Wall Tile or Wallpaper

Post project writeups, ideas, DIY mods and off the shelf modifications and improvements. Also "Known Issues" and their resolutions.
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Blue~Go
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

Post by Blue~Go »

It's hard for me to imagine that 1/8" layer of open-celled and very non-dense foam providing any sound--deadening at all, but that's just me. I just don't see how it could work accoustically. Do you notice a huge increase in sound just at the living room/kitchen junction? 8-) 8-) I think the reason it's on the headliner to begin with is to make it a bit more visually forgiving over faults in the substrate.

Okay, maybe if you dropped a stainless plate on the wall, the one that hit the plain wall would be noisier, but I don't do that on a regular basis...

I've just been helping a friend put some sound and heat insulation in his Ford cab (he had to remove the original carpet and pad due to an unfortunate elder cat incident) and the real products are nothing like super thin, lightweight, open celled foam.

Not trying to sound like a doubter, but I can't really see it providing a benefit on the walls that would make me keep it if I didn't like it.
1999 Concourse
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HoosierB
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

Post by HoosierB »

According to "old-time RV builders" in Elkhart, IN...apparently it was considered "high tech" for the times. For whatever it's real sound deadening value, it was economical, and "different" from what the other manufacturers were doing ( i.e.: faux wood/vinyl covered paneling though out).
"Wanda" – '01 Chinook Concourse XL V10
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kdarling
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

Post by kdarling »

Speaking of neutral grasscloth, did y'all see this Premier on RV Trader not long ago? Check out its remodeled look, from the wallpaper, to the stainless stove back, to the overall bright home feeling. (I'm not a fan of stripes, but this still looks really nice):
premier interior custom
premier interior custom
An advantage of the squared off cabinets and windows in a Premier is the feeling of more space, I think.
premier interior rear
premier interior rear
Now THAT is how you stage your RV to take for-sale photos... super clean and bare, with all lights on and a nice flower arrangement.

As for tweeds, I'm a huge fan of how the British use them in their RV seating. My next remodel project (on next Chinook?) is going to be heavily influenced by their sophisticated style and neutral color shades:
british rv tweed
british rv tweed
But first I'm going to have to teach myself how to sew cushions like that, if I can. Otherwise it would probably cost too much to have done!

Kevin
Last edited by kdarling on August 11th, 2016, 1:29 am, edited 7 times in total.
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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Blue~Go
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

Post by Blue~Go »

kdarling wrote:Speaking of neutral grasscloth, did y'all see this Premier on RV Trader not long ago?
Ooh, no, I missed that one. Thanks for saving/posting the photos.
kdarling wrote:An advantage of the squared off cabinets and windows in a Premier is the feeling of more space, I think.
That camera lens doesn't hurt either. The place is HUGE! :lol:

I never really liked the (to my mind) severely angled cabinets of the Concourse. So I figured when I re-did my upper cabinets, I'd go square like the Premiers. When I had my upper cabinets out, I made a bunch of mockups (some of which I lived with for a while - made them in cheap wood), and they were right angles, like the Premiers have (I got the dimensions and copied them).

But... but... after living with them awhile, although I liked them better than the severe angle, I still wasn't quite feeling "it." So since I was still working in cardboard, I tried various different shapes/angles/sizes. I found that for me, a slight angle was perfect. Gave it a little "something," but without barging into the room like the originals did (visually, to me anyway). This ended up being a 13.25º angle. (But I'm not sure what the angle of the originals was.) I held the bottoms at the same width (into the room), so what happens is the top of the cabinets coems less far into the room than the originals did (since they are now less angled). So there is more space, and visually I find it appealing.

(Of course then my cabinetmaker had to stop working. So I had a set of lovely, 13.25º cabinets that still needed to be finished. And a big empty top of the Chinook. Talk about roomy looking -- but not in a good way (the overhead looked so flat and boxy!) I'm not going to work on the "real" new cabinets until at least the wintertime, so.... I whipped up a set of overhead cabinets so I'd have something. Just maple pre-fin 1/2" ply and deck screws. I needed something I could set up simply on a Ryobi battery powered circular saw, since I was out camping, so went with a 15º angle for simplicity (saw had a 15º stop point). Meaning the slope is a bit more than my not-finished "real" new cabinets, but a fair bit less than the originals (someone tell me the angle degree of the originals please). I'm really liking the look. Bit of the Concourse pizazz but not SO sloped. For reference, where the top hits the overhead is about 2" less far into the room, with the bottom coming out about the same distance as the original Concourse cabinets did

Oops, tangent - I should let this get back to walls....
1999 Concourse
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kdarling
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

Post by kdarling »

Blue, I keep trying to visualize your disassembled interior, filled with cardboard mockups and temporary installs, while you noodle (as you often put it) about what to do next!

I don't think I can do it justice in my head :)

Kev
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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HoosierB
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

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kdarling wrote:Speaking of neutral grasscloth, did y'all see this Premier on RV Trader not long ago? Check out its remodeled look, from the wallpaper, to the stainless stove back, to the overall bright home feeling. (I'm not a fan of stripes, but this still looks really nice)
Very nice! Thanks for the pics...good interior ideas.
"Wanda" – '01 Chinook Concourse XL V10
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Blue~Go
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

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kdarling wrote:Blue, I keep trying to visualize your disassembled interior, filled with cardboard mockups and temporary installs, while you noodle (as you often put it) about what to do next!

