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Old 04-13-2011, 03:51 PM   #1
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Replacing Flooring with Laminate/Vinyl

Hey, just found this forum by accident and absolutly thrilled. The carpet in our '06 Journey needs to come out and we are thinking of wood or vinyl strip to replace it. I would really appreciate any suggestions and especially any problems encountered with slide out interfearence or dragging that may have caused damage to the new flooring. Our slide lightly scrapes the carpet when activated but seriously depresses it the entire length of the slide when fully retracted. I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree but I can accomplish most anything when shown once. Please don't forget that a picture is worth a thousand words. Thanks.
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Old 04-13-2011, 04:13 PM   #2
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:welcome:

Glad you found us.

Many of us have done what you're planning and if you use the search feature you'll find many photos of some great workmanship and results.

I replaced the carpet in my 07 Ellipse 40FD a year ago with Allure vinyl planks and, even though we've had some trouble, we're sure glad we did.

I think I got into trouble because I wanted a continuous "flat floor" look from nose to tail. This ment that I removed the old carpet AND the old vinyl... installed 3/8" plywood underlayment where the carpet had been to raise it to the level of where the vinyl had been... and then used a lot of leveling compound to smooth the seams. This resulted in the Allure in the livingroom (which had been carpeted) sticking up just a bit too high and we've gotten some scratches in the Allure from both slides.

Something else which I underestimated was the need to remove ALL of the old carpet from the slide ramps which the slides ride up on when being retracted. The original carpet is installed before the slides are in and it is glued down to the ramps with some very serious glue! I ended up spending many hours pulling out every last strand of old carpet from the ramps and cleaning all of the old glue off of them. However, I didn't do this until I had already gotten some damage due to the old carpet and glue being spread on the new Allure.

Live and learn I guess. I will certainly replace the damaged Allure planks at some time in the near future and I think, if I keep the floor and slide ramps really clean... ie: vacuum before retracting the slides... I'll have minimal damage going forward. If I knew then what I know now I would probably opt for using some kind of trim to allow me to install Allure where the carpet was without using a plywood underlayment. It would not have the continuous flat floor look I wanted but would certainly have worked better.

You'll find that some here have had success by actually jacking up one side of their slide to allow for more access but I don't have the guts to try that alone. Make sure that the nylon slide bearings on your rig are in good shape, or at least not broken before you start the job. This could result in your slide riding a bit lower when being retracted than it should and you'll need every 1/8" you can get for clearance.

BTW... a big plus for me was how easy the Allure is to work with. We were full time and I didn't have my fancy tools available to cut laminate planks. Allure can be cut by hand using a good pair of shears.

Best of luck to you...

Rick
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Old 04-13-2011, 06:19 PM   #3
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Welcome first off! While I have not replaced our floor yet. I will be using Allure Click and Lock vinyl planks. I called Winnebago to find out how to work under the slide. They explained in detail what needed to be done and it was simple. Just remove the trim and metal from the front of the slide and extend it past the flooring. Since we have 3 slides and are using the click and lock I have a different situation than the 2 slide units.The put down the new floor and put carpet on the bottom of the slide feet. I am going to do this on the living/dinette slide rather than the kitchen slide, less weight to work with when extended. When we get back home that is one of the first projects for the spring. I will be replacing all the carpet except for the bedroom.

Give Winnebago a call they are very helpful. Good Luck
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Old 04-13-2011, 08:40 PM   #4
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That sounds great. Is Allure click and lock a new product? The Allure planks I used were flexible planks which stuck together via adhesive strips.

Rick
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Old 04-13-2011, 08:51 PM   #5
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I am happy
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Old 04-13-2011, 08:53 PM   #6
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now i know how.
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Old 04-13-2011, 09:48 PM   #7
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Another vote for allure. Especially in the nw.
http://gallery.me.com/ihbond/100066
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Old 04-13-2011, 11:38 PM   #8
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Looks like Ricko, ihbond and chickenman have done some very nice work with their floors. I was able to avoid new floor scratches by using the original subfloor rather than adding new plywood. Therefore my floor is about 3/8” to ½” lower than others, but I had to compensate for the higher floor under the cab by adding a slight vertical transition. The transition strips described by Winnebago support did not work for me as originally the black plastic boot under the slide caught on the screw edges of the transition strip partially ripping them up. So I came up with a different solution.
In the final analysis, I have no touching or scraping of the new flooring at all, but had to make some compromises.

