The floor is an important concern for those who have invested in a campervan. It’s crucial that the flooring you install in your campervan is strong enough to handle the regular foot traffic and general wear and tear that comes with van life.
It’s possible to outfit your campervan with a wide variety of flooring materials, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. In this piece, we’ll take a look at many of the most common types of campervan flooring and discuss how to choose the one that’s right for you.
We’ll go through the many components of a van floor, such as insulation and sound dampening. Still, there are plenty of other factors to consider, such as price, height, durability, beauty, and cleanliness, that should be taken into account. You may live a relatively clean existence in a van as long as you stick to major highways, but your van will still collect a lot of dirt and dust.
Importance of Campervan Flooring Considerations
It’s important to think about the following factors before settling on a flooring material for your custom-built van:
Durability
Since the van floor will endure a lot of wear and tear, it needs to be sturdy and simple to clean. Think about how the material will react to moisture and how often it will be used. It’s important to choose scratch-resistant, low-maintenance flooring if you have dogs. When you’re ready to put your van flooring to work on the road, you don’t want to find out it peels, cracks, scratches easily, or is mouldy.
Thickness & Weight
When designing and constructing your van, remember that weight reduction is paramount. Think about how the combined thickness of the subfloor and flooring will affect the height of the van’s interior, particularly if you’re on the taller side.
Cost
There is no shortage of inexpensive flooring choices, but you should weigh this against how long it will last before giving up on it. Since van floors don’t need a lot of material, DIYers could look for deals on the leftover subfloor or flooring supplies on sites like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
Aesthetic
How would you want the floor of your vehicle to appear and feel? A floor with a mixed-grain tone is ideal because it allows dirt and dog hair to blend in until they can be swept up.
3 Campervan Flooring Layers
The van’s floor will consist of many levels, all of which are customizable. The manufacturing floor has to go first. The manufacturing floor of a Sprinter Van is a wood composite; therefore, there is a lot of elasticity; this means that the floor might bubble or bow in some locations when weight is distributed unevenly.
Insulation & Sound Dampening
When deciding on campervan flooring, it is recommended to put up soundproofing before insulating a room. Insulation is a must if you want to build a camper van that is both pleasant and economical to run. In the winter, if the van’s floor lacks insulation, the occupants’ feet will be uncomfortably chilly as they move around the inside. Additionally, floor insulation, with or without additional sound-dampening material, may aid in decreasing outside traffic noise.
Subfloor
Installing plywood flooring is the next step after soundproofing and insulation.
If you’re doing the construction independently, I recommend tracing the manufacturing floor to create your own floor. Time and effort spent measuring the van’s arcs may be saved this way.
You should be aware that the standing room in the vehicle will be reduced by whatever you add to the floor or ceiling. Carefully consider the thickness of the materials you use if you are tall.
Top Layer
After the subfloor is in place, the last layer of flooring may be laid down. This layer will be directly underfoot and in view at all times.
Various parts of your van may need unique flooring materials, but this will depend on the van’s design and arrangement. It’s possible, for instance, that you’d want a sleek, visually beautiful floor in the living area but a tough, practical floor in the storage area beneath the bed. Since the garage is often not visible from the house, you may choose either option.
Best Top Layer Floor Materials
Campervan flooring is a very important part of the campervan. It is what you step onto when you enter your campervan, and it is also what you step onto when you exit your campervan.
Your campervan’s floor may be crafted from a wide variety of materials, each of which comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The following are the most prevalent kinds of flooring:
Laminate
Tongue-and-groove laminate flooring are popular among do-it-yourselfers because they are affordable, simple to install, and available in a huge selection of colours and styles. Laminate would be a better option for campervan flooring than hardwood since it is less costly but tends to be thicker and heavier.
If you want a wood effect, I advise choosing a piece with a mixed grain of darker and lighter hues, so that the floor will be complemented by any other wood you use within the van. Additionally, it will conceal debris of all colours.
The main drawback of laminate flooring is that it isn’t the most moisture-resistant material, and that moisture may cause it to expand or distort, which can lead to mould problems. If laminate flooring is what you want, be sure it’s high-quality and water-resistant.
Luxury Vinyl Plank
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) is a fantastic alternative for van flooring since it is waterproof, resembles wood in appearance and feel, and is simple to install using a click-lock system. Luxury vinyl plank costs more than laminate, but it is unquestionably more resilient and moisture-resistant. Additionally, it features a texture on top, increasing the traction on your vehicle’s floor. Luxury vinyl also has the advantage of being laid without glue, or “floating installation,” which makes it simple to replace a single plank rather than the whole floor if necessary.
The expense of luxury vinyl planks might be a drawback, but the price is justified when you consider how durable they are.
Vinyl
Another common campervan flooring alternative is vinyl, which is sturdy, waterproof, and relatively thin and light. You may go through possibilities on Lonseal’s website, which manufactures a selection of high-density vinyl flooring. While it seems beautiful from a distance, cleaning it was challenging due to the weave’s roughness.
Vinyl Rubber
Although folks that move a lot of equipment and like an industrial van appearance may use it across the whole van, vinyl rubber is a terrific flooring choice for your van garage. It is quick and simple to install, watertight, hygienic, and durable. Rubber flooring has several drawbacks, mostly related to appearance, which is why it is primarily reserved for usage in garages. If you want your whole van floor coated in vinyl rubber, the coin grip vinyl design is another option that is a bit more visually acceptable.
Cork
There is also the option of installing cork flooring in your van, however, it will set you back quite a bit more money. Cork has a far higher R-value than vinyl and is naturally resistant to mould and mildew; it also reduces noise and doubles the insulation value of the floor. Since cork is naturally soft, walking on your feet may be more comfortable.
Cork flooring is the most costly choice, takes the longest to install, and requires the most maintenance out of all the flooring alternatives since it has to be resealed and maintained often to avoid deterioration. Cork is easily scratched, and if a spill isn’t cleaned up very once, it will be absorbed into the floor.
Campervan Flooring Alternative
Rugs
The top layer of a van floor may easily become scratched or worn down, therefore some van dwellers prefer to use a rug instead. The addition of a rug also helps give your vehicle some character. A big, fluffy rug is probably not the best choice for your vehicle. It’s soft and comfortable to walk on, but it’s a pain to keep clean.
Keeping the campervan flooring spotless might seem like a hard effort, but not with a Ruggable. In addition, you may always take it off and shake it in the fresh air. Having two dogs and a Ruggable Rug in my second Sprinter van was a must.
Conclusion
Campervan flooring is an essential component. The floor is constantly being used; therefore, it has to be tough, waterproof, and simple to maintain. It must also be sturdy enough to withstand the rigours of a life spent in a moving vehicle. Campervans may be outfitted with a wide variety of flooring materials; thus, it’s important to consider all of your alternatives before settling on one.
