Carpets or not? (1 Viewer)

Trikeman

Free Member
Aug 22, 2012
1,649
3,095
Wilds of Ceredigion.
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22,516
MH
AT 634 Apache.
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Since 2011.
Hi All,
who runs with carpets fitted to the habitation area - any preferences?

Our MH has nice, sort of woodgrain flooring and also comes with a fully edged carpet set in a deep burgundy with pattern to match the curtains etc. We have never used the carpets which are wrapped up in the spare room here. I am just trying to get a 'feel' as to what peoples experiences are with regards to carpets in their MH's.

The current flooring is easy to brush out and clean with a semi-damp mop and we do use a vac too.

Thoughts?

Regards,

Trikeman. :winky:
 
Feb 9, 2008
4,086
5,902
SW Scotland
Funster No
1,453
MH
LP Coachbuilt
Exp
Since 2008 after caravanning for 20 years
We lift the carpets for spring and summer, visiting a lot of beaches with the dog means lots of sand. Much easier to vac up off the vinyl. In autumn and winter we put the carpets down as it's much warmer.

Rgds
Bill
 
Sep 25, 2009
789
1,381
south yorkshire
Funster No
8,624
MH
coachbuilt
Exp
since 2004. Tugger 10 years on and off
same as Trikeman.take out in summer:Cool:. put back in for winter.:Sad:

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laneside

Funster
Deceased RIP
Aug 14, 2009
2,668
6,276
Oradour sur Vayres
Funster No
7,981
MH
Rapido V66
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nowhere near long enough
Ours are as new still in the wrapping, every place we park has either sand, mud, grass or stone chippings, so much easier to sweep the vinyl out.
 

Mousy

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Sep 13, 2013
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In our very limited experience :winky: we've taken the lovely as new cream bound carpets out and replaced with some very cheap rugs from dunelm. I can take them out to vacumn etc no way would the cream stay looking clean otherwise. The dealer also said keeping them out until resale increased the vans value?!

I might use them as a template and cut around them on some hard wearing dark carpet, just for winter.
 

Peter_n_Margaret

Free Member
Oct 27, 2013
86
62
Adelaide, Australia
Funster No
28,760
MH
"C" class 4WD DIY
Exp
About 20 years
We like carpet on the floor and don't get too house proud about how they look.
We use outdoor carpet, shake it out outside every now and again, high pressure car wash once a year and chuck it out every 3 years.

Buy off cuts from the local carpet layer. Cheap as chips.

Cheers,
Peter

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Sep 16, 2010
2,994
2,848
Bungay Suffolk
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13,734
MH
Autotrail TrackerEKS
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Since 2010
We are going to get some carpet from the local carpet shop, but we will also get the carpet fitter to cut it to fit exactly, which is what we did with the last van. It does make it nice and comfy on bare feet ( etc ).. ::bigsmile: Mitch.
 

mikebeaches

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Feb 22, 2010
5,346
8,469
Bristol
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10,377
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Rapido V68 Van Conversion
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Since 2009
We had some large off-cuts of vinyl from when our kitchen was done about 25 years ago (long since replaced with wood), and made a new loose-fitted covering to go on top of the original vinyl, which has never been walked on. The cream-coloured carpet that came with the van is carefully wrapped up and stored in the house. We also have a few carpet mats around in the van that can be shaken, vacced, or thrown out as appropriate.

Works for us. :thumb:

Isn't it weird how manufacturers provide plain cream carpets - about the most impractical floor covering imaginable in a camping environment. :Doh:

Mike
 

dogman

Free Member
Oct 24, 2013
549
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chepstow
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28,719
MH
Coach Built
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I'm a newbie
With sand, gravel and other abrasive material I worry about the damage to the flooring surface if carpets are not down all the time, easy to change the carpet but not so easy to change the floor. Off cuts are cheap enough while keeping the nice new fitted ones wrapped up for resale.

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Mar 29, 2011
961
639
Rugby UK
Funster No
15,848
MH
C Class RS
Exp
2011
When we had ours the carpets had never been down, having a number of dogs we wanted to have carpets as the dogs slip on the wood effect floor and of course its warmer and nicer to walk on, In our local independant carpet shop there was a sample book of carpet that was the exactly the spec as the original with a non slip thin rubbery backing, I took the original set in and he cut a new set for me in a similar shade and had them edged, we just take them out a 2 or 3 times a season to carpet clean them and they have stayed perfik.

