There are about a million posts re this subject on this site...do some searching...but as far as using paneling, there are many examples of folks doing their own conversions and using paneling.  I did our Sooner myself and have had no problems with my paneling warping.  Thats here in southern Ohio where the humidity is about as bad as it gets.  The important thing is to make sure you have good support closely spaced behing the paneling.  For example on my Sooner, the walls are framed with aluminum supports floor to ceiling on 12" spacing, so I installed a wood strip on each of these supports and nailed/glued my paneling to these.  My paneling is installed up/down so the panel has a full length support floor to ceiling every 12".  If you were to only have support every 24 inches or even 16", you would likely see some warping.  If you have a leak or get water on any wood paneling or floor, all bets off.  The wood is going to expand and there is going to be damage/warping.  Some people install their wood strips horizontally and install the panels on edge, you will have a horizontal seam to trim over..just depends on how your trailer is framed.  On my ceiling I used a fiberglass/plastic textured panel sold at Lowes..its white and easily wiped down.but a little pricey.  .the walls are a good grade of paneling..looks a little heavier than 1/8". 

As far as floors, how about this option, put down a 1/2" piece of the blue rigid foam board (not the soft white styrofoam), cover with a piece of 3/8" osb or plywood, or a .060 thick galvanized metal or aluminum sheet, then glue a good grade of vinyl floor to it.  Or indoor outdoor carpet or even a regular grade of carpet...I dont recomend carpet in a trailer, but thats an option..just some ideas. 

If you were to install some sleepers before you fitted the insulation, you could  run wiring and plumbing under the floor. It would prevent the insulation from eventually being crushed in the heavier traffic areas. The sleepers provide an area in which more insulation can be added, and a ridgid surface onto which you can securley fasten the flooring materials.

This installation doesn't require a lot of time or money, and provides a permanent floor. This is the type of construction used by LQ companies.

BOL  Gard

Pergo and Pergo-type floors I believe are particle-board type backed, and if it gets soaked, is going to expand.  While Pergo and wood floors in LQ trailers are very pretty, for funtionality, I prefer just rolled out vinyl flooring.   Easy to clean, no damage if it gets wet, etc.   Its not as fancy as Pergo or wood, but it does the job.  

I agree that carpeting is probably not the way to go.  I have indoor/outdoor carpeting in my midtack and it takes longer to clean that floor than all the vinyl in the rest of the LQ part of the trailer.   I use throw rugs right inside the door and in the bathroom, and wear slippers in the trailer so my feet stay warm. 

Sleepers are floor joists glued to the original trailer floor. Purchase 2x4's and rip them into 1" heights. Using polyurethane construction adhesive, apply them around the circumference of the floor area, and about 1 ft apart over the width of your floor. When you glue the sleepers to the floor, make sure the metal is clean. Use a solvent to clean where the sleepers will lay, using a rough scotch brite to slightly abrade the surface. This will ensure the adhesive will have a good bond.

Check the height of your door sill, it will probably be about 2" or so. You don't want the total height of the flooring to exceed this measurement, The total height will be the sleeper, plus the plywood subfloor (<1/2") plus the flooring material itself.

When you install your plumbing and electrical, you can notch the sleepers, and lay the pipes and wires just under the plywood. Or you can drill holes in them during their installation and feed the plumbing through the sleepers. It is best to have some insulation between the trailer floor and the pipes, to minimize freezing problems.

Installing the plywood subflooring will involve some considerations. You do not want to use any mechanical fasteners in the sleepers, where ever the plumbing and wiring is located. You don't want to accidentally penetrate the pipes or wiring with a screw.

I would recommend that you photograph your finished installation before you install the subflooring. Then you will have a record of where everything is located and can refer to it should you need to jog your memory. I would use short countersink deck, not drywall, screws to attach the sub floor to the sleepers. You will not need many, just several around the perimeter and one or two in the middle.

 I would also make a cut line in the flooring, at the edge of wherever any cabinetry is to be placed. This joint will allow the future flooring removal, without the necessity of removing the cabinets.

You can glue the subflooring to the sleepers, but if you do so, it will be permanent and any future maintenance access underneath, will mean the destruction of the floor.

BOL  gard

Polyurethane construction adhesive can be purchased in standard cartridges that fit caulking guns. It is available at the big box stores.

Gard

Any paneling installed on the walls should first have the back side sealed with a sealer or paint. This will help prevent the uneven absorption of moisture, and decrease the tendency of the panel to warp.

Here are some more ideas:

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=11612&posts=4

I also prefer vinyl flooring, both for ease of installation and functionality.  Just a whole lot easier to care for and more durable.  I did not want my wiring to run under the floor where I could not get to it for repairs.  Instead, I run the wiring and most of the plumbing along the walls and cover with square paintable metal trim.  I learned this lesson while trying to repair wiring in my Dad's motorhome.  Tracking down the short was nearly impossible, and fixing it was a nightmare.  Same with plumbing leaks.  Plumbing work is NEVER fun, but having easy access to the lines makes the job at least doable.

Marla

the redrench site was really helpful, but i'm still unclear how to finish the wall. In all the pics i have seen, the existing metal vertical studs have flat edges facing out (essentially a hollow rectangle that you can put screws into. The metal suds on my traler (2002 Exiss) is like looking at the open end of a "c" - there are little lips about 1/2" on each end (with about a 2-3" opening) but not a flat surface to connect to. So how to I attach the furring strips"

We also have Armstrong laminate planks in our living room... Ours is snap-together and even has the coated edges to prevent absorption of fluids.  While it is beautiful, I can look across the floor in certain light and see a few rough spots where the edges didn't join exactly flush. Also, there is one piece that buckles slightly upward, but will lay flat when you step on it...

I do not have a LQ, or anything like one, but I, too would recommend a good vinyl flooring.  Seems like it would be much easier to keep clean and any spills would wipe right up.  plus, If you get sick of it, it is easily replaced.

Hi, 

We arenew to using this forum but we have been searching for info on how to do our own livingquarters and its really hard to find info. We were hoping you could help us out. We are getting ready to put the floor in our trailer. We were told to put down 1/2 in foam board and a 1/4 in. plywood over that and then to put the floor down. All of our plumbing and electrical will be in the walls so we dont have to worry about that. We were wondering how to attach the plywood to keep it from moving without crushing the foam board underneath it. We are using a good quality of laminate flooring but were wondering if we need to do anything extra for a moisture barrier besides the foam board (We were going to use aluminum foil tape to seel the seems).

Thank you Chris/Lynn