There comes a time in every RV's life...

[JD GUMBEE]

...when you have to make a decision to toss any resale value out the window and do what you want to the inside of the thing.

Mrs G and I are about ready to paint paneling. Dark wood grain walls, cabinets, framing, trim...combined with dark reddish/tan/brown carpet, curtains and seat upholstery just makes things too dark. The shame of it is, in all the years the thing has been around, there were no dents, no rips, no wear spots...no nothing.
If it weren't for the sun fading near the windows, it could have gone into a museum.

(Complete with the "SPARKOMATIC" Stereo and "KRACO" speakers I took out. Like a way-back machine to '86.)

It's no Shelby Cobra or Split window Vette, but till now, the upgrades only drilled a few holes here and there. We left everything pretty much alone.
Even the Dometic has been wrapped and kept in the garage.
Once you paint and change the fabric, there's no going back.

Sure tired of the darkness though.

Any of you gone through and painted one?

Did you hit pitfalls or wish you had known about ___________, before you started?

We are making a shelf unit inside the shower room. Damned thing is too small to use anyway.

Anyone here redone a couch and have it turn out good?
Ours looks excellent, but the cushion gave up the ghost in the front and all you fell is that bar on your leg.
(Thought about removing the fabric, wrapping the bar in a "Fun-noodle" like the kids swim with and tacking the fabric back in place. LOL)

We looked on line at several renovations and some of them look very nice.
...and pretty much all the same. (Millennial kids going for off-white and a minimalist Asian motif.)

Think it would be strange to break out the incense, black lights, mirror ball and strobe lights?
A rolling disco that looks like a cross between a Dead and David Bowie album cover. LOL

Have you seen any low cost ideas that add a bit of cool to an old Class A>>???

 

[Florida boondocker]

as i have posted here before, i am a painter by trade 40+ years
I own a small painting company in Orlando

Here's a few pictures of a travel trailer with slide we painted last year
i'll try to find before pic if i can

we painted all walls, doors & cabinets it really brighten it up alot
we did this for a customer and they loved it

       

 

[jimindenver]

I removed the dinette from my trailer and had planned on storing it for future use if I ever changed my mind. Then without thought tossed one of the sides out the door and heard CRUNCH! Oh well huh.

Never have painted inside but added plenty of natures pin stripping on the outside. lol

 

[DuneElliot]

I did something similar...gave up any hope of the re-sale value...to do what I wanted. I installed fabric on the walls of the RV and painted the walls of the bathroom. I ripped out the jack-knife couch and removed the dinette. I added a proper love-seat couch and a 2-person table with two chairs and added a bookcase.

However, while I loved it when I lived in it, I ended up selling it within 6 months of moving into it as I realized I wasn't where I wanted to be. I regret dumping so much money into it and losing so much...but I never foresaw a move to Europe coming, at least not this year.

 

[SoulRaven]

we painted all walls, doors & cabinets it really brighten it up alot
we did this for a customer and they loved it

That was a GEM of a post! You just solidified my wavering decision. I've been visualizing for over a year, on painting inside walls & ceiling with nice white paint, or stain & clear coat - too dark - I  know it is now. I've spent hours imagining what it would look like. I was spot on. 
You did a gorgeous job! I can see why they loved it. Clean looking interior.

Dunn Edwards is my favorite paint, I'm thinking lower gloss White Satin Enamel, not sure which level of bright. I'm leaving the cabinets already built up etc as real Cherry wood & stain on not so cherry woods. 

I got one question, should I use Kilz before painting on my bare wood walls? Either way, it would take 2 coats, or so I am thinking. 

Off Topic, kind of. My favorite B3500 van was white, with tiny speckles of paint in every color, speckles everywhere but only able to be seen close up & looked kool like glitter. It belonged to a expert painter, he retired at 72 & sold van for only 800 to me - he'd painted a few jobs for me. I think he speckled his van on purpose, it was so well done. I kept it for 7 years, built it up for rough but comfy camping. 

Cheers!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Money pit!

Once you go thru all the cash and labor to paint it, you will look at those countertops....yuck...then the curtains and carpet....oh no!

Then the cabinet hardware and the sink...and don't forget that ugly stove and hood.....well look at that table and all the old upholstery....that's gotta go....

Funky old 12v lighting fixtures....just too plain.

Next thing you know, you will spend nearly as much as that young youtube couple did on their Airstream...

But I say go for it....I like pictures...

 

[Almost There]

I didn't have to paint the walls and the woodwork in my Class A fortunately. It was already a light colored wall-paper board and light oak cabinets but if it had of been dark, yes I'd have painted the whole darn thing.

BUT the old carpet got torn out (big job and way tedious) and I made washable slipcovers for every last bit of upholstery in the rig. I did the removable covers rather than just reupholster it all because I wanted washable. The simplest and cheapest way to get the yards and yards of fabric I needed was to buy flat sheets and use them with white sheet backing and quilting batten in between.

If you're planning on keeping it for several years or more then being happy living in it is way more important than any supposed resale value. Actually a well done job just might increase the resale value as you're not the only one to not like those dark caverns that were fashionable back then.

 

[JohnnyM]

I just never hesitate to tear right into any RV as soon as I get it off the lot. To heck with the resale and what the next owner might think; it's an RV for Pete's sake, not a Vincent Black Lightning, plus it's our home. And the missus (my much better half) always goes straight for the upholstery, every time. That's her thing, and I just stand back and let it happen.

So I wholeheartedly approve all your proposed mods -- Go for it!

Sorry the Sparkomatic/Kraco sound system had to go, though, but what the hey, you're only 1987 once.

Johnny

 

[Motrukdriver]

You'll probably make the RV more have more value once you remodel it. Plain stock RV's are just... blahhhh.

 

[jonthebru]

At least you are intelligent enough to consider the RVs resale through the years. Had you actually known you would have it this long you would have been more comfortable modifying it early on I guess.