Today the salvage company came to pick her up and through my heartbroken tears, I will admit I did smile a wee bit. The only reason was because the RV Gods were looking down on me. We bought the camper 7 years ago, October 30th, with GAP insurance that spanned the first 7 years of ownership. Well we got in under the wire with a mere 28 days left on the policy. I have hoops to jump through and paperwork to rather but the remaining balance will be covered, leaving us with the opportunity move up to a Class C for us to use to go to dog shows!!!!

And I was able to get my awesome futon find into the camper! Upholstery fabric does not do well with dogs because keeping it clean is next to impossible. Now add upholstery fabric to a camper and boy do you have a mess! So faux-leather was the only way to go as far as I was concerned. Futons are not known for extreme comfort, especially for sleeping, but they would be 100 times better than those factory installed jack-knife couches!

In case you ever wondered how they try to keep those suckers light-weight, ripping them out gave us the opportunity to take a look inside. Plastic tie-downs are strapped around the steel frame to keep the foam in place! CRAZY! And with an active family that had bottoms bust within a couple of years, this shoddy constructions makes a lot more sense as to how it happened.

I started perusing the local Craig’s List ads for futons and voila! The deal of the Century! I got this white futon for $50.00!  A shopping trip to Ross brought the clearance, $16.00 storage ottoman into our lives and the pillows were on clearance at Burlington for $12.00 for two! I suppose I should share, to date, I am just under $1000.00 in my total reno project so far. And when it comes to replacing the jackknife couches with futons the weight is considerably less and must more practical. So with that being said, I am one proud, remodel momma!

As with everything else I have discovered with the craftsmanship of our camper, the laminate countertop’s rubber edging is popping out and is now warping after 7 years. That and the hideous colors that didn’t match the factory decor, let alone our new design inspired me to check out my options. I priced out getting new counters but the idea of getting the sinks and stove removed and then reinstalling was daunting. Then came the Counter Top Transformations kits which weren’t much less costly than having new counters ordered! Besides, there were not any colors that really caught my eye. Plus, this is our home away from home but please – I would rather invest that kind of money into the new flooring! So when I spotted the Rust-Oleum Counter Top Coating for $19.99 I was intrigued.

If you are anything like me, you will know what I mean when I say, “It was time to check out Amazon!” Oh yeah, it’s read the reviews time! And the reviews were not that great. The majority said that the coating chipped, dented and scratched. I knew the smell would be dizzying and that there would be cure time between coats, but since this is not going to be applied in my kitchen, but in my RV, I figured the patience required to do a quality job was in the bag! I wouldn’t be placing anything on the counter for potential weeks and if I kept the windows open, the fumes would dissipate between coats easily.

I also read a review that referred to applying a top coat. Well, I am here to tell you that the uber expensive kits out there simply include a can of polyurethane to apply so in addition to the 1 quart can of coating (tinted to Pewter, much lighter than the kit’s offered in the grey shade) I added a quart of Rust-Oleum Varathane polyurethane and a high quality paint brush, foam rollers and brushes, rubber gloves, a can of acetone (only way to clean up after yourself), 2″ painter’s tape, an X-Acto knife, super fine sandpaper and a few mini paint pans. All for around $65.00. Not bad aye?

I am here to tell you, so far I am VERY please with the results. After getting the first coat down it all went very quickly!!! It dries rather fast so I would recommend you blue-tape your edges and appliances and then use the foam brushes to apply the coating up to your edges as quickly as you can. Then use foam rollers to quickly apply a somewhat heavy coat over the counter top. Please understand that it goes on thick but do NOT go over an area twice. You need major patience to do this. You will create lines and roller tracks of gooey paint if you go over an already coated area. If you see a light spot, you are going to have to wait three days to fill it with your second coat!!!! Yes, you read that correctly – Three Days to Cure! Three Days for Second Coat! THREE DAYS PER COAT!

