Laverne - What Is Making The Cut?

 

Last week I talked about my current plans for Laverne and for early retirement.  I am ever so excited about it and I have so much to do to prepare and get ready.  Laverne is a 19ft motorhome that I've been restoring since I purchased her in the spring of 2017.  Since then I have been working to restore her interior and exterior as time and finances have allowed. So far we have taken her on only one adventure to test her out and determine what needed to be done and I was very happy with her performance.  The biggest thing that keeps her grounded is that she needs new tires, six of them.  So for safety sake she is not allowed out of the neighborhood.

 

One of the large storage bays I've refurbished

Inside Laverne has an amazing amount of storage as well as a few smaller storage areas you can access from the outside.  Over the years I have cleaned all of those storage bays up and refurbished them so they are really nice, clean and very usable.  So what do I plan to put inside my motorhome?  That is a really good question!

 

Lightweight & durable

Food & Kitchenware - I will do a whole other post on this particular subject.  As you might imagine I've got a good list going and a lot of ideas.  You may remember last year I found a vintage set of melmac dishes on eBay.  They were still in their original box.

 

CDs & DVDs - I plan to spend a fair bit of time in remote areas without wifi or cell service so I will be old schooling it a fair bit.  I don't want any subscription services either so streaming music isn't my bag.  Laverne has a nice stereo in the cockpit so depending on what kind of a day I'm having this hard rocking mama has it covered.  I had put my old laptop in to use as a TV and it has a DVD player so I can watch my favorite movies like Tombstone or My Cousin Vinny.  When I'm in town and have a wifi connection I can watch Youtube or Amazon Prime.  Prime is probably the only thing I will keep and Netflix will likely go.

 

I got this vintage sewing box to store my supplies in
I already know where it will go inside Laverne

Craft & Sewing Supplies - I have designated a fair bit of my storage space to this because crafting and sewing are going to be a huge part of my retired life along with the travel and outdoor activities.  I've been downsizing, sorting and organizing these things quite a bit so not only will these things fit in Laverne but so they are more manageable too.  I'll do another post on this too.

 

Quality Shoes & Good Clothing - I have one closet for hanging items and several bins.  Most of the bins will be in the cabover sleeping area next to my bed.  I am still working on my "bedroom" storage areas and I'm sure there will be a post about that as well.

 

"New" active wear from the thrift store

There is much more that will be added to her and of course I will need to keep weight in mind so I don't overload her.  A common mistake made by a lot of people is to overload their RVs.  Fortunately Laverne is a very rugged all season motorhome with a steel frame and a solid chassis and I know that I don't need a whole lot to be happy so weighing her down isn't a huge concern but I do want to be mindful.  More posts to follow on how I get her road ready and outfitted.  I'm definitely in my happy place!

 

2021 Plans For Laverne

 

Probably no surprise to any of you, but I have a few things in mind for my girl this year.  Last fall I left off with the exterior upgrades I had done.  What I didn’t share with you is that I had managed to get a good start on her front by repainting her stripes, doing a grill repair and then painting said grill a nice metallic silver.  I tried a technique for “welding” plastic by using super glue and baking soda that worked out fantastic!  That leaves me with the driver’s side left to do and then complete the four coats of wax to seal her up and make her shine.

 

Last summer I completed the upper bunk and added a bed

Window coverings for the upper bunk are on the list and I plan to make them insulated so they keep the heat out in the summer and the heat inside in the winter.  A 50% OFF coupon to JoAnn’s will  help me buy the quilted fabric I want to use to make the covers.  If all goes well I may go ahead and make some for the front windows of the cab as well as some for the other windows too.  I have yet to decide on that, however.  One thing I do plan to make for the cap is window screens so I can keep the driver and passenger door windows down for better airflow and ventilation.  I have the magnets already purchased and just need to pick up some nylon window screen and I’ll be ready to make those.

