set PCmanFM default folder view
Solution 1:
Open PCManFM. Choose Edit->Preferences. Navigate to the bottom and set your View Mode.
Solution 2:
I am using 0.13.0 and I needed to look quite awhile till I found the setting. This is a note to my future self when I forget this piece of info. Here is a picture to help visualize where the setting is. I did have to save it twice or so before it stuck. Maybe I should have restarted the computer or something first but setting it twice seems to work. 