Decorating a New Trailer with Vintage Style

[nevadatear]

How cute!

 

[rebapuck]

Sorry, but I disagree with Debbie. Take the blackout curtains with you. At night, with the lights on, you will be able to see inside. A silhouette if nothing else.

 

[T@Baker]

Very cute, Stacie

We had a Pack Camp over the 3-day weekend. When hubby isn't along, I don't put out the Green Bay décor. It's fun to change it up, though.

 

[Backroads4me-TNT]

I'm also agreeing with Reba, I would take the blackout curtains. As a woman traveling alone, I wouldn't want to inadvertently create a "shadow show" or have some peeping tom think he sees something through the sheers and decides he wants to get a closer look (either at you or how your trailer is laid out or secured). Your fun, lovely colors of trailer and décor will be tipping off those nefarious types (who notice those kinds of details) that this may be a woman's rig. Of course if you have your dog with you, he'll warn you that someone's outside, and you'll have time to ready your bear spray, or whatever you're bringing (you are bringing something???) to deter intruders (animal or human) from harming you.

Nevadatear, I love your curtains/theme and while I agree with adding the proper fullness for the curtains, (which I have done with all the curtains, of various styles, I've sewn over the years), I decided to go with a flat, opaque/blackout curtain with just enough width to cover the windows (as seen in my décor thread). I didn't want the interior too "glamp" for Bob, there wasn't enough space between door and window to gather very much fullness, and with all the tossing and turning I do at night, I was worried I may get tangled in extra fabric and tear them down.

Stacie, what a great idea for covering the TP roll!

 

[deleted]

Thank you for the additional insights on the blackout curtains. I'll bring them since I'd already cut them. Just have to sew some velcro loops along the top edge which will take only minutes.

Yes, the trailer is going to be very girly and glampy. Having worked in retail sales for a decade and being self employed for the past 16 years I'm pretty good at knowing how to handle myself around strangers so I'm not overly nervous about traveling alone. I'd say I'm friendly but cautious. I do have pepper spray and a stun gun, both legal here in CA, but am concerned they may not be legal in states I'll be traveling through so I wasn't going to bring them. Instead I'll get a can of bear spray for when I travel out of state. I also have a few back up ideas but I don't want to divulge them publicly because the element of surprise will make them more effective if I ever need to use them. If you'd like to know I can send them as private messages.

T@Baker my dog is probably about the same size as your dog. He'll be coming with me too. I started a "traveling with a dog alone" thread in the General forum and got some really great tips on the subject. It'll be harder since I'm alone so going into places will be trickier if they're not dog friendly. Currently I'm planning on making grocery runs first thing in the morning so I don't have to leave him in the car or trailer unattended. My return trip will be all about traveling vs. camping to get the trailer back to CA from MI and stop and visit friends and family along the way with RV parks in between.

And thanks on the TP cover Backroads4me. Wait until you see my tiny shower! LOL it may be the smallest shower stall ever but it works. I just finished it this morning I'll take pictures later today if I have time. I know in some instances I won't have access to water where I may be staying, and even when I do I won't always feel safe to use a campground shower alone at night when I get back from shooting a sunset and having dinner after tromping around all day. An indoor shower was a must on my list when I designed the trailer.

 

[deleted]

On more safety measures, I had Fred add porch lights on separate switches to both sides and the rear of the trailer so if I do hear something suspicious at night I can turn on a light and look out the side windows or the peephole in the rear door to see what's going on and if I should be concerned.

Lights and switches:

Peephole in door:

 

[T@Baker]

Stacie, I bought a used dog stroller for times when I need to run into a place and can't leave him in the car. Our T@B has AC, but I don't want to leave him over an hour. Several years ago we were camping near a large lake known for boating and fishing. The power went out to our whole loop, and I knew the trailer next door contained a dog. We were trying desperately to find the owners, as the temps were in the upper 90s and the trailer was not in the shade.

 

[deleted]

I hear you on the leaving a dog unattended. My stance is if I wouldn't leave a human child unattended I won't leave my dog anywhere, not just in a car. I used to be an active member of the Dogster.com forums. Several times people had their dogs stolen when left in a car and when people leave the engine running to keep the AC on to keep the dog cool a couple of times people stole both the car and their dog.

We do have a pet stroller we got for our cat. It's rated for 30 lbs of animal so at 27 Kitai is a nose under. He's never ridden in it before though so I've been tossing treats in to get him to go inside of it before I take him for a test run. Amazingly I am able to fit it folded down into a rear seat foot well and his crate fits on the seat on the same side!

HIs crate also fits in the car assembled but I'll probably use it nested on the drive so he gets more air circulation from the AC.

