Replacing flooring?

[swimr48@gmail.com]

I am in the middle of replacing the flooring on our camper. I'm down to the plywood after removing a layer of old carpeting and linoleum. I need to decide what type of flooring to install. My husband camps during elk season in Wyoming (snow, -10 to -20 at night). Glue down vinyl tile or plank would be easiest to install but not sure that would stay down with the wild temp fluctuations in the Big Horn Basin (-40 winter, 106 summer). Interlocking vinyl planks (floating floor) would be a lot more difficult with the small spaces.

Does anyone have recommendations on which type of flooring to use?

Thanks,
Pat

[twinster2]

If it were me, I would put down linoleum and be done with it. I do not like vinyl planking because it click clacks when you walk on it.

[profdant139]

Interesting question. I would also favor linoleum, because it will contain meltwater coming off of snowy boots. Any other type of flooring will have cracks that could let the water penetrate to the subfloor. Just wipe up the water with a rag, and you're good to go.

Linoleum is not easy to cut precisely, however. So you would need baseboard, probably quarter round, to cover the gaps. Bear in mind that MDF baseboard (the most common material these days) can deteriorate when exposed to water.

We have floating vinyl plank (not glued) in our stick house -- it does not make a clicking noise, but it feels different than glued flooring. In either case, you would not want to expose vinyl flooring to puddles of water -- it is not really water-proof. It is water-resistant.

I wonder if it makes sense to have a moisture barrier installed before you put in the flooring?

If you want to get fancy, there are some types of vinyl plank that provide some insulation -- I think Coretec does. It has a thick cork backing. That would keep the trailer warmer in snowy conditions.

[swimr48@gmail.com]

Thank you for your replies. I don't think we have either the patience or the know-how to fit linoleum to the nooks and crannies in this travel trailer, hence the indication for flooring that is easier to install. And we live in a rural area where finding flooring installers is up to a year long wait. We do have a floating click and lock installed in the house, no clicking or clacking, but it is on a cement subfloor. I will look into the click lock flooring with backing again. Thank you all.

[twinster2]

Linoleum is really not that hard to install. Lay out trace paper in your trailer. Trace around the walls and other obstacles. Than transfer the trace to linoleum and cut. Use adhesive on the edges and after installing use a rolling pin to smooth it out.