Top Recommendations for Renovating Your RV

After three years traveling full time on the road , you just don't get tired of these types of places . Today , I'm going to try and stay focused , because we have lots to talk about when it comes to renovating , remodeling your rig , and I'm so excited for today's guest because she has an amazing wealth of information to help us with RV remodels Now .

The RV Life Podcast was created to educate , entertain and explore the RV lifestyle , with the mission to inspire you to live life to the fullest . Whether you're full-time , part-time , sometime or dreaming of the RV lifestyle , we are here to provide great guests that will help you through the process .

This week , on what you Need to Know , it's brought to you by Open Road Resorts , and they have five amazing locations . Two of their locations are in Montana , one in Idaho , one in Texas and their newest location is in Nebraska .

You're listening to this podcast at the end of August and there is still time to get to Yellowstone National Park , to visit these amazing Montana and Idaho locations . The weather is still nice and the crowds are not as big . Great time to plan that last minute trip .

So today , on , what you Need to Know , it's just a couple weeks out from the Hershey RV Show today . And what you need to know it's just a couple weeks out from the Hershey RV show . And the Hershey RV show is actually called America's Largest RV Show and what you need to know is the RV Life Hershey After Party .

This year is the third year , the third annual party , and tickets are selling fast . It was just about a week ago that I got the number for the tickets and they are selling fast . So you want to go to the link below to grab your ticket if you're going to be in and around the Hershey area . New this year is the RV Entrepreneur Workshop .

This is a full day of information . If you are an entrepreneur , you're looking to become an entrepreneur , you cannot miss this workshop .

There's going to be such a wealth of information Lithionics , batteries , open Road Resorts , open Roads , fuel Card , jayco RV TV Work Amp for News , rv Photo , queen Travel , fi , soft Start RV General RV Center Clear , 2-0 , and Uplift Desk , to name a few . This , what you Need to Know , is brought to you by Open Road Resorts .

Let's get into today's guest , lisa Rice , a home renovation enthusiast and designer passionate about transforming spaces . When she is not working on a renovation project , she is exploring the beautiful state of Oregon with her husband and two kids .

Her incredible renovations have been seen in places like the Wall Street Journal , better Homes and Gardens , insider Trailer , life magazine and All Things Camper Renovating Book . Lisa Rice , welcome to the RV Life podcast .

My grandpa would go out to Malala , oregon , and they would camp for a month in these giant tents and I recently saw a picture of it . It's an incredible setup . And then my parents they got a pop-up in the 70s and they camped with us and when I was born we still had it for a while and then they got rid of that and we tent camped for years .

And then my husband and I we camped in a tent for years also and then when we had kids , we eventually got a pop-up camper and I started renovating those and selling them also . But we love the outdoors .

So for my listeners I will make sure that picture gets put on RV Life's podcast , instagram and Facebook . That is such a cool story and so cool that you have pictures of it and stories from you're the first guest that's been on that camping goes that far back in your family , so very , very cool .

But let's get into where renovations started . There was something about the ugliest , oldest trailer . Tell us about that .

But he became on board after I did that first one and so I said I'll just find the cheapest , ugliest thing I can find . So it's not a huge investment .

And I found this old $400 pop-up trailer from the 1970s and I was so excited to renovate that I completely renovated the whole thing in one week and had a buyer and had bought another one before the second week came and he quickly got on board with it .

So since then I've done about one or two every year and I usually try and renovate in the spring and sell it before summer , but sometimes we camp in them and sometimes we don't . But it's such a fun side project to do .

And you said you do one or two a year . And that's cool , because for somebody like me , I just want it done . Renovation is not my thing . But do you have a background in interior design ? What's your background ? Because I've been on your social media , stalking your social media and you are amazing with what you create in a pop-up or a travel trailer .

It's amazing . Do you have a background in it ?

And since then , since being on Instagram and getting a following , interior design projects have come my way , and so I've gained some experience there too . But I just love it . I love doing projects and I love renovating . I love making old things new again .

You are on TikTok and you're on YouTube , but your main platform is Instagram and that's rice underscore camp , correct , yes ? Where they could see the videos and all the amazing things you've done . Okay , so let's talk about something we are going to get into tips . We're going to help people . Now let me take a step back .

When Dan and I first decided we were going to go RVing , I had been camping RVing in an RV for seven total nights . That was my experience and two weekends in a tent . That was my total experience . It was during COVID and he said let's just sell everything and buy an RV .

