How have you changed your HH's decor to make it "yours"?

[2 Okies]

Rick,
Thank you for sharing and posting the photos.  You have come up with some very innovative ideas for adding storage space in an attractive way, especially the file cabinet you added in the rear!

Debbie,
Thank you for sharing your desk photos.  That's a wonderful, large working space!

I'm adding some photos of a few things we've added to or changed in our living/kitchen area.  We love to spend time in the mountains and view wildlife, so I've loosely based the decor on a lodge/nature theme.  I covered the photo board with a faux leather fabric and the criss-cross strips that hold the photos on are narrow suede strips that can be purchased at hobby stores.  I made the buffalo pillow on the sofa with some of the same faux leather fabric and a tapestry panel of a buffalo head, adding some of the suede strips and conchos on the sides.  I found a wooden folding wine rack at Target that fits perfectly in the open cabinet above the microwave, it almost looks built-in.  The wallpaper border in the toilet room and by the bathroom sink was removed.  Physical changes include replacing the kitchen faucet with a pull-out faucet, and removing the metal hinged stovetop cover.  It was replaced with the cutting board cover from Camping World.  We added some of the stick-on battery powered LED lights under the sink area.  They do help provide some extra light under the sink when you're trying to find something way in the back, and you don't have to go get a flashlight.  We replaced the shower head with an Oxygenics shower head (love it!!), and replaced the key locks on the outside storage compartment doors with Cambi-locks (love those too!!). 

Suzie
(keep sharing the ideas and photos please!)

[Miles of Smiles]

Thanks so much for sharing, Rick...and especially for including the great photos .  I am especially interested in the shelf with hooks, as we have no place to hang jackets, and the framed bulletin boards which should come in handy as I plan to work while on the road. 

Our rig is almost 85 miles away in storage and there's no room to park it at our stix and brix, so it's hard to do much with it until we retire and go full time.  I'm trying to figure out where we might be able to do the shelf with hooks in our HHII.  Would you or anyone else know if there is a wall sturdy enough to support it and what type of hardware would be the best to use? 

Thanks again.

Launi

[Miles of Smiles]

Thanks Suzie for sharing! That photo board is a great idea...easy to change out photos.  I'm hoping to upgrade our kitchen faucet one day also.  Is yours just a standard faucet from Lowe's (etc.) or is it specifically for RVs?  So many great ideas from everyone...I'll have to start up a "honey-do list" for Jim.   This is fun...almost like an open house of everyone's rigs!

Launi

[LoneGranger]

Great ideas, Suzie and Rick and thanks so much for sharing the pictures.  This is a fun thread.  I know I've gotten some more ideas!  Next time I go up to my HH, I'll take some more pictures of some of my
'alterations'. 

Keep the pictures coming!

Debbie

[Miles of Smiles]

Looking forward to them, Debbie.  I think this thread is actually helping me make it through the winter blahs!

Launi

[larry and jan]

We bought ours off the lot late last fall, but I did toss the bedspread and replace it with a comforter before we put it in storage. I don't think I can live with the rest of the bedroom frou-frou, so will be ditching the curtains there in the spring. The ruffled headboard has to go, and sounds like that is easy to remove. We called the parts department to see about ordering the matching wood one. The price is very reasonable, but the cost to pack and ship it is prohibitive. We are going to see if we can find one locally. We would like to replace the gaudy fabric cornices with plain wooden ones. Larry can easily make the wood ones, as long as we can get the old ones off without damaging anything.  Does anyone know how easily these come off the wall? Bill, I notice you have already done this, so maybe you can help.The bedroom fabric is the worst, so will go first, but I also have my eye on the cornices and those silly huge fabric things that cover up the tiny shade strings in the rest of the trailer. Seems like they cover half the windows.

We also just ordered doors to fit the two open "display" shelves in the living area. Customizing the storage areas will also be a big project in the spring.

Jan

 

[Driftin' R Us]

I added Oxygenics shower head and a shut-off valve (at fixture) and changed head position from side to center of shower stall.
Rick

Rick,

I'm trying to see where you added the shut-off valve.  [I want one for our shower.]   Is it directly above the fixture where you turn to water on?

