For "tRaVersing, or RV Day":
"Smile at your campground neighbor – especially the one that doesn’t look very happy. You might just turn his gloomy day around and that will make you both feel good!"
"A few small changes can give your RV a fresh, updated look. Something as simple as a new bedspread, a different area rug in the hall-way, or a new set of towels can make a big difference in how your RV looks and how you feel living in it."
Liven up your RV: replace your old carpet
"One of the biggest ways to make your older RV feel new is to install new floor coverings. Face it, after using your RV for a few years, those, "show every spot of dirt" carpets that manufacturers so thoughtfully install begin to look a bit doggy. Can you replace it, or will you need a professional to help? Much depends on the design of your rig. 
Rigs without slideouts aren't usually too difficult for the careful do-it-yourselfer. Slide outs can create problems, depending on how they operate. In our rig, where our slideouts drop down even with the main floor, an overlap of carpet from the slideout covers over the seam where the two floors meet. The overlap is a factory hemmed edge -- if we replace the carpet, we may need to get someone to install a hem for us. Your rig may have entirely different setup; it's best to examine everything cautiously before undertaking a carpeting job.
Whatever choice you make, be sure when you shop, check out the remnants section of the floor covering retailer. Many RVs are small enough that you can often find small lots of laminate flooring, or end portions of carpeting that will fit just fine, and save you a bundle." Rest of article at: http://rvtravel.com/rvtechtips/carpet480.shtml
_________________
Replacing RV Carpeting Posted by RV Doctor
"I have an older (1987) motorhome and would like to replace the worn carpet. How is this carpet originally installed by the factory? How do I install the new carpet? I’m very handy, but I need to know the correct procedures."
Paul, (Worthington, OH)
"Chances are, Paul, the original carpet was simply stapled to an underlayment of plywood or pressboard. Keep in mind that during manufacture, some RV floors are fully carpeted before the partition walls, cabinets and furnishings are installed so it’s doubtful you’ll be able to remove every square inch.
Complete removal is not always necessary, however, since the old carpet itself can be selectively retained in closets and under storage cabinets. If the existing carpet was installed before the cabinets and partition walls, carefully cut along the walls and cabinets with a sharp razor knife to cut out the old carpet. Save these pieces. They may be used as a pattern for the new carpet. Be sure to check the floor area carefully after removing the old carpet." See the rest of the article at: http://www.rvdoctor.com/2010/06/replacing-rv-carpeting.html
______________
The Motorhome Bedroom
Our RV Bedroom BEFORE Redecorating
"One of our affordable rv remodeling ideas was to make our bedroom a different color scheme than the other “rooms.” We wanted the floor to be different, too. This turned out to be the most difficult rv project for us, but we did get a new vinyl floor put in our rv for about $10.00…and lots of bad words.
Before going further, a reminder that a step-by-step on how we painted the wallpaper, made curtains, etc. can be found in our blog posts about our Living Room and RV Kitchen Redecorating Tips.In general, our flooring, paint and curtains are shades of blue and gray. So on to what we did…
Bedroom BEFORE Redecorating
PAINTING: We decided not to paint the wood paneling and cabinets in this room at all. We liked the accent of the wood and the one wood panel wall that was in our bedroom (all other walls were wallpapered). The only thing changed on the cabinets was the handles, which we spray painted pewter. We painted the walls blue. All accents (magazine rack, two shelves over the windows and a wood trim on the floor) were painted gray. We even painted our brass fixtures and lamp shades to match…THAT was an improvement.
We threw on a gray bedspread, made super cheap curtains and, my favorite, I sewed together this silky, dark gray bargain fabric (didn’t even hem the sides…kept it “funky”) to throw over our bedspread, due to having two cats that are far from bald. Hair doesn’t stick! You just shake it out…but I digress…
Our Bedroom AFTER
FLOORING: So the moment you all have been waiting for…new vinyl flooring in our rv. Would love to take credit for how this all turned out, and tell you we thought of it prior to doing the floors…but that wouldn’t be very honest. No, we definitely learned by doing…hearing of our mistakes will most likely make you laugh, and save you time if you decide to replace your motorhome floor.
