Durable Van Flooring Ideas For Your Camper

One of the first projects I had to tackle when I built my DIY van was my camper van flooring. I wanted a durable van floor that was also well insulated because I travel full time with my dog. After much research I love the way my van flooring turned out!

While van flooring is a fairly straightforward step in any van build, it’s crucial to use the right materials because the rest of your build will sit on top of it. You need something durable that can carry significant weight without failing, warping, cracking or allowing leaks to your subfloor.

In this post:

• The best van flooring ideas
• Steps for installing a van floor
• How to choose the right materials for your van build

Durable Camper Van Floor Ideas

If you’ve bought an empty cargo van to build into a camper, you are probably looking at a bare sheet metal van floor.

How do you decide what’s the best type of van flooring? You want to pick something that’s extremely durable, and ideally waterproof.

The van market has exploded in recent years, which is great news for DIY builders because there are a large variety of great van flooring options.

1. Vinyl Sheet Van Flooring

Vinyl sheet flooring in a van is a good option for waterproofing and easy maintenance. It comes in many different colors and patterns to match your esthetics. 

Additionally, it’s easy to find at most hardware stores. It’s typically sold from big rolls that can be cut to your specific dimensions, so you only pay for what you need.

Best of all, it’s really inexpensive. Typically, vinyl sheet van flooring costs $0.66-$1.50 per square foot. Most vans are approximately 6 feet wide by 12 feet long, which is 72 square feet – that gives you a budget of around $47-$108 for the top layer of your van floor.

I installed vinyl sheet flooring in my van and have been happy with it. While the pattern looks like plank flooring, it’s actually one large sheet with no seams. This makes it waterproof, which was my primary goal.

For this reason, I also chose to install my van flooring wall-to-wall vs just where it’s visible. It runs under my cabinets and bench seat so that if anything ever spills those areas are protected as well.

Because this is one sheet of flooring it requires a bit more work to install. You need a good template because you’ll be cutting one large section. If your vinyl sheet flooring has a pattern on it, you also want to make sure you cut it squarely so the pattern isn’t crooked.

Additionally, you want to purchase the adhesive material recommended by the sheet vinyl manufacturer and have something really heavy to roll out the air bubbles. If air is not removed during the installation process it causes bubbles under the van floor.

Where To Buy

You can find vinyl sheet flooring at most hardware stores, like Home Depot and Lowes.

If you’re interested in heavy duty van flooring check out the Lonseal vinyl sheet flooring at Campervan-HQ.

2. Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) Van Flooring

Luxury vinyl planks, also referred to as LVP, are a good option for a budget friendly van floor and are easy to install.

They come in many colors options to match your van style.

Because you install one plank at a time, it’s fairly easy to install LVP on a van floor.

LVP is a floating floor, which means it clicks together and is held in place by gravity, not adhesive. Floating floors are much easier to repair because one plank can be lifted out and replaced.

However, because there are seams between the planks, it’s more likely you will have water damage underneath the top floor layer. Some brands have waterproof seams, which I highly recommend because you will track lots of water inside your van, especially if you plan to do van life with a dog.

Where To Buy

Luxury Vinyl Plank is available at most home improvement stores, like Lowes and Home Depot, as well as specialty flooring stores, like Lumber Liquidators (now called LL Flooring).

It’s also possible to find remnant pieces or leftover material at your local hardware stores, Habitat for Humanity ReStore or other secondhand retailers.

3. Laminate Plank Van Flooring

Laminate and vinyl plank flooring are often confused with each other, but there are a few important differences.

Primarily, laminate flooring is made with wood byproducts, which means it is not waterproof. Vinyl is a fully synthetic material and as a result, is fully waterproof.

Laminate flooring tends to have a more realistic look for wood and stone or tile patterns. It requires dry mopping or sweeping to clean because it is not waterproof. 

If you have pets, a laminate van floor may not be your best option. Vinyl has better scratch-resistant properties, and is easier to clean.

If you’re going for a high-end, or realistic wood or tile look, then Laminate is the better choice. However, this is the only category where Laminate outranks Vinyl flooring.

Where To Buy

Laminate plank is available at most home improvement stores, like Lowes and Home Depot, as well as specialty flooring stores, like Lumber Liquidators and Floor and Decor.

It’s also possible to find remnant pieces or leftover material at your local hardware stores, Habitat for Humanity ReStore or other secondhand retailers.

Heavy Duty Van Flooring Ideas

Van floors see a lot of abuse. They’re constantly having dirt, mud and water dragged in, and with such a small amount of space they get a lot of constant, concentrated wear.

