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Tile vs. Carpet

Good Evening,

Thought I would get your thoughts on the advantages / disadvantages of carpet vs. tile.  We have a 1994 U300 with carpet...........have an opportunity to have tile installed with virtually no labor cost. 

What do you think?  If in favor of tile, thoughts on diagonal vs. straight, type of adhesive / grout etc.  In addition, do most of the grand villas keep the carpet around the pilot and passenger seat or do they have tile in that area as well.

Thanks so much, take care and safe travels.

Kevin
Kevin

Current  1997 U295. Build #5160
Previous 1994 U300

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #1
Quote
Thought I would get your thoughts on the advantages / disadvantages of carpet vs. tile.  We have a 1994 U300 with carpet...........have an opportunity to have tile installed with virtually no labor cost.
 
What do you think?  If in favor of tile, thoughts on diagonal vs. straight, type of adhesive / grout
Tile. Diagonal. Carpet is not even close.
___

best, paul
"Thriving not surviving" <(*¿*)>
Some once thought a million chimps would in time type great old works of literature
Now that we have the Internet we know that not to be true.......
 
1999 U320 40' 1200 watts on roof. 12cf AC/DC Cold plate fridge/freezer. VMS 240 CL Honda Element

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #2
Kevin,
 
I am right now pricing out an installation of Dura-Ceramic and there are lots of issues to solve:
 
Thickness of tile with under-layment.
 
Weight of ceramic vs a laminate product like Dura-ceramic
 
Do you have a wood floor in the kitchen?  Do you butt the tile against the wood or remove the wood and do all tile?
 
Personally we think the diagonal does not look good in an 8 foot width with lots of cutouts.
 
Sorry, I don't have any answers, since we are in the same position except that our free labor is our own old bodies doing the work.
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #3
I have 12" x 12" ceramic tile on the bias (45 degree) and love it - hated the carpet
 
Installed by MOT at purchase since carpet was trashed.
 
To each there own....:-)
Tim Fiedler    2025 LTV Unity MBL on Order
2000 Chevy Tracker 2 Door Convertible 4WD Now lifted 4.5"
1985 Citroen 2CV6 Charleston
Murphy Rebel on wheels with 175HP Titan
Cessna P337
1980 48' Westport MY (!/4 Share)

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #4
Quote
Thought I would get your thoughts on the advantages / disadvantages of carpet vs. tile.  We have a 1994 U300 with carpet...........have an opportunity to have tile installed with virtually no labor cost.
 
When I bought the coach it had carpet thru out.
I had them install tile in the Kitchen and entry way because I thought the carpet would be to hard to keep clean there. My wife continues to remind me that i should have done it all in tile.  :( ::)
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #5
My vote is to go with Tile. We are tired of Carpet. This Coach has tile in the cockpit and carpet in front of the couch, then Tile in the kitcken and all the way back.....Wish it was ALL TILE!!!! Someday it might be! Rugs hold real well on Tile. They don't "walk".

Mike

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #6
Do it! We have oak plank throughout and love it. Cleaning is a breeze.
The selected media item is not currently available. Dave Head & Megan Westbrook
Titusville, FL - The Great Outdoors
'98 270 buying this month
Toad is a 2018 F150 XLT

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #7
I would ask James Triana or David Flanagan for recommendations on grout and adhesive.  Flexibility is critical in our earthquake environment.
Regards,
Brett

'99 42' Foretravel Xtreme
'14 Brown Motorsports Stacker
'05 Chevy SSR
'02 BMW R1150R

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #8
We have diagonal tile everywhere in our 1999 U320 except for the bedroom.  Flexibility is not a word that leaps to mind.  Rigidity is.
The floor is remarkably rigid.
___

best, paul
"Thriving not surviving" <(*¿*)>
Some once thought a million chimps would in time type great old works of literature
Now that we have the Internet we know that not to be true.......
 
Quote
I would ask James Triana or David Flanagan for recommendations on grout and adhesive.  Flexibility is critical in our earthquake environment.
1999 U320 40' 1200 watts on roof. 12cf AC/DC Cold plate fridge/freezer. VMS 240 CL Honda Element

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #9
After buying our coach the first and best mod we did was replacing the carpet with vinyl tile. We love it. On a different note we just replaced the upstairs carpet in our stick home with Congoleum Duraceramic tile and grouted it just like all of our downstairs ceramic tile. It looks great and installs easily.
Jim Monk
1997 U270
East Texas

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #10
Did anyone ever find out what sound proofing underlayment they use under tile at FOT?
The selected media item is not currently available.Kent Speers
Locust Grove, OK
1993 U300 SSE 40' (Restored at FOT 2009) Build 4323
720 watts Solar
6V92TA DDEC Silver Engine
2014 Subaru Outback

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #11
Thanks for the input thus far, looks like the overwhelming vote is tile! 

How about the cockpit area on my 94 U300?  As you know that area is raised above floor level.  Do most of that vintage leave carpet in the cockpit area or tile that as well..........

