# New Flooring



## Chips (Aug 15, 2004)

Last year I reported that my linoleum cracked in many places. Last spring I replaced it with some laminate flooring I had left over from doing my house. I didn't post the outcome at that time because I wanted to see how it did through both a camping season and a harsh winter climate on the Canadian prairies. Now that I am just starting my step-tub replacement, I had a good look at the floor and can report that it has weathered terrific. My wife loves the floor because it feels so nice underfoot and cleans super.

It's a major project because I took almost everthing out of the trailer to do the mod. It's not a project I would recomment unless you feel that you are an advanced handiman.

Just thought I would post this in case some of you have contemplated doing this. It's my #1 mod todate after the terrible disappointment when I first saw my cracked linoleum.

Hope the photos appear below. Its my first time trying to post photos in the actual topic story. If they don't appear here, they can be seen in the members gallery under "New Flooring".





































P.S. Thanks to Vdub for your excellent 15 page topic on how to insert photos: I followed your instructions and got the photos to show.


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## h2oman (Nov 17, 2005)

Wow. Mine's not even cracking and this makes me want to do mine. Great job Chips


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

The finished product look fantastic







I hope that is a issue that was sesolved after the 02 model year. What actally holds the cabinets to the walls and floor. Was any damage done removing them?

John

Even tho it was a necesary job, I think it gets Mod of the year for the amount of work involved.


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## bill_pfaff (Mar 11, 2005)

Beautiful job!

Thanks for the pictures.

Any idea what it did to your weight? I would think it had to go up but do you have any idea by how much?

Bill


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

Oh boy would I have made a mess with this...

Looks nice.

Randy


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## kyoutback (Jul 12, 2004)

That new floor looks great. I hope you are taking pics of the tub replacement procedure. DW would like to have that done.


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## 7heaven (Jun 4, 2005)

Wow, Chips, awesome job!!!























I agree with John, it's definitely a mod of the year winner! Looks fantastic!


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Great looking floor, but like Bill said, what has it done to your wgt? I thought Armstrong warranty's the floor for 10 years. Did you contact them about the cracks before doing this?

Tim


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## Chips (Aug 15, 2004)

tdvffjohn said:


> The finished product look fantastic
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The cabinets are just screwed to the walls and floor. They are actually put in by the manufacturer after they lay the linoleum. The cracks happen because the linoleum is not glued down. It is held in place by the cabinets, etc. sitting on and screwed to the subfloor. There was no damage to the cabinets removing them because I worked slowly removing them and just reversed the process to reposition them. The big thing is to have somewhere to store them out of rain while doing the work. I used my garage for storage.


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## Chips (Aug 15, 2004)

bill_pfaff said:


> Beautiful job!
> 
> Thanks for the pictures.
> 
> ...


I used 2.5 bundles of laminate flooring. The added weight is about 50 lbs. destributed evenly throughout the trailer. I didn't think that was significant compared to the durability I gained with this flooring.


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## Chips (Aug 15, 2004)

hatcityhosehauler said:


> Great looking floor, but like Bill said, what has it done to your wgt? I thought Armstrong warranty's the floor for 10 years. Did you contact them about the cracks before doing this?
> 
> Tim
> [snapback]95462[/snapback]​


Even though my trailer was off warrent the dealer was able to get me the linoleum because of the cracks. Unfortunately, the manufacturer would only cover the product; installation was not covered. It's the installation where the real cost is involved. I had the left over laminate so I decided why not. I still took the linoleum from the manufacturer because I felt the original floor should have been installed with glue to avoid cracking in the first place. Now I will just sell the replacement linoleum to offset some of my own labour.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Sounds great, and at not too much of a weight increase....Nice job.

Tim


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Wowwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!

beautiful job.























Looks better than factory












































That must have been a ton of work.

Thor


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## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

VERY NICE INDEED







now that's what I call a MM (MAJOR modification)

(keeping DW away from this post)

Bill.