If you’re looking for a heavy duty van flooring material that will hold up for years and years, these are your best options.

4. Marine Vinyl Woven Heavy Duty Van Flooring

Marine vinyl can be a fantastic option for van flooring. It is similar to regular vinyl flooring, except with some added features including UV resistance, antifungal and antibacterial additives which make it mildew resistant.

Of course, these added features also mean it’s more expensive than standard vinyl flooring.

However, keep in mind that the marine-grade label does not necessarily mean it’s a better material than a standard vinyl, it simply means it has UV and mold resistant properties.

The primary application for woven vinyl flooring is on boat decks. While it’s fairly easy to clean, it does require soap and water, which can be tricky to manage inside a van.

If you’re looking for a stain-resistant, heavy duty van flooring that’s slip resistant and has a cozier feel than the other options on this list, marine vinyl woven flooring is a great option.

Where To Buy

You can find Marine Vinyl Woven flooring from most boating and RV retailers, like Campervan-HQ, and on Amazon.

5. Cork Van Flooring

Cork is a great sustainable option for van floors. It’s renewable and non-toxic. Additionally, it has sound deadening and insulating properties.

Due to its antimicrobial properties, Cork is bug and mold resistant. Unfortunately, it’s one of the more expensive van flooring options – but luckily you don’t need much of it.

It’s pretty easy to install, and usually comes in interlocking squares which are assembled similarly to a puzzle.

Cork is very durable, but should be resealed every 1-3 years to maintain its heavy duty van flooring status.

Where To Buy

Cork flooring is available in a variety of online stores, and you can also find it in local home improvement stores like Lowes.

6. Rubber Vinyl Heavy Duty Van Flooring

Rubber flooring in a van is fairly common, especially in the garage and storage sections. It’s a very durable, heavy duty van flooring option that’s also easy to clean.

Sometimes rubber flooring is also referred to as coin flooring – given its name because of the coin-sized pattern.

In addition to being durable and waterproof, rubber flooring is also fairly affordable and easy to install.

The biggest drawback to rubber flooring in a van is the weight as it is one of the heavier van floor options.

Where To Buy

You can typically find rubber flooring in local stores like Lowes, although options may be limited. Online retailers, like Campervan-HQ tend to have more color and pattern options available.

7. Bamboo Hardwood Heavy Duty Van Flooring

When considering real hardwood flooring in a van, Bamboo hardware is the best option. Not only is it a sustainable option, but it’s also very durable.

In fact, Bamboo hardwood is such a durable flooring option I installed it in my condo – it’s held up great to my dog’s bad habit of having zoomies in the house. Even with rough housing there’s not a single scratch in my bamboo hardwood flooring after 5 years.

However, part of the durability of bamboo comes from its density, which also means it’s a heavier van flooring option.

Overall, real hardwoods aren’t ideal for van life, but if you’re set on having real hardwoods then bamboo is the best choice.

Where To Buy

Bamboo flooring is easy to find in many local home improvement stores, like Lowes or Menards. It’s also available in specialty flooring stores like Floors and Decor or LL Flooring.

Installing A Van Floor

There’s a few things you’ll need to do before you can lay your van flooring. First, I highly recommend installing sound deadening. Second, you want to insulate the van floor before you can install your subfloor. And finally, it’s time to add your van flooring and check this project as complete!

Let’s get into the details…

Step 1: Sound Deadening The Van Floor

Before you can begin insulating or laying the subfloor on your van, it’s important to put down a sound deadening material. 

Sound deadening materials are easy to install. They’re basically giant stickers you put on the sheet metal of your van which help reduce the vibration noises from driving.

I highly recommend you do not skip this step. It’s fairly inexpensive, and can be done quickly, and it makes a big impact on quieter driving and blocking outside noise from truck stops and busy campgrounds.

Popular brands for quality sound deadening include:

Kilmat (This is what I used and I’m very happy with it.)
FatMat
Noico
Amazon Basics

Tips for installing sound deadening:

• A box of 50 square feet was more than enough for my Ford Transit 148” Extended (about 22 feet long).
• You must press hard enough to flatten the ridges on the metallic side. The sound deadening works best if you’ve pressed the sheet completely smooth. A roller was really helpful with this. You don’t want to use your hands because the metal can cut you, similar to a papercut.
• It’s more difficult to install sound deadening if it’s cold. I had a very hard time getting my sound deadening to smooth out while installing them in winter. I found that a heat gun or hair dryer was incredibly helpful to warm up the material before installing it and rolling it flat.
• Sound deadening does not need to cover every inch of your van. The wheel wells are the loudest, so it’s best to completely cover those surfaces. However, everything else only needs 30%-60% coverage in order to get the full sound deadening benefits – more sound deadening does not necessarily create less sound past this point.

