Vinyl vs. Carpet, opinions and recommendations.

[bhgl]

Howdy folks,

I'm planning on doing some more interior work fairly soon, and I'm looking at removing the farm-stained carpet my truck came with, checking for rust in the floor, and installing Kilmat for sound deadening purposes.

The truck is a regular cab so I'm grateful to not be working with a ton of surface area, but when shopping for new carpets I remembered you could get these trucks with a vinyl floor!

I deal with salted roads and walkways most of the year, have a big white hairy husky that sheds all year long, and generally hate doing interior detailing. So I feel like vinyl flooring might be the choice for me. However, I am concerned with comfort/road noise. Since I use this truck on my vacations and long distance road trips, one of the things I found that helps the most with maintaining driving stamina is having a calm comfortable cabin/driving experience.

Taking into consideration sound deadening will be installed, I know carpets CAN help reduce road noise, but is it enough to justify choosing it over a vinyl floor? Is installing vinyl flooring a nightmare compared to carpet?

If anyone has recommendations as to where to get my flooring material with a focus on good quality, and good price (I'm canadian, so shipping and duties often factors) please let me know.

Thanks as always

 

[Shran]

I've used both. Carpet can help with road noise but if you put insulation under vinyl, it's probably a moot point. Vinyl is annoying if you are tracking water or snow into the truck as it pools up on the floor... carpet soaks it up... which can be a bad thing if it stays wet. But if you get water under the vinyl - it will linger for a long time under there before drying out.

I guess if it was a work truck and I was working outside in the mud I'd probably use vinyl. Most of my vehicles have carpet but I don't use them for work.

Vinyl is kind of a pain to install, even the "formed to the floor" stuff that should fit perfectly usually does not. That has been frustrating every single time I've installed it... usually a heat gun and a lot of time & patience is required.

 

[bhgl]

I've used both. Carpet can help with road noise but if you put insulation under vinyl, it's probably a moot point. Vinyl is annoying if you are tracking water or snow into the truck as it pools up on the floor... carpet soaks it up... which can be a bad thing if it stays wet. But if you get water under the vinyl - it will linger for a long time under there before drying out.

I guess if it was a work truck and I was working outside in the mud I'd probably use vinyl. Most of my vehicles have carpet but I don't use them for work.

Vinyl is kind of a pain to install, even the "formed to the floor" stuff that should fit perfectly usually does not. That has been frustrating every single time I've installed it... usually a heat gun and a lot of time & patience is required.

Good to know, I'm rarely dealing with tracking mud, but mostly snow/ice and salt, and also a ton of sand and small rocks from gritting. That has chewed out the floors out of many a car up here. Even with rubber matts I find the truck and most of my vehicles end up with wet floors basically from november-april. Maybe the move is vinyl floors with carpeted floor matts.

I would have to say in order my concerns in order are protecting the floors from rust, ease of maintenance, and reduced road noise.

Installation ease is honestly a factor too, I like turning bolts and making things work again. I've got a problem with detail work though...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Weathertech floor trays and it doesn't really matter for cleaning.

 

[pjtoledo]

vinyl from the factory has sound reduction glued to it, the shredded cloth type.

it's also a blast if you mistakenly apply protectant to it, becomes very slippery when wet.

 

[bhgl]

vinyl from the factory has sound reduction glued to it, the shredded cloth type.

it's also a blast if you mistakenly apply protectant to it, becomes very slippery when wet.

Damn all those dance parties I was throwing in my ranger would have to stop.

 

[gaz]

My truck came with vinyl but I swapped in a trim matching carpet to help keep it warm driving to and from mountain ski trips. My BII came with carpet but I swapped in vinyl because I knew that it will be getting dirty and wet.

Carpet definitely quiets down road and environment noise. If I were constantly putting children in, I would prefer vinyl.

I did not have any issues installing or removing either. Either way I really like those oversized

 

[bhgl]

My truck came with vinyl but I swapped in a trim matching carpet to help keep it warm driving to and from mountain ski trips. My BII came with carpet but I swapped in vinyl because I knew that it will be getting dirty and wet.

Carpet definitely quiets down road and environment noise. If I were constantly putting children in, I would prefer vinyl.

I did not have any issues installing or removing either. Either way I really like those oversized

For me its the dog hair, and the fact I pretty consistently spill coffee that makes me think vinyl might be beneficial.

I didn't consider the insulation factor from carpet however. I wonder if the kilmat alongside the fabric under layer of the vinyl will work enough to keep the truck warm through northern ontario winters.

 

[JoshT]

I like carpet. Everything I have, except the F-250, is going to end up with carpet. Personal preference. That said vinyl would be easier to clean.

I'm rarely dealing with tracking mud, but mostly snow/ice and salt, and also a ton of sand and small rocks from gritting. That has chewed out the floors out of many a car up here. Even with rubber matts I find the truck and most of my vehicles end up with wet floors basically from november-april. Maybe the move is vinyl floors with carpeted floor matts.

If I were dealing with that, I'd use weathertech mats regadless of what was under them. Design of those mats is going to act like a bowl trapping what ever is tracked inside.

In your area, I would be carpet floor with carpet floormats from May through October, then the weather tech would go in for November through April.

For where I'm at, I'm more likely to see mud during the rainy season, than snow and the stuff that goes with it. I'm just going to stay out of the mud. For the truck that had to get in the mud, well they've currently got vinyl floors, but when carpet goes in they will get weathertech (if available) during the rainy season.

Just my 2¢

 

[19Walt93]

Look at Husky liners instead of Weathertechs. I've got Weathertechs in my Escape and they have big cutouts below the gas pedal- probably a result of Toyota blameing floor mats for their drive by wire throttle problems.
I ordered my 04 Ranger with vinyl floors but my 11 had carpets because I bought one of the last ones we had in stock. I considered installing factory vinyl since it would only cost me about $90 but went with Husky liners to avoid gutting the interior to install the vinyl.
I second the warning about protectant on vinyl, our recon lady used to make vinyl flooring look like new with protectant and turn trucks into hazards when the drivers' feet were wet.

 

[superj]

I have vinyl from the factory in my ranger and i have no complaints. My driveway is a sand/dirt mix and the carpet in the other vehicles is always so dirty from it. The ranger just gets a pule and i vacuum it and am done

 

[sgtsandman]

Howdy folks,

I'm planning on doing some more interior work fairly soon, and I'm looking at removing the farm-stained carpet my truck came with, checking for rust in the floor, and installing Kilmat for sound deadening purposes.

The truck is a regular cab so I'm grateful to not be working with a ton of surface area, but when shopping for new carpets I remembered you could get these trucks with a vinyl floor!

I deal with salted roads and walkways most of the year, have a big white hairy husky that sheds all year long, and generally hate doing interior detailing. So I feel like vinyl flooring might be the choice for me. However, I am concerned with comfort/road noise. Since I use this truck on my vacations and long distance road trips, one of the things I found that helps the most with maintaining driving stamina is having a calm comfortable cabin/driving experience.

Taking into consideration sound deadening will be installed, I know carpets CAN help reduce road noise, but is it enough to justify choosing it over a vinyl floor? Is installing vinyl flooring a nightmare compared to carpet?

If anyone has recommendations as to where to get my flooring material with a focus on good quality, and good price (I'm canadian, so shipping and duties often factors) please let me know.

Thanks as always

My 2019 has the factory vinyl floor and the cabin is quite quiet. All the trucks we have had at work has had the vinyl floor as well and noise hasn't been an issue.

With that in mind, I'm looking to ditch the carpet in the 2011 and install a vinyl floor cover sold by LMC. Keeping the light gray carpet that came with the truck clean and free of stains and salt crust has been losing battle.

 

[racsan]

My ‘94 original had carpet, it was stained, soaked with water that wouldn’t dry out & odors that couldn’t be gotten rid of. I took it all out & drove it for a couple of years with a steel floor & floor mats.Finally decided to fix it up & I put down kilmat & a full vynil floor from fleabay. Wansnt noisy at all afterwards. DO let the vynil floor rest out of the box unfolded for awhile, preferably in the sun, leave a little extra when cutting. I couldn’t get my seatbelts removed from the floor so I cut 2” circles for the whole thing to pass through when installing. Its a great time to inspect/repair your floor pan.

 

[Roert42]

When I replaced the vinyl in my old f150 when I redid the floor pans. Did not put down insulation, just plopped down the vinyl.

Never had any complaints about noise.

My ranger is kinda noisy on long rides, but it’s the only truck I’ve had with carpet.

I’m not very picky though. I’ve owned a lot of stuff without AC or heat or floors…… it all pays the same anyway.

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

Howdy folks,

I'm planning on doing some more interior work fairly soon, and I'm looking at removing the farm-stained carpet my truck came with, checking for rust in the floor, and installing Kilmat for sound deadening purposes.

The truck is a regular cab so I'm grateful to not be working with a ton of surface area, but when shopping for new carpets I remembered you could get these trucks with a vinyl floor!

I deal with salted roads and walkways most of the year, have a big white hairy husky that sheds all year long, and generally hate doing interior detailing. So I feel like vinyl flooring might be the choice for me. However, I am concerned with comfort/road noise. Since I use this truck on my vacations and long distance road trips, one of the things I found that helps the most with maintaining driving stamina is having a calm comfortable cabin/driving experience.

Taking into consideration sound deadening will be installed, I know carpets CAN help reduce road noise, but is it enough to justify choosing it over a vinyl floor? Is installing vinyl flooring a nightmare compared to carpet?

If anyone has recommendations as to where to get my flooring material with a focus on good quality, and good price (I'm canadian, so shipping and duties often factors) please let me know.

Thanks as always

Here's my $0.02.

I have the EDGE package, which from factory is what gives you the vinyl floor.

I love it. Grippy, easy to clean, no worries about staining it, and is probably more durable than the carpet.

Yes, it is probably a bit less sound dampening than carpet, but the factory vinyl comes with (what looks like) carpet underlayment, the shredded up foam/fabric type. It reduces noise to a more than acceptable level for me.

When it comes time to clean, it gets a vacuum, sprayed with Simple Green, drillbrush, and wipe with a microfiber towel. Makes it look brand spanking new.

So for me, who lives off of a gravel road, and rarely has time to clean my truck? It's great. I do still run floor mats though in the front (generic cheapos, weather tech doesn't make any custom ones for my truck).