Home Sweet Home, Some Pics of the 5th Wheel

 My new used wheel estate is a  1992 5th wheel that is 36 feet long with a jumbo 4x15 foot slideout in the living area, with a second slide in the bedroom that is the width of the queen bed and slides out maybe 2 feet or so. Shown is the blue window valances which have now been removed to allow more sunshine inside. They just weren't my taste and they hogged a lot of precious natural daylight. The upper cabinets between the living and dining area are stained glass. All the cabinets are solid oak, not fall-a-parti-cle board. Behind the sofa are two wall sconces with articulating brackets. The sofa has two built-in recliners that are massive and can lay down completely flat for serious snoozing. I know, I have slept there quite a few times!

 This is my kitchen before I moved in. I have not owned a dishwasher in 30+ years. This is an 18 inch dishwasher, not a full sized, but it works nicely. The countertops are white Corian. Those blue valances were removed. The large window in back still has the hurricane shutter closed up on it, but I opened it after relocating the rig to my lot. In my motorhome I had to use a step stool to reach the microwave, in this one the microwave which also has an electric broiler built in is much lower and I don't need a step stool to use it. The top drawer has a built-in long wooden chopping board that slides in and out or is removable for using on top of the countertop. It also has a built-in knife drawer. The sink came with Corian covers, but I don't really use them as my sink stays so busy since I eat at home 99% of the time. Amazingly the propane oven came with a 12 volt light, extremely rare for RV's. I had to order the replacement bulb from Vintage Trailer Supply.

 The past fire(?) or malfunction from the propane hot water looked frightening! The hot water is 10 gallons where as my motorhome had 6 gallons. It's converted to electric only now. Amazingly, the mess cleaned up in 5 minutes of hard work. Why did the prior owner leave it like that? Just mind boggling.

 Above is the 15 foot slideout. Four of the windows on the RV came with awnings. They all have a dark limousine tint. That is storage area that is actually behind a builtin table behind my sofa. It's called a console table. Harley dog has moved his bed up there so he can have a nice view of the outdoors.

 Harley dog inspects the new bedroom. Both sides of the bed have wall sconces. There are end tables with cabinets plus over head cabinets in the bedroom plus chest of drawers and not shown is a long cabinet to the right that is under the opposing window.

 Eventually I removed the blue valances. The decorator had them hogging nearly a third of the window! I just didn't like their style even though many folks thought they were beautiful, I wanted more natural light. I kept all the accordion blinds. They aren't in the best shape but they work and provide privacy at night. The big mirrors to the right are the sliding doors to the closet.

 Lots of moving mess! This big long window was hidden by the oversized valance which has been removed. Harley dog loves it that he has a view out the window. The bottom section slides open. It came with a destroyed screen which has now been repaired and replaced.

 This small valance in the bathroom was kept, since it didn't hog any window area. The toilet is in a tiny room by itself with a window and (not shown) an oak cabinet for loads of toilet paper storage. The toilet was the wrong size in that it was super low designed for RV's that have the toilet that sits on a platform like my former motorhome. The low to the floor toilet was giving me such problems, that I added a 4 inch raised seat from a medical supply company. This was far cheaper (for now) than replacing the china toilet with the correct size. The new toilet seat is much higher and came with a closing lid. Many for some strange reason are sold without lids, but me being fussy, wanted one with a lid. The window has mini blinds for privacy but the dark windows by day, afford privacy without the blinds. It's only at night, one needs the blinds as otherwise the bright light in the bathroom lights up the window view from the outside. Not sure I am describing that right.

 Here is my kitchen in full chaos! The blue valances have already been removed. I have lots of cabinets. The parquet floor is original from 1992. The rig has overhead fluorescent lights as well as spot lights. My view out the kitchen window is of the farm in back of me.

 My new shower is super roomy with a builtin seat and an oval tub. It's really just kid sized, but it's easy to bathe the dog and to soak my feet while showering. Overhead is a big sky light. I had to buy a drain plug for the tub. Just one of the oddball things missing from the rig. The tub of course is handy for washing up big things besides dog or stinky feet.

 This is the split bath with the hallway going down the middle. At both ends are oak pocket doors that slide in and out of the walls with ease. The two steps shown go up are to the bedroom. The shower has a glass door trimmed in brass. Not shown, but to the right is a generous vanity with makeup light, mirrors and a full sized bathroom sink with beveled mirrors. It has a cabinet below and above. That tall closet on the right hides a stackable washer/dryer. I have not owned a clothes dryer in 30+ years! To the left is a mirrored door that hides the toilet room (water closet). The ceiling has a opening hatch with a 2 speed exhaust fan.

 I feel so spoiled having a washer/dryer hiding behind these double doors.To the left of them you can barely see the vanity counter and just beyond that is a tall slender linen cabinet with drawers below. That oval mirror is on the living room wall with the exit door  (not shown) to the right. You can barely see the pocket door to the right. It closes right to left to add more privacy to the bath and laundry area.

 Shown below is the mirrored door hiding the toilet room.To the left are two steps down to the living area. It's a bit confusing, but reflected in the mirror is the exit door to the outside with a big wall clock above it and a red fire extinguisher by the door.

More pics coming soon!

Tons of work in progress fixing broken things.

This rig was a huge bargain, but requires some sweat equity to make it splendid. I was never expecting to own such luxury or such a generous size. The room is double what I am used to in my little old motorhome. This rig has about 300 square feet of indoor area, which to me seems HUGE.

Some of the work being done is for my safety. For instance the floor registers for the furnace were cheap flimsy plastic. Two were broken and one being right in the hallway (shown above) was an ankle breaker waiting to happen. You can see it above in the mirror. Chasing down sturdy metal registers in the correct size turned out to take a monumental effort and the cost wasn't cheap. I had to settle for several in a grayish brown color and one in white. That is how hard they were to find! I put the white one in the bedroom.