And after I was done laughing , I realized he was serious and I jumped in both feet . We took three months , jumped in with both feet , and when we went looking for RVs , I had no experience , no background .

When I was looking for our RV , we knew we wanted a class A diesel pusher , we wanted 40 foot and the one thing I was looking for was enough cabinet space for my espresso machine . That was what was top of mind for me , go figure .

I love to create the ideas of what I want , but I want somebody else to come in and make it happen , so I think we'd work well together . So give some tips . This started a while ago . When people are looking to renovate , where to start ?

So there's some things in that category that can be really easy to do , and then there's some things that you can make into a bigger project that will make a bigger impact .

So one of the simple things you could do is to add decor , so personal touches , like adding family photos , your favorite art pieces , even throw blankets and throw pillows , can make a huge difference in making it feel more like home .

Another thing and because I specialize in pop-up trailers and there's windows all the way around , so curtains and those are the first thing that I change when I renovate a pop-up trailer is I love to rip down the curtains . A lot of times they're brown .

I don't know why decor in trailer is always brown , but it's fine if brown's your thing , but for a lot of people it isn't .

Now when you rip that off , I know for me trying to find curtains to put up the way that you have to attach it could be a little bit of a challenge . And I want to talk to people because you developed a curtain clip . Can you talk about that ? This would be a good time to talk about these curtain clips .

And so , uh , about a year and a half ago , we got a 3d printer and I talked to my son , who's loves 3d printing , and my husband and I was like I know exactly what we need . This would change the game for pop-up trailers , campers all over the place , people that want to renovate .

So we came up with a simple design and it easily snaps on and you can hook on any material for pop-up trailers and I now sell them in my Etsy shop . But that can make a huge difference , just swapping out the curtains .

frustrating .

So curtains are a big deal and I think that's a big . I could imagine in a pop-up with all the windows having curtains , and I'm imagining my head some brighter colors . That's just me , okay . So what's some other suggestions you'd have ?

But painting cabinets , painting walls , bring in your colors . That can really change a space in a big way , that is a big one , I .

You know , camping , rving and the sunsets . So I use the colors in the sunsets because that always just gives me that warm feeling , and so I brought those colors in and that kind of decor in . So you know , for people who are like me that have a hard time deciding on a decor , I guess a lot of people are looking for themes Is there , you know ?

Or they could just use a color scheme , right .

Another thing is plants , so , whether they're real or fake , adding in something that brings nature inside your RV can make a big difference too .

I'm usually great with plants , so for me I just enjoyed the nature , but I could see where that would make a huge difference . And , like you said , the ones that are , I'm going to say , fake , for lack of a better term they could be beautiful . I mean , there's some beautiful plants that aren't real and you can't tell .

There's a lot of different stylish options that can really change the look of your cabinets just by changing out that small little piece .

If somebody's painting their cabinets white and that doesn't work for you , do what works . And I was thinking about knobs , like wooden knobs , and I wanted to have each of our kids' names and then each grandkid on each of them . Oh , I love that . Five kids , four married , nine grandkids Fills quite a few of those cabinets .

If you have a couch , that maybe isn't comfortable , but sometimes they are really comfortable , the ones that come in there , but changing out the pieces so that you can get a good night's sleep and that you have a comfortable place to sit , that can make a big difference and that was one of the things .

As a matter of fact , I just the other day bought one for the house that I'm staying in Because , you're right , you need a comfortable mattress , I need a good night's sleep , and that made a big difference . And then we had the old couch that was 20 years old and we changed that out for the theater seating .

It really makes a big difference of making it feel like home and I think that homey feeling even if you're going out once in a while on a weekend , it makes such a difference .

But adding in some comfortable lighting inside and outside can make it feel a little more homey .

You can lot of money to change your RV to make it more comfortable and home-like at all . You can even bring in some lamps from home . If you have a house and you want your RV to feel more comfortable , bring a lamp , plug it in and it's free and it makes it feel a lot more homey .

I started using the Clear 2.0 gravity water filter pitcher being in the house , but I could absolutely would have great use in an RV or a camper . With Clear 2.0 , you get the purest , great tasting water . I chose Clear 2.0 because of the way it blocks the contaminants .

I've done the research , I've tried on their brands and they have a solid carbon filter that cleans the water down to one micron or less than one micron in the case of the pitcher , and the pore size is what's most important . So less is more in this case and it really captures the most contaminants .

