"You CRACK Me up!"
Normally when you hear a line like that, something funny has just been said. However, when you're talking about the flooring in your camper, there is nothing funny about it! A recent cold snap here in Wisconsin left several floors in our stock units with cracks. If you are in an area where the temperature falls well below freezing in the winter, you may want to check your camper flooring so that you don't have any surprises come spring.
WHY does this happen, anyway?
When there are extreme temperature changes vinyl and even sometimes linoleum flooring will contract and expand. If you have severe cracking issues in your flooring, it is most likely temperature related. With temperatures dipping to -40 degrees here recently, we definitely saw an increase in cracked flooring when the temps returned to "normal".
What KIND of flooring do you really HAVE?
To find out if your camper flooring will be susceptible to cracking in the first place, you need to find out what KIND of flooring you have. Many people believe that vinyl and linoleum are the same thing. This is not the case. Vinyl flooring is more susceptible to temperature extremes and has a tendency to get very brittle and crack when exposed to cold temperatures. True linoleum doesn't expand and contract nearly as much and as a result is not as brittle in the cold.
How is your flooring installed?
How the flooring in your camper is installed can also affect whether you will have problems with cracking or not. There are some manufacturers who only glue the edges of the flooring which allows the center of the flooring to "float" on top of the floor base. Those floors that are completely glued will tend to not have the same issues with cracking.
It's not a house!
Another problem when it comes to RV flooring, is that most linoluem and vinyl floors are not specifically designed for campers-they are made for home use. The temperature in your home is much more consistent and of course, much warmer than a camper being stored for the winter. Like just about anything, there are different qualities of flooring. If you are going to be storing your camper in an environment where cold temperatures are going to be an issue, you may want to look at putting a little bit more money towards good, quality flooring.
So NOW what?
Our advice, here at Greeneway, is to put on a warm coat, lace up your boots and head out to your camper. Take a peek inside and see if your flooring weathered the weather! There's nothing like an unexpected repair to ruin an otherwise great vacation. If you have cracks, give us a call! Our Service Department is working with a flooring specialist to have floors replaced while keeping costs at a minimum. Ask about options that will head off this same thing happening again when the next cold snap hits. And you know it will....we live in Wisconsin after all!