Anyway why do we expect a used motorhome to have brand new carpets :Doh:

dave
 
Sep 3, 2013
768
816
Crowthorne, Berkshire
Funster No
27,910
MH
1992 RMB Silver Star 670
Exp
One year. A whole one!
In an ideal world, we'd have preferred a wood / vinyl flooring as past experience tells us constant sweeping is essential, especially with children.

But it appears the carpets in our RMB are permanent. So I've bought a hand-held vacuum with a crevice tool for cleaning duties.

A few things here:

1. I like my interior spotless and I keep a small brush handy for crevices in all areas with special emphasis on the front, dash, vents, etc. So a vacuum with a crevice tool is rather handy and means I can clean things instantly rather than waiting until I'm home.

2. A brush doesn't get completely into the various nooks and crannies, yet a decent vacuum will (especially with my little crevice tool and detailing brush), so there's an advantage there as well. A better clean each time.

3. Carpets, even in our short time with them, DO get dirty. And they DO need cleaned properly to keep them that way. Luckily, Udo's are dark and of a very short, dense pile. So they'll be steam cleaned when the weather heats up.

4. Carpets (or lack of) aside, there's still upholstery to consider. That can't be brushed too thoroughly, although it can be effective. But vacuuming them works better in my view. When we were in Scotland in August in our hired Swift, we got sand everywhere at Clachtoll beach. Well, our children (dear, sweet things...) did. Brushing just removed 50% of the crud. The rest 'bounced' around. Hoovering would have got rid of 90% of the stuff in one hit.

On balance, though, a good wood or wood-effect flooring is more practical and stays looking good for longer between cleaning.
 

scousebird

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Apr 18, 2012
10,800
354,771
South East Kent
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20,628
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Bailey
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March 2012
We leave our carpets in. We took them out of one of our caravans and ended up giving brand new carpets away with the van when we sold it :RollEyes:

We then decided to always use the carpets, we vacuum each time we come home and we have a washable mat at the door. :Smile:

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daisy mae

Free Member
Mar 12, 2013
675
597
Leicestershire
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25,079
MH
C class Coachbuilt
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I`m a newbie, now 1 year
I have fitted carpet in my MH I had some carpet left over from the stairs and landing, as the colour was right for the van, I have fitted this carpet on top of the original carpet, doors etc still open, and it feels more luxurious, lovely to walk on, and is warmer, I also put some in the toilet over the shower tray, easily taken out when using shower, lovely and warm in cold weather when not, can easily be taken out for steam cleaning, but I do keep a small vacuum cleaner in the van, much easier with having dogs, although when weather is really bad, I put a cover on the floor, which is then washed in the machine, as soon as I bought my van, I bought matching throws for the settees, and waterproof fitted covers for the cab seats, this arrangement worked really well in my first van, and it was as new when I sold it.
Margaret
 

maz

Jan 26, 2011
4,445
7,666
Bizeljsko, Slovenia
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15,094
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N+B Arto
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Since March 2011
Having a dog and liking to keep things simple, I took up the carpets that came with the van as soon as I got it. With a double-floored van I really don't think carpets are much use as the floor is never cold anyway.
 
Oct 20, 2013
5,299
12,777
South Norfolk
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28,653
MH
C Class
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Yes
:Smile:
In an ideal world, we'd have preferred a wood / vinyl flooring as past experience tells us constant sweeping is essential, especially with children.

But it appears the carpets in our RMB are permanent. So I've bought a hand-held vacuum with a crevice tool for cleaning duties.

A few things here:

1. I like my interior spotless and I keep a small brush handy for crevices in all areas with special emphasis on the front, dash, vents, etc. So a vacuum with a crevice tool is rather handy and means I can clean things instantly rather than waiting until I'm home.

2. A brush doesn't get completely into the various nooks and crannies, yet a decent vacuum will (especially with my little crevice tool and detailing brush), so there's an advantage there as well. A better clean each time.

3. Carpets, even in our short time with them, DO get dirty. And they DO need cleaned properly to keep them that way. Luckily, Udo's are dark and of a very short, dense pile. So they'll be steam cleaned when the weather heats up.

