Glamping in CA Wine Country

[Gilda]

We just returned from wine country in Lodi, California where we camped in 3 vineyards at the invitation of the owners. We are new members of HarvestHosts.com. There are wineries, farms and attractions across the country who open their grounds for overnight, self-contained RVs for FREE! (a purchase is appreciated). We had a great time visiting the vintners and touring this beautiful land. Even though we are native Californians we had never visited Lodi and it is about 2 hours from our home. We are definitely returning and are so glad to know about this, new to us, way of travel as we usually stay at public campgrounds.

Attached are my wine country themed decor photos. I found the fabric at JoAnn's, the kitchen towel and mitt at The Dollar Tree (also found framed art, placemats, coasters, and grapes there!), and the grapevine garland at Michael's (1/2 price with online coupon). I also ran a light string through the garland from Michael's. The lights are small and delicate and are battery run. Ashland® Everlasting Glow™ Light String

I have found it's a bit tricky to "hang" things on the "rat fur". The cubicle clips have been terrific for hanging lightweight things such as postcards, the pockets you see in the corner photo, curtain tie-backs, etc. I do have a challenge hanging the framed artwork from the Dollar Tree. The frames are about 8"x 10" and do have thin glass. I glued the hook side of hook and loop tape, AKA Velcro, to the back 4 corners. The frame held for most of the 3-day trip but ultimately did not hold. Fortunately, the frame fell on the cushion and did not break. I am thinking of replacing the hook tape with the "industrial strength" hook tape. Cubicle clips might have worked too, but the look of them is a bit overpowering and detract from the art.

Another technique for hanging things is to use drapery hooks, available at most fabric or drapery stores. Dritz Pin-On Drapery Hooks-14/Pkg | Jo-Ann The only problem with these is that the end is cut wire and could hurt you if you brush against it. As a result I have successfully used them to hold up a decorative plate above the sink.

So, as you can see, much of this is trial and error. I look forward to keeping up the "Glamping" and low-cost camping conversation with you all.

[EllPea in CA]

Gilda, very nice touches in your camper. I'm THRILLED to hear about camping in wineries! Camping for free in a beautiful location, you're welcome make a purchase... HELLO! Was there anyone named St. Peter around?

I'm just mulling how to hang things in my Lil Bigfoot. The interior has been re-done, and appears to be indoor/outdoor carpeting. Very nice looking, but it may be a challenge. The only thing he didn't do well is attach curtain rods... these are stretched out to cabinet edges, etc. (to avoid damaging shell, I imagine), but I probably can't live with this. Need to find out how to nicely attach curtain rods in proper position so they are solid.

So far the only solution I can think of is cutting through the carpet and adhering something to the shell that the rod could then attach to...

Do you have a link to the wine country info?

Best,
LP

[Gilda]

Hi Ellpea,
Don't even get me started on curtain rods! (Although you did comment to the right person!) Do you have a Scamp?

Our 2011, 13 foot Scamp came with the rods and supports installed with rivets. The rods were too small in diameter from the start to fit snugly in the supports! A simple, and mostly effective, solution was to purchase regular cafe rods from Walmart, or any store that sells rods (Home Depot). Because the rods are of a larger diameter and they have a finial they fit pretty snugly in the support. Everything seemed fine until the trailer is towed. Half the time the rods "jumped" out of the support. If I did not change out the curtains so often I would have been tempted to "crimp" the support with pliers so it would hold well.

I have tried many ways to keep the rods in place whilst traveling and just came up with an, oh so simple, solution on this trip to Lodi...rubber bands or women's ponytail bands. I prefer the ponytail bands because they last longer than rubber bands. So, I attached the band onto the support so it always stays on. (This is hard to describe and I don't have a photo.) Then I wind the band around the finial until it is snug! Voila! The rod stays in place.

I'll attempt to describe how to loop the band using a band and your index finger. Fold the band in half. Loop the band around your finger (curtain support). Poke one end of the band through the loop on the other end. That's it!

