We completed the RV Renovation for our 11th reno and we couldn't be more in love with this rig. The best part about it, we get to enjoy it too!!! Typically we renovate RVs and then send them on their way. Off to adventure with their new family. It's not often we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor. 
What's our plan with this rig? We plan to rent her out to other families to enjoy and adventure in. One minor detail, we didn't have chance to finish the shower. We ordered a new basin from Camping World but then found out it wasn't coming from Camping World, it was coming from the manufacturer, who then had it on back order so, it wasn't going to arrive until April. We've gotten creative and Travis has a great idea for the shower, so that is to come, hopefully soon so we can get this beauty on the road, but like most everything in this RV Renovation world, it all takes time and a lot of patience. 

So, to answer the many questions about where each and every thing came from, here yah go!

Mattress:
Custom ordered from Mattress Insider

Bedding: Beddy's Bed Code: Ourlivelytribe for 15% off your order!
Naturally Boho (Minky) - For Adults

Rug:IKEA - LOHALS
Rug, flatwoven, natural5 ' 3 "x7 ' 7 "

Kitchen Sink
IKEA KILSVIKEN Sink, black quartz composite28 3/8x18 1/8 "

Flooring:
Lowe's Home Improvement Store
Shaw Matrix with Advance Flex Technology Dockside Hickory 5.9-in x 48.03-in Waterproof Interlocking Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

Lighting:
World Market
Black Wire Cage Semi Flush Mount Edward Ceiling Light

Amazon
Design House Industrial Modern Wall Mount Light with Metal Shade

​Coat Racks: World Market
Live Edge Wood Wall Rack
Chevron Wood And Marble Wall Rack

Pillows
Golden Throw Pillows: World Market
​Moonbeam Patchwork Leather Hide Throw Pillow - World Market - no longer available

Drawer Pulls
Amazon
Antique Bronze Iron Drawer Knobs Pulls Handles 
​Gold Cabinet Drawer Pulls Kitchen Hardware

​Curtains
Textured Striped Shower Curtain - Project 62™
(I cut and hemmed these to fit the windows)

Beds, rails and drawers all custom built by Travis

Throws on bed - IKEA
JOHANNE Throw, black/natural

Mattresses on top bunks - IKEA
UNDERLIG
Foam mattress for junior bed, white27 1/2x63 "

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These renovations always tend to take longer than we expect. We give ourselves a timeline and before we know it, it's far behind us and we are still buttoning up the details. The details sound simple but always end up taking so long. I am anxious to get into the Evo renovation and add my touches but being as patient as possible. This week I did get in and paint, which I don't often find time to do. I didn't totally have a vision, per usual, as I tend to rush and jump into things to rush it done. (Hence the reason Travis does't let me in the shop often.)
Watch our latest YouTube to see the artwork I did!
Also stay tuned as this will be ready to rent soon!

​The most commonly asked question we get is, “how do we paint our RV?” Painting your RV is the biggest job when turning your space into a space you love but it ultimately makes the biggest change. Taking that ugly brown to a new level by covering it in white and adding pops of color is a game changer. White brightens up the space and colors give the space your touch of personality.
Let me preface by saying, painting is the biggest job when renovating your RV but it is also the most rewarding. When done right, you should only have to do it once so I’m sharing our how tos, what we’ve found has worked for us and what we use to take that ugly brown and turn it into a bright and open space with paint.

When you paint an RV, it’s a much more tedious job than painting 4 walls in a room of your home. RVs are smaller but the nooks and crannies are everywhere! There’s not one solid large wall to roll paint on, there are cabinets and corners everywhere you turn which all require detailed attention. Your rig may get a lot of wear and tear, extreme weather conditions inside. If it sits in the Arizona heat during the summertime, unused or the cold North Dakota winter in the snow, it will effect the paint and how it holds up, so be prepared, nothing is perfect but there’s a way to do it to hold up longer and ways to maintain the paint.

How long does this job typically take? For two people, it can take a full week or more to prep, paint, let dry, paint, let dry, paint more. It can feel like an incredibly slow process and it can feel as if it may never get done, but take your time and do it right the first time or you’ll be doing it again sooner than you may want.

To spray or to roll
Again, this is a personal preference. What we’ve found to work best for us is to do both. We spray the cabinet doors and RV doors, things we remove, we spray in our painters booth. The rest of it is rolled on. Rolling on the interior gives us the ability to have more control over where the paint is going.

To prep, remove the furniture you will not be keeping inside after your renovation. Cover the rest with plastic or brown butcher paper. We prefer the paper to wasting plastic. After everything is covered, start removing the hardware from cabinets and drawers. Grab a few coffee canisters and organize your drawer pulls and latches into these with the screws so nothing gets lost. From here it’s time to tape! Tape all of the widow frames, the floor, the light fixtures and switches. We always paint the ceiling of the entire RV so the same paint color is laid throughout the entire renovation. We tape off everything on the ceiling to prepare it all for paint. We also custom build a lot of new things in RVs so before we add paint, we’ve demoed the RV and taken out the pieces we will rebuilding.

