Rubber flooring - Recomendations

Can anyone recommend an approach or product to covering the floor in my conversion?

I looked at coin robber flooring which seems quiet thin. I am worried that the thinless may provide less sound insulation or durability than I want. I have seen sites that talk about "pebble" or these rubber interlocking squares that get used in gyms or work shops.

Thoughts anyone ...

List your priorities...

I looked at those interlocking puzzle pieces, too. I decided they were too flimsy to survive, offered too many joints to trap dirt and their light weight promised little in the way of noise cancellation.

If you're serious about reducing road noise, expert opinion I got said "Pay a lot of attention to the floor". So I did. I used 3/4 " thick recycled auto tire rubber matting. Otherwise known as horse stall mats. Extremely heavy, durable, cheap, easy to clean and easy to install. Gravity does it all.

So far, I'm delighted with every aspect of their performance. There were some pre-purchase worries about hot weather smells, but those proved unfounded.

For more info, see this thread

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14166&highlight=Frito's+Bulkhead&page=4

I'll second Glasseye on the horse stall mats. I put some Kmart interlocking pieces (less than a dollar a sq. ft.) on top of the mats as a temporary floor for camping. The're not very durable for sharp or heavy objects, but they are comfortable underfoot. I might keep them as the finish floor when the conversion is done.

Gary

I used the interlocking rubber over the OEM plywood.
I then carpeted over the rubber.
Quit and comfortable.

http://www.rubbercal.com/elephant_bark.html

This is the rubber flooring we used. It is 3/8ths, very heavy so it stays in place without adhesive (and can be removed as necessary). I just cut it to fit with a straight edge and a utility knife. We have found it insulates for both sound and heat and keeps things from sliding around. Would highly recommend.

Pics available on my build-out thread - in the first installment (link at the top of the first post in this thread: https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13688

glasseye said:

...
There were some pre-purchase worries about hot weather smells, but those proved unfounded.
...

Click to expand...

I beg to disagree,

The stall mats sounded like a great solution, but they were pretty pricey new from Tractor Supply. I went looking for a better price. Found it. My buddy out in the country said that he had lost some boarders and had some empty stalls. All I needed to do was pick the stall mats up and place them properly in my Sprinter. Snip, snip here... snip, snip there and I was in business. A great offer and Cheap Trick.

I do need to say that I find that your comment about smell worries "being unfounded" as complete horsesh*t in my experience. You really, really need a vent fan with my stall mats. The weekly purchases of Fabreeze in 5 gallon jugs are quickly diluting my savings. As are the sticky fly strips I buy in bulk. vic

P.S. - Just kidding (obviously)
The new stall mats seem like a really neat thinking out of the box solution for what to put on the floor for both sound reduction and longevity.

Rubber flooring in a van is way too heavy and serves no value as to longevity, it also sweats and it is exceptionally dangerous under wet conditions.But combine rubber recyclable with cork granules, [slip proof] it will last forever and serve the purpose of intent well used exclusively on American and Australian war ship decks and yachts landing pontoons stairs and roadways for pedestrians any color shape and finish ranges from 1mil' to 6 mill'. Works perfectly on the sprinters footwear leaves the plastic step surface for dead.

Aqua Puttana said:

I beg to disagree,
P.S. - Just kidding (obviously)
The new stall mats seem like a really neat thinking out of the box solution for what to put on the floor for both sound reduction and longevity.

Click to expand...

Heh. You had me. I was all set to return a blistering post. Something to do with HORSE POO, but no.

Altered, these mats have a pebbled surface and are non-skid. I've hosed the floor down several times and they definitely aren't slippery. Also, mass equals sound insulation. Frito is Merc-quiet now. It was worth every gram of the installed weight, which is about equal to one good-sized passenger.

Check these out. http://sprinterstore.com/floor_mats.htm, I purchased the one piece rubber mat, in black, about 30,000 miles ago and have been happy with it. Easy to clean and keeps the driver area carpet clean.