Step 2: Insulate The Van Floor

Insulating the floor of your van is an important step to maintaining comfortable temperatures in your camper. Depending on which weather climates you plan to travel in the amount of camper van insulation you need to install will vary.

If you plan to be in very cold climates then you’ll want more insulation on your floor.

If you don’t plan to be anywhere close to freezing temps (like me!) then you can get away with less van floor insulation.

I’m a 3-season traveler and avoid sub-freezing temperatures whenever possible. I insulated my van floor with 1″ XPS foamboard.

Overall, I’m happy with my choice. The floor feels cold when it’s below 50°F (which is infrequently, for me), but an extra pair of socks and a small carpet fix that.

But what’s the actual process for installing van flooring insulation? I’ve seen two ways to install your van floor insulation.

The first way (which I don’t recommend) is to create a support grid with lumber. The foam board insulation is cut and laid between this grid, and then lay your subfloor plywood over top.

The reason why I don’t prefer this installation method is because the lumbar grid creates thermal gaps between the foam board insulation. Thermal gaps are bad because they allow heat to transfer more quickly.

The second method (the way I installed my van floor insulation), is to use XPS foam board and cover the entire floor.

XPS foam board is the only type of foam board insulation that can maintain its shape under pressure and weight. That means you can build on top of it and it won’t compress.

XPS also keeps its insulating properties under pressure, so it’s still a great insulator even after you build your camper on top of it.

If your van floor is ribbed, like mine, I recommend making a first layer with strips of XPS foam board to fit between the van floor ridges. This step isn’t absolutely necessary, but it adds extra insulation.

The ridges on a Ford Transit are approximately ¼” tall, so foamboard that’s ½” thick is perfect for the first layer.

The second layer of XPS foam board covers wall to wall and can be as thick as you want. I chose 1/2 inch for my second layer, so my total van flooring insulation is 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick (depending on the ridges).

I’m happy with 1″ floor insulation. If you’ll be in cold climates I recommend increasing to 2″.

However, if you are going to be in really hot temperatures I would only insulate 1/2″ on your floor, and instead put as much insulation in your ceiling as possible (to help prevent the sun heat from entering through the roof).

I do not recommend screwing anything to your van floor, screw holes can lead to rust and aren’t necessary – glue is enough to keep your van floor insulation in place.

Once your sub-flooring plywood goes on over the van floor insulation, and then cabinets are screwed into both the floating plywood floor and the wood furring strips on your walls, you’ll have created a secured floor that doesn’t require screw holes in the metal van floor.

Tip – if your van came with factory flooring (like a carpet or plastic piece), you want to remove this.
I do not recommend using the factory flooring because it is poor quality and not sturdy enough.
It’s not insulating, and it can compress over time, absorb water, and cause mold or rot.
Don’t throw out your factory flooring until you’ve used it as a template for your insulation, subfloor and top floor layers! It’s a perfect fit and an easy time-saving template.

Step 3: Install The Van Subfloor

Once you have the van floor insulated, it’s time to add the subfloor, which will be the structure of the floor so you can build on top of it. There are a few options for van subfloors.

DIY Plywood Van Subfloor

The most cost effective van subfloor is a layer of plywood.

While this is a fairly easy DIY project, it can be a little time consuming if you don’t have a template of the van floor already.

You want your plywood to fit the van floor and all the weird cut outs along the walls perfectly, so it can’t shift around, and so there’s less chance water can get under it. Making a template is the most “difficult” part of this process.

The plywood subfloor is the structure of your van floor and will allow you to screw cabinets, benches, your bed, etc securely onto the floor.

The subfloor layer must be sturdy. For this reason I do not recommend using the factory van flooring (my Ford Transit van did not come with a plywood floor layer, but most Mercedes Sprinter vans do). The factory van flooring is cheap and will buckle and bend over time.

Materials that are good for subfloors in a van are hardwoods, marine-grade plywoods and absolutely no pine wood or other softwoods.

I used Baltic Birch plywood. It’s an expensive choice, but it’s high quality and doesn’t have softwood fillers that would compromise its structural strength.

