• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Hourless Life Logo

Hourless Life

Love. Explore. Study. Share.

  • Overlanding
    • South America
    • North America
    • Gear and Build
    • Resources
  • RV Travel
    • RV Life With Kids
  • Off-Roading
    • Off-Roading Trails
    • Jeep Life
    • Go Prepared
  • Travel Tips
  • Family Travel
  • About
    • Map of Travel Content
    • Press
    • Gear Sponsors
    • Contact
  • Store
    • Cart
    • Returns
  • Show Search
Hide Search
RV Dining and Living Areas

Photo Tour: Our 40 Foot Diesel RV After 4 Months

It’s so lovely to make any place into a home, and an RV is no different. Though Eric has owned a few homes over time, this is my first, so I’ve had a lot of fun “nesting” since we purchased Meriwether in January 2014.

Some of you may have seen my photo tour of Meriwether when we purchased him. Four months later, the interior looks quite a bit different! I hope you enjoy the walk-through – I certainly enjoyed setting up for photos!

(Note: Eric was enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon of Gold Rush, so I did my best not to disturb him! You may notice the TV screen in a few photos…)

Living Area

Redecorated RV Living and Dining
Come on in!

Come on in! Here are comparison shots of our living and dining areas at move-in and today. I updated the dinette cushions and trim with upholstery paint and recovered the cornice boxes. Those two changes revolutionized the room!

I love having our family photographs up. They’re mounted with either Scotch or 3M velcro mounting tape. I won’t go into detail here, since I’m considering writing a whole blog post about mounting! Bottom line: the project was easy, and the frames have stayed secured through all our travels.

Before and After RV Living Area
Before and after: Our living area

Here is the before and after from the opposite side of the living space. We replaced the original box TV with a flatscreen Vizio smart TV, which is Wifi capable. Weeks like this one, when our RV park has Wifi, we’re able to plug the password directly into our TV and stream Netflix or other apps.

Below and behind our TV is our HP printer, our Xbox (which we use as a DVD player) and a power strip. This ended up being the perfect spot for our rather bulky printer – no idea where it would’ve gone otherwise!

When we purchased Meriwether, there was a large ottoman and a recliner behind the passenger seat. We sold both through Craigslist. Trogdor’s terrarium now sits flush with the kitchen cabinetry, and we have room to extend the fold-out table behind the passenger seat.

RV Dining and Living Areas
Another look at our dining and lounging areas
RV Chairs and Fold out Table
Comfortable chairs with fold-out table
Passenger Seat Motorized Foot Rest
The passenger seat has a motorized foot rest

Dream changes for our living area:

  • Get an ottoman that can fit underneath the fold-out table. I’m envisioning brown faux leather.
  • Get new day/night shades. The ones we have are original, stained, and starting to break!
  • The fold-out table was broken by the first owner and glued back together. I’m working on collecting postcards from our travels, and I’m going to lacquer them onto the table with pour-on (not an affiliate link – just for your information).
  • We have talked about painting, but I think this project is pretty far into the future, and I’m not sure I would attempt it myself.

Kitchen

Redecorated RV Kitchen
Before and after: Our kitchen area

I enjoy my kitchen. My counterspace has been downsized considerably, but learning how to be more efficient is not the worst sort of lesson in life!

I appreciate my fold-up counter (it’s amazing what a difference it makes!), paper towel holder, and convenient lighting.  I also love my microfiber rugs that keep my feet happy while I’m cooking.

The convection oven isn’t so bad. I’ve learned the importance of preheating. Other than that, I’ve just been frustrated at how it seems to dry out food. We’ve noticed this especially with garlic bread (a Highland Family staple) and frozen pizza. Not sure whether I’m doing something wrong – it’s quite possible!

RV Kitchen Space
A closer look at the kitchen
RV Convection Oven and Stovetop
Convection oven and microwave with three-burner stove
RV Fridge
Looking back from the hallway

Dream changes for our kitchen area:

  • To the left of the kitchen area, you may have noticed the wall scar where an ugly and broken old clock used to hang. We need to get something hung back up there!
  • I don’t mind the mirrored “backsplash,” but I wish it extended up to the oven, and went across to the window. I’d consider a new backsplash.
  • New cabinet hardware – I could do without the gold bling!

