Finishes

Exterior Paint – Interior Colors – Woodwork and more

Double-pane windows and blinds:

Judging by what I’m reading on forums this is one of the #1 thing fulltimers insist on.  Factory rep told me why add cost to rig and haul around extra 500 pounds.  But then again, he might have been trying to sell the rig they had at the RV show, where most did not have double-pane windows.  Noise reduction and potential to help with condensation is the reason I think they are preferred. If someone is going with a lessor mechanical system (heating/cooling) or a lessor insulated trailer then I would not see a need for the double-pain window.  I think all these systems tie together.  Windows should be frameless and need to evaluate the seal they are using. Here is a Post in RV Dreams about having seals replaced in double-pane windows. They claim the seals are only designed to last 10 years.

Regarding blinds; the string type are hard to repair. Day and night shades are nice, especially if they are the slow rise type that don’t fling up when you pull them. MCD manually operated roller shades only require a slight tug to operate and are popular. MCD also makes a motorized shade.

Flooring:

This is an easy one for me.  What we are using now in our sticks and bricks sets the tone for what we want in our RV. We have carpet in the bedrooms and on stairs.  Everything else is tile or wood.  Engineered wood flooring is what we have used. It can be refinished depending on the thickness of the wood. We used a cherry wood in our home because it is vastly more durable than oak.  The engineered wood is light weight. We have dogs and always will.  This is another reason we limit the carpet.  Also, I’m worried about slipping on stairs if carpet is not used on them.  Besides, we can easily replace the stair carpet.  In the bedroom, carpet is warm and nice to walk on. Carpet generally stains before it wears out. We find carpet in the bedroom to be less likely to stain compared to an area such as the hallway leading to the bedroom. One last point, having carpet on top of the living room slides (under the furniture) is fine in the case of an RV. The carpet will help with insulation and reduce outside noise.

Cabinets:

• Doors that swing out on overhead cabinets may allow for larger items compared to doors that open to the above.
• We are liking having a pull out desk over the fireplace in the real living models. Good use of space.
• If you want to see how well a draw is built, thump on the bottom. Does it feel like it will hold wait. Larger cheap drawers will sag on the bottom over time.

Doors:

• Be sure to open inside doors and see what they hit such as the bathroom sink.

Exterior:

• I could see where full body paint will look a lot nicer when its older than a trailer with stickers. I assume you can have the decals painted on as well. Full body paint is something to consider if we plan to keep a trailer long-term which is our plan so far.

Notes:

• What the heck is a European style awning? Has something to do with the hardware and being easier to walk around.
• Make sure and check the kitchen storage, some rigs only have one drawer large enough for pans and larger plates. I heard this one while watching a motor home video so might not be an issue in larger fifth wheel.
• Do they all have a lock on the bathroom door?
• Twice now I’ve heard about people using Smart tiles for backsplashes. Just peel and stick them on.