RV floor coverings offered little variety in the early days. Back then, linoleum or carpet lined the floors of trailers and motorhomes, with minimal choice in color or patterns.
Tile is an attractive and easy-to-clean option.
Today, a wide variety of materials and designs are available, including porcelain tiles, rich hardwoods and even inlaid deep pile carpet. With so many options, RV buyers can choose the best floor covering to fit their lifestyles.
Comfort, Common Sense and Configurations
Much may depend on your activities or your unit’s slide-out configuration. For example, if your camping lifestyle involves beach activities, carpet may not be the best choice. Sand is easier to clean up from a hard surface than a carpet pile. Likewise, water that makes its way into the unit will evaporate quicker from a hard surface than from a wet rug.
While slides expand your RV floor space greatly, they also can present some surface challenges. Slides that use rollers to support the slide while being retracted and parked in travel position tend to leave marks or impressions from their path. Some slide designs do not move far enough for this to be an issue, although some do. In carpets, this can leave a flattened trail, often including some dirt or discoloration where the roller has been. Periodic cleaning of the carpet in those areas may be required.
Hampering Hard Surface
Hard surfaces such as porcelain tile and hardwood can also show the roller path over time. It is important to ensure the floor is free of sand and dirt prior to retracting the slides to help prevent scratching the surface.
While traveling, slides will move slightly from the vehicle’s movement and vibration. On carpet, this will not be an issue as the softer texture will absorb most of this movement. However, on hard surfaces, such as tile or wood, the rollers may well cause some local wear. Fortunately, this is easily remedied by using a thin piece of material between the rollers and the floor. Some RV builders have designed roller guards, or you can just use non-skid rubber mats. The latter works about as good as anything else.
One advantage to the hard surface option is the ability to redecorate at any time by adding colorful scatter or area rugs. Such changes can add new life to an aging RV.
So, as you can see, there may be more to choosing your new RV’s floor covering than just looks.
Peter Mercer – With The Right Floor For You