 

I re-striped the passenger side, back and front

I am considering an upgrade to the heating situation.  I want to see about replacing the furnace with a catalytic heater.  The current furnace requires electricity or a battery to run it and the catalytic heater would not.  Plus the catalytic heater is more efficient when it comes to propane use.  I’ll be talking to the RV repair center about that possibility and pricing.  If I decide to do it I’ll probably have them upgrade the hot water heater at the same time. I think a tankless model would be better too in that it will use much less fuel and I won’t run out of hot water when showering.  The tankless water heaters are expensive but I think it will be well worth the investment.

 

I love how the striping turned out

Tires are the next big item on the list and while I’d like to purchase them this year I do feel compelled to wait one more year so I’m closer to my retirement date.  I want fresh rubber on my girl when we get ready to take off and hit the road and hard as it is to wait I do think it would be more prudent to do so.  The average tire has a 7 year shelf life and I want to get the most out of my tires as this will be a really big expense.

 

This solar setup is on my wish list

Same thing with batteries.  I want to replace the cabin batteries and possibly add one more as well as the engine battery.  Again, these items have shelf lives and I want them as fresh as possible too so I’ll be weighing that some more and probably pushing it out a little longer.  In the meantime though I can save for those purchases so I am completely ready when the time comes.

I repaired the grill and gave it a new coat of paint

One thing I definitely will be doing this summer is purchasing a proper RV cover.  No point in going to all the work to spruce up the exterior and then not protect it from the winter weather.  I already have one picked out and will be making that purchase in a few months so I will have it on hand and ready to use next fall.  So finishing up the exterior, buying a RV cover, making some window covers and possibly replacing the furnace and hot water heater.

Her nose job looks fabulous!

Oh, how I am just itching to get out on the open road.  Soon.  Very soon.

 

Prepper Pantry - Batteries

 

Batteries are one of those items I've been anxious to stock up on.  They are expensive so finding them at a good affordable price was just as important as finding ones that are good quality.  I've used the Amazon Basics batteries before and have found them every bit as good as the Duracell or Energizer batteries so I decided to go with them.

 

I ordered 9V since we use those in all of our smoke detectors including the one in Laverne.  AAA and AA of course are the ones we use the most for our clocks, remotes and small LED flashlights.  That is what I've started on so far, a box of each size and with a guaranteed 10 year shelf life I think this is a perfect option for the prepper pantry.

 

As time goes on I'll add more AAA and AA batteries as well as adding in C and D sizes for our larger flashlights and a few other things we have around here.  While I love the idea of rechargeable batteries I do know that when the power goes out it is difficult to recharge them so having regular ones on hand is a good idea.

 

My goal is to add a solar rechargeable battery/generator to my household.  Mainly I want it for my motorhome.  I've been doing a lot of research on these and feel this is the best source of solar power for me.  My plan is to add a Jackery 500 or possibly the Jackery 1000 with a suitcase solar panel.  With the Jackery 1000 I'll be able to run my sewing machine off of it even if I'm out in the boonies.  It is a completely portable system so I can use it in the house during a long term power outage if I need too.

 

I think having multiple energy sources is a really good idea so you aren't solely dependent on the main power grid.  And with me planning to boon dock a lot in my RV in the not too distant future it makes a lot of sense for me to explore some of these alternate power options.  I think it is exciting actually.  For right now, however I'm pretty happy to have a really good start with my three boxes of bulk batteries.

 

Laverne - Taillights & Her Rear End

 

After striping the passenger side I moved on to the back of my motorhome.  I got started by first removing the spare tire cover and the spare tire.

 

I decided to take the taillights apart and clean them out really good as they were full of dirt.  

The ground wire connectors were rusted so I gave them a good clean and lubed them with a little dab of petroleum jelly before screwing them back in place.

 

I replaced a couple of bulbs that were looking a bit tired as well as the license plate light that had completely rusted with a brand new one.  

Before

After!

I also repainted the taillight covers and the license plate holder.

 

Before I put everything all back together I got the stripes taped off and over the course of a two days got those repainted the same as the passenger side.

 

Before

After!

I even spruced up the two outlets.

 

Look how shiny she is!

The taillights went back together and the entire back end from top to bottom was cleaned and give two coats of wax.