This is where the X-Acto knife comes in. Because you will need to apply a second coat and then the top coat, you will need to remove the painter’s tape with the knife. Once you have applied the first coat and waited your three days, use the super fine sandpaper to sand the counters and then clean them REALLY GOOD! Now you can apply the second coat and yes, wait three days.

I know I keep saying three days but seriously, this is an epoxy/oil based paint that needs to cure. If you lay something down on the counter before completely cured, it will leave an indention.

Once you have finished applying the coating, you can then apply the polyurethane with a brush. I wouldn’t recommend using a foam roller as they have the tendency to create bubbles. They sell brushes specifically for applying poly – Spend the $10.00 on the brush! And I am proud to say that after “Feelin’ Good” from the fumes of the coating and the agony of trying to clean up the gooey messes you will most likely create, the Varathane Polyurethane is water-based giving low-odor and easy breezy clean up!

And guess what? It only requires you to wait 2-3 HOURS between coats! YAHOOOOO!!!!! I would recommend anywhere from 4 to 6 coats. The more coats you apply the smoother it gets. Just like with the Counter Top Coating, the first coat will look groovy. As tempting as it is after waiting a week to get to this step, don’t give in now! Wait the couple hours to apply the next coat. It is well worth the wait!

Apparently bending over backwards and upside-down to paint the underside of wall cabinets can wreak havoc on the body. I have a pinched nerve as well as muscle spasms. I am going home to take my anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers while cuddling with a heating pad. I wonder how long my garage will be DoorAPalooza??? Let’s hope not too long, but I can’t see a campaign trip going down for us this weekend, that is for sure!

Our plan was to remove both of the factory installed tables and their pole hardware, replacing them with a more permanent dining/sitting option to include a wonderful view, looking out into our campsite. The jackknife couch sat pointing into the camper. The dogs are the only ones who actually use that window, jumping on the back of the jackknife couch to look out at us humans having all of the fun. It’s time for us humans to be able to enjoy the view too!

Here is where the fabulous Norburg, wall-mounted table comes into play. As much as I like the longer ones, they didn’t fit our color scheme. I love the mini self that is created when the drop-leaf is lowered, giving us a spot to place odds and ends. We picked up two and installed them just below the window – They fit there PERFECTLY!!!!

With a new dining area, we needed to pick up some chairs. Keeping weight down was the main objective (outside of keeping with the color scheme of course) but we also wanted something that could be folded and stored out of the way, keeping with the Toy Hauler mentality.

Originally I wanted the Nisse chairs in blue. I am using accent colors of turquoise and red in the main portion of the toy hauler and with a price of $12.99, how could we go wrong? The perfect color, light weight and foldable? SOLD! Until we got the bin and saw they were sold out. I guess that yellow price tag means they are discontinued. Totally bummed! So then we moved onto the Gunde in white because the white version of the Nisse chair was double that of the blue! We picked up two white Gunde chairs for the price of one blue along with a pack of the Bjärnum folding hooks so that we can hang the chairs on the side of the cabinets when we are in tow or to simply keep them out of the way.

So here it is completely installed – I love how the two tables beside each other make the perfect dining spot as well as work area. We can fold down the tables as needed and the chairs are a perfect fit!

The next step was to take out my selected fabric to cover the boards as well as to create my window curtains. Sticking with the mildew resistant theme needed when you remodel a travel trailer, I went shopping for shower curtains to fit the bill. Finding the right colors and pattern was not as easy as I thought. They couldn’t be too feminine – This is a Toy Hauler for goodness sake – but I wanted some sort of pizzazz too! I found these at the local TJ Maxx and I picked up three of them.

I am proud to announce that I was able to cover two 5′ + long cornice boards, make eight curtains and two toss pillows out of only two of them. I also made curtain tie-backs using the top portion of the shower curtain. Sure, they may have hook holes in them but the vinyl insert adds the stiffness the tiebacks needed. All I did was sew some velcro onto the edges and when I attached them to the curtains, I simply adjusted the hook holes to the backs and sides. I didn’t waste a single piece of the two shower curtains. I guess that makes me green, aye?

