Ask Dave: We want to replace RV flooring. How do we protect it from slide room damage?

Dear Dave, 
We are going on 4 years full time in our 2016 Forest River 377V and are remodeling. We will take the booth, table, and chairs out, then add double recliners with center storage and cup holders with REAL suede!

Here’s the question: We want to put waterproof plank flooring everywhere! But, before we make a huge mistake, we do NOT have floating slide-outs. The floor of the slide-out sticks up approximately 1/2″ to 3/4″ and has the carpet strip on the floor to protect the laminate when the slides are retracted.

Can you advise us, or recommend an installer to advise us, or do any other RVers have advice after remodeling. I was on an RVers’ website where everyone told stories, asked questions and gave advice, but it’s gone and I can’t find it! Thank you. —Michael and Mary, Phoenix, AZ, 2016 Forest River [Vengeance] 377V

Dear Michael and Mary,
From what I can find on the internet, the slide-out you are referring to is a driver’s side large slide that has carpet on the floor for the length of the slide room floor and then transitions to a vinyl floor. The floor of the slide room has a carpeted “lip” or runner in the front. Here is a shot of a toy hauler we worked on a few years ago with a similar slide:

It is ironic that one of the for-sale sites showing this floorplan already had the double recliners, which I refer to as “theater chairs.” However, the floorplan layout shows a large sofa, which I believe is standard, and the theater chairs are an option with the dinette behind them.

A few years ago we remodeled a 2003 Winnebago Brave that had ugly, worn-out carpet, a Midwest blue sofa with pink flowers, and dinette in the same driver’s side slide room. We tore out all the furniture and then went to work on the carpet. Here is a picture before everything came out.

We installed a padded luxury vinyl called Infinity, which is used in high-line pontoons and other boats, as they wanted to get into the RV market. We had the same issue you have, as the slide room “glides” on a plastic runner stretching across the front so it would push the vinyl if we did not glue it down.

We took all the carpet out of the slide room as it was filthy and had cutouts where the old furniture was. You most likely will keep the existing carpet pad on the room floor, just replace the living room flooring. My question is, are you planning to replace the flooring in the slide room as well? If not, I would leave the small strip of carpet that is currently on the floor to let the room slide on that.

If you are replacing all of the flooring, you will need to get a good quality flooring that will snap together and float. It should be at least 7 mil thick or it will not hold up. You do not want to glue it down, as temperature changes will make it buckle. Leave 1/8” at the edges for expansion and contraction.

Most likely your slide room floor has either rollers or a curved plastic runner, like ours did. It should slide across your new flooring just like it does on the carpet now. However, you might want to add Lippert Slide Runners just in case. Look underneath the slide room and you should be able to see what it is sliding on.

These can even be installed just for extension and retraction and put them away when camping.

 You might also enjoy this from Dave 

To change flooring in my RV, how do I get under the slide—overextend it?

Dear Dave,
I’m trying to either replace the carpet or put vinyl click flooring in my RV. How do I get under the slide? People say block the top outside and bring it in slow and the slide will lift off the floor. Others say to overextend the slide, but that sounds scary. Any suggestions? —James, 2000 Winnebago Adventurer 35U

Read Dave’s answer.

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Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”

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