 In 2016, we decided to hit the road and travel the entire United States. We had a travel trailer, but I knew with some love, we could transform this space into something that felt like a home. Having our home to come back to each day after a new adventure was such an important aspect of RV Living. We were always blown away that we were able to tow our entire life behind us. Crawl into our own beds each night, no matter was outside around us. Sometimes it was a rest stop or a Walmart parking lot, other times it was outside of Zion, a hillside on New Mexico or the beaches of Texas. No matter where we were, our home was right there with us.

The best thing we have done in our RV homes is to add paint to the walls. Painting our space white brightens up the entire RV. Taking away that "everything is brown" look makes the space cozy and welcoming. Some thing we are crazy for having so many white walls with 4 boys in such a small space but let me tell you, Mr Clean white eraser sponges are my best friend. From there we have added pops of color around out RV to give it the warmth and add our own touch. 

Another thing we do in our renovations to make it feel like home is we gut the slide and add a new couch and dinette area. We love our Home Reserve couch in our current RV and one of the other favorite couches we used in our first renovation is the Ikea couch with storage. Adding small pieces of furniture and such can give your space a warm feeling. 

Lastly, hang pictures! Use that rare wallspace wisely. It's valuable real-estate. Hang your favorite family picture, traveling map, bulletin board for keepsakes. Giving the space your own touch makes it feel so much more like home. 

There are several reasons we decided to live the small life. This lifestyle is a choice. In todays day and age, most new homes are large,  2,000+ square feet and not much outdoor space. The focus on newer homes being built is the bigger the better. We found ourselves, like most, filling it with unnecessary things, stuff, crap we just didn't need. Most of the house wasen't used and we all tended to gather in the same small space. The decision to go small for us was easy.

First, we found that by downsizing, we were free of so much clutter, closets full of items we never touched and things we just didn't need. By living small, we are mindful of the things we have in our home. Mindful of our purchases and need to make sure that each item we bring in has a spot to go. If it doesn't, we get rid of something we haven't used in a while.  It's simple and so freeing. 

Second, we don't need a large space to live in to all be comfortable. I'll be honest, moving from 1,400 sq. ft to 300 sq. ft was an adjustment to say the least. When you've lived your entire life with enough space to have to actually look for the people you live with, its strange to nearly have eye contact with them each time you turn around. For a mom with 4 boys, they are never far from our sight, unless they're outside. Does each person have their own private space? In our tiny home, yes. Each of us has a bed space we can escape to when needed. Do we find ourselves there often? No. 

Third, we live small because in the end, we live far under our means, which means our finances can be directed into the most important places. Right now, that is the growth of our business. Living in Southern California, attempting to grow a business from the ground up without the help of outside finances can be near impossible. Having the ability to live small, love it and live below our means puts us on track to achieve the goals we have set out to accomplish. 

When we slowed down the travel life to have our 4th son, we rented a house that was about 2,600 sq. ft. We used maybe 60% of the space and still didn't need it all. We joked that the master bedroom was larger than the RV we just moved out of. It was daunting and we couldn't wait to get out of it. Lesson learned. Living small has its pros and cons, its ups and down and its trials and tribulations. Yet, at this time in our lives, it really does work best for us. Will we always live small? Maybe not THIS small, but I cannot imagine living in a 2,000+ sq. ft house ever again. 

In 2016 when we first decided to travel in an RV fulltime, this concept was pretty foreign to most. We were wedding photographers, only working on the weekends with kids in school during the week. Our weekdays were mostly open other than side work and we felt the urge to break away from whats expected and explore. To each other, this idea felt wildly freeing, to our family and friends, I think they thought we were nuts. I specifically remember my moms reaction when we shared our plans with her, "That sounds like a fun idea." To which I responded, "It's not actually an idea, we're really going to do it and thats why we're telling you."
Moving away from what's considered "normal" and changing course was a big jump but it was one we were so confident in. Getting away from a mortgage, a 9-5 job that barely paid the bills, and exploring the US sounded exactly like what we wanted to do.
So how did we handle those comments, questions, concerns and sometimes lack of support? We just did it. We didn't need anyones permission to hit the road. No matter how crazy they thought we were, we knew exactly what we wanted. When our parents decided to meet us on the road, travel with us a bit and watch our adventures on YouTube, they began ton understand the appeal. 
Now when we make big changes in our lives, they're not too often surprised. They tend to shrug, stand back and watch our next adventure unfold. We are lucky to have incredibly supportive parents, friends who are not afraid to ask all of the questions and kids who are just along for the ride. 
If you are deciding to jump into the RV Life fulltime and lack that support, just do it. They'll all come around and if they don't, it's still your life. Live it how you dream. 

This renovation was built for a family of 4 to travel around the US. Although the state of the world slowed us down, we got her done and delivered. Watch until the end to see the familys reaction to their new home. 

One of our most popular questions! How do you add new lights your RV? I miss you too, we walk you through how we install new lighting in our fifth wheel renovation that we are currently working on. We replaced so many of the lights in this renovation and I am so excited to share it with you. Also, here is the link to all of the lighting that we used in this renovation. Enjoy!