26 replies to this topic

[Cheri]

We are ordering a new camper and I wanted to get a rug for the aisle.  Can anyone tell me the width and length of the aisle in the 17' SD?  Also, any suggestions for a rug?  Thanks!

 

[Don]

Our 2007 17' SD has an L shaped aisle that is 74" from the bathroom wall to the end of the kitchen assembly (longer if you want it to go under the dinette but you have the table support poles to contend with) and 24 inches wide.

 

The short part of the L is 22" from the doorway to the edge of the point of the other rug and 19 1/2 inches wide at the narrow point.

 

We buy two runners, One about 42" long and the other about 55" long, both are about 19 to 20 inches wide.  We use the shorter one inside the door and the other in front of the kitchen/side dinette area. Both are rubber backed to prevent slipping.

 

Hope this helps.

[Plainsman]

So far I have found all the rugs I need for OTRA in the cheap carpet section of Walmart.

[fella10]

Cheri,   we used rugs on our vinyl for a while, but with colder temps we decided full carpet would be better insulation and comfort,....I made a complete paper pattern of the Spirit floor, bought a sufficient piece off the Lowe's carpet rolls and it was an easy mod,......much warmer than the vinyl in winter, looks like installed carpet, but can easily be removed whenever desired,.......best of both worlds, vinyl when you want it, carpet when you want it,.......

[WestieMom]

I just did the (nearly) full carpet over the vinyl.  Recently had wall to wall installed in a bedroom and the remnant was perfect.  I also did the paper pattern (it was left over from when I used it to install the new vinyl floor).  I'll be using watered down Elmer's glue (white) to paint the edges of the carpet at the base of the fibers to keep them from fraying since it isn't bound, just cut with the utility knife.

[f_stop]

 

 

watered down Elmer's glue (white) to paint the edges of the carpet at the base of the fibers to keep them from fraying since it isn't bound

 

great idea!! thanks

 

p@

[Eileen]

Cheri,   we used rugs on our vinyl for a while, but with colder temps we decided full carpet would be better insulation and comfort,....I made a complete paper pattern of the Spirit floor, bought a sufficient piece off the Lowe's carpet rolls and it was an easy mod,......much warmer than the vinyl in winter, looks like installed carpet, but can easily be removed whenever desired,.......best of both worlds, vinyl when you want it, carpet when you want it,.......

How do you make a pattern? 

[fella10]

 

How do you make a pattern? 

 

 

Eileen,

 

you can use any thing available(newspaper,  paper grocery bags, ect., but the smaller the pieces, the more taping is necessary).      I bought a roll of the brown contractors paper,( comes from WalMart, Lowes, ect., around $8.).      It was a good fit down the aisle of the Casita, but its not a perfect fit, some areas you will need to tape extra paper pieces to cover the floor and some places you will need to cut away to get a perfect image for the floor area.     The size roll I used was just slightly smaller than the aisle width, to me it was easier to work with adding width in the areas needed than starting with a roll that was too wide and having to cut away paper the whole length of the aisle.   Every piece added has to be taped to the main runner of paper so that when you're finished you have a one piece paper pattern.    Also, do a good job of taping so that the pieces stay together when handling it or they will come apart and you've lost the accuracy of your pattern.

 

one thing to remember when transferring the pattern to the carpet you're going to cut, remember to turn carpet and pattern UPSIDE DOWN.     its easier to transfer the pattern to the back side of the carpet, so in an open area like driveway or garage floor, lay the carpet face down, then the pattern on top of that, also face down(UPSIDE DOWN).      next you need to outline the pattern onto the carpet, the best way to do that is with a can of cheap spray paint(dark color leaves a better image).      spray around the border of the whole pattern and when the pattern is removed you'll have a perfect image with good sharp lines on the bottom side of your carpet.     cut and install, hope this helps  

Edited by fella10, 21 July 2014 - 07:54 PM.

[Eileen]

 

 

How do you make a pattern? 