So, that's not the end of the story 'cause I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to curtains! When in bed the bottom of the curtain hits my husband's face. At first I created curtain tie-backs that are attached with hook end of hook and loop tape AKA Velcro and they work. Not satisfied, I had seen that many RVs have a curtain attached on the top and bottom. See my photo of the back window and the closeup of the "cubicle clip" holding the bottom rod. In order to do this I had to rip out the top and bottom hems on the original curtains. I sewed equal top and bottom hems on the original curtains as well as on the side panels. I used a tent pole for the bottom rod, ran it through the bottom hem and attached the rod with the cubicle clip.

Notice that the clip is "upside down" and is not actually clipped to the rod. It is tucked under the clip and as a result the top and bottom rods have tension which keeps them in place. There is no need for bands.

I found that I could not use this method on the side windows. The depth of the side windows is such that the curtains are exactly the length of the window and there is no room for a bar. I'm thinking of running picture wire through the bottom hem of the side window curtains because it is flexible. (I don't know how I'll attach the wire to the rat fur.) I may sew 1/2" curtain rings Dritz Home 1'' Plastic Rings 14pcs | Jo-Ann on the back of the top and bottom hems so as to allow the curtains to run freely.

Now that I've told you more than you ever wanted to know about curtains I'll leave you in peace! Let me know if you want to know about "black-out shades".

Feel free to PM (private message) me if you have further questions.

[EllPea in CA]

Gilda, I have a Lil Bigfoot, and we just got her home a week ago. There are definitely things I want to do inside, but curtain rods are a big problem. They aren't falling off their hardware (love your fix for that), they don't have appropriate hardware. Still trying to figure out how to mount something, short of fiberglassing wood blocks onto the shell and/or installing shelving while I'm at it (like a cornice, to hang curtains underneath and display things on top).

Here's a link to my album: Fiberglass RV - Ellpea in CA's Album: Ellpea's Lil Bigfoot

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by Gilda

Hi Ellpea,
Don't even get me started on curtain rods! (Although you did comment to the right person!) Do you have a Scamp?

Our 2011, 13 foot Scamp came with the rods and supports installed with rivets. The rods were too small in diameter from the start to fit snugly in the supports! A simple, and mostly effective, solution was to purchase regular cafe rods from Walmart, or any store that sells rods (Home Depot). Because the rods are of a larger diameter and they have a finial they fit pretty snugly in the support. Everything seemed fine until the trailer is towed. Half the time the rods "jumped" out of the support. If I did not change out the curtains so often I would have been tempted to "crimp" the support with pliers so it would hold well.

I have tried many ways to keep the rods in place whilst traveling and just came up with an, oh so simple, solution on this trip to Lodi...rubber bands or women's ponytail bands. I prefer the ponytail bands because they last longer than rubber bands. So, I attached the band onto the support so it always stays on. (This is hard to describe and I don't have a photo.) Then I wind the band around the finial until it is snug! Voila! The rod stays in place.

I'll attempt to describe how to loop the band using a band and your index finger. Fold the band in half. Loop the band around your finger (curtain support). Poke one end of the band through the loop on the other end. That's it!

So, that's not the end of the story 'cause I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to curtains! When in bed the bottom of the curtain hits my husband's face. At first I created curtain tie-backs that are attached with hook end of hook and loop tape AKA Velcro and they work. Not satisfied, I had seen that many RVs have a curtain attached on the top and bottom. See my photo of the back window and the closeup of the "cubicle clip" holding the bottom rod. In order to do this I had to rip out the top and bottom hems on the original curtains. I sewed equal top and bottom hems on the original curtains as well as on the side panels. I used a tent pole for the bottom rod, ran it through the bottom hem and attached the rod with the cubicle clip.

Notice that the clip is "upside down" and is not actually clipped to the rod. It is tucked under the clip and as a result the top and bottom rods have tension which keeps them in place. There is no need for bands.

