Getting rid of carpeting on walls

[Julie Wise]

I Love the scamp and casita but hate the idea of having carpet on the walls. Does anyone have any ideas on how to cover it? Would painting it and creating a sort of "popcorn ceiling" like affect work?

[Jon in AZ]

I don’t think that would work, no.

I would suggest looking for a nice older Scamp or other brand with the original Ensolite liner. For a newer trailer, look to Escape with a smooth vinyl wall covering.

[ShelbyM]

I agree it's not viable to replace or cover it. It does seem odd at first but has some positives. As long as you don't smoke or have animals climbing the walls, it's not unsanitary like floor carpet. It's good for noise reduction and keeps moisture from running down the walls if it gets humid in the trailer. Visually it's calm and cohesive without a bunch of seams and tacky wallpaper that some trailers have. It may be one of those situations where it's easier to change your mind than change the product.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Nice smooth walls with no fabric covering make for nice echo sound inside the trailer.

[jgilliam1955]

Look at the Escape or Bigfoot. Also LiL Snoozy is starting to build again. They do not have carpet, But people complained about no insulation, moisture on walls, feeling the heat & cold radiate through the walls. People have paid to put up marine carpet on the walls. BUT having the carpet on the Casita is part of it & doesn't even notice it.

[NW Cat Owner]

It's also pretty nifty for hanging storage bags and such on. Last year at the rally in Bandon I saw some trailers that did that. I think they were pinned to the wall, but I'm not 100% sure on that - too much time has elapsed since then.



And yeah, if it keeps the moisture from running down the walls, it could be well worth it. I am rather tired of that happening in our Escape, even though I have multiple dehumidifiers going, running the upper fan and all that (including hypervent). I bring lots of extra towels to shove behind the dinette cushions to soak it up.


Sound insulation is nice too!


Even though I've never spent much time in a trailer with fuzzy walls, it seems like there are some advantages to having it. And I guess if you get stressed, you could start stroking it, like a cat. They do say petting a cat (or dog) will lower your stress levels!

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by ShelbyM

It's good for noise reduction and keeps moisture from running down the walls if it gets humid in the trailer.

Just curious - if it gets humid and you have condensation - does it stay in the fuzzy walls? I would think that would be a mess to deal with. Or do the fuzzy walls completely stop the walls from dripping (like what happens in our Escape)?

[Casita Greg]

The carpeting Casita uses for wall covering is there for several good reasons. As was mentioned several times above, the carpeting, which is "foam backed" does help tremendously with preventing wall condensation issues because it breathes, and it also provides a modicum of sound dampening so that you don't sound like you're talking in a cave. But it also provides a finished surface for curved surfaces that would be hard to accomplish with most standard interior finish materials due to that fact that just about every inch of the trailer is curved. And don't forget that fiberglass transmits a lot of light, (think fiber optic cables,) and so if you don't like the early morning sunshine illuminating the entire inside of the trailer when you want to sleep in, or the late arrival vehicles headlights shining through the wall in the middle of the night to wake you up, you can appreciate the carpeted walls a little more. Without some wall covering on the bare fiberglass, you can actually see the shadow of someone walking by alongside the trailer. Not what I would want. I agree that carpeting may not be the most beautiful and easy to clean surface, but what are the alternatives, other than "elephant skin" like they use on some other brands. They all work, but the many functions of the various wall finishes employed are more than just decorative.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I don’t think that would work, no.

I would suggest looking for a nice older Scamp or other brand with the original Ensolite liner. For a newer trailer, look to Escape with a smooth vinyl wall covering.

Nothing worse than ensolite for condensation in cool weather, but it could work ok with adequate ventilation.

[ShelbyM]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

Just curious - if it gets humid and you have condensation - does it stay in the fuzzy walls? I would think that would be a mess to deal with. Or do the fuzzy walls completely stop the walls from dripping (like what happens in our Escape)?

I don't know if moisture dries out quickly or just doesn't attach to the walls in the first place. We've had windows running with condensation a few times but the carpeted walls have never felt damp. We've never had any mildew or mold on the inside. Also, I think those pins are called drapery hooks, for curtains. You can stick them in the carpet and hang stuff, pull them out w/o damage if you change your mind.