When I use this water pitcher , the water tastes better , it smells better , I know it's safer and that is so important . And people can check them out on clear20.com . There is a link in the show notes to get 15% off now , so that discount will be running out . I highly recommend it . Okay , so let's go back to making your RV homey .

So finding furniture that has multiple , like a storage ottoman , a dining table that can be used as a workspace , things like that can really make a difference .

The couch on the one side was turned into a desk for him , and then I was at the ugly dinette that has just a piece pulled from out of the wall . We had chairs there and we took the table out . We had chairs there and we took the table out . We just ripped it out and I wanted the real wood look .

So we went to a lumber yard , picked out the piece of wood . They stained it , did whatever they do to it , it has the live edge and that went up against the window . So two chairs could go against the window and you could look out onto the beautiful whatever you're looking at .

And that made such a difference because now it's the dining room , you know , for eating , but it's also my workspace and that is probably my favorite part of what we did in the RV .

Something else I would say is storage solutions can help make spaces a lot more functional too , so you can use your under bed storage ways to maximize that by using collapsible bins and then in your closet spaces using vertical shelving . That can make a huge difference .

I feel like a lot of times you got to keep those toys hidden away , Right ?

Okay , we want to clean up . Everybody throw things in a bin and put the throw blanket over it Sounds like a great quick solution for that .

So , um , we have friends that use Starlink and I've heard good things about that Um , but having reliable internet can be a game changer for people to be able to camp and be away for longer periods of time ?

I'm making . It's a box , it's a , you know , not that big , I don't even think it's 12 inches high and that worked really well for us in most places as well . I know that is a huge question on social media , people always asking about internet , but those are two good solutions . And to your point , yes , it could feel like home , especially with kids .

Today it is a rainy day . It's been raining for two days . I love it , but I can't imagine having two little kids . They get antsy . It might be a good time for popcorn and movie night .

So making your outside an extension of your home can really make it feel more home-like , and having a comfortable outdoor seating area , a nice grill , an outdoor cinema like we were just talking about , get a projector and a screen so you can do movie night can really make a big difference .

That makes a difference with not feeling closed in . So outdoor space is fantastic

. I'm friends with an owner of a company it's Lido Luxury in the Outdoors , and we purchased some beautiful tablecloths from her . They just the colors again , bright colors . It was yellow with flowers on it . That I just love . When you walk out into that space , it's an extension of your quote unquote home .

So that is a great tip and again making it feel like yours .

I want to talk about Oregon . It is one of my favorite space states to visit . I know it's a big state , but I've been in many places in Oregon and I want to talk about that . But first I want to talk about I'm in Pennsylvania . Traveling to Oregon would take a lot of diesel fuel and I love the Open Roads fuel card . The card is free to sign up for .

You save on diesel fuel every time you go to get fuel . It has been fantastic . I've literally saved thousands of dollars over the three years I've been using this card . The app just tells you exactly where to go , what the cost of the fuel is . Open Roads . Go to myopenroadscom and find out all about this fuel card .

If you have diesel , it's an absolute no-brainer , so I just want to let people know about that . But you and your family love to explore Oregon and you share these family adventures . Let's talk about Oregon , tell us , paint us the picture .

There's so many great places to camp and hike and be outside and there's great variety . Also in Oregon . We have the beautiful coastline , we have the mountains , we have the high desert , we have just such beautiful forests here . So there's a lot of great places to explore and it's a great place to be in an RV .

And we got there and it was rainy and chilly oh no , but it was . There was some . We left there saying there was something magical about it . I can't tell you what it is , I can't put my finger on it . It was one of those states . We'd gone there , probably 11 years ago , and I said that's this is definitely a place I have to come back to .

It was just magical , even with the rain and it being chilly . Truly a magical place . We went whitewater rafting oh fun , oh , just hikes . We took hikes , we saw waterfalls . There's so much there and , you're right , it's green , so you get a lot of rain , just like here in Pennsylvania , but it is truly a magical place .

And then we were on the coast of Oregon . So we went up and down the coast , stayed at a number of different campgrounds on the coast of Oregon and again , you're by the Pacific Ocean , watching the sunset at night on the beach . There's nothing like it . There's just nothing like it .

There's dunes , these big sand dunes that go into lakes , so you can run down the sand dune right into a lake and the ocean is right past that and the forest is there . It just kind of has everything you want in a campground for fun . But yeah , we love Oregon and even though it rains a lot , the summers are just like perfect here .