I'm shocked I'm able to load everything, including my small table and one folding chair into the trunk!

I wish I could find a bright yellow, robin's egg blue, or pink dog crate. LOL It has to match yanno

 

[sabrown82]

Don't they make a spray paint for plastic now? You could probably paint the crate. Hmmm at least I think? Not sure how well it stands up but I thought they were making the paint for plastic outdoor furniture.

 

[T@Baker]

I find that adhering fabric with exterior Mod Podge works better than the Krylon for plastics. I've painted coolers and used a combo of fabric and paint. The paint has some issues when hit against things, and the fabric does not. I would think you could do the same with a dog crate. I'm attaching a photo showing one of the coolers...

 

[nevadatear]

I didn't mean to imply you shouldn't take your blackout curtains, especially since they are already made, just to share my own experience that with smoked windows and a simple curtain, i have not been able to see anything from the outside looking in at night, not even an outline. When i come back at night and my husband is in the trailer, it often surprises me when I open the door that the light is on inside. Just sharing my own experience. Better safe than sorry to have the extra curtains.

deb, your curtains re great. You have way move glass inyour trailer than ours, which would make the opportunity for shadows greater. My curtains could also be better at blocking light tan I thought they were! They are purple afterall!

 

[deleted]

Maybe I can do a combination where I use a paint but overlay mod podge on the contact points like the bottom and corners? They do make cute, hard-sided, pink, plastic carriers for toy sized dogs but Kitai needs medium sized crates and there aren't any that I've seen for larger dogs. Or I can sew him a cooler cozy and hide the green as much as possible.

Crystal we're using almost the same color scheme! I love your cooler and glampy look

Debbie I appreciated your insights as well. If I don't need the hassle of putting up the black outs I'll be able to skip them but will have them if needed. I was wondering how much light would be able to get through the curtains. Some of that will be decided by how bright my interior lights are. I guess I"ll find out when I get to MI and we hang them. For now there will only be one curtain rod. Later, I may make a double so I can have sheers and a heavier cotton that when doubled with the sheers will be impenetrable to light!

For now, here is the temporary cover I made for my Thetford porta potty. It cleans up pretty nicely into a small corner table. I made the cover three inches short to give easier clearance to the mattress thickness that will be right beside it. Quite pleased because the floral print was on sale for $5 a yard and I only needed 1/2 a yard and the blue was leftover from the cover I made for the wedge pillow so I feel like it cost $2.50 to make it.

 

[nevadatear]

A commode cozy! a pretty potty protecter!. The alliterations could go on and on! Nice work staci.

 

[deleted]

LOL thanks Debbie! This isn't really the "look" I'm going for but it's great practice for when I get the trailer back home and really go about finding exactly the right fabrics. My friend told me to just throw my stuff in cardboard boxes and wait until I get back to make things nice. It's as if he doesn't know me at all

Dana: No, decorate later ---> <--- Me: Yes, I have to do it now

But now I'm thinking I may not even build a cabinet per say for the porta potty, I think just a nook and a cozy may do nicely and will help to keep my weight down.

 

[sabrown82]

Stacie - what are you going to use for curtain rods?

 

[T@Baker]

I use café rods held with 3M hooks.

 

[deleted]

For now just 1/2" wooden dowels. Fred is building a bracket for them that can even have a tiny shelf for the few inches above the window. For now, if I need to I can rubber band them on the ends to keep them in place. Later I'd love to replace them with clear acrylic or chrome rods and some kind of cute end caps.

 

[Backroads4me-TNT]

A commode cozy! a pretty potty protecter!. The alliterations could go on and on! Nice work staci.

Love the "comfort station cover"!

 

[deleted]

Thanks Deb!

Well, here it is, my tiny shower made using the bottom half of Kitai's dog crate, some PVC pipe, binder clips, velcro, and a shower curtain. More pictures and all of the design and fabrication details are here: http://theflirtyguide.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-tiny-diy-shower-for-teardrop-style.html

Set up and tear down are a piece of cake. If hot showers aren't glamping I don't know what is!

Oh, and with a few hangers it can double as a clothes drying rack if I'm ever out dry camping.

 

[deleted]

I'm still swooning over my latest accessory addition to The Glampette!

The back story is a kick. I'd found this Big Boy grill online and guess where it was located? Grand Rapids Michigan, just 40 minutes away from Greenville (my destination) and right along the way! The seller agreed to let me pick it up in person to save on shipping charges So the same day I finally got to meet Fred and see The Glampette in person I picked up this adorable grill.

More pictures in this blog post: http://theflirtyguide.blogspot.com/2013/06/be-still-my-glamping-heart-cutest.html