Community Forums

Liz (the bad one) · 03-13-2006, 05:07 AM

My sister in law just purchased her first 5th wheel, and was looking for ideas for the same thing, and I will be sending her your picture. Thanks

CactusCampin' · 03-13-2006, 05:41 PM

Your photo is great! That is really different and it's pretty! You are very creative!
I like my "space" neat & tidy also, but I want it to be personalized. We are going to pick up our new trailer on Wed. and I am already thinking about "decor" I just gotta wait & see.
In our trailer now, I had room for a wall vase, quite small that I used for flowers & weeds I get on the road and in winter I just put weeds in. On our cabinet in the kitchen I made a bulletin board., and I installed a magazine rack and Velcro'd a couple photos of our daughters above the curtain valance shelf things?! whatever they are called!! There really isn't much room !!
Anyway... any little bit just makes it feel more homey for you !!
Good Luck & Happy "campin"
Lori

Lynnvt · 03-14-2006, 03:34 AM

Hi Mooky,
I think your flowers look bright and colorful and they don't look like a funeral spray to me. Some have made some rather harsh comments here. I think individualizing our rigs is great. I like looking at the way people decorate when I stroll through the campground. They may not be my taste but I appreciate other people's styles. I don't do much outside since there is enough with chairs and tables. Inside I have added some small baskets with flowers on some of the small wall space. Also added a few end tables since our rig didn't come with any. A wreath when you come in the door. The bed spread is stored away in one of the upper level cupboards and there is a down comforter with a duvet on the bed. Surprisingly I like the color of the upholstry so that works for me. Has anyone attempted to paint the interior walls? I always thinks it looks so "mobile home" with that paneling.

OkieCat · 03-14-2006, 03:51 AM

I love it! It looks very spring like to me.

JudyandJim · 03-14-2006, 08:20 AM

Now don't laugh... and I don't want any posts telling me how silly I am, because I am already admitting it right here...

I love flowers so much that I have been known to lug them along with me. And I'm not talking about the little pots of flowers that I see others place outside their rv. Last winter I had two large baskets of red geraniums that were just getting gorgeous when we left AZ mid-May for northern CA and OR. If I had left them at my daughter's (as I do other outdoor plants) they would not have survived the hot AZ heat and would have been dead by mid-June. So I had Jim put those big baskets in our shower for the trip to Monterey. They thrived there for two months until we left for OR. However, the wonderful climate had helped them grow very large, so I didn't take them any further and donated them to the flower garden in the RV park.

Now, these pots of flowers cost only $10 each. So why didn't I just buy some new ones in CA? Which is what my husband kept asking me... men just don't understand women and our flowers!

To make things even more ridiculous... Last September, we found our wonderful site at the base of the San Diego bay. Well, I thought our patio overlooking the bay would look even nicer if it had some potted palm trees. You guessed it.... In November, I had Jim put them in the bathroom for the trip home. And they look GREAT on our patio at the edge of the pool. However, I'm going to leave them home with the drip system this summer.

I am a chronic nester, and since we usually keep our rv in one place for a month (or six months), I accumulate a lot of flowers and plants at each location. I particularly love plants that won't grow in my garden at home.

We will be leaving our rv at the same place from April 1 to November 1 this year, and you can bet there will be lots of plants that will be given to our neighbors when we return home.

As I write this, I am looking out my window at four pots of gorgeous red geraniums.... hhhmmmmmmmmmm ... maybe I'll take them with me.... there's room under the dining table...

Mooky Mouse · 03-14-2006, 11:29 AM

Thanks for your nice replies everyone! I too thought that some of the comments sent were harsh, but luckily I didn't post a smart alec comment. Hehe!

I have received numerous comments and compliments on the "hitch flowers" and several folks came over and examined it closely. They plan on attempting something of a similar fashion to help conceal their 5er hitches. And go figure, no one thought they looked like funeral flowers (still cracking up about that one).

If anyone out there has some creative, funky decor, I'd love to see it.

Best wishes all and happy trails!!!

taletellers · 03-26-2006, 01:45 PM

Mooky,

I'm glad you found something you liked . Because we are extremely visable from the gift shop here I try very hard to keep our site looking nice also. 'Twill be much easier if mud season is indeed over now!

Judy, of Judy and Jim fame, last year when we switched jobs from spring to summer. I made my Jim transport my Lettuce and tomato containers in the shower also. We worked like mad on those plants and we sure enjoyed all the cherry tomatoes-all 8 of them!!LOL Too hot!

Webster, Come see us out at Moaning Cavern sometime this summer! Be great to meet another member and we are only 12 miles up the road!

Sallys Mom · 05-30-2006, 08:50 AM

Hi Mooky
Sorry I can't see the picture of what you've done to the front of your 5er - just a box with a red X in it. (Same for the photo of Madame Boomer - can't figure it out!)

Anyway, thought I tell you some of the things I've done to make our 5er a little nicer. Our kitchen cabinets don't go all the way to the ceiling, leaving an area for me to decorate. I got some long silk ivy and fastened it with some of that gummy like stuff and let it drape over the edge just a little bit. Took one of my polyresin critters and stuck him down with velcro. The Velcro and gummy stuff can be taken off without leaving marks. Now an awkward looking area has lots of interest.

