Camping World- Extreme RV Bedroom Makeover, by Mark Polk

by Mark Polk, Founder of RVeducation101 http://www.rveducation101.com
This holiday season, I received two of the best Christmas gifts an RVer could get: two Camping World gift cards. The day after Christmas, we left on a winter RV camping trip to Pennsylvania. The whole time we were there, visiting family, I was looking around the RV trying to think about how to use my gift cards. After a couple nights of sleeping on our old RV mattress, I had a great idea - an RV bedroom makeover!
Every time we return from a trip in our motorhome, I can't wait to get back in our bed at home. Most RV manufacturers don't spend a lot of money putting expensive mattresses in the RVs they build. After sleeping on our RV mattress I can't help but think the mattress manufacturer must have paid the RV manufacturer to put their mattress in the RV.

The mini-blinds in the bedroom in our RV were also less than satisfactory. There is one window at the head of the bed, and when we left the blinds down at night it constantly rattled when our arms or pillows bumped into them. We'd end up leaving the window blinds partially open so we didn't have to deal with the noise all night. I made a mental note that part of the bedroom makeover would include replacing those noisy mini-blinds with some day/night shades.

Nursing my sore back all the way back home from our trip, I thought about my extreme RV bedroom makeover. When we got home and settled back into our normal routine I logged on the Camping World web site to see what my options were for my RV bedroom makeover. There were at least two things I wanted to accomplish:

1) To have a bed in the RV we could comfortably sleep on.
2) To eliminate the partially open, rattling mini-blinds.

As you are probably aware, RV bed sizes are not the same as the standard bed sizes in your home. In most cases, a queen size RV bed might be the same width as a standard queen bed but not the same length or vice versa. This is because RV manufacturers often work under limited space constraints. The RV Mattresses at Camping World are sized and constructed especially for RV bed platforms. The mattress I chose meets the Motor Vehicle Standards for fire safety in RVs.

There would be no more sleepless nights or sore backs because of a cheap RV mattress. Now it was time to move on to replacing the annoying mini-blinds.

When I sold RVs, one feature I always liked was day/night shades. They are not only appealing to the eye but they are practical too. They control light, offer privacy and help to protect the interior fabrics and upholstery from exposure to direct sunlight. I found the perfect Day/Night Pleated Shades on the Camping World web site. All of the fabrics used on these shades are permanently-pleated, wrinkle-free, fire-retardant and stain-resistant. The really neat thing was how easy it was to order them from the web site. You click on the "Configure" button and it walks you through a very simple process of measuring, selecting the lift mechanism you want, and the type and color of shades you want. It only takes a couple of minutes once you have properly measured the windows.

The day/night shades were not difficult to install, but to get to the top of one bedroom window frame, I had to partially remove the overhead cabinets. Look at your RV windows and if there are cabinets or window treatments you would rather not tamper with you can have a Camping World SuperCenter close to you do the installation.

The extreme RV bedroom makeover was a huge success. No more sore back, and no more noisy or partially open mini-blinds! Now, in addition to a RV mattress that fits perfectly, there are some very attractive and effective new window treatments.

It took a while for my wife to figure it out, but now she knows to look in the motorhome when she can't find me around the house. Chances are the night shades are closed and I'm sleeping like a baby on the new bed. If you're not sure what to get your favorite RVer for any special occasion, remember a Camping World gift card makes a great gift idea. They too might want to do an extreme RV bedroom makeover!

Happy Camping!
Mark J. Polk


Mark Polk is the owner of RV Education 101. He also hosts the RV Savvy segments for RVTV, which airs on the Outdoor Channel. RV Education 101 is a North Carolina-based company that produces professional training videos, DVDs and e-books on how to use and maintain your RV so all of your RV experiences are safe, fun and stress-free.
Mark's videos and DVDs are now available at any Camping World Supercenters and at CampingWorld.com. Click here for VHS videos or here for DVDs.

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