LXE - Other Improvements

New Curtains

I knew from the start that I wanted to replace the original curtains. The valences were too heavy and fussy for my taste, and the door valence had to be un-velcroed in order to close the camper. Down they all came, and I made new ones that slide on wall track. Click HERE for a printable PDF file with complete instructions.


Shower Curtain

The OEM curtain was made from ordinary plastic shower curtain, cut roughly to hang from cup hooks in in the frame of the bubble window. It was stiff, hard to store and easy to mildew. After using an old sheet to make a pattern, I cut a new 3-piece curtain from white rip-stop nylon, using a DIY hot knife which sealed the edges as it cut (soldering iron with an old tip, hammered flat). On the advice of another LXE owner, instead of hanging the new curtain from the cup hooks, I wedged a small tension rod lengthwise along each side of the bubble. Small plastic rings, sewed to the side curtains, slide up and down these rods. Each side panel has an extension that goes a little more than half-way across the back of the shower, where they overlap and hang from a cup hook. Velcro keeps the curtain in place around the door opening. Above the folding shower wall, a small panel hangs from the top of the bubble window and overlaps 

the side curtains. The nylon provides good coverage and dries quickly after use. In the photo, you can see the toilet paper holder hung on the outside of the bathroom wall (the black strip is 2-sided velcro which keeps the TP from unrolling during travel.


Sun Shades

The bubble windows are great for headroom and views, but they also absorb heat and leak cold. An easy solution is cut pieces of Reflectix insulation (available at many hardware stores) to fit inside the bubbles. Essentially bubble wrap faced with aluminum, it can be cut with scissors, rolled for storage and stuffed inside the bubble windows when needed (caution - do not leave it in the windows for extended periods, as too much heat build-up may damage the bubble plastic.
Garden shade cloth can be used to shade the flat a-wall windows. Especially helpful is "aluminet", a knit material that can be purchased on Amazon. Cut to fit. Angled edges that stretch can be stabilized with Stay Tape (available from fabric stores). Use suction-cup hooks to attach the aluminet to the outside of the windows. It will protect from sun and rain, while letting air flow through. It also adds privacy.


Flower Box

Just for fun, I made a flower box from a Dollar Tree suction-cup shower caddy. I cut green styrofoam to fit tightly inside the plastic and filled it with artificial flowers. It's a friendly, bright spot on the outside of the camper.



Christmas Decorations

Since we store the camper popped up in the driveway year-round, Christmas decorations are a must. On our old Classic, I was able to put a wreath around the Fantastic Fan. This doesn't work on the higher LXE, with its long bubble windows in front. Instead, I wrapped the propane cover in red plastic (actually, a Christmas Tree disposal bag) and added ribbon to make it look like a large package. Before we hired Rudolph, he was a standard 4' lighted deer at Home Depot. Now, an electric-candle socket with a red globular bulb makes his nose gleam, and he's equipped with rope-light reins.



Rear TV Cable

We like our 9" widescreen 12v TV with built-in DVD player. The camper came equipped with a 12v outlet and cable connection in the front, but it's not a convenient location when we want to watch TV from our beds. I removed the exterior cable inlet, added an extension to reach through the wall, and reinstalled it with fresh caulk and stainless steel screws that reach all the way into the interior paneling, not just the exterior fiberglass. Inside the camper, I added a 90-degree elbow and a cable splitter. One leg of the splitter is connected to the original cable and the other leg connects to a new cable that goes into the rear cabinet. Outlets in the side of the cabinet are a problem because any projection interferes with mattress and bedding. Instead, I installed a standard RV power-cord "mousehole", painted tan. The mousehole has a flat profile, but contains the TV cable, the 110v plug for the TV transformer, and the 12v plug that goes into the TV. To hook up the TV, we pull the cords from the mousehole, but they're out of the way at other times. The TV, by the way, travels in the rear cabinet, held in place by our plastic drawers.

Bedding

Microfiber sheets have been great in the camper. They're lightweight and dry quickly. I bought twin sets, which are wider than our mattresses. I use sheet clips on the bottom sheets to pull them together under the mattress. For each top sheet, I cut excess width off a flat twin microfiber sheet and a jersey twin sheet and hemmed the cut edges. I also cut the jersey sheet short enough that it just extended beyond the foot of the mattress, then matched the top edges of the two sheets and stitched the bottom of the jersey to the microfiber. Now, I have only the microfiber to tuck in at the foot, and it holds the jersey sheet in place. It's hard to tuck the sheets along the wall side of the mattresses, but folding that side under is a lot easier and it looks good.

For blankets, we use a lightweight fleece throw on each bed, with a small lap blanket for extra warmth. We also have two fluffy  blankets for use in cold weather, but have found that the furnace usually keeps us warm enough without them.





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