Floors & Carpets in Your RV or Travel Trailer Seen Better Days? Try This Easy DIY Solution!
by T Hamilton in Outside > Camping
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Floors & Carpets in Your RV or Travel Trailer Seen Better Days? Try This Easy DIY Solution!
If you have a “vintage” RV or trailer with worn out floors, it can be a daunting task to think about pulling out the old floor/carpeting and completely replacing it. Most of these floors were factory-installed. The floor/carpet was laid down first and the partitioning walls were placed on top (i.e., the carpeting and floor runs under the cabinets). You may also find a ton of staples holding down the flooring. Or you may just hate the dated 1970s look of the interior and want to liven up the place.
Even with a new RV, if you’re a true weekend warrior it can be nearly impossible to keep the floors in your RV, fifth wheel or travel trailer looking good. No matter what you do, dirt, grease and debris will be tracked in from the outside and ground into the floor and carpeting, making it look stained and dirty all the time. No one wants to spend all of their leisure time cleaning, and most RVers don’t carry around vacuum cleaners to help clean up the messes.
You could invest in vinyl floor protectors that can be cut to size to cover the floor or carpeting when it’s brand new. They'll protect the high traffic areas from wear and tear, and can be removed and hosed off when they get dirty. However, these vinyl mats can be slippery, they’re not very cozy, and they don’t look much better than tacky plastic slipcovers on sofas. You could also implement a “no shoes” policy, but this won’t make you popular at the campground with family and friends.
So, what can you do to keep your rig from looking tacky all the time? A great solution is to make some nice carpet runners and area rugs to install on top of the existing beat-up solid floor or carpeting. It’s not always necessary to completely remove and reinstall the floors. If done right and finished nicely, these runners and rugs will stay in place and can be rolled up and removed so you can vacuum and clean them.
You can accomplish it all with some inexpensive carpet remnants and a few easy-to-find tools. It will also save you a bundle of money compared to a complete overhaul. And it’s easier than you think!
Make professional-looking runners and area rugs for your RV or trailer in any size and shape you need. Do-it-yourself self-adhesive carpet binding tape will help you create beautiful finished edges. The carpet binding tape is available in many colors, styles and materials to coordinate with whatever carpeting you choose.
THINGS YOU WILL NEED
Carpet Remnant (and optional padding/backing)
Measuring tape
Instabind™ DIY Binding Tape
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Hot melt glue sticks
Clear tape
Even with a new RV, if you’re a true weekend warrior it can be nearly impossible to keep the floors in your RV, fifth wheel or travel trailer looking good. No matter what you do, dirt, grease and debris will be tracked in from the outside and ground into the floor and carpeting, making it look stained and dirty all the time. No one wants to spend all of their leisure time cleaning, and most RVers don’t carry around vacuum cleaners to help clean up the messes.
You could invest in vinyl floor protectors that can be cut to size to cover the floor or carpeting when it’s brand new. They'll protect the high traffic areas from wear and tear, and can be removed and hosed off when they get dirty. However, these vinyl mats can be slippery, they’re not very cozy, and they don’t look much better than tacky plastic slipcovers on sofas. You could also implement a “no shoes” policy, but this won’t make you popular at the campground with family and friends.
So, what can you do to keep your rig from looking tacky all the time? A great solution is to make some nice carpet runners and area rugs to install on top of the existing beat-up solid floor or carpeting. It’s not always necessary to completely remove and reinstall the floors. If done right and finished nicely, these runners and rugs will stay in place and can be rolled up and removed so you can vacuum and clean them.
You can accomplish it all with some inexpensive carpet remnants and a few easy-to-find tools. It will also save you a bundle of money compared to a complete overhaul. And it’s easier than you think!
Make professional-looking runners and area rugs for your RV or trailer in any size and shape you need. Do-it-yourself self-adhesive carpet binding tape will help you create beautiful finished edges. The carpet binding tape is available in many colors, styles and materials to coordinate with whatever carpeting you choose.
THINGS YOU WILL NEED
Carpet Remnant (and optional padding/backing)
Measuring tape
Instabind™ DIY Binding Tape
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Hot melt glue sticks
Clear tape
First, you'll need to measure the area inside your RV or trailer where you want to place the carpet runners and area rugs. This will tell you how much carpeting and binding tape you will have to buy to accomplish your task. You may actually need less than you think.
Next, decide what type of carpeting you want. Since you will be going in and out of the living space while you travel around, consider indoor/outdoor carpeting for the runners and area rugs. Once you've added a nice padding or backing and finished the binding, you'll be amazed at how good it can look!
If you'll be placing your new carpet anywhere near doors that open and close, look for a nice low-pile carpet remnant so the door can easily clear the carpeting.
