David Harris
Expedition Leader
A while back I removed the stock carpet and insulation from my Disco 1. It was perpetually soaked and causing rust, etc. I also wanted to make this a more utilitarian vehicle that myself and dogs could drag mud, sand, etc. into and be easy to clean and still look good over time. Rubber flooring was a natural because I don't like Rhino liner and other like products. I also wanted to retain floor insulation to maintain or improve upon the stock levels of sound and heat resistance. I looked at the usual Dynamat, but found that it was open cell foam and therefore would hold moisture. Eventually I found a product called Luxury Liner Pro by Second Skin. This has a better than stock sound and heat barrier and best of all is closed cell, which means it is waterproof. Secondly, I didn't want to attach the flooring/insulation to the vehicle because I wanted to design the mats in such a way that I could remove all of them without removing the seats, console or other interior panels, yet still cover the whole floor area, including under the seats, as stock. To achieve this, I spent a lot of time measuring, fitting and cutting each mat to fit like the stock carpet. The mats themselves are made by first creating the top rubber coin mat layer as desired, then using this as a pattern for the insulation layer. Then I glued the two pieces together using hi-temp spray contact adhesive supplied by Second Skin. Altogether I was able to do the job with four separate mats, one for each front footwell, one for the rear footwell, and one for the load space. Interior sound and heat levels are as stock and the final product looks almost factory. I plan to bind the edges of the mats in some way as a final touch. If my interior gets water in it fording or otherwise, I can just remove the mats, hose them off, dry them and the interior and reinstall. I also don't have any electronic components on the floor at all. Feedback appreciated !