MDPD, goldwingerx2,
I will be glad to show what I did in great detail with photos if this is what you are looking for. Let me know if this is what you want.

Jim & Debbie, 04 Journey 34H
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Old 04-13-2011, 11:50 PM   #9
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I've been there also with the carpet replacement. My was more of a three part venture. I had carpet throughout my 1999 National Dolphin and it was the one thing that needed to go immediately after we purchased the RV. I began by removing all of the carpet and getting the staples out of the underlayment. I proceeded to use vinyl tile in the bathroom area and wood laminant in the back bedroom. The wood laminant had the foam backing on it to allow for movement and also provided some insulation from noise. One thing to remember when using installing most floors in an RV is that you must allow the floor to 'float'. Leave about 1/4" space around the edges of all wood, tile, etc. That can be covered with shoe molding but make sure the installation of the molding does not 'lock' the floor. Remember that the frame will twist and the floor needs some method of movement or .....pop. As to the front of our RV we replace the carpet with industrial carpet and I had a professional carpet layer do that portion. I'm glad I made that decision after seeing him fight with the dog house for hours! Best of luck to you and I that's all my brain can recollect at this point. :-)
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Old 04-14-2011, 07:34 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickO View Post
That sounds great. Is Allure click and lock a new product? The Allure planks I used were flexible planks which stuck together via adhesive strips.

Rick

I believe it is a new product. This winter in the RGV was the first time I had seen it at Home Depot. It looks and works like laminate but is all vinyl and is more waterproof than the adhesive type. It is floating also. I think it is called Trafficmaster Allure Ultra Planks. You can find some info at homedepot.com

Hope this is some help
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Old 04-14-2011, 11:19 AM   #11
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Stage1: be sure that slide moves freely

The first stage is to make sure that the slide moves freely. Mine did not. I thought at first that the "boot" (the black plastic slide 4"x8' under the outer edge of the slide) was catching on the carpet and seemed to get stuck at a certain spot. First I examined the beams under the slide to be sure that the white plastic (or nylon) bushings on all sides of the beams were not damaged or worn excessively. See photo. Mine were in good condition. Next, I examined the beams under the slide and to make sure that the height adjustments on both sides of the slide were equal for smooth movement. The adjustment nut is the one on the bottom. The locking nut is the one on the top. Using this approach I could raise the slide evenly about 1/4". After this I examined the slide to be sure of synchronous closure on both sides (both sides of the slide went straight in). After this, I applied lithium grease to the beam and slides (not sure this is the best lubricant, but I had it handy).
Now, the slide moved continuously and freely.
Stage 2: carpet removal will be next.

jim & debbie, 04 Journey 34H
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Old 04-14-2011, 11:45 AM   #12
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Jim, you were able to adjust your slide up 1/4" by adjusting those nuts and it caused no further problems? I love it and will probably give it a try on mine but I had read here that those were for installation fine tuning only and would NOT work for adjusting the slide to ride above the floor. My carefull examination of the slides sure leads me to believe that there's enough "margin" in the system that it should work.

Thanks for sharing!