If doors are no object, go hog wild and opt for some nice, plush Berber carpet or something similar. It will help with insulation and keep your feet warm on those chilly nights. There are so many styles and designs that you should have no problem sprucing up your decor.
Look for great deals on carpet remnants in a wide variety of colors and patterns at do-it-yourself home centers and carpet retail stores. Hint: You may want to buy a little extra carpet and a few extra feet of binding tape to fix any measurement mistakes.
Next, decide what type of carpeting you want. Since you will be going in and out of the living space while you travel around, consider indoor/outdoor carpeting for the runners and area rugs. Once you've added a nice padding or backing and finished the binding, you'll be amazed at how good it can look!
If you'll be placing your new carpet anywhere near doors that open and close, look for a nice low-pile carpet remnant so the door can easily clear the carpeting.
If doors are no object, go hog wild and opt for some nice, plush Berber carpet or something similar. It will help with insulation and keep your feet warm on those chilly nights. There are so many styles and designs that you should have no problem sprucing up your decor.
Look for great deals on carpet remnants in a wide variety of colors and patterns at do-it-yourself home centers and carpet retail stores. Hint: You may want to buy a little extra carpet and a few extra feet of binding tape to fix any measurement mistakes.
If you're applying a backing to your carpeting, now would be the time to attach it with a spray adhesive. (See tips at the end of this project regarding carpet backings.)
Carefully cut out the pieces of carpeting you need based on your measurements, and trim the loose threads and edges so that they're clean and neat.
Place each piece of carpet on a flat work surface and start applying the self-adhesive Instabind™.binding tape around the edges. Peel off part of the paper backing from the binding tape and begin applying it to the back of the runner or area rug, starting in the middle of one edge.
Carefully cut out the pieces of carpeting you need based on your measurements, and trim the loose threads and edges so that they're clean and neat.
Place each piece of carpet on a flat work surface and start applying the self-adhesive Instabind™.binding tape around the edges. Peel off part of the paper backing from the binding tape and begin applying it to the back of the runner or area rug, starting in the middle of one edge.
If you reach a corner, extend the binding tape past the end of the floor mat, cut the flat part of the Instabind™ without cutting through the piping. Overlap the backing and continue around the corner.
Continue applying the backing until you reach the point where you started and join the two ends with a little hot glue.
Continue applying the backing until you reach the point where you started and join the two ends with a little hot glue.
Now, use the glue gun to run a small bead of glue between the edge of the carpeting and the piping, going all the way around. Work on short sections at a time, holding the piping against the edge until the glue sets.
Trim up the binding on the back sides of the runners/rugs and apply clear tape at the corners, pressing down on the adhesive to flatten it.
Continue the process for each one of your new runners or rugs.
The binding will leave a subtle edge on your runners and area rugs and create a nice finished look that doesn't take away from the beauty of the carpet.
Voilà! You're done! Congratulations on giving your home on wheels a fresh, new look.
Enjoy the look and feel of your new carpets. When you wake up on a chilly morning, they will keep your feet warm on that cold tile, laminate or vinyl floor. And it will be so much easier to just roll them up and shake them out or take them to be cleaned.
Now take the money you saved, put some gas in the tank, and roll on down the road in style!
Trim up the binding on the back sides of the runners/rugs and apply clear tape at the corners, pressing down on the adhesive to flatten it.
Continue the process for each one of your new runners or rugs.
The binding will leave a subtle edge on your runners and area rugs and create a nice finished look that doesn't take away from the beauty of the carpet.
Voilà! You're done! Congratulations on giving your home on wheels a fresh, new look.
Enjoy the look and feel of your new carpets. When you wake up on a chilly morning, they will keep your feet warm on that cold tile, laminate or vinyl floor. And it will be so much easier to just roll them up and shake them out or take them to be cleaned.
Now take the money you saved, put some gas in the tank, and roll on down the road in style!
A Few Tips:
Rug backings: If you are placing your spectacular new runners and area rugs over wood laminate floors, don't place latex, rubber or vinyl-backed rugs directly on them. Laminate floors need to breathe. When any moisture gets trapped between the flooring and your carpets, the adhesives used in the laminate floor can bond together with the carpet backing and cause a sticky mess or, at the very least, can cause your laminate floor to develop yellowish stains where the carpeting was placed. Instead, use a felt pad/backing that can be obtained from carpet and home improvement stores. As long as you apply a felt backing to your new rugs as a barrier between them and the laminate floor, you'll be good to go!
Hot glue sticks: Try to find good quality latex-based glue sticks. The glue stays flexible without cracking and bonds perfectly to just about anything.
Hot glue sticks: Try to find good quality latex-based glue sticks. The glue stays flexible without cracking and bonds perfectly to just about anything.