Bits and Bobs

...Or Beware Loose Shoe Molding and Other Construction Materials

Caution: "Van Go" is definitely an ongoing work in progress. And that means we are currently tying up a lot of loose ends. That includes the installation of the shoe molding around the edges of the wood flooring.

In fact, as we await the creation of new cabinets for the RV, we are moving ahead on as many of the remaining renovation bits and bobs that we can reasonably manage.

However, if we are being completely honest here (and we are), some of those projects require expertise that we personally lack.

As always, my "Energizer Bunny" has a plan.

Not to be deterred from his beloved DIY, my husband--the consummate extrovert--recruited one of our dear and extremely talented friends to help. Shane, a contractor, actually lives in Wisconsin. But he was willing to travel all the way to Virginia to help Tim. Needless to say, we are incredibly grateful.

And as you can well imagine, Tim plans to learn as much as he can from Shane.

Yes, indeed. Shane is an absolute hero and a true friend.

Today, the two guys are working on the installation of what little carpet will occupy the floor space of our RV. We really only intend to have carpet on the stairs and around the driver's and passenger's spaces.

I know. Carpeting the stairwell sounds immensely impractical. After all, one enters the RV from the outside using those stairs. What about all the great outdoors that clings to our boots? Well, I do intend to use a door mat, and we are currently designing a place to stow our shoes just inside the door. Hopefully, that will take care of much of the issue. We shall see. And of course, I'll definitely let you know.

But you see, carpet on the stairs is absolutely necessary since our beautiful LabraDoodle, Bentley, injured a ligament some time back, and although the injury has healed, he nevertheless suffers from arthritis. Thus, climbing stairs isn't always easy for him. Fortunately, we have a ramp for him to use on his bad days, but on his good days, it will be nice to give him the extra security that carpet provides if he wishes to use the stairs.

Uh, huh... What we do for our furry friends!

I'm also including pictures for you of the now completed re-upholstery project. In the photo that leads this post, you will see the green trellis fabric cushions on our dining bench, or banquettte. And to the left, Bentley inspects the new upholstery on the Driver's Seat. The Captain's chairs have been covered in a very soft, yet practical vinyl that simulates leather in its look and appearance. The vinyl, however, is easier to clean and to maintain. Plus, it was reasonably budget friendly.

And so, that part of our renovation project is now complete! Hurrah! Oh, and you will likely notice in this week's photos that the first of the drapery treatments are now installed. Please have a look at both the panels and sheers behind the sofa.

Of course, one day we hope to replace the RV windows since they tend to collect condensation. However, any new windows will invariably be a bit pricey because they must be fabricated specifically for our vehicle. After all, the RV is 26 years old, and apparently, its window sizes no longer match RV manufacturing sizes.

As you can well imagine, the expense of custom windows is rather daunting, and thus, we plan to hold off on that particular project for now. In the meantime, I have chosen to use sheers with the hope that they will camouflage Van Go's windows' imperfections.

I'm definitely thrilled with the way the variety of fabrics work together. All of the upholstered pieces are now fresh, clean and updated.

Finally, we have installed our new ceiling-mount light fixtures. And I may be biased, but I think they look amazing. Prior to this, the RV had simple automotive-style lighting. We purchased these 12-volt beauties from etrailer.com and I think they lend a much homier feel to the overall space without robbing us of valuable headroom.

And that's where we stand this week. Today, I'm off to finish the back side of our bedroom door and to create a crackle finish for our bath door as well. Hopefully, later this week, we'll be able to install both doors.

You betcha. I'll be back to share more photos once those tasks are complete! See you soon!