Our bed had a large blank area behind it and it wasn't very flat. I bought a large wallpaper cutout of an open cabin window and put it over the bed - looks terrific, according to all who have seen it. All my additions have a moose theme and I believe that if it makes you feel good - isn't that what RVing is all about?

camposborne · 06-28-2006, 04:20 AM

i love seeing all the ideas you gals have come up with! we hadn't even signed the papers on the TT yet and i was already redecorating it! it has a nice beige/black decor in it, but the couch is still a boring blue and that dinette set has got to go! thankfully we live by IKEA and i'll be removing the dinette benches/table for a 4 chair/table set. (we only store soda down there so i'm ok with losing it!) in addition, i'm still looking for a comforter for the bed - who wants 'motel bland' anyway??? and in regards to wall art and flowers - i bought some great lightweight 'aged' frames from walmart, put some picture-size posters in them from art.com that had to do with lake/camping/country and velcroed them to the walls. and on the table, i got some great smelling eucalyptus branches in colors that compliment the decor and put them in a tall tin. looks great!

in regards to the floor, we're half carpeted, so on the lino, when it ages from the dogs, we're going to put laminate flooring down. (maybe even the over whole thing eventually - i have only throw rugs in my home since i'm allergic to everything.)

the kitchen cabinets go to the ceiling but in the spice rack, i draped an ivy garland.

i have wallpaper border for the bathroom i have to put up yet, and we're looking at exchanging the door curtains for lightweight wood-grain sliding doors from home depot/lowes.

i'm also going to be changing out the dining area lamp fixture from that tacky trailer park model to something more elegant, but we haven't put much time into finding something to match the voltage yet.

my biggest pet peeve about the whole rig is the stupid (and i say that in as nice of a way as possible) ugly cabinet for the TV. it's going. it's definitely going. i just don't know what to put there in it's place. i'd love to make a corner unit to hold the TV, books, magazines, DVD's, DVD player, craft stuff, etc...but at the same time, we need a computer desk so we might just hang the tv from the wall. this is my biggest 'gut-wrencher' when i look around our moving abode...

(disclaimer: i cannot be held responsible for any of the following regarding painting, if you plan on repainting the inside of your MH, please find more detailed information online at the decorating sites.)

and in regards to painting the wallpaper - in a home, you can paint over secure wallpaper with a good primer going on first. usually you need one that will adhere to shiny surfaces. i have found zinser 1-2-3 works well on shiny surfaces, but for walls, make sure you roll it on and watch for drips. i use it for everything, and i know it doesn't brush well at all. also, let it dry for at least 2 days before top-coating it on shiny surfaces. it's better to wait at least a week if you can. then top coat it with house paint.

i watched an episode of debbie travis' painted house and she redid a 10 year old MH. Looked brand spankin' new when she was done, even if it was a bit seventies on purpose (retired people who were a bit hippy living in it.) but she didn't do anything different than what you would on your house, just kept the weight down as much as possible and tried to keep it simple.

And in regards to your hitch, i've seen classy wreaths (berries, fall leaves, etc.) draped over them to hide them, and at one park, i saw a person with a tall folding wood-paneled screen that covered the whole front of the hitch. probably stored it in the truck while driving and then set it up upon arrival. you could even do that with lattice and ivy for a nice touch.

like others have said, there is no reason you can't decorate your moving home to fit your tastes...some people write inside the lines, and others of us doodle flowers all over the edges of the page. it's just about what makes us happy to be there.

anyone with other ideas - please...shout 'em out! and if you think you know how to solve my 'tv cabinet' problem, please...i need ideas!

JJJoy · 06-29-2006, 10:04 AM

LOL

I'm sorry ladies but this entire thread got me. A 5th wheel is what it is and well...leave it be. My opinion.

Now take me for instance. I've just joined this forum and I hope to become a part of it as I know you ladies have a lot of knowledge I really need right now! I have a skoolie conversion and its not the prettiest thing on the road but I think its cool lookin. I am now beginning to wonder how many people in the RV parks will turn up their noses at me when I camp! I've heard of skoolie's not being accepted at some parks. I've not entered an RV park to camp yet so I really dont know. I also noticed in the listings here there's not one bus conversion!

My entire attitude towards my bus and it being home to me is that I want to keep it all simple as possible. Sure, I've put pleasing colors and patterns inside so that its personalized. There are many things I think are ugly about the bus but acceptance is the key to bein happy with it all. Just like my body for instance..aging isnt fun and man o man...I see a lot of places I want to hang a basket on to cover up ( even on my face!) but once again...acceptance goes a long way towards liking what you have and not fretting over what you dont have.

readinglady2 · 07-27-2006, 01:03 AM

Wow!!! Just reading all of the ideas can make one's head spin!! We are such enterprising people!

Since I have a lighthouse theme going in the house, Richard gets a camping/John Deere thing going in the camper!! LOL So, we have the dinnerware, placemats, napkins, comforter,sheets, etc....

We even have a little wood plaque that has a green tractor painted on it (duh!! LOL!) with our name on it that we hang over the 5th wheel hitch. Plus, we have a garden flag holder that we put in our front "yard".

Like most people have said... you don't want to put out too much.... but isn't it great what "little" things you can do to make it truly your home?? Only one of the great things about having an RV.....

readinglady2

Roofcam · 09-26-2006, 08:09 PM

You might try hanging a nice large flower arrangement from the king pin on that 5ver, fresh, if the weather is favorable, or the plastic ones, if the weather is not favorable or you would like to make them last a long time with little or no maintenance. I've seen some some real nice ones displayed this way, and your neighbors would probably not even notice the rest of the front-end of your 5ver.

Roofcam · 09-26-2006, 08:12 PM

Ooops! I only read page one prior to my post. Seems like you've had a few similar suggestions already.

ncason · 01-30-2007, 02:27 PM

I do not like lots of clutter. So I have three pictures permanently installed on the inside, one artificial plant on top of the non-slide area and that is all. Cute little things sitting around get stuck in the slide out when you close up. I don't mind the pin box exposed, I hang a three tray wire basket there and store the grapefruit/limes etc. Some rocks/stain glass footstones to hold down the mat and thats all I need to impose some personality.

Have fun--NANCY