All in all, I am THRILLED with the results. The window treatments really soften up the camper. Sure, they are for looks but they are also functional.

I used tension rods and with the curtains attached and then I slipped them in to the cornice board with the tension tightened on the sides. The factory installed blinds are back in place and the curtains glide open and closed on the curtain rod on top of the blinds but under the cornice.

Hubby wanted a darker bedroom and bathroom (you know, the tiniest rooms in the camper) while I wanted lighter shades. The compromise was to go with the bottom two colors on the paint chip instead of the top two.

So the base is Behr’s Gentle Rain and I painted the bathroom area in Porpoise. Now when I do the bathroom this Spring, of course I want Sparrow while he wants Anonymous. Wanna place bets now on who will win?

While on the paint topic, I thought I should share that I selected the BEHR Premium Plus Semi-Gloss Enamel Exterior Paint. Reason being, it has the mildew and UV resistant – something that when painting an RV, you must take into consideration. Especially the mildew! You can have an additive put into an interior paint but for $5.00 difference in price, I went the exterior route.

My analosity came into play BIG TIME this past week. So much so, I actually had to dig out my tiny art brushes to create the “trimmed” look my adding the white high gloss to the trim along the floor and in the doorways. Every once of outer cabinet wall and physical wall in the toy hauler (except for the back bedroom – that will be tackled in the spring) has paint on it. A HUGE accomplishment!

Off to the next painting phase….

We have a dog show in Ocala tomorrow morning – Bright and early at 8:00 am! OUCH! I have decided we need to head out tonight and get a hotel for the evening. At almost 2 hours away, THIS is a perfect example of why we need to renovate our camper and how if we had it ready, we could be sleeping in the comforts of our home on wheels tonight!

It’s not a very homey trailer, feeling more like a garage on wheels. Weather in Florida is not very predictable and there are weekend that we are left being in the camper more than outside, enjoying the campground. The furniture in the camper is not all that comfortable! Also, the design of our Coachman Adrenaline Surge is perfect for outdoor toy hauling and storage. It is completely self sustainable, with a generator and tanks large enough to be stranded for a week! We have no toys, we have Chihuahuas! So our “Chihuahua Hauler” not only makes for perfect camping with dogs weekends, but also a perfect home-away-from-home for show weekends.

Factory stocked, it can sleep 8 with the two back bunks lowered and the jack-knife couches extended. But then, you cannot really move around the camper. Once those bunks are lowered, you loose access to the large back area of the camper – Which is where we house puppies when we have them in tow. And the jack-knives? Don’t even get me started! It’s great that they fold up and store against the wall, but their lack of comfort aside, they also started to cave in and fall apart after a couple of years.

Ideally, we would like to get the camper setup so that we can finally take the plunge and start staying on-site at the shows. When four-day shows are on the calendar, being ale to stay at the show site would be ideal. Especially with the weeklong circuits in Brooksville and Ocala. To make our already dog friendly toy hauler more comfortable for show site stay, renovations were a must!

Sooooooo, after much research and planning, we decided to remodel and “Newtonize” the Chihuahua Hauler this year. After our last camping trip back in November, we emptied the camper out completely and the plan was to work on it over the winter, while the temperatures were cool. The trailer has been empty since the holidays and I hoped to start this week. Well, I guess the mere mention of me starting the process inspired my dear husband to miss camping and he shared his SURPRISE camping trip he planned in three weeks. YES! THREE WEEKS! So, I need to get a real move on and complete three months worth of planned work in three weeks!

For reference – yours and ours – here are the photos of the camper pre-demo. Note the rusty table poles and moldy jack-knife couches? That’s gotta go! We need to make things more dog and humid Florida friendly. Also, Coachman’s lack of color matching skills has always gotten under my skin – Oak cabinets, beige walls, grey and beige marble counters and black pleather with red and yellow upholstery? YUCK!

Wish me luck! Off to start removing hardware and furniture!