Replacing carpet flooring with Vinyl

[Festus2]

I would be interested in hearing from any member who has replaced some or all of the carpeting on the RV floor. We live on the west coast and get a fair amount of rain (although you would never know it by this long, dry spell we are having). Consequently, our carpets tend to show signs of dirt/mud more than usual. We have put enough small rugs in the entry way - which is carpeted - as well as down on the carpet in the "living room and the kitchen areas to protect the carpet. We also have the entry steps covered with exterior step material/fabric.
I think it would be far easier to maintain and keep clean if the carpet in those areas were to be replaced with vinyl. Not sure about what to do with the carpeting under the slide area - whether it can or should be taken up and replaced. I am thinking that it might act to make the moving slideout glide in and out much smoother and easier.
Is there vinyl already beneath the carpet that would be removed? Somehow I think there would be as when the unit is being manufactured, they simply run a piece over the entire floor and lay any carpet over that.
Looking for some advice, suggestions, whatever ..... :confused:
Richard

[Flyguy]

You're probably right, vinyl was probably put down first over the whole length of the trailer before any walls were installed so there should be vinyl already there, but taking the carpet up will probably leave holes in the vinyl from the tack strips (if that's how the carpet was installed), one of those vinyl repair kits should be able to fill those holes and match the coloring.

[Festus2]

As yet, I haven't really had a close look to see how the carpet was installed. Hopefully, they used tack strips but I have been told that I should be prepared to remove 1000's of staples if it has been stapled to the floor. If this is the case, then the vinyl underneath would be have to be replaced.
Our Cougar has a single rear slide. The free-standing dinette and the adjacent couch/hide-a-bed all slide out and there is carpet underneath both the dinette and the couch. The carpet extends part way into the kitchen area as well as the "living room" and entry way.
Not sure why anyone who makes RV's would put carpet under a kitchen dinette and in the entry way ....but it is there.........
I think the biggest problem will be dealing with the carpet under the slide.
Richard

[Flyguy]

Keystone is fond of using staples and if that is the case with your carpet and you feel that the vinyl needs to be replaced then you would lay down new vinyl over the top of the existing vinyl, they make a liquid base that you spread over the existing vinyl and it bonds with the new vinyl, you would cut around things that would be difficult to get the new vinyl under such as the dinette and any base cabinets. The couch can be removed and shouldn't be a problem. I recently replaced my dinette side panels with oak plywood, I didn't like the material that the OEM panels were made of and didn't want that to be in contact with the floor.

[JJnLilly]

Have been thinking about replacing the carpet too. We 'live' in our Cougar so even though we vacuum and clean the carpet, the stuff they put in OEM is not great. Biggest problem I see is the slide. How to handle that overlap between the slide and floor when the slide is opened. Also when closed, that edge of carpet has no support and in our case, the carpet actually folds up against the bedroom step when the slide is in.

[Festus2]

Right now, replacing the carpet is not a huge priority but something that will eventually get done. The RV is coming up two years old and the carpet is still in very good condition but we have to be so careful with it and that can be a pain. We both have the same problem about the carpet riding up and folding against the step to the bedroom when putting the slide in. I might have thought that the carpet could have cut at an angle to prevent this from happening but..........
When the carpet starts to show signs of wear and tear and can't be cleaned properly, then we will look at removing it. In the meantime, we treat it with TLC. Richard

[Flyguy]

I don't know how the carpet is attached to the slide-out on the Cougar, but I would think that it could be removed, The slide-out in my Passport has no carpet under it and I can see and feel under the whole slide-out, it's difficult for me to visualize how the carpet would be attached to the bottom of the slide-out in a Cougar.

[Flyguy]

Here's a quick Q&A on replacing the carpet on the slideout that I found while surfing the net:

Dear Gary,
I want to replace the really worn carpet in my 1996 fifth wheel. The slide out seems to make this hard to figure out how to do. Is there a way I can replace the carpet where it tucks under the slide?

Ron Bramlett,
(Nashville, TN)

Ron,
I have spoken to major RV manufacturers about this dilemma and most agree the best thing to do is to either partially or completely remove the slide out in order to properly recarpet the coach. Some have suggested that well experienced carpetbaggers, I mean carpet layers, can successfully recarpet the RV and slide section without removing the slide, but I've seen some rigs where that would be, in all likelihood, impossible. Checking with a local carpet expert is about the best advice I can offer without actually inspecting your RV

Don't know if this is good news or bad news! (I report, you decide)

[fedexlady]

As yet, I haven't really had a close look to see how the carpet was installed. Hopefully, they used tack strips but I have been told that I should be prepared to remove 1000's of staples if it has been stapled to the floor. If this is the case, then the vinyl underneath would be have to be replaced.
Our Cougar has a single rear slide. The free-standing dinette and the adjacent couch/hide-a-bed all slide out and there is carpet underneath both the dinette and the couch. The carpet extends part way into the kitchen area as well as the "living room" and entry way.
Not sure why anyone who makes RV's would put carpet under a kitchen dinette and in the entry way ....but it is there.........
I think the biggest problem will be dealing with the carpet under the slide.
Richard

we have a cougar and we just took all carpet out and 1 million staples, and yes there was vinyl under carpet. we are replacing with carpet around bed and allure every where else. the slide we will have the same carpet that is in bedroom cut and banded

[hankpage]

Festus2, I see that fedexlady has resurrected one of your old posts. Since we have similar models and years (Great minds think alike) I am curious if you ever replaced carpet or is it still on the DW's round-2-it list???? Not that I am looking for things to do, but it may come up in the future. Thanks in advance, Hank

[Festus2]

Hank -
It seems like other "stuff" took priority and I ended up working away at other more important jobs on a growing stack of "To Do" lists, I never got around to replacing the carpet. This job got shuffled to the bottom and I was hoping that everyone had forgotten about it. Apparently not.

We did, however, get the carpet cleaned while we were having some of our stick house carpets done. It looks much better and will stay there for the time being.

[hankpage]

Hank -
It seems like other "stuff" took priority and I ended up working away at other more important jobs on a growing stack of "To Do" lists, I never got around to replacing the carpet. This job got shuffled to the bottom and I was hoping that everyone had forgotten about it. Apparently not.

We did, however, get the carpet cleaned while we were having some of our stick house carpets done. It looks much better and will stay there for the time being.

You're my hero. I will not bring this up to the DWs. You are right I have used a carpet cleaner on ours' and they come out nice. Oh well, back to more important things, Hank

[JRTJH]

hehe "YOUSE GUYS"..... I just whistle and never look down.... Carpet? What carpet????? :cool:

[AnolaBob]

we have a cougar and we just took all carpet out and 1 million staples, and yes there was vinyl under carpet. we are replacing with carpet around bed and allure every where else. the slide we will have the same carpet that is in bedroom cut and banded

FedEXlady. How did you remove the carpet under the slide?

[AnolaBob]

The carpet is well enforced under the floors stationary portion below the slide's lip. I simply used a pry bar and some 1x4" to gentle lift it while removing the carpet and 17 billion nails/staples ( I would like to be the guy that sells Keystone staples) Anywho the carpet is gone with no mess or fuss Ha Ha.