 

I am still undecided what I want to do to the bumper and the spare tire rack as well as the spare tire cover.  The one I have is big and bulky and I'm contemplating replacing it with just a vinyl tire cover.

 

The spare tire rack isn't very pretty right now so I will likely paint it.  The bumper and receiver hitch could use some love too.  Both of those projects may end up waiting until next year however as I seem to be running low on time these days.  But, you never know.  We'll just have to wait and see.

 

Outfitting Laverne - Bedroom Storage Bins

 

The real fun is working to outfit Laverne with all the goodies, bells and whistles I want her to have.  Last month I had picked up four of the cloth collapsible storage bins at Dollar Tree to keep books, pajamas and other clothing in.  The upper bunk area is my "bedroom" so since there isn't the space for a dresser or closet I figured these bins would the perfect solution.

On their own the bins look nice but I wanted to add just a touch of pizzazz to them.  Even though the only one that will see these is me that is all that matters.  I had some scraps of fabric in my stash so I cut them to size with about 3/4" extra overhang all the way around.

 

I sprayed the cardboard side of the bottom insert with spray adhesive and used Allene's Tacky Glue to secure the edges and corners down.  Once they were dry I set them in the bottom of each bin and then placed them up in the bunk.

 

I like that they are collapsible and fold up really small when not in use and when open they fit perfectly in the area between the mattress and front wall.  I think they look really cute and add a nice little touch of something.

 

Super easy no-sew project that anyone can do and for me, because I used all items I already had non hand, it was a no cost project too.

 

Laverne Has Earned Her Stripes - Part 1

The exterior of my motorhome is in excellent condition with minimal signs of wear and tear.  Over the past thirty years however she has faded a bit and her outside was in need of a little TLC.

 

The drivers side W is cracked and faded

The passenger side W was in really rough shape

Miles of taping and masking off

Nothing quite like watching paint dry - LOL!

Whoa!

And more Whoa!

I've done a lot to the outside with some minor repairs and improvements.  All of the storage bins have been lined in painted plywood.  I added a shelf to one of the bins where the generator used to be making it into the water and sewer line storage area.  The shelf keeps the two items separated and allows room for additional items like disinfectant wipes and gloves.  Two very important items to have on hand for handling the waste lines.

 

The door to the water heater and trim around the water fill were painted prior

The stripes on the door

A little before & after

And some more after

I had also painted the door to the water heater and the plate around the water filler which had rusted over time and looked a bit unsightly.  And I cleaned and spruced up the porch light so it not only looks better but the light is much brighter too.

 

Then it was time to get started on the biggest exterior changes and that is to refurbish her worn and faded striping.  I know that once I am done with this project it will really make her shine.  Her outside will match her insides and she will be absolutely gorgeous.  Even more than she already is.

 

I could leave it just like this as it was already a huge improvement

It took a lot of man hours, patience and several feet of painter's tape as well as a few cans of Rustoleum spray paint to get this job going.  But definitely worth the effort.  I got started the weekend prior to the 4th of July weekend and I put a lot of time into this those first two weekends.

 

But, I just had to do the Minnie Winnie

I decided the exterior changes would be subtle as I didn't want to make too drastic of a change.  I chose to do the brown stripes in Espresso which matched the original color spot on.  The rust orange stripes however got a makeover with a little pizzazz with Metallic Copper.  Boy does it ever look pretty when the sun hits it.  Just the right amount of sparkle.

 

I started with the passenger side.  The most time consuming part of the projected was to tape of the Minnie Winnie decal.  Three hours and two beers later I had it taped.  I went to bed that night and got up the next morning to spend less about two minutes to shoot it with a coat of Metallic Copper.  Waited ten and then gave it a second coat.  I came back after about fifteen minutes to remove all that taping and WOW!  Worth every second I invested.

 

With the passenger side stripes completed I have moved onto the front and rear but I'm going to save that for another day my friends.  And once the weather cools down a bit Laverne will get a bath and four coats of Turtle Wax as I complete each side.  She is also going to get something else, but again you will just have to wait to see what it is.  I'm super excited about it too!