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.

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
Shower Curtain


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

Rear TV Cable


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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