I found that I could not use this method on the side windows. The depth of the side windows is such that the curtains are exactly the length of the window and there is no room for a bar. I'm thinking of running picture wire through the bottom hem of the side window curtains because it is flexible. (I don't know how I'll attach the wire to the rat fur.) I may sew 1/2" curtain rings Dritz Home 1'' Plastic Rings 14pcs | Jo-Ann on the back of the top and bottom hems so as to allow the curtains to run freely.

Now that I've told you more than you ever wanted to know about curtains I'll leave you in peace! Let me know if you want to know about "black-out shades".

Feel free to PM (private message) me if you have further questions.

Gilda,
I have some clear, small tywraps and place it around the wrap and the rod holder. They no longer pop off when we drive. They are virtually invisible with the curtains in place.

Ginny doubled our curtains using the original curtains as backing for the new flowered fronts. I think it made it easy to make the new curtains. We did not do this to make it darker in the trailer, we wake with the Sun.

[honda03842]

We are not nearly the decorators that you are. Actually we have minimized the amount of wall fabric that one can mount to by adding a lot of wood in terms of cabinets and shelves.

For attaching things to the fiberglass we use Scotch exterior tape. We have containers in the bathroom attached to the wall and in the kitchen. The rough surface of the bathroom wall takes a little more tape.

To add another mountable surface we removed Scamp's standard wrought iron supports and replaced them with a piece wood.

As well we have all real wood doors and often mount items to the inside of doors.

[Evergreengirl]

Thanks for the report, Gilda. I've looked at the Harvest Hosts website. It's nice to hear from a FGRVer who's used the service and had a good experience. It does sound appealing!

[Gilda]

Look at what I found on the IKEA website! SANNOLIKT Curtain rod set - IKEA Seems as though I'm not the first to use rubber bands! I have used ties to keep my curtain rods in place but I had to cut them (try finding scissors or a knife when you need them in a trailer) and replace them (once, again try to find things when you need them!) each time I changed out the decor.

It's a great idea to use the original curtains as lining if you don't want to get too involved in sewing and changing the look of your curtains.

[Gilda]

Look at Donna's idea here http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ons-40012.html at comment #11. She shows how to mount curtain rods directly to the window frame! I suggest you look at IKEA for "rods & rails" ideas.

[Gilda]

Originally Posted by Ellpea in CA

Gilda, I have a Lil Bigfoot, and we just got her home a week ago. There are definitely things I want to do inside, but curtain rods are a big problem. They aren't falling off their hardware (love your fix for that), they don't have appropriate hardware. Still trying to figure out how to mount something, short of fiberglassing wood blocks onto the shell and/or installing shelving while I'm at it (like a cornice, to hang curtains underneath and display things on top).

Here's a link to my album: Fiberglass RV - Ellpea in CA's Album: Ellpea's Lil Bigfoot

Hi Ellpea,
I looked closely at the curtain photos on your album. I cannot get a good view of your curtain hardware. The curtains seem to be hanging all right except for the bowing down on the back window. I have that too, and am still trying to work out a fix. I think we need to find a sturdy bar that does not bow, hang a support hook from the fiberglass cabinet above, or install track-type hardware onto the fiberglass cabinet. I don't know about you, but I choose the lease invasive method over drilling.

I also notice you have, what looks like, black out shades. How are they fastened and how do they stay in the "open" position?

[Sheryl M]

Zip ties, or twist ties (like garbage bag twist ties) wrapped diagonally around the curtain rod and the mount will keep the curtain rods from jumping off the mounts. Just make sure the twist is on the inside of the bracket, so the curtain covers it.
It took me two campers to figure this trick out!

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Gilda

Look at what I found on the IKEA website! SANNOLIKT Curtain rod set - IKEA

...oooh, don't you love Ikea? I just found the hardware which would work for what I need... BETYDLIG Wall/ceiling bracket - black - IKEA

It can be installed underneath a cabinet instead of screwed into the shell. And you can adjust how far out the curtains hang. So theoretically you could do two layers, two rods. For lace or sheers, with darker, nighttime curtains over. Hmmm!