Thanks again, will keep you posted.
Kevin

Current  1997 U295. Build #5160
Previous 1994 U300

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #12
When we purchased our 96 U295 in late 06, it had carpet throughout. The DW refused to deal with carpet in the bath (something about poor aim?), so we ripped it out and tiled it ourselves using standard ceramic tile from Lowe's. We used a polymer type adhesive to cememnt to floor, and a polymer type grout product. Then, we decided to wait and see if we had any popping or cracking tiles. After 6 months with no problems, we continued with the tile into the dining/living area, stopping just behind the pilot/copilot seats. Left the hardwood in the kitchen alone. 3 yrs later, still no problems. Very glad we did it. We did not do diagonal pattern, just out of personal preference.
Steve & Ginny Hill
96 U295 36'/Wrangler
Tampa

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #13
Our 97 U270 has carpet throughout except for a small amount of wood in the kitchen area.  We will probably replace it with tile or wood...probably tile in the future when we have to do something.  I fear the carpet will get very dirty quickly.
Morris and Janice
1997 U270 36'

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #14
We replaced our carpet (except in bedroom) and the wood with tile. In Bedroom replaced carpet.
Had it done by David at Foretravel. We like the tile better. Easier to keep clean, especially with our traveling dogs.  We could not keep the wood looking good.
Eric & Nancy
1999 36 Ft. U320 WTFE
2016 GMC Terrain

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #15
It has always bothered me that the 2 dining chairs and easy chair are not fastened down.  They haven't  moved during traveling and I still have the carpet, but haven't made any sudden stops either.  I put a strap around the dining chairs and another to the easy chair from a dining chair.  The carpet seems to keep the chairs from moving.  How is this handled with a tile or wood floor?  Seems like the chairs would slide around on tile or wood?
Jerry Whiteaker former owner 96 U270  36' #4831 Austin,TX-Owner Mods LCD TV w/front cabinet rebuild - LCD TV bedroom - Dual Central AC, either can cool coach w 30 amp - Skylights at roof AC openings - Drop ceiling for ducting of AC - Shower skylight white gelcoat/wood/epoxy frame - Air Springs/Shocks replaced - 2014 CRV - 8K Home Solar - Chevy Volt

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #16
Jerry, we've had very few sliding issues with our tile, however, we do use a lot of area rugs because of the coldness of the tile. The rugs are rubber-backed, so that helps. The dining chairs just sit on the tile, but the aft one is obviously held in place by the table, and the forward one backs up to the L/R chair, which again, sits on a rubber-backed rug. Rest assured, however, that in any kind of truly hard braking, you're gonna get some sliding. Of course, we all drive so as to avoid those situations as much as possible, right?
Steve & Ginny Hill
96 U295 36'/Wrangler
Tampa

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #17
I live (drive the coach) in total denial.  I've never had the dining chairs slide as I have carpet.  But, if there should be a sudden rapid deceleration, for whatever reason, the contents of the overhead cabinets are going to go flying...
 
Then, there is the unthinkable...a rollover.
Peter & Beth Martin
No Forrest? What have you done?
MC# 15890 until Dec 2016; FMCA #F329677
Cincinnati, OH

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #18
In our 1993 U225 there was a wood laminate floor that we replaced with DuraCeramic tile.  The squarish, wood framed dinette chairs were constantly sliding. I made a trip to Home Depot and found rubber "feet" that secured to the legs of furniture with a screw in the center.  Pop off the old ... screw on the new ... voila, no more sliding.  The icky recliner that had been bolted to the floor went out the door and we purchased an Ekornes - type recliner that had no rubber feet and no way to attach.  I found a very plush throw rug with a decent rubber backing that fit nicely.  In 12,000 miles, there was little or no movement of the chair or ottoman.  It might shift a tiny bit, but never in a way that I found alarming. 
Carol & Jeff Savournin
Usta have a '93 U225 36', Usta have a '95 U320 40', Usta have a '02 U320 40'
Usta have a 2006 Born Free, Usta have a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser
Usta have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4dr
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."  Steve Jobs

 

Re: Tile vs. Carpet

Reply #19
Kevin,
I have a 91 U300.  I installed tile in the bath, kitchen, and living room areas.  I installed Pergo (laminate) in the hallway and bedroom areas.  I have the SAI (side isle) floor plan so there's a discrete bathroom area and isleway area.  If you go for tile consider installing electric heat under it (wires or a matte with wires in it).  I wish I had.  People who have it, love it. 
I like the Pergo but I had to make some custom 1/4 round pieces that would fit the radius wall/cabinet corners.  I made them out of walnut and then came up with a bleach/stain/polyurethane process that would match the Pergo.  I would also consider some of the other new alternative tiles like Dura-Ceramic if I were to do it again.  I would also consider wood or pergo thought the coach as well, but carpet...never again.

As for the cockpit area, I've removed the old carpet and plan on installing more of the same Pergo as in the hallway.  The step edge is the tricky area.  I don't like the normal stair bullnose they sell so I plan on making my own and using the custom finish process (as above) on it.  I'll use solid walnut with countersunk screws and make wood plugs to cover the screws - the same way they do teak decks on boats.  While removing the carpet I decided to "repackage" the AC/heat ductwork and remake/add all new kickboard pieces.  Having the pieces will allow me to upholstering them with a matching vinyl.  I also added a 120VAC outlet up front for the vacuum and other stuff.  The safe is an area I haven't figured out yet.  The carpet worked well to hide it - I guess it will just have to be "not hidden" anymore.  I'll probably just install a flush pull ring to lift the cover.  As for the riser and drawer fronts, I plan on using an adhesive to hold the pergo in place with a 1/8" clearance gap round the drawer fronts.  The goal is to make the pergo on the drawer flush with the pergo on the verticals.  I'll leave a 2" wide finger gap on the bottom for pulling the drawers out.
John Fitzgerald
1991 U300 (SAI) Side Aisle Island Bed 40'
Detroit 6V92 with Allison Retarder
Meridian (Boise), Idaho