Anyone used commercial carpet tile in RTT?

[NatersXJ6]

I’m thinking about drastically reducing the mattress size in my RTT, leaving some open floor space that will be basically just diamond plate aluminum. I would like to see that covered with something “nice” and was considering using commercial peel-and-stick carpet tiles directly on the aluminum. Has anyone done this? Did you have long term success? I am concerned about delaminating carpet in the heat. Ambient temps can easily hit 110-115 here, and the aluminum is under a black cover in the sun all day. Thoughts?

My basic options are:

Try it - cheap but might be messy
Just deal with Aluminum - Free but maybe cold and / or uncomfortable
Don’t change the mattress- I’m thinking this is going to be done, so this option isn’t great.

 

[TripLeader]

Will you sleep on a pad like a Thermarest then? Or do you want to sleep on a hard surface?

I think the carpet squares would work and be preferable to a bare aluminum floor. But I think it would be uncomfortable.

 

[NatersXJ6]

Will you sleep on a pad like a Thermarest then? Or do you want to sleep on a hard surface?

I think the carpet squares would work and be preferable to a bare aluminum floor. But I think it would be uncomfortable.

Fair question, perhaps my post was poorly worded, I’ll be putting in air mattresses, probably Megamats, but there will be 12-20” of floor open around the edges and I might vary the number or location of mattresses, so a carpet floor seems like a nice idea. I’m probably going to try it, as the tiles are only about $100 to cover the floor.

 

[TripLeader]

Oh, I see.

The only thing I would worry about is whether or not you'd have an adhesive residue if you later removed the carpet squares.

 

[dstefan]

Not A RTT, but one of the guys on the Ovrlnd Owners thread tried them on his walls, and they didn’t stick for long. Think it was heat.

FWIW, we use Thermarests in our pull-out bed on a hard composite floor. Bought a big sheet of 1/2” quality closed cell foam (from foamorder.com ) and cut it to fit the full footprint. Huge difference in comfort and it insulates the floor where the mattresses aren‘t. Much easier on the knees too!

 

[TripLeader]

Here's an idea about HVAC insulation on the floor:

Gladiator Pop-Up Pass Through Camper Build

So I went camping again last night. It's funny that a site looks pretty flat, right until you get in bed and roll to the side. I think I made a fix for the next sloped camping site.

expeditionportal.com

 

[Trailwerx]

Not in a roof top tent, but I used "Grizzly Grass" outdoor carpeting from Lowe's along with whatever outdoor adhesive they sell along with it. It's pretty inexpensive and comes in green, brown, and maybe blue. I've got it glued over treated plywood to form a little rooftop deck on a van. It's designed for outdoor use on boats, docks, etc. and it's still good after three years use. It does get pretty warm up there in the sun sometimes, even in Alaska. And I've got the edges all doubled around the plywood and secured with stainless steel staples which must help a lot. Anyway, maybe you don't even need to glue it down in your application... wouldn't gravity and friction and a snug fit hold it in place? That way you can take it and shake the dirt out of it easily.

 

[NatersXJ6]

I decided to continue with this project. Bought a box of squares from Lowes today and immediately realized why they won’t work. They only have about 1/8” lines of glue every 1”. The adhesive is supposed to be a PSA, but I’m sure more than that is needed to keep up with temperature and vibration and whatnot. I’m going to take a page from some of the van construction forums and attach them with 3M 90 spray adhesive. It seems to hold insulation on the inner walls of vans pretty well, and I’ve used it for headliners before. With any luck I will have a few pics to share by the weekend.

 

[NatersXJ6]

So, I’m 1/2 way done and a little over 2 cans of spray glue in. This is now about a $200 project, for my CVT Denali, and I have a few top tips.

1) working with contact cement and carpet squares in a space with sloping walls is … difficult.
2) I think if there was a next time I would pull the tent canopy off first.
3) the squares are hard to line up exactly and there are some small gaps.
4) if I pulled the canopy completely, I could have rolled out 1-piece carpet and trimmed to fit, although bubbles could be a problem then
5) masking tape is your friend

on the whole, this seems much nicer than the diamond plate. I hope it stays glued in the heat.

 

[dunhammrocco]

While quarry tiles might be more expensive than carpet tiles, they could offer long-term durability and comfort. Plus, they would complement the rugged nature of the aluminum floor in your RTT. It is not a big thing to find decent quality quarry tiles in Houston, in case you decide to go with that option.

 

[Ozarker]

I suggest you find auto or better yet, marine grade carpet in a roll, install it with double face tape. Perhaps a bit cheaper, go with indoor-outdoor carpet on a roll, I would not use glue on tiles over metal for outdoor use.

 

[NatersXJ6]

They are holding up really well now 18 or so months after the project. There was no delaminating in the heat last summer and the tent got used a few times.

I would most certainly have preferred a roll of carpet but it would have been impossible to install without disassembly of the tent. The sloping sides prevent the access needed to effectively stretch and glue or tape down the carpet.

I am 100% happy with this mod, and the Exped mattresses I used to replace the factory one are game changers. The tent holds more bedding, folds more easily, and is way more comfortable, while having a place for shoes and gear that is not on your sleeping surface.

 

[beadblaster]

Cover the floor with dynamat dynaliner. Adhesive backed,available in various thicknesses. I have covered the floor in all my rooftop tent with this and it works very well.