Upgrading Your Motorhome With The Trendiest Flooring & Furniture
The Buzz Speaks With RV Flooring & Motorhome Interior Specialists To Find out What People Are Buying And What Works Best For The RV Lifestyle
Whether you’re a full-timer or just use your motorhome or camper for occasional vacations, after a certain number of miles, your rig may begin to show signs of wear. Frayed upholstery and worn-out carpet are two common indications that it’s time to renovate.
Probably nothing wears out in an RV faster than the factory-installed carpet, which takes the brunt of whatever you track in - mud, dust, leaves and other things best left to the imagination. But replacing flooring in an RV or camper is a complicated task, best left to the pros, according to Jere Kochel at Martin’s Flooring, a business with several locations in eastern Pennsylvania that specializes in installations.
“When you change out the RV flooring, you find out quickly that each job is unique,” he explains. “Lots of models have carpet on the consoles and dashboard, as well as around the brake and gas pedals. Furniture is bolted down in a lot of different ways. You have to cut out templates for everything, and be very exact in the measurements.” A little section of carpet replacement in your RV can take hours.
Slideouts add another wrinkle to the job, Kochel says. “Unless you do it just right, the flooring can cause the slideout to seize up. We feel like the only really suitable type of flooring for an RV or a camper is carpet or vinyl, due to both the weight issue and the height issue,” he says. Wood-look vinyl is the most popular thing for renovations right now.
Candace Edgerton, owner of The Flooring Edge in Kimball, Michigan, agrees that replacing the flooring in an RV is very labor intensive work. “We are located next door to a KOA and just down the street from a large RV dealer,” she says. Therefore, the business has lots of people coming in looking to change out their floors. Most people want to switch from carpet to a hard surface that’s easier to keep clean.
Candace knows where they are coming from. “I have horses and my dogs, and I travel to horse shows in my RV,” she says. “I took out the carpet and replaced it with LVT, that’s Luxury Vinyl Tile. It looks great, and is easy to clean.”
LVT is the fastest growing segment of the flooring industry right now both for residences and commercial buildings, as well as motorhomes and campers, Candace says. “It’s really waterproof, so moisture isn’t a problem.” The tiles are made to look like hardwood or ceramic tile, but without the weight problem. Another advantage is they don’t build up the floor or interfere with the slideouts.
Candace says the tiles are easier to install as well. “It’s much less wasteful - and easier - than cutting up a big sheet of vinyl. LVT is wonderful.”
With lifestyles changing, RV floor plans are changing with them. Bradd Neidhamer, one of the owners of Bradd & Hall, a company specializing in RV interiors based in Elkhart, IN, has seen the industry develop. “We started out 35 years ago doing seats for vans,” he says. “In the early ‘90s, we got into RV furniture.” The company started out with Flexsteel products, and over time has added other top American and European lines, as well as hardwood furniture.
Bradd says he isn’t seeing as many home offices and corner desks going into RVs these days. “Everyone now uses an iPad or tablet, so they don’t need the full desk setup. We are offering recliners with a computer tray on the side, and these are very popular.”
The dinette, standard in many RV models, is also getting an upgrade. “Those bench seats aren’t very comfortable,” says Bradd. “So a lot of people are replacing their stock RV seats with more comfortable seating, or taking them out altogether.”
Window treatments are changing, too, as people look to replace the standard pleated shades, prone to string breakage and hard to clean, with the new roller shades. “Manufacturers are putting these in the new coaches, and they are really popular as a replacement in older coaches,” Neidhamer says. Rollers are nice because they can filter the sun, or completely block out light at night. And they can work by remote control.
Another popular design feature now is an on-board entertainment center. “A big trend we are seeing now is people taking out their couch and putting in two recliners with a table in between,” Bradd says. “Sort of a home theater type set-up. People also want to relocate their TVs so they are across from the couch or the recliners, to create a real theater experience.”
Leather is the upholstery of choice for many RVers. “Everybody is looking for leather,” Brandon Ambris, one of the owners of RV Parts Nation, tells The Buzz. His Colorado-based business stocks all kinds of repair parts for RVs, from furniture to rubber roof replacements to wastewater tanks. He’s seen a lot of change in the industry in the last few years.
“RVing is now a family event,” he says. “We’re seeing a demand for more sleeping options. Bunk beds have become very popular.” RV furniture companies are now offering sofas that convert to bunk beds, and bunks that drop down from a slideout.
“The RV manufacturers have caught on to what consumers want,” Ambris says. “New models have many features that consumers have asked for.”
While some choose to buy a new coach or camper, others decide to upgrade their current ride. Around the country, businesses are ready and able to help RVers add the latest furniture and flooring trends to make traveling not only more comfortable, but fun.
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and camping.
Make Sure To Check Out:
Flooring Edge, offering Southeast Michigan the finest selection of flooring at the best value around, and experienced staff that are there to provide you with all the information you need to make the best decision for your new floor.
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