AFTER The Decorating
We went to the Habitat for Humanity Restore. As luck would have it, they had a vinyl floor remnant in blue and gray, with a “stone” look. For $8.00, we grabbed it and ran…it looked like PLENTY of vinyl for our tiny floor space. Well..yeah, that’s true. But if you want it in one big piece, it still needs to be the 8 foot width of the room, right? This remnant was, oh…about 4 feet across. Ha…you know where this is going. Now give us a little break, because we renovated our entire motorhome at once…we couldn’t possibly escape without one mistake. But have no fear! We figured out our own way of salvaging the vinyl flooring…let us move on…
Our New RV Vinyl Flooring
So we discovered our floor would have to be cut into segments. One long one would run down the hallway (from the kitchen vinyl end) up to the foot of our bed. Then we would cut two more segments for each side of the bed. Three pieces of flooring in all. But with crappy tools and no work bench, we knew the odds of matching them perfectly wouldn’t be likely. So what was the answer? Accent molding! Yes, we cut two flat “strips” to lie over the space where they connected, between the wall and foot of the bed. Of course, they were painted gray to match! We also never glued it down, wanting to see what it does in colder temps. We did buy trim to put along the outer edge and, you guessed it, painted it gray, too! So know it looks like we intentionally placed gray trim around…actually kinda cute! Also, we got the molding at the Restore, too…total cost for the floor? $10.00. And guess what?! We had leftover scraps and we glued them onto our nightstands on both sides…they look fantastic and, of course, match the floor."
------------------
From Me: I know it is all the rage to have bedspreads and drapes flowing onto the floor, but I would trip over them!
_____________
Cheap RV Windshield Curtains
"When we purchased our 1993 Fleetwood Bounder, the motorhome curtains over the dashboard were hideous in too many ways to count. They endured water stains from open windows during the rain. In addition, they were just plain ugly! These were obviously the original camper curtains that came with our rv...and they had to go. However, being full time frugal rvers, replacing the rv window covers was out of the question...we had more important things to spend money on, such as food.
The idea hit us one evening...what about shower curtains to replace our motorhome curtain? So we started listing the qualities it would need to have, to be a successful solution for us:
- It had to be a privacy curtain, where people cannot see in or out, especially at night when the lights are on inside.
- Though decorative shower curtains are, indeed, fashionable...the goal is to save a fortune on this project. Because we will need 3-4 of them, that could add up quickly, so it needs to be affordable, yet we would like if it would match our coloring somewhat.
- It needs to be durable enough to withstand continual opening and closing, tugging and pulling.
- As a bonus, it would be nice if it was water resistant and/or easily cleaned, so that they stay fresh and clean.
The item we found that met all of those qualities was a heavy duty shower curtain liner. Not transparent at all, affordable, comes in various colors, easily cleaned and durable...this was the answer we had been looking for!"
This Is The Finished Product That Wraps Around The Entire Windshield. From: http://frugalrvers.hubpages.com/hub/RV-Windshield-Curtains
____________
See how Fab Grandma redecorated her bedroom:
http://fabgrandma.com/2011/02/redecorating-the-rv-bedroom/
____________
RVing Tip
"All you need to fix rock chipped windows is a small tube of Super Glue. Just put a small drop on the center of the ding and let it dry, this will seal up the little hole in the window and will not allow any moisture in, as this is the cause of the cracks spreading. I have used Super Glue on all three cars and RV, and neither of them have any cracks. Some of the dings are 5 years old."
_______________
How to Fold a Fitted Sheet.
1. With the sheet inside out, place one hand in each of two adjacent corners.
2. Bring your right hand to your left, and fold the corner in your right hand over the one in your left, so the corner on top is right side out. Next, reach down and pick up the corner that is adjacent to the one that was in your right hand (it will be hanging in front), and fold it over the other two; this third corner will be inside out.
3. Bring the last corner up, and fold it over the others so it is right side out.
4. Lay the sheet flat, and straighten it into the shape shown above.
5. Fold the two edges in, folding the edge with elastic in first, so all elastic is hidden.
6. Fold the strip into a smaller rectangle.
7. Continue folding until rectangle is the size you want."
-------------------
From Me: Just another reminder to make the bed by putting each of the top corners of the fitted sheet on the mattress FIRST. Then pull the sheet over the bottom corners. Your sheet will stay in place so much better.
_____________
Fire Safety Tip from Mac McCoy
"Gasoline and propane can pose an immediate, explosive danger. Though diesel fuel is less volatile, it dissipates more slowly, so it remains a danger longer. Deal at once with any leaks or spills, and use all fuels in adequately vented areas. Learn more about Mac and fire safety."
