A New Solution to Protecting our Motor Home Carpet

We bought our motor home used, so we didn't get to make decisions about the details of its lay-out. Even though we really like our home, there are a few things we would change if we could. One of those is that the kitchen is in a slide out. That means that some very heavy equipment (like a residential refrigerator) is sliding in and out every time we set up camp. Also, the kitchen sink plumbing has to slide. Because slides need a soft cushion surface, all the slides floors are covered in carpet. From the beginning, Denisa has really disliked having that strip of light-colored carpet right in front of the cooking area.

So as soon as we bought the motor home, we started looking for a way to protect that carpet from the spills and drips that will always happen in a kitchen. We found this set of of carpets at Camping World that matched our colors, even though they didn't really match the size we needed. We were also disappointed in their durability, as we have purchased three sets and the binding has frayed on all of them.

Since we are staying in one location for two months here in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, we decided it was a great time to look for a better option. Mark found a guy that can make custom-designed rugs. Joe even has experience in working with RV owners. Armed with our Christmas present money, we went shopping for new carpet. We found our best option at Home Depot, where we could buy in-stock carpeting by the foot.

The next step was making a very precise template. In RVs, the carpet is laid, and then the cabinets are built on top of it. That means that we have a very jagged edge where the cabinets meet the carpet. We knew that being off just a quarter-inch any place would keep the rug from scooting in close to the cabinets. So we brought the just-cut carpet back to the motor home before Joe bound it. We were surprised at how well it fit! With just a little trimming, it went back to the shop for the final binding. 

Here's a close-up example of just how detailed the cutting and binding had to be to fit in close to the base of the kitchen cabinets.

We were excited to bring home the finished product and slide it into place. What a good fit!

The carpet roll at Home Depot was 12-foot wide. We had to buy a seven-foot length to get the three different rugs we needed to cover the slide carpeting in the living room. One went under the dining table to cover that light-colored carpet that is susceptible to spills while eating.

We had another one made for the strip of carpet in front of the sofa and recliner slide.

We even had enough carpeting to make a perfectly-shaped rug for the step in the bedroom. We think this has been a great home improvement project, and we would recommend Joe's handiwork! Sometimes it's good to stay in one place to get big projects accomplished, and we have found that this section of South Texas is a great place to find good work at a fair price.