Adding Color to the Zinger

Okay, RVs aren't known to be very colorful on the insides.  There are thousands of Pinterest posts on painting walls, painting cabinets, etc.  I do not want to paint my interior.  I hate to paint!  I do want to add some color, though.

So, what to do? I have given this much thought and consideration. I added a couple of fun turquoise pillows that have a beach theme to the sofa.  I have hung pictures on our walls.  I have added a couple of wooden signs with sayings. All of these have added that special touch of home.  Still, I needed something more.

The lamp shade over our dinette was a basic, boring, light brown, drum shade.  I began to search for a different shade.  I was having no luck.  Everything I found was brown or white!  I refused to pay $75 for one with color.  So, I turned to looking for fabric.  I figured covering the shade with fabric would do quite nicely.

I searched the fabric isles.  My original thought was to find a fabric to match the pillows.  I started to doubt the color of the pillows. (I forgot to take a picture of the pillows.) Would this one match?  Would it clash? Ugh!

I decided to not look for such a bold color.  I would find something to tie in the pillows and the fabrics already in the RV.  I had browns, blues, and creams to work with.  Finally I found the one!  A nautical themed print that was light and airy.  It has all my colors and works well in the RV.

I was able to cover the lamp shade using a hot glue gun.  I decided to leave the border of the original shade exposed.  This gave a more finished look to the shade.

I had left-over fabric and began to brainstorm.  My eye caught the Reflectix covering the skylight.  I place the Reflectix over the vent openings and the skylights when it gets into the eighties for temperature.  I keeps the excess heat out of the trailer.  The shiny foil is an eyesore, but I deal with it.  That's when I decided I could cover the side of the Reflectix we see with the fabric.

 The shiny Reflectix covering the skylight.

 No more shine!

Vent is covered.

Door window cover

I covered the vent, skylight, and door window Reflectix with my left-over fabric.  The interior looks much better and coordinated.  I like the new look!



For more mods on our Zinger:  Click Here!

Shoes! What to do with them?

Space is limited in the travel trailer.  Thankfully, our Zinger 28bh has tons of storage.  I am constantly taking things out that we don't use and making the most of our space.  However, shoe storage is an issue.  I started with a small wicker basket to hold our shoes.  This worked fine when we were towing the Zinger on weekend excursions.  Now that we are seasonal, the basket just isn't working for us.

The problem is that we have several types of shoes per person.  We don't like to haul shoes back and forth from home, so we keep extra pairs in the camper. I guess I am the main shoe culprit.  I have my Crocs that I typically wear around the campsite.  Then I have a pair of tennis shoes for hiking excursions.  I have my slip on, water proof clogs for those nasty rainy or cool days.  Finally, I have my sandals that I wear up to the campground and when we go out.  The kiddos have a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of flip-flops.  That is four more pairs of adult size shoes.  (The boy is in a man's size 10!  He is only eleven!)  The Hubs has two pairs of shoes.  Our water sandals stay outside on a rack under the trailer, so I won't count those.

So, I've been searching and browsing the internet and local stores to find a solution for us.  Shoe racks are always to big for the space.  I don't want to put them under the master bed.  It is too inconvenient.  A larger basket didn't feel right.  So, I searched and searched.  Something had to be out there to solve my problem!

Finally, I stumbled upon a collapsible storage ottoman at a local big box store.  Hmmm....  I toyed with the idea.  This could solve a couple of issues besides shoe storage.  I liked the fact that it would definitely hold our shoes.  It would be a place to kick up the feet while relaxing on the sofa.  It could double as extra seating when necessary. (The ottomans can hold 220 lbs for seating.)

I decided to buy two!  I had measured and knew that we could accommodate two in the space without an issue.  I purchased the faux leather brown ottomans.  They blended in with the decor.

I placed my three pairs of shoes into one of the ottomans and I have room to place four or five more pairs in just that one!  These are going to work great.

We have sat on them and put our feet up.  I love them!  I did tell the kids not to sit and scoot them around.  They need to move them then sit on them.  I think they will hold up just fine.



For other mods and storage ideas for the travel trailer:  Stove Covers, Kitchen Organization, Frugal Way to Stock the Trailer, RV Mods Part 2, Making the Zinger 28bh Our Own

Cicada Molt

I happened to stumble upon a cicada that was just finishing emerging from its molt.  I always find the remnants of the molt, but have never witnessed it in action.

Nature Sightings

We have spent a good deal of time outdoors this past month and have discovered all sorts of insects, plants, fungi, and animals.  Here is just a small bit of what we have observed.