How To Install Peel and Stick Flooring in RV (Helpful Guide)
Easy may not be the best. That is the issue when you want to do a project like replacing old flooring with new. There are lots of easy solutions but they may not be the best ideas for RVs or trailers. Especially when you have slide-outs to consider. You do not want those slide-outs ruining your new floor the next day.
If you are going to use the peel and stick flooring option, then make sure to avoid buying the cheaper brands. These options may not hold up very well and the glue may not be as strong as you would like. Pay a little more to get a top-quality brand.
To learn more about this project, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can pick the right flooring for your RV’s new floor. Nothing wrong with peel and stick, just buy the right quality level.
Peel and Stick Flooring in RVs
Can You Put Vinyl Plank Flooring in an RV?
Yes, this is a possibility and many owners seem to have done this installation with lots of success. There are a few caveats to using this flooring material though and you should think these through before making your purchase.
One of those caveats would be that the manufacturers of this type of flooring material do not recommend this application. The reason they do not recommend this flooring material for RVs is that RV interiors have wide temperature fluctuations.
Those fluctuations can ruin a nicely laid floor that is if you do not leave a little gap around the edge to accommodate the expansion and retraction of the flooring material. Careful planning will be the key to your success using this flooring option.
One reason many RV owners turn to this flooring material is that it is easy to install, is moisture resistant, looks nice and you can get it in different colors and designs.
If you want more details on using vinyl plank flooring in your RV or trailer, then read our full article on this topic. It provides you with more detailed information than we can provide here.
One thing we will point out here though is that the wood planking is heavy and may subtract too much weight from your cargo allowance.
Will Peel And Stick Tile Stay in RV?
This is actually a depends on answer as it will depend on several factors involved with this flooring material and your RV. The first factor will be the quality of the peel and stick tiles.
Higher quality options stick better than the lower quality ones. They are just made better and usually have more glue on the back than the lower-quality options. They will also last longer when you have a lot of foot traffic in your RV.
Another factor will be the temperature changes. RVs go to extremes at different times of the year and peel and stick tiles may not move with the floor when those extremes take place.
Some owners have had great success at using peel and stick while others have not. Part of the reason maybe is that the former group prepped their sub-flooring and the latter group did not.
Then you need to look at that sub-flooring. If it is an OSB type of wood, it may be too uneven for peel and stick tiles. You may either need to sand the sub-flooring first or lay some thin luan plywood down first so you get an even surface to work with.
Finally, you have to watch those slides. They are notorious for scratching, ripping, and damaging any flooring material that is not laid right. You need to make sure your peel and stick tiles go underneath the slide-out without getting caught.
Some owners have used carpet pieces to help protect their new peel and stick tile flooring.
How To Install Peel And Stick Flooring in an RV
The application is straight forward. All you need to do is calculate the square footage of your flooring, then buy enough tiles to cover that area. Then, you clear out anything that sits on the floor.
You will need an open space to work in as you will be on your knees and moving about frequently. You need to move freely so you can place those tiles correctly.
After that, you just open the box, pull out a tile, and peel off the backing. Then lay the tile where you want it to be. The tricky parts are two-fold. There are tile layers who do not care what the end result looks like and they end up putting the bad pieces or cuts where everyone can see them.
You need to pick a starting point that lets you hide those cuts and pieces from view. Sometimes it can’t be avoided but if you measure correctly and create a good plan to lay those tiles, you should be okay.
The second tricky part is making those cuts. It is easy to mess up a tile when you do bad cuts. It is also easy to mess up your new tile floor when you make bad cuts and try to use them instead of cutting a new piece.
Take care when making those cuts and again measure well. Sometimes you can fold the tile around the obstacle and make a great cut but those cuts take skill and are not always possible to do.
Work slowly and carefully as your spouse may not like what you have done and you will hear about it until you redo the floor years later. That is a situation you need to avoid at all costs. Also, pick out a good color and design to complement your overall interior decor.
Best Peel And Stick Flooring For RV
One of the good things about RVs and trailers is that what works for your traditional home floors, can work for your RV or trailer. There are just different prep steps to take when you use the standard home peel and stick flooring in your RV.
