Who has changed their carpet? It's time! (2024)

Upinsmoke

Join Date: Apr 2016

Posts: 286

Hi, at 8 years old and hundreds of camping days with our fur baby, the old carpet has to go. I know folks have changed out carpet for hard surface but I can't seem to find much on just replacing the carpet with a "like" product or better.

I'm only interested in replacing under the dinette and the bedroom. Can the current carpet just be cut along the edges of benches/bed etc. or do they need to come out.

Any thought/suggestions or video links would be appreciated.

Thanks

KenB

Join Date: Oct 2022

Location: going east

Posts: 18

BobC

Join Date: Oct 2017

Location: Elk Grove, CA

Posts: 3,570

My choice, that's turned out to be a good one, is to install commercial quality carpet tiles. They're available in a lot of colors and patterns and don't have to look commercial. They come in 18" to 24" squares, I think mine were 19" x 19". They have a short, tight nap that's stain resistant, easy to keep clean while still being nice to bare feet. They also have the sound-deadening quality of carpet as compared to hard surfaces. I got mine at S&G Carpet.

Since they're squares, there's no need to cut and handle large pieces of carpet, you just cut and fit as you go along. I installed mine with double-sided carpet tape instead of a mastic and haven't had any problem in the four years since I installed them. With carpet tape, if one gets stained or damaged, it's easy to replace (buy extra).

One downside of hard surfaces is potential scratching from your slides if sand or a small piece of grit gets caught under the slide. We have a dog and often camp in state parks, etc. so this would always be a risk, especially with luxury vinyl planks (LVP). We have LVP at home and it scratches relatively easily.

Here's a look at the scope of what's available:

https://www.google.com/search?q=carp...ih=632&dpr=2.2

Upinsmoke

Join Date: Apr 2016

Posts: 286

BobC, I wouldn't be opposed to checking out the squares as I'm sure the variety has improved since the last time I used them and I'm sure it has to be easier than cutting carpet to fit.

However, I do have a couple of questions about using them. How did you handle any curved or rounded edges? My dinette, as an example, has a rounded (rolled over) edge on the side where it meets the vinyl flooring on the kitchen side. Are the squares supple enough to roll over and then maybe tape and staple to the flooring?

Also did you just cut out the old carpet where you intended to replace it or did you say, dismantle the dinette and do all of it? I understand the difficulty between the two. Same applies to the bedroom if you replaced it there.

Thanks

l1v3fr33ord1

Join Date: Aug 2015

Posts: 526

Upinsmoke-

In 2020 I removed my coach's bed, dinette, couch and front seats to replace the carpet with a combination of hard flooring and carpet. When completed there was carpet on the slide (dinette and couch) and in the front seat area, and hard flooring elsewhere. The disassembled parts went out the door and spent three months in my garage until the work was done.

I also removed all old carpet and linoleum, except for the linoleum in the bathroom (not replaced) and the galley area (expected the contractor to do a better job cutting that back than I could do). Monaco built the coach by laying the floor coverings first, then putting the cabinetry and walls on them. This means the carpet runs under the cabinets and walls. You need a sharp knife blade and patience to remove the carpet at its edges. It can be done well. A sharp blade is paramount.

Before the new floor coverings went in I had to repair a leak and three areas of wood rot on the subfloor.

I took advantage of having the bed frame out to reinforce it and eliminate the "beaver chew" on the underside that is common to Monaco products. [Note: I know this is a Winnie forum.]

The biggest mistake I made was not finding a way to mark the holes for the screws and lag bolts that held the dinette and couch to the slide. This caused problems on reinstallation.

While necessary in the hard floor area, and (somewhat) optional in the recarpeted area, removing the hundreds of staples that held the old carpet down took a while.

Some carpet edges required binding. The flooring contractor bound the carpet before installation, using a portable binding tool on the carpet pieces, in my garage.

Oh yes, make sure you have a soft kneeling pad to put under your knees, a range of staple-pulling and prying tools, great lighting and decent glasses. Take your time.

BobC

Join Date: Oct 2017

Location: Elk Grove, CA

Posts: 3,570

1. I used an anodized aluminum transition piece between the carpet and vinyl. My carpet is primarily gray and I was able to find it in a soft gray color. I replaced my vinyl with vinyl planks so the new vinyl is at the same level as the carpet tiles. It couldn't be rolled over to make a flat transition in itself. I used "L" shaped aluminum trim around the entry step well. My original carpeting rolled over the edge of my slide. I didn't try to roll the carpet tile there but used some nice oak moulding. I had no problem rolling it over the edges of my doghouse. I use SS screws with trim washers on the doghouse. An alternative would be "modified truss head screws".

2. I dismantled the dinette and put the new carpet under it. My bed is on a slide, so I took the bed platform off, along with the floor of the underbed compartment, leaving the sides in place. After extending the slide, I then cut the old carpeting inside the sides, primarily since I didn't want to deal with carpeting around the hydraulic slide mechanism. The new carpet tiles were then slipped under the edges of the bed.

I made a tool for removing staples in hard to reach places out of a piece of 1.5" x 1/8" flat steel bar stock. I sharpened one end and bent the other end so I had a surface to hit with a hammer. Then, all you have to do is to slip it under the carpet and poke around until you hit a staple. Hit it with a hammer and it'll pop loose.

Once the carpet is up, dealing with all the staples left in the floor is a real pain. I pulled some, pounded some down and sanded some down.

Morich

Join Date: Nov 2018

Location: Pflugerville/Austin, Tx

Posts: 7,283

I never wanted to go full bore on replacing the flooring in the old Rv I rebuilt, so went with cutting out and around lots of the parts set on top. Sharp knife at the time to cut the floor covering but if doing it over, I would now go to a tool that I love for lots of things like removing caulking.
A reciprocating tool like this with a fine tooth blade would be something I would look at using as it is so controllable.
Makes cutting lots of things much better and far less dangerous to our hands!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-Tou...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

I went with various strips to cover the edges. Since I was using a strip to cover the "look" of the edge, we just used a hot iron to melt and bind the edge. Our assumption was that it would last plenty long and if the binding DID fail, a new carpet section was going to be a pretty small project.

For staple and tacks, there are really small pry bars just made for the job. I did file the end down thinner to get under better.

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnp...id=ppc-google-

Upinsmoke

Join Date: Apr 2016

Posts: 286

Great everyone, thanks for the tips!

I have an oscillating saw, it's a good suggestion, and it might work for both cutting the carpet and cutting off some of the staples. I just bought an inexpensive set of small/medium pry bars from Harbor Freight.

BobC any pictures of your transition piece and/or where you used moulding for the rounded edges?

I think my plan is still to remove the dinette and do the entire area there, but only do around the bed and cabinetry in the bedroom. Removing it all seems like more work than I 'm ready for at the moment.

Did any of you remove the sliding doors? I have no idea how to get started there.

I'll also give a check online and see what's out there - never can tell.

Morich

Join Date: Nov 2018

Location: Pflugerville/Austin, Tx

Posts: 7,283

liveaboard74

Join Date: Feb 2023

Location: Elizabeth City NC

Posts: 72

This is what i"m doing. 2000 but can tell its been changed before, but went with rugs off e bay for less than 300 dollars.
Two 5.7s cutting one having a local shop brade the ends after I fit it. This gives me hallway bedroom front living and around the two captain chairs in the front. If you are going back with carpet go with the thickest padding behind the carpet you can use.