do I use one with 1/16" grooves or larger? 

you use a trowel to spread the adhesive,you use a roller to make sure the planks make contact equally with the adhesive. The roller should be 75 pounds and this insures that the edges lay flat. If the edge of any plank lifts, dust gets under it and neutralizes the adhesive