4. Carpets (or lack of) aside, there's still upholstery to consider. That can't be brushed too thoroughly, although it can be effective. But vacuuming them works better in my view. When we were in Scotland in August in our hired Swift, we got sand everywhere at Clachtoll beach. Well, our children (dear, sweet things...) did. Brushing just removed 50% of the crud. The rest 'bounced' around. Hoovering would have got rid of 90% of the stuff in one hit.

On balance, though, a good wood or wood-effect flooring is more practical and stays looking good for longer between cleaning.

Can you please come round to ours and clean the carpets :Smile:

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GJH

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 20, 2007
29,450
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Acklam, Teesside, originally Glossop
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127
MH
None, now sold
Exp
2006 to 2022
The carpets in our van were a bit tatty when we got it (van was 8 and a half years old or so then) so we binned them and bought several magic mats in various sizes. They mean we have something on the vinyl floor which is easy to clean and stops mud/wet being taken through the van.
 
OP
OP
Trikeman

Trikeman

Free Member
Aug 22, 2012
1,649
3,095
Wilds of Ceredigion.
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22,516
MH
AT 634 Apache.
Exp
Since 2011.
In an ideal world, we'd have preferred a wood / vinyl flooring as past experience tells us constant sweeping is essential, especially with children.

But it appears the carpets in our RMB are permanent. So I've bought a hand-held vacuum with a crevice tool for cleaning duties.

A few things here:

1. I like my interior spotless and I keep a small brush handy for crevices in all areas with special emphasis on the front, dash, vents, etc. So a vacuum with a crevice tool is rather handy and means I can clean things instantly rather than waiting until I'm home.

2. A brush doesn't get completely into the various nooks and crannies, yet a decent vacuum will (especially with my little crevice tool and detailing brush), so there's an advantage there as well. A better clean each time.

3. Carpets, even in our short time with them, DO get dirty. And they DO need cleaned properly to keep them that way. Luckily, Udo's are dark and of a very short, dense pile. So they'll be steam cleaned when the weather heats up.

4. Carpets (or lack of) aside, there's still upholstery to consider. That can't be brushed too thoroughly, although it can be effective. But vacuuming them works better in my view. When we were in Scotland in August in our hired Swift, we got sand everywhere at Clachtoll beach. Well, our children (dear, sweet things...) did. Brushing just removed 50% of the crud. The rest 'bounced' around. Hoovering would have got rid of 90% of the stuff in one hit.

On balance, though, a good wood or wood-effect flooring is more practical and stays looking good for longer between cleaning.

Thanks for that Bellini, a good explanation which makes sense.
We bought a Dirt Devil vac from the SW show and that's cracking, it has a 'normal' wide rotating brush/vac and also an extending pipe with small brush on the end which is great for all those little areas.
:thumb:
Regards,

Trikeman.:winky:
 
Dec 24, 2009
1,065
15,676
bedworth warks
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9,712
MH
c class
Exp
2009 previously a tugger for thirty years
Our Pilote only came with fitted carpet in the cab. The habitation area is vinyl so off to Tesco we went and bought some rubber backed mats cheap as chips and they do scrub up well, we have put them in the washing machine at home.

Jenny managed to throw the belly pork when she dropped the grill pan on one of them early on in our last trip to France, we just scrubbed it with some warm soapy water then when we got home, three months later chucked it in the washer.

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Oct 20, 2013
5,299
12,777
South Norfolk
Funster No
28,653
MH
C Class
Exp
Yes
Our Pilote only came with fitted carpet in the cab. The habitation area is vinyl so off to Tesco we went and bought some rubber backed mats cheap as chips and they do scrub up well, we have put them in the washing machine at home.

Jenny managed to throw the belly pork when she dropped the grill pan on one of them early on in our last trip to France, we just scrubbed it with some warm soapy water then when we got home, three months later chucked it in the washer.
Why would you put belly of pork in the washer :Smile:
 
Apr 25, 2012
794
826
Near Truro, Cornwall
Funster No
20,729
MH
A Class
Exp
10
Carpets

Hi,

Our van has a hard floor with hatches to access the underfloor space, so the carpets are in separate sections, front, lounge, kitchen and entry, all bound and easy to remove. We leave then down all the time but have an extra entry door mat and also a rug we bought in Morocco in the lounge. We never wear shoes in the van, only slippers, and we don't have a dog, so everything stays clean and we only need to shake and sweep out every few days.

