Surrounded

We’ve mentioned previously that RV renovation/restoration presents a host of issues; a big one being a lack of parts. When parts are available, they’re often expensive.

Our tub base is one example. There is only one vendor we know who carries it. They hire someone who makes fiberglass reproductions. It appears to be an exclusive relationship. When tackling a project of this magnitude, it’s a good idea to look for and price any parts you want to replace before you start dismantling your trailer. If you can’t find a replacement or don’t like the price, take a good, hard look at what you have and come up with a plan to refurbish it. You will also want to be careful when removing things not to damage items you want to reuse. We accidentally put a small crack in one corner of our tub, where the plastic happened to be a bit thin. But it was easy enough to repair with JB Weld and tub repair epoxy. After that we smoothed out the interior a bit and painted it metallic silver.

In case you’re wondering, we have noticed the trend to use residential tub/shower systems. Many new RV shower systems are designed to look like residential plumbing, though sometimes a bit smaller. However, it’s possible none of these will be compatible with your vintage trailer. We had a hard time finding an RV shower base which was small enough to fit the area allotted to it. Never mind a matching surround which would work with a contoured wall. Most were going to take too much space from an already narrow hallway and tiny bathroom. It’s a trade-off we made when we chose a center bath AS model with a back bedroom, over a rear bath with twin beds.

Putting glass or ceramic tile in a travel trailer can also cause significant problems, if you plan to travel with it. Tile is heavy. The weight of every material you put in your trailer has to be considered. The manufacturer constructed the chassis to support a certain amount of weight and not much more. Go over the original manufacturer’s dry weight by a significant amount, and you will have to make sacrifices. Such as what you will be able to pack later for a trip. Tile will also not survive the rigors of travel without cracking, breaking, or just falling off the wall. The big, fancy Class A diesel pushers can get away with real tile because their chassis and suspension are far heavier than a travel trailer. Not to mention they usually come with air-ride. Some folks like peel & stick gel tile as an RV solution. That’s fine for small projects and dry areas. It’s kind of expensive per square foot and isn’t always appropriate for wet areas. If you can’t seal it up enough to keep water where it belongs, don’t even consider it.

Depending on the age of your trailer, the tub/shower surround may have been covered with a product you don’t want to reuse. Our 1979 model had vinyl wallpaper inside the shower. We didn’t find any serious water damage when we dismantled the interior. Kind of surprising considering the vinyl was starting to peel in the corners. It’s likely the POs didn’t use the shower very much. Finding a replacement meant keeping an open mind and being a bit patient. Some 4’ x 8’ waterproof panels are not flexible. Those weren’t an option for us. The back wall/ceiling of our shower follows the curved shape of our trailer. We managed to locate a product called Polywall at one of the big box home improvement stores. It could be rolled if you need to do so. Though it’s better to store it flat if not using immediately.

Kristal used large sheets cut from her roll of pattern making paper to make templates for the surround. Airstreams are tricky when you’re trying to cut walls and cabinetry to fit the curves. You can try to use the old pieces as templates. Just don’t be surprised if there isn’t an exact fit when installing the new stuff. Trim & finish work was how the factory compensated for less than perfect carpentry. Not much different from the way tract houses are constructed, really. By making paper patterns, Kristal was able to compensate for areas where the shower walls didn’t quite touch the interior skin. There were also some other adjustments which required an accurate pattern. We had constructed a partial wall to fill in the back shower. It replaced an awkward ledge the factory constructed to fill in the gap between the tub seat and trailer wall. There is enough overlap of the side wall pieces to finish the corners with PVC quarter round trim for a snug, waterproof fit. We also made another change by moving the entrance from one side, to the front of the shower. The bottom of the tub measures 27” wide by 24” deep. Wall overlap of the tub base made the original opening about 22”. A 27” entrance is far more convenient even if it means entering from the hallway. The tub base has a lip around 3 ½ sides which was riveted to the walls. The lip disappears at the original opening. Kristal designed her pattern for that wall to follow the contours of the tub down to the floor of the tub bottom. She used painter’s tape on the back of the paper to secure it to the walls. The paper overlapped the ceiling and tub base. With a Sharpee marker, she traced the wall’s outline along the ceiling and to create an overlap for the tub base lip. It worked out well. The final pieces only needed a small amount of trimming to correct the fit.

In case you’re like us and white isn’t what you want in your shower surround, Polywall can be painted. Kristal chose a brush-on oil-based silver metallic. She wanted something impervious to water after it cures. It was going to require too many cans of spray paint to be cost effective. We purchased a 32 oz. can instead. There is some paint left over. She painted the Polywall pieces after they were cut to shape and before installing in the trailer. Far less mess when painting a horizontal surface.

Oil-based paint brushed on plastic can do interesting things. The curved shape of our trailer and the depth of the tub base meant we needed a piece of Polywall for each section, a total of 3 sheets. There was enough scrap for Kristal to play with. Some special effects can be time consuming on a larger piece. Plus, it really doesn’t take a lot of paint to get the necessary coverage. Too much paint will take longer to cure. Even if painting in a temperature controlled environment, the paint cure can still be effected by humidity at least a little bit, when you live in a high humidity environment like we do. Painting outside means finding a way to protect your work from any debris created by plants, bugs & the wind. Check the manufacturer’s instructions before painting outside. Many paints don’t like high temps or humidity.

Also look for the labels on the Polywall. They contain important info, like which side gets glued. A small label in a corner provides recommended adhesives for attaching the product to a surface. When purchasing, look for the amount of coverage provided on the adhesive label. Make sure you’re buying enough to keep the paneling where it belongs. This is not the time to be stingy.

Until the Polywall was up, we didn’t have the side walls secured. They are now attached, and the next steps are to close the front of the tub base and secure the tub lip to the walls. Once that task is finished, the Polywall will be glued to the lip, the trim will be installed, and all the seams will be sealed with clear silicone.

We had explored the possibility of installing a shower door with the new, wider opening. It may still get done at a later date. We have at least 2 possibilities under consideration.  For the time being, we’re using a tension rod and shower curtain. We happened to stumble over a tension rod which was short enough for the 27” width, during one of our many home improvement store forays. We are contemplating our next journey. Some of the itinerary includes the usual family visits to IA and SD. Campgrounds we’re familiar with will probably mean using showers/bathrooms we know are kept decent. When they’re not, or a campground charges extra to have hot water, having a working bathroom of our own, no matter how tiny, will be nice. At any rate, it will be a good opportunity to determine if we really need to pay the higher price for a shower door.