​Wanda's old dinette really didn’t fit our needs and was a waste of space. By re-configuring the layout and maximizing the space, our new dinette meets all our requirements and works much better for us. 

Step 2: Measure Dimension
We wanted to use the existing footprint of the old dinette. On average bench has a height of 18 inches and a depth of approximately 17 1/2 inches. Depth should not exceed 20 inches for comfort.  We made the backrest as tall as the bottom of the window. We didn’t want to obstruct the window. ​

Step 12: Install Lagun bracket
Our L shaped dinette was planned around this bracket. The Lagun Bracket provides so much flexibility. Install the wall bracket first and then attach the table to the bracket arms. We didn’t center the bracket because we wanted to be able to flip the table around to the couch as well. Find a location that will benefit you the most. For the most stability, make sure most of your weight is centered towards the center of your table.
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Note: Our table is actually a piece of wall art that was hanging in our original house. We re-purposed it to use as our table.  The wood is warped and very heavy. Our table tilts because of this. We are definitely maxing out the capabilities of the bracket. If you use a the same ¾ plywood from the benches as your tabletop, you shouldn't experience this problem and you can use the same piece to complete the bed. We carry a separate piece to complete the bed.  We just really like the look of our tabletop so we deal with the tilt and carry the extra piece of wood in a bay underneath.

Do you have old school CRT TV or a spot where one used to be in your RV? These cabinets which housed the monster sized TVs are no longer useful with today's flat screen TVs and waste a lot of space.  There are ways to modernize the housing by installing plywood and mounting a TV outside the cabinet (what the past owner of Wanda did) but the problem is, the TV placement isn’t great for watching TV and the cabinet blocks the view out the front windows. Our solution was to move the TV in front of the couch for better viewing and make additional usable storage space by turning the TV cabinet into an open shelf. ​

Step 1: Remove the Old TV, Label all the wires that run into TV and reroute them to the new TV location
The new location was 10 feet away from the existing location. We extended the coaxial cables to reach the new location. 

​Step 2: Carefully Remove the Old Trim, Leather and Carpeting. 
 You will be reusing these pieces later on.

Step 3: Using a Reciprocating Saw Cut Out The Metal Bracket That Held The Existing TV
The bracket is welded in so the only way to remove it was to use a saw and cut it out. I only cut out the portions of the bracket that would obstruct with the new cabinet. I left the rest in for some additional support for the new cabinet. 

Step 4: Frame  In The New Cabinet with MDF to create a box
Carefully measure and cut out each side of the cabinet. 

Step 5: Use the Old Trim, Leather and Carpeting to Finish the Box
I reused the wood for face trim, glued down the carpet on the bottom and wrapped leather around scrap wood and screwed it in underneath the box for continuous coverage to match the existing dash.

Does your RV still have an old school tv? Let Us know how you removed it in the comments below? 

Step 2 - Plan out Your Design.
We designed a bathroom that would hold a small litter box with some extra space along the side.  We used the existing two walls and added two more, a back piece and side piece, to enclose the litter box.  On the side wall we added a vent for air circulation.  As far as access, we created two entrances; one for the cat and the other for us to remove the litter box for cleaning/changing.  For the cat, we used a PetSafe Extreme Weather Energy Efficent Pet Door (Small) ​ and for us we added a cabinet door that hinges open from the bottom.

​​Was Wanda always this hot and loud? We asked ourselves this during our maiden voyage.  By removing the carpet and installing vinyl planks we inadvertently created a much louder and uncomfortable driving environment in the cab.  We noticed that when we accelerated or climbed a hill Wanda was significantly louder and you could feel the vibrations of the Ford V10 powering past 3200 RPMs.  On a longer drive, the floors also became very hot, particularly on the passenger side.  We didn't realize how well the carpet had absorbed the heat and dampened the sound. 

We knew we had to address this issue and come up with a solution that would allow for a quieter ride and protect our and the pets feet from the burning floors.  Since the new flooring was already installed, we also needed a product that we could install from underneath the RV and around the engine, which meant it had to be waterproof and hold up against the wear and tear of the road.  After doing some research, we decided to use Noico Solutions Green 170 Waterproof Sound and Heat Insulation. This closed cell foam sound deadening material is easy to cut, handle and install.  This product worked out perfectly for us. It decreased the decibels reading from 87db to 67db. That's a big improvement. It also made the floor temperature a lot cooler and reduced the vibration.  

The box comes with 36 square feet. Each panel is 15.7 x 9.8 inches and there are 34 sheets.  It essentially looks like giant foam stickers.  

Installing the Insulation

Dog House Cover
I started here. It’s easier to work with since it's removable and I wanted to see how the installation went before I was crawling under the wheel well in a tight space.   

Flip the doghouse cover upside down and pre-plan how you want to lay the insulation. I used as many full size pieces as I could.   Remove the backing of the insulation like a sticker and place the sheet in its proper place and press it down. The glue is sticky but very manageable and can be pulled off if you make a mistake before rolling it.   The material is very flexible and forgiving, so mold it into the contours of the dogs house cover. When you get to the edges, lay a piece down that goes  further than the edge and use a razor blade to follow the edge and make a flush cut. Continue this for all the edges. Use cut offs if you can and save the full size pieces for under the wheel well.

​Next, use the roller and apply pressure to every square inch of the insulation. You want to ensure a proper bond and the more you roll the better. I went over each piece 4 to 5 times especially around the edges. 

​Under The Wheel Well

This is a lot easier with two people.  It can certainly be done on  your own, it will just take longer. At first I did this by myself but it wasted a lot of time squeezing myself under the wheel well to measure pieces, climbing out of the wheel well, cutting the pieces, going back under, sticking them on and then rolling each piece.  To save time, you can do all your measuring at once and then all your cutting at once. Just make sure you label the pieces so you can identify which piece goes where. Or have one person in the wheel well and one person cutting. 

