The Camper

The motorhome I bought is a 1986 Southwind by Fleetwood. It is 25ft long, 8ft wide, and about 12ft tall (I dare you to get an accurate measure with just a 3yo to help). It is going to be home for Wallace, Nina, and me for the foreseeable future and I’m trying to get it in shape.

I have been getting intimately familiar with all its inner and outer workings. After a messy 24 hours where I couldn’t get it to start, I accomplished it with much internet friend guidance and got it to the shop. I had the speedometer cable redone, the brakes worked on, and the choke adjusted (the culprit). I then went home and ripped out all the valances, curtains, and blinds. They were hideous and disgusting.

As it is parked in the driveway with a broken boat on the other side, we have to climb in and out of the driver side door. Which, by the way, will only open from the outside with the key in it even if it says it’s unlocked. We’ve been working on cleaning and measuring and getting comfortable in our new home. I have been planning what will go where and putting Wallace to work as much as possible.

Meanwhile, I located, unburried, and opened the sewer cleanout at my dad’s, flushed the water pipes, filled the holding tank with bleach water, and bought a power cord to plug it in.

I spent most of today trying to figure out where the water pump is (under some drawers I nearly took a hammer to) and how to turn it on (as yet to be determined. I have also cleaned more, looked at the electrical panel, and installed a clip so the panel doesn’t flip open.

I pretty much have no idea what I am doing but have an amazing and supportive group of people who thankfully do. Tomorrow, I learn how to use a multimeter and get the pump going. My bedtime reading is a pile of manuals that were preserved by the previous owners. I also downsized and organized our clothing and made Wallace a play kitchen in a box.

RVs are hard to get interior pictures of and I took these at dusk, but it gives an idea of the layout and the space that I’m working with. I want to paint the walls cream and the cabinets a light blue. Then do paisley fabric inserts on the cabint doors in the kitchen area. I’m thinking cork board would be fun for the cabinets by the bed, then we can hang pictures of friends and change them out.

I don’t know when the budget will allow for fun things like paint, flooring, and fabric, but here’s what I have in mind.

Maybe I can even paint the outside someday! (I need to wash and recaulk the roof and sides before we move, eek). Gotta get that water pump going first though…