I recommend using Baltic Birch for your van subfloor. If you have the budget this is a great wood for the entire build.

However, if the budget is tight, use the Baltic Birch for the floor (where it really matters), and opt for a less expensive plywood for the rest of your campervan build.

Premade Van Subfloors

If you’re looking for a turnkey solution that is lightweight, pre-cut, and easy to install then you should consider Rainier subfloors. They replace the need for insulation and a plywood subfloor. Plus, they’re about 40% lighter than plywood.

Rainier subfloors are essentially a few giant puzzle pieces which are CNC-cut to perfectly fit your specific model Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter or Ram ProMaster van.

You have the option to include a topfloor layer when you buy them. If you go this route, the the Rainier system will be the only thing you need to install for your van floor because it’s the insulation, subfloor and topfloor all in one system.

If you opt not to include the topfloor layer, then you’ll still need to add your own.

Mold Prevention

Once you install your subfloor and start building on top of it, it’ll be nearly impossible to make repairs in the future without completely disassembling your entire van build.

I highly recommend taking the time to paint your plywood subfloor with a Mold Killing Primer from Rust-Oleum. This primer is waterproof and prevents mold. Even a small water leak can completely rot out your subfloor in a few weeks.

It takes a few minutes to paint the subfloor, and could potentially save you days of repairs in the future. This is what I used on my van’s subfloor and have been very happy with the results – I’ve never had a single problem!

Things To Consider When Choosing Van Flooring

There are many options when it comes to van flooring ideas, and which one is best for you comes down to a few considerations.

Installation

The installation process is worth considering. Some items, like vinyl plank, are incredibly easy to cut and install.

Some van flooring options, like sheet vinyl, are glued down and there’s little room for error, or the ability to correct mistakes.

Budget

There’s a wide range of material costs for van flooring. Luckily, the square footage required is small, so the total budget won’t vary greatly for most materials.

Don’t forget to factor in the cost of glue, adhesive, and other tools required for installation.

Durability

How will the van flooring hold up to wear? Is it waterproof? Will fur, sand or dirt get stuck in seams and cause issues? Is it stainproof?

There are a lot of ways you’ll test the limits of your flooring so how impervious it is to elements is important.

Ability to Clean

While carpeting is great for insulation, sound deadening and coziness, it’s almost impossible to clean in a van, and it’s definitely not stain resistant. In a van, you want something you can wipe down daily.

I sweep out my van multiple times a day. Living in a small space means it gets dirty really fast, and with how often me and my dog are coming and going we’re constantly tracking things back in with us.

If you use a material like sheet vinyl (like I did), you won’t have to worry about seams or cracks for dirt to slip into. If you choose a plank floor then this may be a concern.

For what it’s worth, everyone I know personally who has installed plank flooring has regretted it in the long-term because, while easy to install, it does not hold up well and starts to look dirty and worn very quickly.

Weight and Thickness

Every vehicle comes with a GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating). This is the maximum weight the vehicle can be and still be safely operated. It includes the weight of the van, everything in it, and everything you’re towing.

Every van builder should know what their GVWR is. Exceeding this limit is not only dangerous, but it’s also illegal.

If you’re worried your total build will be close to the GVWR, then you’ll want to find lightweight solutions wherever possible, starting with your van flooring.

Rainier subfloors is a great way to cut down on the weight of your van floor by up to 40%.

Thickness is an additional consideration, especially if you are tall and require head clearance in your van. The thicker the van flooring material is, the less interior clearance you’ll have.

Repairs

How easy is it to fix your van flooring in the future? Can you simply patch one spot or plank, or will it require you to redo the entire floor?

FAQ’s About Van Flooring

These are some common questions I’ve heard regarding the best van flooring materials.

What is the best flooring for a van?

Vinyl sheet flooring or rubber vinyl flooring are the best flooring for a van. They’re both affordable, extremely durable, and easy to keep clean.

Is vinyl or laminate flooring better for a van?

Vinyl flooring is better than laminate flooring in a van because it is waterproof. Vinyl is synthetic and fully waterproof whereas laminate is made from wood byproducts and can absorb water.

What is the cheapest van flooring?

The cheapest van flooring is vinyl sheet flooring, or remnant scraps from a secondhand store or hardware store.

What is the best material for a work van floor?

The best material for a work van floor is rubber vinyl flooring. It’s highly durable, inexpensive and easy to maintain. Additionally, it’s skid resistant, which is important for working environments.

It’s important to install a proper subfloor too. Suitable options include marine-grade plywood or Rainier flooring.