Jeannine

Hi Jeannine,

Yes, the valve's female threads screw directly onto the male threads on top of the fixture. Then the existing shower hose connector screws directly onto the male threads of the new valve. In order for me to make the connection in our shower, I removed the access port cover and reached through access port to unscrew the two large plastic nuts that hold the fixture tight to the shower wall. This was necessary because the valve is too large to be screwed on as male connection on fixture is too close to the shower wall. If your fixture is different and allows screwing on valve without obstruction from shower wall your installation will be a real breeze. Actually, after turning off the water to the coach, I also unscrewed the connections to the hot and cold water pipes and completely removed the fixture to make it even easier to add the new valve. Removing all these connections should be easily done by hand... just tighten them up firmly when re-installing. I twisted the nylon fitting on top of the fixture so that when I tightened the valve down on it, the adjustment knob was positioned on my right side for convenience... you may prefer to position it at the front, etc. The position is adjustable after installation but should be pretty tight initially so valve doesn't twist/swivel easily during use. Once you've got a good, tight connection just reassemble everything and screw on the shower hose connection. I was short a rubber washer for the valve/fixture connection and obtained one at hardwares store. It was too thin and I found it deformed easily and eventually blocked valve. I installed a thicker washer that resisted deformation and it has worked fine. Just got some extra practice in removing and re-installing the valve. I bought the valve at The RV Water Filter Store but have seen them elsewhere at RV parts outlets.

Rick

[Driftin' R Us]

Thanks so much for sharing, Rick...and especially for including the great photos .  I am especially interested in the shelf with hooks, as we have no place to hang jackets, and the framed bulletin boards which should come in handy as I plan to work while on the road. 

Our rig is almost 85 miles away in storage and there's no room to park it at our stix and brix, so it's hard to do much with it until we retire and go full time.  I'm trying to figure out where we might be able to do the shelf with hooks in our HHII.  Would you or anyone else know if there is a wall sturdy enough to support it and what type of hardware would be the best to use? 

Thanks again.

Launi

Hi Launi,

I used 1" x 2.5" red oak material screwed and glued at right angle. Combination of strength of oak and right angle construction was essential to span our 3' wide entry wall without bowing. I found ample studs (vertical) at both ends of the wall and used a couple of screws (angled) at each end to attach shelf to wall... no other attachment was necessary. Shelf is extremely stiff and perfectly straightened the wall which was noticeably bowed outward. I added oak trim on outside edge of shelf to keep small items from rolling off. I selected dual brass plated hooks for jackets, etc. to match our decor but you have many options here. Since our electric panel to coach is below shelf it was perfect place to mount EMS remote display as I mounted the EMS box on the opposite side of the wall in the basement... and I can often view remote readings from outside coach. Just ran remote cable up behind wall and brought it out under display (had to cut and splice cable so exit hole could remain similar diameter to cable thickness). This addition has been very useful.

Rick

[Driftin' R Us]

Thanks everyone for your compliments and thanks to others who have posted their innovative projects. This is fun. These projects are both aesthetically and functionally rewarding. But DW says "enough already". However, I've attached a couple more photos. I've added a very useful weather station. Mounted the base station above the thermostat. The remote sensor is outside tucked up above the pin box out of the weather. I also added another magazine rack from NUWA (seems like it was $29 plus shipping). We use racks to not only hold magazines but also to stash our laptops in. Am considering another one to add to front of our file cabinet. Had to add a little stain to the new rack as it was considerably lighter than original (and it differs slightly in construction tolerances).

My attention has turned to more decorative aspects of interior and I am now considering painting or papering some walls and starting a search for replacements for lighting components, although I may just "redecorate" the originals. Wondering if anyone has experience re-finishing original vinyl(?) walls?

Rick

[bttheis]

Larry and Jan- We still have the "cornices" on the windows. The spring loaded curtain rods actually go up in the cornice between the shades and cornice. I will post pictures next week. We are RV clubing for several days and then off on our first "we will get there when we get there" trip!

Bill

[2 Okies]

Larry and Jan,
Although we haven't removed the cornices yet, I did look at how they're attached because I plan to cover them with another fabric eventually.  If I remember right they are attached to the wall with L-brackets and it would be very easy to remove them.

Launi,
A friend actually gave us that faucet because he had an extra.  I'm pretty sure that it is made for RVs, but several people here on the forum have replaced theirs with residential kitchen faucets.  Yes, that type of photo board does make it easy to change out photos and you don't have to keep up with tacks or pins to attach them either.

Rick,
That weather station is great!  We added a clock that also includes the date, the moon phase, and an indoor/outdoor thermometer, but it isn't a complete weather station as yours is.  I also like that yours is so thin.

I just thought of a couple of other things we've added.  One is a small dry-erase board that is also magnetic.  I mounted it on the inside of the pantry door right at eye level, so it's out of the way and yet convenient for leaving reminders or small notes for each other.  The other is a couple of wire-coated racks that are sized to hold boxes of foil, plastic wrap, or baggies.  They're mounted on the inside of one of the walls under the kitchen sink, right inside the door for easy access.  They help corral all those boxes of zip-lock bags, foil and things that otherwise tend to get lost inside those big cabinets.  I didn't want to attach them with screws that might go all the way through the wood, so I used strips of velcro to attach them.  I use velcro a LOT to attach things.  If I don't want it to be permanent, I attach the piece that goes on the wall with staples, then I know it can be removed easily and without any damage to the wall.

Suzie

[huuligan]

Rick,

Do you hire out?? 

Gary

[nuwa4me]

Thanks so much for sharing, Rick...and especially for including the great photos .  I am especially interested in the shelf with hooks, as we have no place to hang jackets, and the framed bulletin boards which should come in handy as I plan to work while on the road. 

Our rig is almost 85 miles away in storage and there's no room to park it at our stix and brix, so it's hard to do much with it until we retire and go full time.  I'm trying to figure out where we might be able to do the shelf with hooks in our HHII.  Would you or anyone else know if there is a wall sturdy enough to support it and what type of hardware would be the best to use? 

Thanks again.

Launi

Not too sure if the Washer/Dryer Closet in the UKSBG is the same as in the RLTG, but we solved our coat closet problem by cutting in half and moving the shelf and clothes rod in our W/D closet.  That is the very first project that my DH did when we moved into the rig in 2006.  In the winter, the winter coats and BLM work jackets go in that closet. 

Kathy

[Hut]

We have kept ours pretty much stock so far; other than rugs 'n stuff.
The main thing we changed was adding 42" HDTV in front room on the factory installed "K2 mounts" articulating bracket. I had to bolt a wall mount bracket to the articulating arm to match the bolt pattern on the TV. My computer tower is located behind TV and it also wired VGA into the TV so we can sit comfortably on couch and work on PC.
We also added a 26" VIZIO HDTV in the bedroom w/Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers mounted hanging underneath the overhead cabinets.

[LoneGranger]

Hut...can you pull that TV out and take a picture showing how it is mounted?  Boy, that's quite a TV!

Debbie

[Hut]

Yep no problem. At first I thought it might be a little too much but now we love it.

Hard to get a good angle for picture but this should do it. I took a second picture of it pushed in close to the cabinet.
The upper and lower doors and the desk drawer open fine with a little extra clearance.

[Driftin' R Us]

Rick,

Do you hire out?? 

Gary

May have to Gary if economy keeps tankin'
But I ain't cheap... yet.

Rick

[Driftin' R Us]

Thanks so much for sharing, Rick...and especially for including the great photos .  I am especially interested in the shelf with hooks, as we have no place to hang jackets, and the framed bulletin boards which should come in handy as I plan to work while on the road. 

Our rig is almost 85 miles away in storage and there's no room to park it at our stix and brix, so it's hard to do much with it until we retire and go full time.  I'm trying to figure out where we might be able to do the shelf with hooks in our HHII.  Would you or anyone else know if there is a wall sturdy enough to support it and what type of hardware would be the best to use? 

Thanks again.

Launi

Not too sure if the Washer/Dryer Closet in the UKSBG is the same as in the RLTG, but we solved our coat closet problem by cutting in half and moving the shelf and clothes rod in our W/D closet.  That is the very first project that my DH did when we moved into the rig in 2006.  In the winter, the winter coats and BLM work jackets go in that closet. 

Kathy

re closet rod...This may be useful...
When we moved into our rig last summer it didn't take long for our main closet rod to come crashing down. It just couldn't hold the weight of all DW's clothes. The thin wall rod was significantly bowed and was not substantial enough for all the weight put on it. But it was easy to remedy with a length of iron pipe from Lowes. I didn't even have to cut it to length. Just slipped it inside original thin wall (perfect fit) and reassembled. No problem since. If you fear this could also be your fate and/or notice a bit of sag in that closet rod you may be well served to employ a little preemptive action here.

Rick

[Driftin' R Us]

Yep no problem. At first I thought it might be a little too much but now we love it.

Hard to get a good angle for picture but this should do it. I took a second picture of it pushed in close to the cabinet.
The upper and lower doors and the desk drawer open fine with a little extra clearance.

Hey Hut,

Refreshing to see a guy go for all the gusto and not fall for those weinie tvs. 

Rick

[Jeff Collingwood]

Hut,
Nice job.  For people that would want to copy you, explain how thick the oak plywood is you used at the back and how you fastened it (a lot of force from the bracket).
...Jeff....

Yep no problem. At first I thought it might be a little too much but now we love it.

Hard to get a good angle for picture but this should do it. I took a second picture of it pushed in close to the cabinet.
The upper and lower doors and the desk drawer open fine with a little extra clearance.

[Hut]

The fine folks at NuWa actually attached the articulating bracket. Our house came with a 26 inch LCD that was the same size as the opening. I attached a wall mount to the existing articulating arm.
The factory installed articulating bracket is made by K2 mounts and it is attached with 4 lag bolts to 2 vertical 2x4s (with a thin sheet of plywood over the face for aesthetics) built into the back of the cabinet. It should be do-able to add this to existing cabinets for someone handy with tools.

[Miles of Smiles]

Thanks Rick for the detailed explanation on the shelf with hooks that you built.  Unfortunately, we don't have an entry wall in our UKSBG and I'll have to look elsewhere for a place to hang hooks...perhaps on the outside wall of the pantry if the wood is strong enough (although I hate the idea of damaging the wood by putting holes in it) or maybe on the hall wall if that's feasible.  I don't know that there are any wood studs in the walls to attach to...does anyone know?  Isn't it all aluminum for the HHII? 

Kathy...your W/D closet setup is great, but the UKSBG only has a small closet above a hamper in the side bath.  There's room currently to put a couple heavy coats, but if I decide to opt for a W/D then that space will no longer be available.  Hmmm...storage vs. washing clothes in the rig...I'm not quite sure what I'll end up doing.  Not a big need until we're ready to go full time, though.

Wow, Hut...what a TV!!  I wouldn't have to wear my glasses to watch that one!   Is there any framing support for the TV or is it simply the arm keeping it from falling?  Excuse my lack of knowledge, but are you saying that you simply changed the bracket on the TV and used only the (standard) arm that came already installed at NuWa?  Also...I saw your PC tower.  I'd like to take my desktop with me but was concerned that all the bouncing would make that impossible.  Are the newer PCs able to take all the movement?  I do have a laptop but prefer using the desktop for work...bigger monitor and I prefer the keyboard for the PC over the one on the laptop.  Thanks.

Keep all the ideas and photos coming, folks...I'm having a whee of a time reading all your posts and looking at the photos.

Launi

[Donr827]

Launi, We have the same trailer as you do.  I added three hang hooks on pantry end wall.  I hang hats and the dog leash from them. Also on the end of the kitchen cabinet, end that faces the dinning room, I installed a cork board that we hang schedules and grocery list from.
Don

[Hut]

Hi Launi, I apologize for not being more descriptive. The answer to your question is yes. I changed the bracket on the back of the TV and the "arm" is factory installed by NuWa. The "arm" is a K2 mounts brand model #K2-A3-S that NuWa installed at the factory. It is lag bolted to the back; which is framed into cabinets with 2 vertical 2x4s. The bracket/arm is rated for 110 lbs. The television is a VIZIO model VS420L1A which weighs 46lbs. On long trips we plan on lifting the television off the bracket and securing it down but for short trips we just strap it tight to the cabinet.
http://www.k2mounts.com/

The computer is home built by myself and it has been coast to coast several times without any problems. Unfortunately, I cannot say what a factory made desktop PC would do; with any certainty.
The main thing I would worry about would be the heat sink and heat sink mount on the CPU, but they do ship PCs to their destination which is generally a rougher ride. If you do decide to get a large HDTV and a desktop PC. I would suggest getting a video card that has dual monitor capability with 1 available video port(VGA or DVI) and a TV with matching port. that way you can use the TV as a monitor with excellent quality.

Here is a picture of the bracket that was installed at the factory by NuWa.

Second picture shows TV as PC monitor.

I hope this was helpful,
David

[Exploring Wises]

Also...I saw your PC tower.  I'd like to take my desktop with me but was concerned that all the bouncing would make that impossible.  Are the newer PCs able to take all the movement?  I do have a laptop but prefer using the desktop for work...bigger monitor and I prefer the keyboard for the PC over the one on the laptop.  Thanks.

Keep all the ideas and photos coming, folks...I'm having a whee of a time reading all your posts and looking at the photos.

Launi

Don't worry about taking your tower with you.  We have traveled with ours now for five years (about 45,000 miles including a trip to Alaska and back) and haven't had any problems.  It does sit on the floor beneath the desk but gets plenty of air circulation.  I've never had it fall over and it isn't strapped upright in any way.  They can take the bouncing down the road.

Stacy (won't be without my tower)