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Old 04-14-2011, 12:52 PM   #13
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RickO,
I noticed that if I adjusted only 1 beam to ride 1/4" higher, that there is a slight twist in the beam which causes the beam to rub the sides of the nylon bushing. If you only adjust 1 side up, then you may have to adjust one side of each beam to eliminate the twist accordingly. Or, adjust both beams upwards by the same amount and avoid the twist.
I believe that the upward limit in height adjustment is determined by a smooth docking at the top end of the slide as it retracts into the chasis.
I found that when the beams were not adjusted properly the slide would rub unevenly on the nylon bushings causing one side of the slide to slow down or even dip down and stick.
You should examine the nylon bushings for excessive wear and also lubricate them with an appropriate lubricant (I used lithium grease).
hope this helps,

jim & debbie, 04 Journey 34H
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Old 04-14-2011, 01:14 PM   #14
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Thanks Jim!
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Old 04-14-2011, 05:18 PM   #15
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Stage 2: furniture removal

Stage 2: Furniture Removal
Table and bench seats detached and removed from RV.

Driver and passenger seats detached from pedestals and removed from RV. Seat pedestals removed later.

Passenger control panel detached to allow complete carpet removal.

Sofa seat foot rest removed and stacked on top of sofa.

Sofa detached by removing 12 screws under sofa, but sofa left inside of RV.

Sofa moved away from slide area.
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Old 04-14-2011, 05:25 PM   #16
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Stage 3: Carpet removal

Stage 3: Carpet removal

Carpet removal was easy since it was only attached by nails at the perimeter.
I used pliers and a hammer as a fulcrum to pull up the carpet at places where it was nailed to the subfloor.

A section of carpet in front of the slide was removed and 2 squares of tile placed temporarily. Then a metal transition strip was attached.

The boot rests over the joint between the 2 tiles in the photo when fully retracted. The metal transition strip was screwed into the floor. However, the boot together with the metal sheet under the bottom front edge of the slide repeatedly caught on the metal transition strip and the screws that held it down. I removed the transition strip and decided upon another approach.

Using sheers, I taped the edge of the carpet so that it had a smooth ramp up from the wooden subfloor.

The final tapered ramp is shown in the photo. Then using an air-powered staple gun, I shot many staples into the sloping edge of the carpet so that the entire edge was completely and smoothly stapled. Then I cut the tile so that it butted directly to the stapled carpet edge.

In a similar way I sheered and stapled the carpet leading into the bedroom. I left this carpet in place since it was in good condition. An oak trim was installed in various places.
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Old 04-14-2011, 05:34 PM   #17
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Stage 4: Old tile removal

Stage 4: Old tile removal

Tile removal would have been nearly impossible without a professional heat gun. This together with a long chisel allowed me to remove the original glued tiles from the wooden subfloor without tearing the wood apart.

The carpet was glued to the steel floor in the cab area and was difficult to remove. After removal I placed a thin layer of industrial rubber or foam type insulation from both noise and temperature. I then added ½” plywood to provide a smooth base for the new tile.

A trench was cut in the foam to allow the electrical cord for the driver seat to be placed without pressure.

½” plywood attached.

The toilet was detached but not removed. You can work around it. The toilet flange and the white plastic cover cannot be removed since the black pipe is glued to the holding tank below. However, it can lift up about ½” allowing the old tile to be removed and the new tile to be inserted in the gap between the plastic cover and the floor.

The floor height is different between the coach main area and the cab because of the plywood and insulation. This difference was bridged by an oak transition strip.

Stairwell is easily tiled but sufficient clearance is needed for the sliding cover.

Thick rubber mats were added under the drivers seat and at the entry.

jim & debbie, 04 Journey 34H
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Old 04-14-2011, 05:44 PM   #18
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Stage 5: Wooden trim

Stage 5: Wooden trim

Wooden trim was stained and added.

jim & debbie, 04 Journey 34H
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Old 04-14-2011, 05:51 PM   #19
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Stage 6: Outdoor lighting

Stage 6: Outdoor light

An additional outdoor light was added, by taping into the 12V lighter socket on the back end of the passenger control panel

A new switch on the front of the control panel controls the new light.

This completes my experience replacing the carpet with Allure Traffic Master vinyl tile. Wasn't so bad. I would do it again the same way.

Hope this helps somebody.

jim & debbie, 04 Journey 34H
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Old 04-14-2011, 10:14 PM   #20
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Wow great how to post Jim. Thanks for the inspiration to get started on this project.
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