As far as location and where to install the insulation, I placed it underneath the floor around the engine. I covered everything that I could physically reach. I then recruited my wife who is a lot smaller than me to climb into some of the smaller and tighter spaces.  We made sure to stay away from moving parts and avoided placing it directly on mechanical parts like the exhaust. 

Generator Bay

We had some extra sheets, so we decided to insulate the generator bay as well.  We don't like to run the generator much because we don't like disturbing other campers but sometimes, when there is too much tree cover for the solar we have to.  We installed the Noico Solutions Green 170 Waterproof Sound and Heat Insulation in the bay to absorb some of the noise.  The decibels from 10 feet away before adding the ??? was 63 db.  After installing the insulation was 56 db.

Have any questions? Or do you also have hot feet? Let us know know in the comments below!

By Kevin Quiambao
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If you are looking to update your kitchen but are on tight budget, consider refacing your cabinets.  We have found that painting and refinishing the cabinetry makes a tremendous difference in how a kitchen looks and feels.  You really can be bold and make a statement with a pop of color.  While it is time consuming, it is a relatively easy and inexpensive project to undertake yourself.  
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The kitchen cabinets was one of our first projects we tackled in our old house and we absolutely loved how they came out.  Our style is a mix of farmhouse/rustic/cottage and we were able to incorporate our style perfectly by painting and distressing the cabinets.  So we decided to do it again in Wanda. 

We followed the same process for the oak cabinets we had in the house and on the cabinets in Wanda (wood fronts with veneer frame) with one caveat.  The kitchen cabinets in the house were in real bad shape and had a very thick layer of grime and grease on them, so before we started we had to use a degreaser and scrape them, which was definitely as gross as it sounds. 

Lets get started!

​Step 1: Dissassemble the cabinets
Remove all of the hardware (hinges and handles/drawer pulls) and take off all of the cabinet doors.  If you are reusing the hardware, keep all of the pieces together so nothing gets lost.  If you dont like the color or finish of the hardware, you can spray paint them (more on that later).

​Step 2: Sand
Our advice would be to invest in a decent palm sander. We use a Makita B0530K 5 inch Random Orbit Sander.  It will save you a lot of time!  You need to sand everything to get the prior finish off the cabinets so the cabinets will absorb the new paint.  For this step we use a 60-80 grit sand paper.  Try to remove all the prior color or stain and go down to the bare wood.  

Tip: Wear a mask to avoid breathing in all the dust.

Step 3: Prime 
Set up an assembly line outside, in your driveway whereever you can really spread out and start priming the doors and drawers.  We used Rust-Oleum 2004 Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer, 1 Quart, 946 ml, White  When one side is done, head inside and start priming the frame.  By the time you are done inside, you should be able to prime the other side of the doors and drawers.

Step 4: Paint 
Really let the prime set and dry before you start painting.  We let the cabinets sit overnight before we started painting.  

As far as the paint, make sure you use kitchen/bath paint for the cabinets, it is a specific kind of interior paint with stain blocking properties in a satin sheen.  For Wandas cabinets we used Behr Premium Plus Ultra with a Satin Enamel finish.

You will need to paint two coats on everything.  We used paint brushes for the trim and hard to reach spots and a roller for everything else.  Make sure the paint fully dries and cures before doing the second coat, otherwise you will pull paint off as you are trying to paint another coat. 
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Hinges/Hardware: if you don't mind the style of your door handles or the drawer pulls but the color/finish isn't great try to spray paint them. Our hardware was originally a satin nickel finish which we were not wild about, so we used Rustoleum Universal All Surface Metalic Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint.  After a few coats they were as good as new. 

Step 5: Distress (If a distressed look is not your thing skip to Step 6)
We like the look of distressed furniture, we distress pretty much everything we build or redo, it is kind of an obsession.  To get a distressed look on cabinets, you do need to sand by hand which warning you now,  is a tedious process but definitely worth it.  We typically use a 220 grit sand paper (although we used 100 in certain stubborn spots) and fold it into a pretty small piece.  We start with the frame and try to sand down where normal wear and tear would appear, near the edges or seams.  Try to sand the top paint color off completely while allowing some of the white primer to come through and some smaller spots of bare wood.  

​There is no rhyme or reason to how we do this, we don't plan ahead but just go for it and sand what we feel like without doing too much because in this instance, less is more.  Once the frame is done, work on distressing the cabinet doors and drawers.   To make sure the spots are spread out, lay the doors/drawers out  in front of the frame and mark where you want to sand.  That way you avoid having too much next to each other.  

     Tip: Don't forget to wear gloves for this step or the sandpaper will rub your fingers raw. ​

Step 6: Apply Polycrylic 
After the paint has dried you will need to finish the cabinetry with Poly.  This will give you a nice smooth finish and protects the cabinets from water, stains, heat and wear and tear.  We like this Minwax Polycrylic in a clear satin finish.  It looks like elmers glue but it dries completely clear.  Use a good quality bristle brush to apply this.  Poly is not like regular paint, you do not want to put a thick coat on, you want to apply it thinly and evenly.  
After the first coat dries, you will notice a rough texture.  You need to lightly sand the cabinets, with a 220 grit sandpaper until it is smooth.  After sanding brush the dust off and use a tack cloth to make sure the surface is completely clean.  You will then have to repeat this process by applying another thin coat of poly and light sand. 

Step 7: Reinstall all cabinet doors and hardware

​If you decide to try out this technique, send us some pictures we would love to see how your cabinets turn out!