Here are some of the top brands you can consider using:
1. FloorPops FP2942 Medina Peel & Stick Floor Tiles, Grey
This is a water-resistant and washable flooring material that is easy to install. Just follow the instructions and your RV’s floor should look new again. Each package contains 10- 12 by 12-inch tiles and depending on your square footage, you should not need a lot of packages to handle your floor area.
2. Nexus Self Adhesive 12-Inch Vinyl Floor Tiles
There are lots of designs and colors you can choose from to make your RV floor look unique. All you need is a flat, dry surface to stick these tiles to, and you're done. They are also high-quality tiles so they should last you a long time. One box comes with 20 12 by 12-inch tiles.
3. LUCiDA SURFACES Luxury Vinyl Flooring
This option comes with a wood grain look and the tiles are laid down like wood. The strips measure 6 by 36 inches in size giving you lots of coverage with minimal application. This tile option is supposed to be easy to clean, waterproof as well as scratch resistant. One box covers 54 sq. Ft.
4. Livelynine 16-Pack White Vinyl Flooring
If you want, you can lay this tile option over your previous tile flooring material. Then if you want to make a change, they are said to peel right off with no mess or fuss. Plus, it is waterproof keeping your sub-flooring material safe from moisture.
Because it is removable, it becomes very versatile and you can lift it off and use it in the bathroom if you want to change your flooring again sometime.
It seems that floor pops are the brand of choice for most reviewers. That brand has several peel and stick options on many top best lists. It may be worth checking out and seeing what makes it so popular.
Glue Down Vinyl Plank Flooring in RV
You can buy these if you want but do not expect them to last a very long time. The reason we say this is the fact of the temperature fluctuation in RVs. When you glue down your planks, they have nowhere to go and can get damaged when the temperature changes.
What most owners do when they go this route is to create a floating floor. They may only glue down the edges so that the tiles can expand or contract at will. You may find this option used by many RV makers.
Even if they use one sheet of vinyl, they may only glue the edges down to keep the vinyl in place but allow it to expand or contract. Some RV makers simply staple the vinyl flooring to the sub-flooring for the same reason.
It is best not to do a 100% glue-down application if you want your floor to last. Find other options so that you get that new floor you want without having to redo your work a couple of years down the road.
Peel And Stick Tile in The RV Bathroom
In this application, you would want a waterproof version over any other version. There is just too much water hitting the floor in this room and without that protection, you can damage your sub-flooring over time.
Dry rot or water damaged wood underneath your flooring is not easy nor cheap to repair. Especially in the bathroom when you have so many fixtures inside that need a solid foundation to sit on.
Peel and stick should work as the bathroom is not that large and the expansion and contraction rate in that room may not be that great either. Talk to some RV owners and see what they say happened when they did this to their bathrooms.
Their experience will give you a good idea if doing it yourself will work or not. When you do this project, also check out Rec-Pro. They seem to make peel and stick tiles for RV s and have a good selection on hand. The company may also be able to give you some good advice on how to use peel and stick in the bathroom beyond what we said here.
How To Choose Flooring For Your RV
The following information can be used for any type of flooring material you are thinking about buying and installing.
1. The tiles should be water-resistant or waterproof- you are going to spill liquids onto your floors and the best way to protect your RV from damage is to have tiles that resist those liquids and make them easy to clean up.
2. Durability- since you use your RV a lot and there is a lot of traffic over those floors, you want the product to be able to handle that traffic and use.
3. Go DIY- this will save you money and give you something to brag about once the job is done.
4. Weight- like anything else you put in your RV, you need to consider how much it will weigh. Some planking can weigh up to 200 pounds once installed and that means you have 200 pounds less in your cargo weight allotment. Go as light as you can.
5. Price- make sure the tiles you select will fit your budget or at least not put a big strain on it.
One DIY Tip
A creative way to use peel and stick floor tiles is to use them on your RV or trailer’s walls. It is a great way to redo your RV’s interior look without spending a lot of money. Click here to see how it will look in your RV or trailer.
Some Final Words
DIY is a great way to save as well as give yourself a new floor. The peel and stick are easy to apply and should hold up over time. Just get the top-quality tiles so you do not have to replace them any time soon.
