Redecorating Tips

[dalamarjj78]

We've owned our RV for a while and the interior is still pretty much stock from the factory. As we're considering a cross-country move that will likely involve us spending more time in the RV than usual, my wife's decided it's time to decorate the interior and start adding various accessories to improve the overall functionality for our family.

I tend to be a bit of a worrier/planner when it comes to the RV and have a few concerns:

1. When hanging things with nails / screws on an "exterior" wall, is there a standard thickness to Keystone's walls? The last thing I want to do is accidentally punch a hole in the outside of the trailer due to using a nail or screw that was too long.

2. Does there tend to be any wiring in the walls that we need to worry about (like in a regular home)? Or does everything tend to run in the underbelly and through the floor / cabinets to their destinations? If there is wiring in the walls, any tips in avoiding doing any damage?

3. When attaching things to intereior walls and cabinets using adhesives (like a stick-on toilet paper holder) does the paint or wallpaper tend to damage easily when they're removed/relocated? My wife loves to redecorate all the time so nothing tends to stay in the same location very long.

I'm just looking to avoid any unforseen damage or expenses from letting the wife run wild with her decorating.

Any advice/tips/tricks would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[cougar23]

Your walls are approximately 1 inch thick plus the sheathing. I would forget about nails and use screws only located in studs if at all possible. Electric wires may or may not be in the wires depending on your camper. I would suggest that you invest in a good stud finder and use that for anchoring points. A stud finder can also locate electric wires in thin walls.

[JRTJH]

In your "reason #3" you stated that things don't stay in one place very long...

If that's true, then using nails or screws would leave holes to damage the interior walls.

You might try Command Removeable Strips. If you apply them properly (clean the walls with a good degreaser (alcohol for example) they usually stick fairly well in most climates.

The walls are typically 1" to 1.5" thick on the slides and 2" thick on the main sidewalls. That said, aluminum sided trailers are a tad bit thinner than FILON sidewalls, just because of the luan backing on the outside under the skin.

I can't think of any reason I'd want to put a screw into an exterior wall on my trailer. Not even to install a hand rail at the stairs going up to the bedroom/bath area.

[dutchmensport]

When I installed my own outside shower (not inside the convenience center), I had to cut a hole in the wall. I took some photos of the actual wall pieces that were removed. This is what the inside of your walls look like:

[dalamarjj78]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

You might try Command Removeable Strips. If you apply them properly (clean the walls with a good degreaser (alcohol for example) they usually stick fairly well in most climates.

I did a few searches on Amazon and Command brand adhesives seem to be popular with RV decoration. This is exactly what I was looking for. We'll definitely give these a shot. The idea of nailing or screwing things into the walls makes me nervous.

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

When I installed my own outside shower (not inside the convenience center), I had to cut a hole in the wall. I took some photos of the actual wall pieces that were removed. This is what the inside of your walls look like:

Thank you! I was planning on doing this exact measurement when I remove a window to reseal it this spring.

[kckettridge]

Definately use 3M Command Strips for hanging things on the walls. My wife has redecorated our rig and has a ton of things hanging and the only thing she has used are the appropriate Cpommand Strips. They come in different types, sizes and weight limits. They have hooks and strips. Whatever you do, don't nail or even screw into the walls as there are wires running any which way. If you have ever had your underbelly off, you can see the nightmare spaghetti mess of the wires under there. It's not better in the walls (interior walls especially). Hopefully someday, these RV Manufacturers will take a page from the Brinkley playbook about using wiring harnesses to wire up these things but I won't hold my breath.

[Martian]

For outside hanging you can also try the 3M mounting tape with the red backing. Very weatherproof but not hard to remove when needed and leaves no residue.

[dalamarjj78]

Originally Posted by kckettridge

Definately use 3M Command Strips for hanging things on the walls. My wife has redecorated our rig and has a ton of things hanging and the only thing she has used are the appropriate Cpommand Strips. They come in different types, sizes and weight limits. They have hooks and strips. Whatever you do, don't nail or even screw into the walls as there are wires running any which way. If you have ever had your underbelly off, you can see the nightmare spaghetti mess of the wires under there. It's not better in the walls (interior walls especially). Hopefully someday, these RV Manufacturers will take a page from the Brinkley playbook about using wiring harnesses to wire up these things but I won't hold my breath.

Thanks! How do the command strips hold up when moving the trailer regularly? I could be wrong but a lot of the decorating suggestions my wife is pointing out to me online give the impression that they're done in trailers that are used for seasonal or permanent camping and wouldn't be a good idea if you move on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

[JRTJH]

There's as much "performance success" with Command Strips in how you apply them to the wall as there is in the actual product's ability to remain "stuck on the wall". Someone who is meticulous in how they apply the strips to the wall will have much better success than someone who "wipes the wall with a wet cloth, waves it dry with their hand and sticks the strip where it goes"....

That said, we've got some Command Strips that hold a wooden plate to the wall in our trailer that has been in place for about 3 years. We've towed well over 10K miles in that time and the plate is still where DW hung it. It weighs about 2 pounds. We've got a "remote holder" that weighs about 6 ounces at best, was stuck to the wall behind the TV that is held by a Command Strip. It's fallen off the wall at least 3 or 4 times in that same time frame. What's the difference? Who knows. Maybe something sprayed on the wall behind the TV at the factory or by the dealership before delivery??? Maybe a flaw in the vinyl covering on the luan wallboard??? Maybe an "old or defective strip"??? Maybe a temperature or humidity difference in when they were applied???

My point, more than "strip staying in place while towing" is that in my experience, there's as much (maybe more) in what I do to put the strip on the wall that determines how well it stays in place.

My "best advice" to you is to buy some and try them to see how satisfied you are. I wouldn't hang something fragile or a valuable keepsake to do a test, but rather "go for it and see if you're satisfied with the results"...