In summer we lay a large square artificial carpet (more like a large plastic mat really) outside the van on the hab door side, and that gives us a bit more comfort outside under the awning and helps keep sand etc, out of the van.:Smile:
 

Snowbird

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Apr 24, 2009
11,818
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Liverpool.
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6,422
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Fifth wheel.
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Since 11-05-2000
Having ran American RVs with shag pile carpet and spent hours trying to get sand out of them and having them professionally cleaned every year, I gave up on carpets altogether. When I bought the RMB, to my dismay it had a fitted carpet. I had it taken out and a vinyl floor fitted. I had the cab re-carpeted to match and mats whipped and made for the entrance door and lounge to match. If you are beach camping, carpet is a pain to keep clean.

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Feb 24, 2013
12,991
101,155
Bolsover, Derbyshire
Funster No
24,833
MH
Hymer S800
Exp
not long enough
Hi,

Our van has a hard floor with hatches to access the underfloor space, so the carpets are in separate sections, front, lounge, kitchen and entry, all bound and easy to remove. We leave then down all the time


We are also blessed with this package, my OH is not happy walking on bare floor to loo at night, so we leave that bit down which nicely links bed to toilet, then as my OH does not like the dog paw prints on the carpet we have the rest bare, (bare floor I mean) which I prefer

A nice compromise, our local carpet shop has offered to cut and whip the edges of a new set for about £100 all in, (that would be for all 3 pieces) so when it gets a bit muckier I reckon I will get a new bit just for the bed end, (hopefully only about £40) as said earlier why should a buyer of a used MH expect new carpets, shall we fit them a new engine as well!!

Only my opinion of course, but I actually like the carpet near the shower as well, but each to their own choice

:thumb:
 
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fatbuddha

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Mar 6, 2012
119
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Gods Waiting Room
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20,053
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Rollerteam T-line 700
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since 2004
When we bought our Rollerteam last year it didn't come with a set of carpets and we didn't want to part with c£240 for a set so on the 1st trip, we diverted to IKEA and bought a couple of small flokati rugs that sit nicely - c£10 each. Above the step we have another small carpet - one of those "shed all dirt" types - another £12. So for c£32 we have a nice set of rugs that we can use in winter/lift in summer. Easy to shake out as well.
 

davejen

Free Member
Aug 21, 2008
1,861
1,235
Preston
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3,770
MH
Given up travelling
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Since 1992
Having ran American RVs with shag pile carpet and spent hours trying to get sand out of them and having them professionally cleaned every year, I gave up on carpets altogether. When I bought the RMB, to my dismay it had a fitted carpet. I had it taken out and a vinyl floor fitted. I had the cab re-carpeted to match and mats whipped and made for the entrance door and lounge to match. If you are beach camping, carpet is a pain to keep clean.

Love the vinyl- just had the same in our "new" bathroom.
Cheers, Dave:thumb:

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Minxy

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Aug 22, 2007
32,488
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E Yorks
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149
MH
Carthago Compactline
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Since 1996, had Elddis/Swift/Rapido/Rimor/Chausson MHs. Autocruise/Globecar PVCs/Compactline i-138
We have grassed our camper. It's lush :Smile:

We have too ... nice green 'dirt grabber' type carpet (industrial size piece!) cut to size to perfectly fit the van, we supplement this with a couple of dirt grabber rugs on top that can be easily washed and gather up the vast majority of crud that dogs drag in! ::bigsmile:

In summer we remove the green carpet and just have the dirt grabber rungs as it is much easier to clear the sand out of that van that way!
 

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mandymops

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Apr 2, 2012
188
107
Streatham
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20,363
MH
bedford rascal nipper
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I'm a newbie
I use rag rug. It's cheap and cheerful and can be thrown in the washing machine when it gets grubby.:Smile:
 

wasp

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Dec 21, 2008
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We took our fitted carpet out an fitted cheap ones that we cut out usin the new ones as a template. They cheap enough to chuck away when they too dirty.:thumb::thumb::thumb:

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