[Artist Chic]

An idea for you: If you do a search for BIRCH TREE STENCIL, there are some fabulous stencils which you could use on top of your carpet. The carpet becomes a textured backdrop to the cool stenciled birch tree. If you do a tone on tone, in a subtle palette, it wouldn't be loud not garish. With the right lighting at night, it would be quite lovely.

There are stencil paints for fabrics that work on carpet.

I agree that you need something on your walls. The carpet isn't all bad, just work with it a bit. Plus, once you add your window treatments, cushions, artwork, etc, you don't see so much of it. My Lovebug has a lightly textured vinyl-like fabric. I love it for sound and warmth. I painted it with a special paint - as you use in boats. It turned out very well and is quite durable. Once I put everything else back in, I was pleased with the effect.

Keep us informed!

[PatrickTXFL]

Search about boat interiors if you really want to remodel without carpet. A single fiberglass mold has to have some type of covering, if you haven't seen what's behind the carpet look inside a boat. Escape covers with finish like most expensive boats, Oliver is double liner like luxury boats, all the rest glue carpet as a budget way to finish a single mold wall surface. I think the finish used by casita is appropriate by price range. I don't think bare wall finish on a single wall construction would be a good idea. Be sure you share what you decide to do?

[steve dunham]

We’ve owned 3 fiberglass trailers ( Scamp , Casita , and Escape )
I never really paid much attention to the wall covering cause it didn’t affect the functionality of the trailer . I worry about too much unimportant stuff already so I don’t need to add to the list

[PatrickTXFL]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

We’ve owned 3 fiberglass trailers ( Scamp , Casita , and Escape )
I never really paid much attention to the wall covering cause it didn’t affect the functionality of the trailer . I worry about too much unimportant stuff already so I don’t need to add to the list

So what influences your purchase and sale of each brand?

[Casita Greg]

Originally Posted by PatrickTXFL

So what influences your purchase and sale of each brand?

To me, those would be: features offered that YOU want to have, the quality of the appliances installed, the degree of fit and finish, (i.e. quality workmanship,) towability, ease of use and maintenance, and when that rig finally "leaps out at you," then you will know that's the one you want.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by PatrickTXFL

So what influences your purchase and sale of each brand?

Size , weight , layout , bed size , quality , appliances , features , price , towing ability , fit - finish , ceiling height , available options , tow vehicle requirements , manufacturers reputation, ease of maintenance, size + type+ number of windows , cabinet storage space , ease of maintenance , reliability, standard equipment , availability, door - cabinet hardware ,etc , etc .

Things such the color of the decals or the flooring or the wall coverings , or the counter tops or wood trim for me are not that important and would not stop me from buying any brand of fiberglass trailer . The walls of our Scamp and Casita were both carpeted and did not affect our use or enjoyment of the trailer one bit.

I’ve bought 3 new trucks in the last 11 years and everyone was a different color
Why ? Because the truck was properly equipped, at a price I was willing to pay , was in stock and the color doesn’t affect how the truck functions / performs

[jerrybob]

Originally Posted by PatrickTXFL

So what influences your purchase and sale of each brand?

I went with the one my wife liked.....nothing worse than a cranky wife on a camping trip. LOL!

[Lynn Eberhardt]

The "rat fur" in our 2006 Scamp still looks like new - and we regularly cook inside. It's very effective at controlling condensation when it's cold out and it holds our velcro equipped curtain tie-backs nicely.

[Dinubadave]

Take it to an upholstery shop, you can replace it with more pleasing materials (vinyl, different materials, padding) no different than doing a car’s interior

[speeduck]

We have a trillium 1300 from 1976, it has a smoothish vinyl with a foam backing, it does have seams that are not the greatest. But we've never had condensation issues, we camp from furnace season thru a/c back into furnace.. so.
The 1300 Is to small for a roof mount a/c so i put a window shaker in the door and tarp with clamps all around the open door, works good until you have to pee at 2am.. lol