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Wow Awesome Job!!!!!
That look great
You definately have a mod of the year there









Don


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## ee4308 (Aug 23, 2005)

Chips,

Excellent workmanship there! Thanks for the pics, and as someone mentiioned, please post some when you do the tub.. sunny


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

That looks awesome!!!

Nice job!!

I give my vote for mod of the year.

Steve


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## And4togo (Feb 18, 2004)

And I was feeling good about the battery disconnect I installed.

Very nice job.

Rob


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## drobe5150 (Jan 21, 2005)

chips

excellent work









mod of the year? hell yes

darrel


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## Chips (Aug 15, 2004)

z-family said:


> WOW...very nice indeed...we are thinking of replacing out carpet at home with laminate like this....I like the end results looks great chips
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rob, if your interested, the flooring I used was "Pecan" in a "Cottage Collection" by MANNINGTON. It has a nice textured feel like real wood. Now I bought mine a couple of years ago when the laminate still had tounge and grove joints that needed gluing. The laminate is not glued to the sub-floor, just in the groves between each piece of laminate. The whole floor is called a floating floor which has a 1/4 inch foam sub-base. The newer laminates come in snap-lock so you don't even need to glue the joints. I'm sure that there are similar collections to the one I used, but with the snap-lock.


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Chips said:


> z-family said:
> 
> 
> > WOW...very nice indeed...we are thinking of replacing out carpet at home with laminate like this....I like the end results looks great chips
> ...


Sounds great chip
and with 1/4" foam base maybe the floor won't be as cold on bare feet

Don


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## Chips (Aug 15, 2004)

HootBob said:


> Chips said:
> 
> 
> > z-family said:
> ...


Don, the coolness of the floor is about the same with either the Linoleum or the laminate. If I use the furnace which I usually don't because I use an electric heater, the floor will stay a little warmer with the laminate.


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Wonderful job Chips. I can only IMAGINE the amount of work involved removing everything, installing the floor, and reinstalling all that was removed.

How did you handle the additional height at the entry doors? Some kind of threshold? And did you take the flooring into the bathroom also?

Did you use some kind of sleeve to cover the end grain wood at the furnace vents?

I know, I know......I talk too much.


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## Chips (Aug 15, 2004)

3LEES said:


> Wonderful job Chips.Â I can only IMAGINE the amount of work involved removing everything, installing the floor, and reinstalling all that was removed.Â
> 
> How did you handle the additional height at the entry doors?Â Some kind of threshold?Â And did you take the flooring into the bathroom also?
> 
> ...


1. The only door that needed cutting was the bathroom door. I took it off and cut 1/4 inch off the bottom.

2. Yes. I took the flooring into the bathroom; I removed the toilet in order to do it.

3. At the furnace floor vents I made the opening the exact size of the inside dimensions of the new register covers I bought. They have a 1/2 inch lip on all 4 sides which covers the opening. In fact they fit so well I didn't even need to screw them in- this makes them easy to remove to vacuum out the registers.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

WOW....that sure was one heck of a problem you had there.

You did a GREAT job fixing that. Congrats to you for being able to make it look better then it did when it was new...


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## sircarryalot (Jun 23, 2005)

Chips said:


> Last year I reported that my linoleum cracked in many places. Last spring I replaced it with some laminate flooring I had left over from doing my house. I didn't post the outcome at that time because I wanted to see how it did through both a camping season and a harsh winter climate on the Canadian prairies. Now that I am just starting my step-tub replacement, I had a good look at the floor and can report that it has weathered terrific. My wife loves the floor because it feels so nice underfoot and cleans super.
> 
> It's a major project because I took almost everthing out of the trailer to do the mod. It's not a project I would recomment unless you feel that you are an advanced handiman.
> 
> ...


Good day eh!! I want to know how to put photos on this website. Oh yea the floor looks super !!!

Strikey Mikey


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## Chips (Aug 15, 2004)

The site I used to learn how to insert photos was:

http://www.rv.wasem.com/avatar-sig.pdf


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Now that is a project! Sheesh!

Great job!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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