RV flooring takes a different kind of abuse than flooring in a house - it flexes as the rig goes down the road, it deals with sand and lake water tracked in after a weekend at Lanier, and it's often sitting directly above a subfloor that's already soft from an old slide-out seal leak or a water heater that wept for months before anyone noticed. By the time the surface flooring looks bad, the plywood underneath is frequently worse.
Tristan handles both layers of this job - tearing out old carpet, vinyl or laminate, assessing and replacing soft or delaminated subfloor, and installing new flooring, usually vinyl plank for its water resistance and how well it holds up to RV flex, though laminate is an option depending on the owner's preference and the rig's layout.
This is also often where hidden damage from a slow leak gets discovered - a soft spot near a slide-out or under a dinette that turns out to trace back to a seal or plumbing issue, which he'll flag before closing the floor back up rather than installing new flooring over a problem that's still active.
Signs you need flooring installation
- Floor feels soft, spongy or bouncy in one area, especially near slide-outs
- Visible water stains, warping or discoloration on the flooring surface
- Flooring is cracked, peeling or curling at seams
- Musty smell coming from the floor area
- Old carpet or vinyl that's simply outdated and due for an update
- Subfloor damage discovered during a slide-out or plumbing repair
- Floor was previously patched and the patch has failed or shifted
What Tristan does
Flooring removal & subfloor assessment
Tristan pulls up the old carpet, vinyl or laminate and inspects the plywood subfloor underneath for soft spots, delamination or rot, since RV flooring problems very often start with a subfloor issue that the surface material was simply hiding.
Subfloor repair or replacement
Damaged sections of subfloor get cut out and replaced with properly sealed plywood, tied into the existing floor structure so there's no soft transition between old and new material.
Leak source identification
If the subfloor damage traces back to an active leak - a slide-out seal, plumbing fitting, or roof penetration - he identifies and flags it so the source gets addressed rather than just covering water-damaged wood with new flooring.
New flooring installation
Once the subfloor is sound, he installs the new flooring - typically vinyl plank for its water resistance and flexibility with RV movement - cut and fitted around cabinetry, slide-outs and fixtures for a finished look.
Why mobile beats hauling it to a dealer
Flooring work involves furniture, cabinetry and fixtures that are often built into the RV around the floor, which makes it awkward and sometimes impractical to haul the rig somewhere else for the job. Tristan does the tear-out, subfloor repair and installation right at your driveway or storage spot, working around the rig's built-ins rather than needing to disassemble it for transport.
It also means less time the rig is unusable. Whether it's parked at a home in Decatur or sitting in a storage lot waiting for the next trip to Stone Mountain or beyond, a mobile flooring job means it's back in service as soon as the work is done, without a tow to and from a shop on either end.
Relevant training
- Certificate in all-around RV repair
Questions we get asked
- How do you know if it's just the flooring or the subfloor too?
- Tristan checks for sponginess and flex when he pulls up the old flooring. If the plywood underneath is soft, delaminated or discolored, that gets replaced before any new flooring goes down.
- What type of flooring do you recommend for an RV?
- Vinyl plank is common because it handles moisture and the flex of a moving rig well, but the right choice depends on the space and your preference - he can walk through options when he's out for the estimate.
- What if the subfloor damage is from a leak that's still happening?
- He'll identify that during the tear-out and flag it rather than installing new flooring over an active leak, since that would just hide the problem again.
- Can you match flooring around existing cabinetry and slide-outs?
- Yes, fitting new flooring around built-in cabinetry, slide-out openings and fixtures is a normal part of the installation.
Areas we serve for this service
Cities & areas
Related services
RV Water Damage & Rot Repair
Tracking down hidden leaks and rebuilding soft, rotted floors and walls before they spread.
RV Slide-Out Repair
Diagnosing and fixing slide-outs that stick, grind, lean, or won't move at all.
RV Plumbing Repair
Fixing leaks, clogs, low pressure, and water heater problems in the fresh, gray, and black systems.