There are also decent curtain rods for a good price. I usually use copper pipe for very long runs. Actually less expensive than rods with beaucoup extensions that sag in the middle, and the pipe does not sag.

Also (theoretically, although I've never managed to do this), the copper pipe can be gently *bent* with a tool to go around corners. I've always wondered if I could fit a long run of curtains all around my bay window (or the dinette) on one continuous rod. Wouldn't that be lush?

LP

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Gilda

Hi Ellpea,
I looked closely at the curtain photos on your album. I cannot get a good view of your curtain hardware. The curtains seem to be hanging all right except for the bowing down on the back window. I have that too, and am still trying to work out a fix. I think we need to find a sturdy bar that does not bow, hang a support hook from the fiberglass cabinet above, or install track-type hardware onto the fiberglass cabinet. I don't know about you, but I choose the lease invasive method over drilling.

I also notice you have, what looks like, black out shades. How are they fastened and how do they stay in the "open" position?

Well, the sagging rod stretching over too wide a span for the strength of the rod, along with poorly attached hardware really stresses me out. I think with careful planning, I can install hardware under all of the cabinets ... no drilling through the shell!

As for the sturdy bar, see my other post about copper pipe. Absolutely strong, works great if you can find the right hardware to mount it! Also not that expensive, and you can use regular copper plumbing caps to finish off the ends if you like, or make your own finials.

I used pipe over my sliding glass door. But instead of inserting the pipe in the curtain's top hem, I clamped cafe rings onto the curtains and threaded THOSE onto the pipe. That way they slide open and closed very easily, instead of trying to move them along the rod by hand. There's a valance hung over them, so the rod and rings do not show.

I don't have blackout curtains in the RV, these are just regular curtains as far as I can tell. We've only had her home a week, and it's been too hot to do much with her so far. But I'm curious about how Donna mounts hers over the windows, so will go look that up!

LP

[Gilda]

Originally Posted by Ellpea in CA

Well, the sagging rod stretching over too wide a span for the strength of the rod, along with poorly attached hardware really stresses me out. I think with careful planning, I can install hardware under all of the cabinets ... no drilling through the shell!

As for the sturdy bar, see my other post about copper pipe. Absolutely strong, works great if you can find the right hardware to mount it! Also not that expensive, and you can use regular copper plumbing caps to finish off the ends if you like, or make your own finials.

I used pipe over my sliding glass door. But instead of inserting the pipe in the curtain's top hem, I clamped cafe rings onto the curtains and threaded THOSE onto the pipe. That way they slide open and closed very easily, instead of trying to move them along the rod by hand. There's a valance hung over them, so the rod and rings do not show.

I don't have blackout curtains in the RV, these are just regular curtains as far as I can tell. We've only had her home a week, and it's been too hot to do much with her so far. But I'm curious about how Donna mounts hers over the windows, so will go look that up!

LP

Thanks for the copper pipe idea. I could only think of using electrical conduit which is too wide. I, too, thought about curving one long rod around the two sides and back of the trailer. 1) The top of the windows do not align in my trailer 2) You'd have to use a LOT more fabric 3) The curtain would cover up wall space (a glamper has to use wall space) 4) I, basically, just decided that I like the traditional look of old-fashioned small window curtains best.

I think you'll find this YouTube video on replacing Airstream curtains to be "riveting"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfkdwvAWar4

[EllPea in CA]

Yes, it was riveting! I spent an extra hour watching all of the other videos in that series!

I'm fond of curtains that extend beyond the margins of the windows, so I can open them all the way and expose all of the window. So, I usually make the rods much longer... I don't mind using the extra fabric to make more curtains. PLUS, if you do this right, you have the illusion of one continuous window all the way around. The curtains would hide the wall space (I know, eliminating some storage possibilities), and only window would be exposed. You couldn't tell where the window stops... so it looks like a very large panoramic window.

Sort of.

Anyway, that's what I'd be going for! If I ever get this done, will of course post pictures....

best
LP