Many people use 100% vinyl flooring rather than laminate flooring. Technically, they are both floating floors and install the same way, but vinyl flooring is not susceptible to moisture damage and swelling like wood based laminate flooring. Also, vinyl flooring is less temperature sensitive and therefore needs smaller gaps. Finally, vinyl flooring can be thinner than laminate flooring.
Thru many years of volunteer work I have installed both laminate and vinyl flooring, just not in an RV, and seen the later results. Last year I installed Rustic Acacia from Lumber Liquidators in our house. While wood laminate flooring typically needs a 1/4" gap every 25 ft, this stuff needs the same gap every 70 ft. Not important in an 8 ft wide RV, but in my house installation there were a few places where the span was about 8 ft and I went with a 1/16" gap and then filled that small gap with a matching color caulk so there was no need for any bulky baseboard trim. Years ago, I did this same trick in my '04 Cruiser with floating sheet vinyl and it worked great, zero trim, the caulk and several heater vents were the only things securing the vinyl flooring.
Anyway, if you go with vinyl planking, don't go thinner than about 5 mm, the really thin stuff will have a weak tongue and groove that is subject to damage and may not hold up in an RV. Also, Lumber Liquidators makes a great 1 mm thick pad, it is kind of expensive, but well worth the money. It works with both wood and vinyl plank flooring and with the slick side up, it allows the entire floor to move w/o putting excess pressure on a single joint. Otherwise, you may see some joints opening up while others remain tight.
Finally, the stuff I installed has plenty of texture and a non-glossy surface. Very tuff and ideal for an RV. Looks better than the majority of options out there.
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Larry Day
Texas Baptist Men-Retiree Builders member since '01
13 Silverado 3500HD D/A, 2wd CCSB srw, custom RKI bed
11 Cruiser CF32MK
https://www.picturetrail.com/dayle1
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