Hardwood Floor

I had a couple soft spots on my 2017 320 Azdel floor, so a few months back I tried 5mm vinyl planks as an overlay.  It helped the main soft area in the center of the floor, and came out looking nicer than the original vinyl sheeting, at least to my untrained eye...



... but I still don't like the feel. The soft spot is less noticeable, but the whole floor still has too much give.

I'm gonna try full-timing in it next year until there's a NuCamp model halfway between a 400 and Avia available, or a really awesome micro toy-hauler comes on the market. So until then, I want a perfectly flat rigid floor.

Accordingly my plan is to take the planking back out (I didn't glue it down, just a little caulk at the perimeter). Then I'll cut out the vinyl sheeting from the visible floor area, cut the perimeter of the visible Azdel, and lift or cut it out depending on how well it's glued to the aluminum frame. Hopefully the Azdel layer is not epoxied to the foam blocking.

Then after leveling the aluminum framing if needed, use a medium construction adhesive and put down an extremely hard real wood like Brazilian Walnut (Ipe) which you can find everywhere in 5.5" widths and 17 or 19mm thicknesses for building decks.

I looked at the deformation levels, sustainability, and look of Trex and Azek, and at their heart they are still composites, and still flex more than even moderate hardwoods, and can even weigh slightly more than a gorgeous hardwood like Tigerwood. And without the beauty of real wood.

I plan to only spend a few days sanding the planks once they're cut to size, then using linseed oil for additional protection and to enhance the surface appearance.  So it should hopefully come out with a beautiful grain showing, and not be too dark a look against all the lighter birch in the cabin.  Fingers crossed, a little lighter than this Ipe deck picture below, but with that same rich grain.



Theoretically I can drop a 5lb sledge on the floor, and with its hardness rating it won't leave a mark. Also supposed to be highly scratch and mold / mildew / water damage resistant.  Will use up 40-50lbs of my 700lb carry capacity though, but add around $5000 to the resale value.

Dumbest idea ever?  The only other alternative I can think of, after removing the top few current layers, is to put down a marine plywood, then a much thinner hardwood flooring material like one gets from a flooring shop.  But I suspect that combination would be just as, if not, heavier, and wouldn't have the same feel as pure 3/4" - 7/8" walnut boards.