After three weeks on the road with the Crusader, she needed work. Peeling vinyl furniture was the final straw. Every time we sat in the chairs, a little piece of it came with us. I tried valiantly to cover the offenses with fleece but to no avail.
We either get rid of the trailer or do some redecorating; we went with the latter.
Chris and Tom, our neighbors in Connecticut, invited us to the group Fulltime RV Living on Facebook. Through that group, we found RV Interior Decorators. Who knew? But they got our juices flowing.
We quickly realized the cost of this project. Furnishing a trailer isn’t as easy as one would expect. Furniture made for RV’s is costly, but you don’t have to use custom-made pieces. No, you have to find things that fit. Easier said than done.
At first, we had grand ideas. Viewing the pictures on RV Interior decorating sparked our imaginations. Our first step, gutting what we had.
Originally, we were going to pull the carpet and replace all of the floorings. Many people paint the cabinets and walls, but neither one of us wanted to expend that much energy.
Once we removed the furniture, we realized the carpet was perfectly fine. Why create work for ourselves? So we decided to leave the carpet and replace the linoleum. We found peel and stick planks at Lowes; it was our only option because of the slide-outs and weight issues.
Previous owners solution to a more comfortable sleep sofa
Destruction day is always a favorite of mine. Nothing is more fun to me than tearing things apart to reconstruct them better. Ron is always amazed at my enthusiasm and usually has to calm me down. If he didn’t, more things would break, and typically I would harm myself somehow or another. Ripping out these pieces brought me much joy.
Ron and I searched every furniture retailer in the peninsula and Williamsburg. Finding pieces to fit proved difficult. After much discussion and a brilliant thought from Ron, we decided on a window bench for the back of the trailer. My window seat will always bring a smile to my face.
Originally, we built this bench/dog crate to go at the end of our bed. At the time, we had three dogs. When we left the house, we crated them. Looking for a realistic solution, we built crates. What I love about this story is what was used to make the crates.
At the time, I was a dog walker. After losing my job at Nautica, I started two businesses: dog walking and teaching tennis. Dog walking was very lucrative until COVID hit, essentially taking a full client list down to two. During my profitable years, I was walking one of my regulars on bulk trash day. Someone had put a daybed on the curb for pickup. Realizing the value in the wooden slats, I made Ron come pick it up. From that, we produced our three-dog bench crate, which sat at the foot of our bed for years.
After Toby, our oldest dog passed, we stopped using the bench. Instead, we turned our kitchen into the dog’s pad while we’re gone. The bench’s main purpose is to hold the laundry basket when I fold clothes—definitely a purpose, but not necessary. Ron found a better use.
Deciding what to do with the sofa space was tough. We knew we didn’t want to buy another sleeper sofa simply because we’ve used it three times in the four years we’ve owned the trailer. Since it’s not very comfortable, we decided to use an air mattress the next time we have guests. They can have the master; we’re fine with an inflatable. But what do we do instead for seating?
Ron came up with the idea of repurposing the dog crate yet again. Luckily, the bench fit into the space with six inches to spare. I cleaned and repainted our repurposed day bed. Ron widened the seat by adding a board. Amazon provided the pillows; my new writing spot became a reality.
We found recliners at Roberts Furniture store in Newport News. They fit perfectly in the space we have. A charging end table from Amazon allows us to charge all of our necessities in one place. The dogs now have their own space beneath the window seat, although Sophia has yet to ordain hers with her presence. Rocco has enjoyed napping in his. And I loved writing my first devotional smothered in pillows, Sophia by my side, Rocco on guard at my feet.
The tablespace is where we feel we’ve gained the most functionality. Once in the past four years have we sat at the table. With two people, no kids, you don’t use it. We wanted a hutch, we compromised on a counter height table with two bar stools that tuck in under. We took out a shelf to make a permanent space for our ice maker and coffee pot to live. Ron bolted the table to the floor. We’ll bungy the stools and icemaker when traveling. Baskets are due to arrive tomorrow for the K-cups and such. We’re going to velcro them to the shelf for ease of travel.
We’re ready for our fall camping adventures!