Look into recycled rubber mats. I used 3/8" thick which is thick enough to stay in place without any fasteners/glue/tape. Easily removable. Comfortable to kneel on and works as a sound deadener. Mine is 9mm (3/8") "privacy ultimate underlay". I paid 120.00 for 4' x 12 1/2'. The stuff I have is used to reduce sound transmission in apartment buildings. A better choice is mats with a sealed surface. One place that sells them is alliedproductsllc.com at $47.52 for a 4'x6'x 3/8" mat. They are in Sherwood Oregon. I did not buy the sealed mats due to freight costs being as much as the mat cost. Look for someplace you can pick up the product. Next trip to the Sprinterfest in Tulatin OR. I may pick up replacement mats.

glasseye said:

I looked at those interlocking puzzle pieces, too. I decided they were too flimsy to survive, offered too many joints to trap dirt and their light weight promised little in the way of noise cancellation.

If you're serious about reducing road noise, expert opinion I got said "Pay a lot of attention to the floor". So I did. I used 3/4 " thick recycled auto tire rubber matting. Otherwise known as horse stall mats. Extremely heavy, durable, cheap, easy to clean and easy to install. Gravity does it all.

So far, I'm delighted with every aspect of their performance. There were some pre-purchase worries about hot weather smells, but those proved unfounded.

For more info, see this thread

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14166&highlight=Frito's+Bulkhead&page=4

Click to expand...

I third on stall mats. THANK YOU glasseye and everyone who suggested them. They work great. Non-slip, some noise reduction, easy enough to cut ( if you use a new end of the blade for each cut) and blocked the heat of the exhaust. Dogs now very happy with the floor. 4x6 3/4 " (about 80-100 lbs I would guess) for 40.89 new at Coastal Farm. No smell at all!

What about pond liner? I like my flor tiles I got from an architect friend for free.

Any idea where Outside Vans get their rubber "Pebble" flooring from? I'd like to experiment with it a bit.

I'd like to add a floor that is both slip resistant and very durable for work... I'd also like to limit the weight, 3/4" of rubber isn't something that I want to add to the van.

tDot said:

I'd like to add a floor that is both slip resistant and very durable for work... I'd also like to limit the weight, 3/4" of rubber isn't something that I want to add to the van.

Click to expand...

That's interesting, I want to add some MORE weight in the back of my van. It helps with traction.

Dynamat sells a thin pebble grained durable flooring product (Dynafloor?) that is supposed to have excellent sound damping and heat deflection properties. It comes in large enough sizes to have a seamless floor, which is nice. It's a bit expensive though.

I'm interested to see what you find. I'd like something both slip resistant and very durable, too. And ideally under 1/2" thick, non-absorbent, and seamless (in my 118" Sprinter).

Here's what I use....

Waterproof, malleable, one piece, non-skid, wearable, light-weight, repairable.

http://www.amesresearch.com/index.html
http://www.amesresearch.com/liquid-granite.htm

Does anyone have any comments on using this type of material on the roof of dark colored Sprinters to reduce heat gain? Seem that one of these in white would reflect heat and keep roofs from leaking. Maybe the Maximum Stretch product? Maybe less costly and weigh less than pickup bed spray product.

Graphite Dave said:

Does anyone have any comments on using this type of material on the roof of dark colored Sprinters to reduce heat gain? Seem that one of these in white would reflect heat and keep roofs from leaking. Maybe the Maximum Stretch product? Maybe less costly and weigh less than pickup bed spray product.

Click to expand...

White EPDM is used extensively on Trailer/5th Wheel RV roofs for nearly 2 decades...

What about Line-x?

I'll offer the dissenting opinion here. I am a firm believer that a smooth, hard floor is the easiest to maintain and the most useful for hauling anything. Nobody uses anything but that in the freight world.

Of course, things slide very easy but that's the point. All unrestrained cargo will break free and turn into missiles at some deacceleration rate. So the rule is to tie everything down and use the smoothness when you need it.

For noise you are better off using your acoustic treatment on the underside of the finish floor.

For bare feet comfort I use commercial size welcome mats in the walkable area. They also capture much of the shoe dirt before it gets everywhere. Vacuum the mats in place or shake them outside. Very durable, easy to replace, and much, much lighter!

Dan