 

 

Eileen,

 

you can use any thing available(newspaper,  paper grocery bags, ect., but the smaller the pieces, the more taping is necessary).      I bought a roll of the brown contractors paper,( comes from WalMart, Lowes, ect., around $8.).      It was a good fit down the aisle of the Casita, but its not a perfect fit, some areas you will need to tape extra paper pieces to cover the floor and some places you will need to cut away to get a perfect image for the floor area.     The size roll I used was just slightly smaller than the aisle width, to me it was easier to work with adding width in the areas needed than starting with a roll that was too wide and having to cut away paper the whole length of the aisle.   Every piece added has to be taped to the main runner of paper so that when you're finished you have a one piece paper pattern.    Also, do a good job of taping so that the pieces stay together when handling it or they will come apart and you've lost the accuracy of your pattern.

 

one thing to remember when transferring the pattern to the carpet you're going to cut, remember to turn carpet and pattern UPSIDE DOWN.     its easier to transfer the pattern to the back side of the carpet, so in an open area like driveway or garage floor, lay the carpet face down, then the pattern on top of that, also face down(UPSIDE DOWN).      next you need to outline the pattern onto the carpet, the best way to do that is with a can of cheap spray paint(dark color leaves a better image).      spray around the border of the whole pattern and when the pattern is removed you'll have a perfect image with good sharp lines on the bottom side of your carpet.     cut and install, hope this helps  

 

Thank you so much. It was perfectly clear.  Thank you for taking the time.

[Stephany]

ON THE OTHER HAND, our factory installed carpet collects all dirt and leaves...a constant mess...so we finally found a couple of "stress reliever" industrial rubber pads to install on top of our carpet!  Now, I guess, we have the advantage of carpet warmth and rubber washability (easily removed and replaced).  Much better.

[Latestarter]

We're ordering our Casita this week and looked at one locally as recommended by Johnathan. The 17 Spirit Deluxe we looked at was ordered with carpet for a few reasons that made perfect sense, and we'll do the same.

 

- The factory installed carpet is standard with the vinyl being a $296 option.

- The owner of the Casita we looked at bought a couple of plastic rug protectors at Costco like the ones you put under an office chair. These have grips on the bottom so they don't slide and he cut them out to match the floor, including under the table with a circular hole for the table support.

- He has indoor/outdoor carper runners with a rubber back on top of the plastic rug protectors at strategic locations so the runners don't slip.

- The result is more insulation and a carpet that never gets dirty. You don't even notice the clear plastic rug protectors and can see the carpet underneath. This adds value for resale.

[John Craver]

We use this in our 16' and like it... http://www.amazon.co...ding=UTF8&psc=1 should work for your 17' just fine.  Home Depot had some lightweight carpet like door mats 3 for less than $5 that are a perfect fit for the entryway.  They come in assorted colors, but one of the packages contain 2 beige ones that go well with the interior.  

Edited by John Craver, 24 June 2015 - 06:38 AM.

[SoloMatt]

As someone with carpet, I wish I had vinyl. I have found that protectors make their own scuff marks and imprints and stuff still gets under them anyways, and just collects under the protector. I have a mat at the door and by the bathroom... both of which collect all sorts of debris underneath them. Wearing shoes in the trailer is not an option.

I work very hard to keep it nice but it's only a year old and I fear my efforts will eventually be futile, at which point I will likely lay laminate over it.... and then put area rugs over that.

Trust me... go with vinyl. Totally worth the less than 300 bucks.

Edited by SoloMatt, 24 June 2015 - 07:09 AM.

[Plainsman]

Never could figure why they charged extra for vinyl. IMO vinyl should be standard and carpet extra. But they didn't ask me.

 

(PS... Carpet for a camping trailer is a dumb idea. But what do I know?)

[SoloMatt]

Never could figure why they charged extra for vinyl.

I heard on this or another forum that Casita uses the carpet to hide imperfections and unevenness in the floor but vinyl does not hide these issues. So they are actually charging $300 to make the floor even enough to lay vinyl. At least, that's what I heard!