The curtain is up — deliberately overlapped in the center for privacy
While we are waiting for the air conditioner part for the house to come in, I’ve decided to do a few more little mods on the Casita that will make our next camping trip more organized.
First, the front door curtain is finally up. It is overlapped in the center, which should provide maximum privacy when we are emerging from the shower. It blocks a lot more light than you would think from the photo. In fact, it feels like a dungeon in there with the curtain up! And the dowel with the cup hook on the end hangs down to the door latch opening and makes it easy to open and close the curtain with the screen door in place.
I riveted standard rod holders to the door, painted white to match the door. That should make it less noticeable when the door is propped open during the day while the curtain is stored in the closet.
The regular curtain rod I was going to use wouldn’t work. The finials were so long that they prevented the screen door from latching to the main door. So I had to use a skinnier rod, without finials, and am temporarily keeping the curtains from sliding out of the rod holder with split rings. Someday I’ll come up with a better solution!
Tomorrow I plan to mount some more cabinet racks. I want to add an additional one to the inside of the closet door to hold insect repellant, sunscreen, and such.
The existing rack in the bathroom is rusted, so I’ll replace it. And if I can find a satisfactory place to mount a holder for shampoo, body wash, lotion and mouthwash in there, I’ll do that, too.
I also need to devise a slim box for my mushroom reference books that will fit under our clothes baskets underneath the rear bed. They are frightfully expensive books, and they’ve gotten roughed up a bit on previous trips. I don’t leave home without them. 🙂
By putting the heavy books in the rear of the trailer, it will also help get some of the excessive weight off the trailer’s tongue.
So I’m just piddling along until we can finally get on the road.
If the air conditioner part takes too long to get here, I may run out of projects and have to start deep-cleaning the house.
I sure hope that part gets here soon! 😀
Tinycamper's Blog 
Gerri Jones
/ July 25, 2013The curtain looks great!! You will enjoy your new window!! I noticed on our trip home the air conditioner became very cold blowing on us at night but it was too hot/humid to open the windows. Is there any solution for that? Just asking!
When you install your racks please explain how you go about doing it. I might want to add some to our kitchen and perhaps the bathroom. I know there is a certain way you do this and I’m not familiar with riviets.
Hope your air conditioner is fixed real soon so you guys can make plans to head out. 🙂
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tinycamper
/ July 25, 2013Gerri, there is a temperature adjustment dial on the air conditioner. You turn the AC on with the knob on the left. Then the right knob has red and blue denoting warmer and cooler. You can turn that dial to adjust the temperature. If you have it on warmer, you will hear the compressor come on as you turn it farther toward the blue.
You can have a thermostat added to it, but we are content with adjusting the temperature to suit us manually.
To install a rivet, you first drill a hole the width of the rivet. Then you put a rivet into the rivet gun and hold the point firmly against the wall. Pull the handles of the rivet gun together until you hear a “pop” and the long thin piece of wire that fits into the rivet gun breaks off.
Often I don’t get it on the first try. I readjust the rivet gun head and squeeze the handles again. Sometimes I have to do it three or four times. And sometimes the rivet will set without popping, then you have to keep working with the rivet gun until it cuts through the wire extension.
The very best way to learn is to practice riveting on scraps of plastic or thin plywood until you get the feel for how it works. Also, stick to 3mm rivets unless you or your husband have a lot of hand strength. 🙂
We are thrilled with the new window. Not so much with the curtains. I may tweak them sometime in the future, but am satisfied with them for now because they do the job.
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kathynik
/ July 25, 2013The curtains look great! I wondered about rivets, too! You seem to be an expert at using a rivet gun! And also an expert at using space to the max! I’m sure youll be back on the road soon! We’re getting a break in the heat, but July is going by too fast!
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tinycamper
/ July 25, 2013Kathy, if you only knew what a non-expert I am with rivets! I’m a beginner. I would much rather use screws or nuts and bolts. But I can’t when working with fiberglass because there is nothing to screw into, and no way to get a nut on a bolt. Sometimes I don’t get a rivet set right and have to drill it out and redo it. Yerk! 😀
I plan to call the AC company later today to get an idea of when the part will be in and when they can install it.
SO GLAD you are getting a break in the heat! But I also can’t believe how fast summer is passing.
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vagabondtabby
/ July 25, 2013I just finished reading through your blog — I love all the mods you’ve done to your Casita! I’ve finally (after a LOT of saving up money and searching) found the RV for me and I’ll be picking it up in about a month — I’ve already gotten ideas for what I might do from your blog. Hope you get to go out camping again soon!
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tinycamper
/ July 25, 2013I appreciate your finding my blog interesting, and am so glad you found some ideas you could use.
I am thrilled that you found an RV that you love. Wishing you the happiest of trails ahead! 🙂
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