____________________
Random RV Thought:
"While in a campground, to avoid having annoying headlights beaming into your RV or onto your campsite, choose a spot on a straight stretch of the campground's road or choose a site on the inside of a corner, not the outside."
____________________
You have never seen a travel trailer like this! Sculpted RV?
"As reported by euronews: "An unusual convoy has arrived in the Norwegian city of Stavanger: four sculptures of women protruding from caravans, courtesy of Norwegian artist Marit Benthe Norheim. "
OK, I wouldn't mind visiting Norway, but the next item is starting to make me wonder. In the same dispatch noting the "sculpture caravan," this: "Meanwhile, what is being touted as the world’s first opera performed in sign language has premiered in the capital of Finland’s Aland Islands." Posted by Russ and Tiña De Maris.
____________
Trivia:
President Eisenhower loved to paint but he could not draw. So he had other artists outline on canvas what he wanted to paint. This led directly to the popular fad in the 1950s of paint-by-the-numbers.
_____________
On This Day:
Presidential election decided in the House, Feb 9, 1825:
"As no presidential candidate received a majority of electoral votes in the election of 1824, the U.S. House of Representatives votes to elect John Quincy Adams, who won fewer votes than Andrew Jackson in the popular election, as president of the United States. Adams was the son of John Adams, the second president of the United States.
As dictated by the U.S. Constitution, the presidential election was then turned over to the House of Representatives. The 12th Amendment states that if no electoral majority is won, only the three candidates who receive the most popular votes will be considered in the House.
With little popular support, Adams' time in the White House was for the most part ineffectual, and the so-called Corrupt Bargain continued to haunt his administration. In 1828, he was defeated in his re-election bid by Andrew Jackson, who received more than twice as many electoral votes than Adams."
___________
Daylight saving time instituted, Feb 9, 1942:
"On this day, Congress pushes ahead standard time for the United States by one hour in each time zone, imposing daylight saving time--called at the time "war time."
Daylight saving time, suggested by President Roosevelt, was imposed to conserve fuel, and could be traced back to World War I, when Congress imposed one standard time on the United States to enable the country to better utilize resources, following the European model. The 1918 Standard Time Act was meant to be in effect for only seven months of the year--and was discontinued nationally after the war. But individual states continued to turn clocks ahead one hour in spring and back one hour in fall. The World War II legislation imposed daylight saving time for the entire nation for the entire year. It was repealed Sept. 30, 1945, when individual states once again imposed their own "standard" time. It was not until 1966 that Congress passed legislation setting a standard time that permanently superseded local habits."
__________
Joanne Woodward earns first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
"On this day in 1960, the official groundbreaking ceremony is held for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The first star to be dedicated on the historic walkway belonged to the actress Joanne Woodward, an Academy Award winner for The Three Faces of Eve (1957).
Today, the Walk of Fame lines both sides of Hollywood Boulevard from Gower to La Brea, and both sides of Vine Street, from Yucca to Sunset. Woodward’s star is located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce manages the walkway, which became an official landmark in 1978. New stars are added at a regular rate; by 1994 the total numbered more than 2,000."
---------------
From Me: I rarely take notice of entertainment celebrities as most of them are very "hollow" people, but Joanne Woodward and her husband Paul Newman were special.
___________
Yesterday:
Misty and Maddie had their little walk-about when we went down there to take Jay shopping. I didn't really need anything, except I had a hankering for tamales, but there was still stuff in the van to be donated.
I had 4 of those little portable TV/radios that run on 110v, 12v. and batteries, but I am going to get a little HDTV for the motorhome now, as I am tired of digital converter boxes. I am hoping to get one that I can use in the house when the power goes out, but I expect that will take a special external antenna.
Angelic thrift shop took the rest of the items plus the TVs and computer stuff. They are the only thrift shop around here that takes those things.
While we were there, we looked around the store, and I bought a book bag to carry my Bible. It has the wooden bars on the top like the old knitting/sewing bags, and the handle is instantly adjustable from two handles to a shoulder bag. On eBay Jay had bought a KJ Bible with tabbed index and leather zippered cover, but I bought him a used Bible to tide him over until it gets here.
At Kroger's, the brand of tamales that I wanted had tripled in price, so I let them keep them.
Another mild winter Texas day.
1 comment:
It seems that the price of food doubles every week or so.
Post a Comment