thewhitehat wrote:
I'm just shooting from the hip here, and I'm certainly not an expert in the matter, but I would imagine it would be OK to use a good grade wall primer - (Zinzer's is a professional grade product available at Home Depot) - which can be used on just about any type of surface, and will provide a good solid surface to paint or wallpaper over. I'm pretty sure it holds up in extreme weather, because they even recommend using it on your rain spouts outside. The only reason I know about this is that a friend of mine, a professional paper hanger himself introduced me to it, and I used it in my house to paper over an existing wallpaper. It's certainly worth researching.
RVs and stick and brick homes are two entirely different animals and typical things that can be done in a sticks and bricks is often much harder to execute without problems down the road.
Yes it IS possible to "wallpaper" a RV but KEEPING the wall paper "stuck" to the wall is entire different matter. Yes, there IS primers that "overcome" most of the issue BUT keep in mind that the adhesives used for wallpapering is WATER BASED.
The problem with water based adhesives in a RV environment is most RVs experience higher humidity than most sticks and bricks.
Given the very small living space in a RV and the fact you will have one, two or more people living and breathing inside the RV the moisture levels are always higher than a home. Not to mention showers/baths and cooking that happens in a RV and your wallpaper will literally come "unglued".
We "tried that" in a mobile home once with so-so results, worked OK for a few years in the bathroom but had several places near the top of the walls that always needed some "touchup" regluing. Keeping in mind that we DID use the recommend wall primer specifically for this use and surface.
Painting most likely would be a more permanent solution with perhaps a few "borders" in strategic places that would be more manageable to repair if the glue lets go.
Mookiecat, wow, you have managed to post enough times in just a few days to reach "senior" status.. I haven't read much of your posts but just from skimming a few I think you need to go to a few dealers and simply start kicking tires.
Many of your questions you will be able to answer simply by going, looking, touching. Pretty hard to do from a keyboard or looking at floor plans in brochures.
When you PHYSICALLY can be in the RV then you will bet a better sense of the space, decor and functionality of the layout.
Many manufacturers will offer SEVERAL color/decor choices in the same floor plan. CHOOSE the color/decor of the plan that you can "live with". Keeping in mind that there is no rules that state that you must keep the curtains/window treatments or even the bed covers. These things CAN be changed easily and at a rather low cost if you are handy.
Basically unless you are planning to full time or live out of the RV for long periods of time I would not worry so much about decor. We rarely spend much time inside, instead we are outside much of the time and inside for sleeping.