Laundry

RV Washer and Dryer
I love my laundry space

When we were RV shopping, having a washer and dryer was not a priority for me. Now I don’t know how I could live without it! And I absolutely love having this huge counterspace right above it, not to mention the huge storage space right above that!

Bathroom and Shower

RV Bathroom
Bathroom area
RV Vanity
Vanity opposite the commode

Opposite the commode is a small sink and vanity with a large storage area underneath. Both Eric and I love having our own spaces for getting ready – actually an upgrade from our apartment living!

I store all of our cleaning supplies in the space below, along with a small trash can.

Dream upgrades to bathroom:

  • We’d like to redecorate this space. We’re thinking paint or wallpaper and maybe a colorful curtain or valance.
Huge RV Vanity
My huge vanity

I am crazy spoiled. I’m not even beginning to use all of the storage space here! The space under the sink goes all the way back into the corner!

RV Shower with Tub and Seat
Large and comfortable shower area with shallow tub and built-in seat

In all our shopping, this is one of the largest showers we saw. It also has a shallow tub (perfect for Trogdor bathtime) and a built-in seat. The previous owner added brass fixtures that he was pretty proud of!

Bedroom

Panorama of RV Bedroom
Our bedroom in panoramic
RV Bed
Comfy bed!

No complaints about our bedroom. As in the rest of the RV, the storage space is excessive, and we’re hardly beginning to fill it. The second owner (who added the brass fixtures and a ton of other things) installed a new mattress. It is probably the most comfortable mattress we’ve ever owned, and we always look forward to bedtime because of it!

Dream upgrades to the bedroom:

  • I have high hopes for our bedroom! I definitely want new day/night shades – the one behind our bed doesn’t open at all.
  • I want to either recover the cornice boxes or do curtains instead.
  • I’d like to paint – it would be a small job because most of the room is cabinetry, but I think it would really change the mood of the space.
  • I want a new bed cover and pretty decorative pillows!

Thanks for joining in on the tour of our home. All in all, we love it and are extremely happy with the way our changes have turned out. But there’s always room to keep dreaming, right? I’d love to hear your comments, any questions, and even recommendations! -B

Written by:
BrittanyHighland
Published on:
May 6, 2014
Thoughts:
6 Comments

Categories: RV Travel

Patreon is our community where we transparently share the wins and challenges of this unconventional lifestyle. When we must leave friends and family to continue our drive around the world, our patrons consistently offer support and encouragement. We invite you to join us on this journey of a lifetime!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Whitney Jones

    May 6, 2014 at 11:29 am

    It looks so great, Brittany!! I can see how comfy it must be!

    -Whitney

    Reply
    • Brittany Highland

      May 7, 2014 at 3:39 am

      That’s so sweet, @whitney_jones:disqus! I’m a little embarrassed that you saw, since I am NOT a designer. 🙂 But I do love our little home.

      Reply
  2. Greg

    May 7, 2014 at 6:02 pm

    Hey Guys, great post! Yon have a very nice RV! Instead of buying new hardware for our cabinets and doors, we removed them all and painted with a satin nickel paint…turned out pretty good too! Just a thought incase you are looking for other routes. 🙂 We should have some pics posted soon on an old blog site we are resurrecting. Thanks again for the post.

    Reply
    • Brittany Highland

      May 7, 2014 at 11:27 pm

      Paint! That’s a fabulous idea, @disqus_2srSfWSOub:disqus. Please return with the link to your article once it’s posted.

      Reply
  3. Liz Warren

    May 8, 2014 at 1:10 am

    Enjoyed the post. I did some things in our 5th wheel that makes it our own “Texas” edition. I love Texas (a born and raised Texan) and I wanted to take it with me. Love your pics.

    Reply
  4. gdwsr

    January 22, 2015 at 7:05 am

    Nice job, thanks for the tour.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hourless Life mark

Footer

Hourless Life

902 Ayers St. #331522
Crp. Christi, TX 78404

Copyright © 2023 · Privacy Policy · Legal

Join the Journey

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube