Step 3: Make it pretty

The first projects we tackled were on the inside. We left the tarps in place and went to work, though I know it would have been more sensible to work on the roof first (boring).

The floor was sheet vinyl - a perfectly fine substrate for vinyl planking. We wanted the flooring material to be lightweight, easy to install and fairly inexpensive. The answer came to us in the form of peel and stick vinyl planking. One of the great things about the a-frame is that it is small! It took one box and a few pieces to cover the exposed areas, so for $90, the floor was done. Of course, we did not remove any cabinetry, nor did we cover the interior of the storage bins.

When you lay the floor, make sure you have a contour gauge. I had one that I had used to lay the floor in our rental property and it got far more use in our tiny camper. The reason you want to fit your perimeter contours pretty tightly is because every gap will be seen - quarter round is not an option due to all the appliance bezels and cabinet drawers.

Caveat #1: This flooring is not rated for areas that are not climate controlled.

Caveat #2: Generally, these types of flooring do require a 1/4 inch perimeter gap to allow for expansion and contraction with temperature and moisture level changes. I allowed a few gaps in areas that generally remain hidden, such as the perimeter under the dinette and by the threshold.

Maybe I’ll pay for the tight fit later, but it’s been six months in coastal NC and the floor is just fine - no buckling, peeling.