I don't think I can do it justice in my head :)
Heh. :D Well to help your visualization, it's looking downright civilized in here these days (although there was a rough patch last fall after my cabinetmaker had to suddenly stop working for health reasons). The forward overhead and pillars are covered by fabric, so not too obvious that they are out (and great access!). While they are out I will be turning them grey :D The "whipped them up at a boondock" upper cabinets are actually much more pleasing to me than the original ones were (they're plain and simple, but they are nice, light actual maple [plywood] and they don't have the super sharp angle. On the club chair side, the forward chair has been replaced by a mini-van seat with arms and a headrest. More comfortable for me than a club chair, and it still adjusts forward and back and swivels (is on stock Chinook base) plus the backrest tilts from straight up to reclining. Table is a "mockup" but is also light maple, and larger than the original "club table" so more useful. Also adjusts forward and aft on a track. Aft club chair is out and I made a smaller base (the storage under the original base was a bit awkward). I have my cooler style compressor refrigerator there for now (regular door type compressor refrigerator will go in the usual Chinook refrigerator spot this winter).

The couch/bed is like the original in location and look, but I modified right after I bought the rig to be more comfortable (for me).

The galley is pretty much as stock on the sink side, except I just recently removed the spice cabinet (to cut off the "pepper grinders" upper rail) and decided I liked the space so much without it looming over me at the counter that I left it out (stored away of course). Even though I used it all the time - I quickly found places for the things that were in there and so far, don't miss it. I could see making a thinner (less deep) cabinet type thing more in the back corner there. Since the brown (electrical) box is gone down below the ell, I have a large storage area where it was (keep drinking water gallon jugs there).

On the stove side the counter and stove is pretty much set up like the original (but with drawers below the counter instead of the oven - I'm trying just a one-burner stove to see how I like it). Up above, the microwave cabinet is gone, and in its place the main overhead cabinet just runs all the way aft from the club chair area -- like it does on the sink side (in Concourses). So no more "limbo cooking." The refrigerator bay is different. Big refrigerator is gone and the new refrigerator space doesn't stick out any further than the stove counter so the hallway is wider. The countertop is around high bar height (46") (so the refrigerator will fit under it), and there are shelves at the back above it, then above that there is a cabinet up at the overhead that is just like the other main overhead cabinets, but set back in slightly (didn't want one long line of cabinets all just the same). That covers up the refrigerator vent "dent" in the roof so you can't tell it's there, plus there is still a bit of storage in it under that. The counter is a handy place to set things when getting ready to go out or when coming back in.

Entry closet and shower/bathroom are stock (no, really!) (except that I anchored the closet/refrigerator wall to the shell and itself better than it was originally, which was a bit weak - maybe they were relying on the refrigerator to tie things together...).

There you have it, for now. Well, the highlights anyway 8-) Subject to change, of course :mrgreen:

(Where is my "noodle" emoticon?)

BG
1999 Concourse
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kdarling
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

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Re: grey wall material.

Once in a while I buy old used auto upholstery books off eBay. Even if I get just a single idea or tip, each book is worth it.

I got one in today, and the section on trunks mentioned very moldable "backless carpet". So I immediately plugged that phrase into eBay and was shown... backless red carpet gowns for actresses. Hmm.

I then modified the search for "trunk carpet gray -vinyl" and aha, got results. Turns out it's also called "speaker covering" or something similar. I also found that "unbacked carpet" is the modern term.

In any case, think about the gray carpet in your car's trunk, and how it's usually molded around wheel arches etc. It's apparently thin enough to take curves just like cloth, but semi-rugged enough to take some abuse.

So perhaps that's another material choice for recovering your walls.

Kev
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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Blue~Go
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

Post by Blue~Go »

That would work too. It is super flexible. I just don't want carpet on those surfaces (personal taste). But.... someone else might, so it's a good idea to have in our thread here.

It's not that there's anything so wrong with the original type fabric. It's just... I'm not THAT much of a fabric wall person. I like a wall that can be simply wiped down, and a little bit of light reflection doesn't hurt either. That's what made me think about having them painted (or painting them myself), once I saw them with the fabric and glue removed. That would show off the curves, not cover them up (some of the fabric bridges, by necessity). I *may* do that, but my guess is that I'll end up going with the same headliner fabric, but just in light grey vs. dull blue. You never know though....
1999 Concourse
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SMan
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Re: Wall Tile or Wallpaper

Post by SMan »

I actually really like the carpet like material on the upper part of my Premier. I use adhesive velcro hook to attach to it on all kinds of things like remotes, hygrometer/thermometer, transistor radio, led puck lights, and the list goes on. I would like to change the factory carpet out at some point to hardwood or more of a commercial grade carpet.

FWIW 3M Spray 77 adhesive works great with non backed carpet to mold and adhere it. In my experience spraying one side (fabric) only allows for easier placement.
Steve aka SMan
2004 Premier V10
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