Laying Carpet in Motor Homes

A motor home can be used to provide all of the comforts of home while you are traveling. Motor homes often are equipped with a refrigerator, cooking appliances and beds. One way to make a motor home seem like a standard home is by installing wall-to-wall carpeting. Motor homes may have a single walkway. Since this path receives all the foot traffic through the motor home, and because motor homes may pass through many areas with different humidity levels, it may be most cost effective to glue down a good-quality carpet to the floor of the motor home.

Motor home with a bare, clean floor
Measuring tape
Pencil
Paper
Roll of carpet
Large outdoor surface that is hard and level (such as a patio)
Straightedge
Utility knife
Carpet kicker
Carpet roller
Carpet glue
Notched trowel
Stair tool
Carpenter’s hammer
Small scissors
Vacuum cleaner

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the surface of the motor home floor. Sketch the floor layout using pencil and paper. Write down the floor measurements on the layout sketch.
- 2
  Unroll the carpet, backing side up, on the hard outdoor surface. Add 2 inches to each measurement, and mark the backing of the carpet according to the layout of the motor-home floor. For example, if the motor home floor is a 48-by-36-inch rectangle, mark the carpet backing so the backing displays a 50-by-38-inch rectangle.
- 3
  Use the utility knife to cut the carpet according to the layout outlined on the carpet backing. Cut as close to the markings as you are able.
- 4
  Place the carpet, backing side down, into the motor home. Adjust the carpet so it lies in its final installed position. If necessary, use the carpet kicker to make fine adjustments to move the carpet into position.
- 5
  Carefully place the carpet roller over the center of the carpet. This keeps the carpet from moving around while you are spreading the glue.
- 6
  Fold the carpet back halfway until the carpet edge reaches the roller. Use the notched side of the trowel to apply between 1/8 and 1/4 inch of glue to the floor surface. Spread the glue from the edge of the motor home wall to the center of the floor.
- 7
  Carefully apply the folded-up backing of the carpet to the glued floor so you do not trap any air between the floor and the carpet. Once the carpet has been completely laid on the floor, carefully roll the carpet roller over the part of the carpet that has been applied to the glued floor. Roll the carpet roller as close to the edges of the glued-down carpet as possible to ensure maximum adhesion.
- 8
  Pull back the remaining half of the carpet and repeat the glue and adhesion process. Remove the carpet roller from the motor home floor. Allow the carpet glue to dry for approximately one hour.
- 9
  Trim off any excess carpet where the carpet edges meet the wall. Use the stair tool and hammer to tuck the trimmed carpet edges under the wall boards if necessary. Use the scissors to trim any loose carpet fibers at the tucked-in carpet edges.
- 10
  Vacuum the carpet to pick up any lint, dust or dirt from the carpet surface.

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