So when you walk down the strip like there's stores and it's just again it's there's a lot of shops that you could buy things , but it doesn't feel touristy . I like the , the homeier feeling places . But when you walk down to the end of it , where the pier is , down below I guess off of the ocean , is a crab place and they had the best crab soup ever .

We the guy who owns the place told a story . It was just again . These places are truly magical . So much history there . Highly recommend it . So I'm going to put that . So everybody should go check that out . Highly recommend it .

So many great beaches . But then Mount Hood . Mount Hood is just gorgeous and it is very green . If you want green , mount Hood area is perfect for that . And then national park-wise , crater Lake is a must-see . We have that beautiful Blue Lake in the south of Oregon , so if you're wanting to see that , I highly recommend it . I live near Portland , the city .

There's so many great restaurants and things to do there too . So , yeah , it's a great place and I encourage you to come visit , and if you do , send me a message on Instagram , maybe I'll take you out to dinner . That sounds fantastic .

But if you are looking to store your RV , national Indoor RV Centers is the place to do it . They have six locations across the country and they just do it right . They started out as a storage facility . They were committed to doing it right . They will take care of everything for you .

So you put your RV in storage , they'll take care of everything that needs to be taken care of and they will get it ready for you when you come to pick it up . So I highly recommend National Indoor RV Centers for your storage needs . And again , it's hard to talk about coming to the end of the summer .

That's a tough one , but for those of us that are still looking to travel , it's time for the question of the week . This question is going to be for you , lisa , and it is brought to you by OpenRoads , innovative Toll Solutions . This is a toll pass that covers all 48 states . I've gotten the fines going through waiting for the , you know they mail you out .

This is what you owe . By the time I got to it , fees were tacked on spent a lot of money . Openroads Innovative Toll Solutions covers all 48 states , costs $24 a year one toll pass and they have concierge service that'll help you if you ever do get a fine . They've been fantastic . Highly recommend it .

So we've talked a lot about Oregon and places for people to go , but I like to ask my guest about a bucket list item . You still you have something on a bucket list you could . You're shaking your head Good Cause , I usually put people in this spot where I do .

So when we okay , I did we were going RVing and I said to Dan well , what's this going to look like ? I couldn't imagine doing business . What's this going to look like ? And he said , oh , we could go to every national park in the country . And I was like all that sounds interesting , but I'm not sure that'd be my goal .

And in the over three years that we were RVing full-time , we've been to zero national parks . Oh , wow , not one single national park . Because we love the small towns , we love the off-the-road places and just really enjoyed that and just never got to them . So they are on my bucket list to do for sure .

Would love to hear about renovations they've done and we can share those with each other . It's now time talking about campgrounds and places to go . It's now time for the feature campground of the week and it's brought to you by RV Life . This week's feature campground is Thousand Trails , palm Springs in Palm Desert .

California trails , palm Springs in Palm Desert , california . It has 401 sites and this campground has full hookups . It has pull through sites , the dog park cabin and onsite rentals . I've stayed at this campground and the one thing again I'd love the feel of the area . That seems to be a theme here in our conversation . But this campground you pull in .

I'll be honest , the sites are tight . They are . We have a 40 foot . We were able to park . Took a little doing but we were able to park . But the feel of the campground , the people there , the campground itself , the area just has a warm and welcoming feel .

The campground does have a solid 7.1 rating on the RV Life campgrounds , with 162 reviews , and you can get to all this by visiting campgroundsrvlifecom . The nice thing is when you go to campgroundsrvlifecom , this campground has a book now button so you can book right from that site . You could also go to campgroundsrvlifecom to see more photos and tips .

The area has so much to offer . You could see all the amenities of this property as well . As you know , campgrounds and the RV parks , the campgrounds , the resorts , city , state , national parks . There's so much you could see on campcronstrvlifecom and if you're not part of RV Life , you could still access it .

But if you want full access , go to RV Life and there is a link for 25% off . So happy to be able to offer that . Okay , lisa . So much great information and when people go to Instagram , they can find so many great tips . I mean the stuff that you have done .

I sat there after we spoke I think we spoke weeks ago and I went on to Instagram and I just saw all the things you've done and I'm like , wow , I love that and I love that . It just it , it just was . So the big thing is these RVs no longer look like RVs . They really truly look like a home .

You know it doesn't , it's not as comfortable , but it can be so comfortable , it can be just , it can be what you make it and if you bring in some home-like touches , it can . You can make being outside and sleeping outside so much more comfortable .