Wanted: Complete re-upholstery

[BrucePerens]

I am in the market for replacement curtains and a full set of slipcovers for the two couches in my 2006 model 3023. Trailmanor will sell the curtains for quite a lot: for example they quoted $200 per bed curtain. But they don't make slipcovers. I would like everything to be washable and am considering a durable fabric like denim. One option is simply to hire an upholsterer. Any suggestions? We're in Northern California.

[inghamm]

We are in the process of trying this:
http://www.doityourselfrv.com/rv-din...lstery-sewing/

original link:
http://littlevintagetrailer.com/2012...ette-cushions/

two done, maybe the rest done tonight. So far so good.

[countrygirl]

I think some years ago I saw where several people did it themselves and it was NICE! I will look for pics and post if I find them.

[momto4girls]

I would love to do this for mine, but I know NOTHING about sewing. I was considering just washing my curtains--possibly dying them back to the original color since they are faded. And paying someone to recover my dinette cushions. I think I would do a Sunbrella type fabric--I'm not wanting a removable slipcover--but it would be very washable (spot cleaning). Curious to see what others have done.

[Bill]

Mom -

If you wash the curtains, rehang them while they are damp. If they shrink in the dryer, they are difficult to rehang.

I would question the idea of not making the cushion covers washable. They take a lot of wear, and absorb a lot of random dust and grubbiness. Especially if you have any allergies in your crowd, washing the covers and the foam cushions is nice.

My wife has numerous environmental allergies. We just pulled the foam core out of the bed, washed it in the back yard, washed the cover in the washing machine, and re-assembled. (Re-assembly was a bear, by the way.) We do the same for the couch cushions every two or three years. It helps.

Bill

[momto4girls]

Originally Posted by Bill

Mom -

If you wash the curtains, rehang them while they are damp. If they shrink in the dryer, they are difficult to rehang.

I would question the idea of not making the cushion covers washable. They take a lot of wear, and absorb a lot of random dust and grubbiness. Especially if you have any allergies in your crowd, washing the covers and the foam cushions is nice.

My wife has numerous environmental allergies. We just pulled the foam core out of the bed, washed it in the back yard, washed the cover in the washing machine, and re-assembled. (Re-assembly was a bear, by the way.) We do the same for the couch cushions every two or three years. It helps.

Bill

Bill, did you have any trouble with the foam cracking or tearing from being handled like that? I have been afraid to mess with it. Our mattress toppers tear easily--I know it's a completely different kind of foam, but it's old...

[Bill]

Mom -

No, the foam did not crack or tear, but we handled it gently. The cushions were easy - pull the foam blocks out of the covers, wash the covers, then wash the foam blocks on a gentle cycle. Warm water, soap - relatively easy to do.

The foam core of the bed is a BIG piece of foam. It was clearly not going to fit in our washing machine. So what I did was to remove the foam lock from the case, take it outside, and lay it over a few sawhorses and deck chairs, just to get it more or less flat and off the ground. Then I got a bucket, filled it with warm soapy water, and tossed the water all over the foam block. Let the block absorb the warm soapy water for a few minutes. Turn the block over, and repeat. Wait several minutes, then hose it off with a lot of cool water from the hose, turn it over, and repeat. Really soak it down - a clean rinse is important. Then let the block dry (it takes a long time) in the sun.

Meanwhile, wash the mattress cover in the washing machine, dry it on a gentle cycle, and stretch it out flat.

Stuffing the foam back into the cover was a two-person job, no doubt about it.

We did this several years ago, and it seemed to help my wife's allergies. We'll see.

Bill