How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV

Updating an RV or Travel Trailer can get pretty nerve-wracking if the walls are old and dated and the painting doesn’t work well. If you need to cover up uneven spots and cracks, apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV to freshen it up and make the walls pretty.

If you are searching for all the tips on how to update the interior of your RV, get the guide with all the steps on where to start and how to do it.

How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV

Wallpaper is a great option if you want to add some color or an accent wall to a neutral interior. It is a great update when adding colorful wallpaper to a plain interior to freshen it up. It will give the camper life a lot of atmosphere, glam, and coziness.

Material List for applying peel and stick wallpaper in your RV or TT

What you need:

• level
• razor knife/scissors
• plastic smoother
• tape measure
• pencil
• wallpaper kit

Start with preparing the walls before you apply the peel and stick wallpaper:

1. Clean the walls. They have to be dust and grease-free otherwise the glue doesn’t stick well.
2. Use a sponge and warm water with detergent to get the dirt off the walls.
3. Don’t make the walls too wet, just wipe them down.
4. If you decide on a light wallpaper, prime the walls first before applying the wallpaper for the best results.

How to add a peel and stick wallpaper:

If you want to add some color or accents to your RV it is easy to add a peel-and-stick wallpaper. The walls aren’t huge and adding wallpaper goes fast. The only tricky area adding wallpaper is the wall around the windows and doors which requires a lot of cutting and measuring.

Therefore it makes sense to decide on a wall without a lot of cabinets or windows. It is not easy to fit the pattern perfectly especially if you need to make a lot of cuts. Start easy with an accent wall:

How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV without a pattern repeat:

1. Measure the length of your wall and add 2 inches to the measurement
2. Unroll the wallpaper and transfer measurement
3. Using the pencil and level make a straight line on the wallpaper
4. Pre-cut the wallpaper panels
5. Using a level make a straight line on your wall to line up your first panel from the top of the wall down. Don’t start in the corner, start in the middle of the wall if you add more than 2 panels. If your wall requires only 1 or 2 panels, start in the corner and work your way out.
6. Peel off about 10 inches of the backing paper and line up on your straight line
7. Use the plastic smoother or sponge to smooth out any bubbles
8. Continue to pull off the backing and smooth any wrinkles or bubbles with the plastic piece until the whole panel is on the wall.
9. Smooth out the wallpaper from the center out, this is easier than from top to bottom.
10. Trim the excess wallpaper with the utility knife when done.
11. Line up the second panel and repeat the steps until done.
12. You can take a sponge and brush the wallpaper down from top to bottom to make sure the wallpaper sticks well and evenly.
13. If you have bubbles that you can’t eliminate, use a sharp knife to cut into the bubble and even it out while pressing on it.

If you only apply one panel, I would start the application of the panel on the wall corner to get a straight impression. You can see here on the right side of the picture that the wall is not straight as the paper overlaps in the corner.

Cut the overlap at the bottom of the wall with scissors or a knife.

In order to save money and wallpaper, pick a pattern with NO pattern repeat or a very small repeat of about 5 inches or less. Otherwise, you will need more wallpaper accordingly.

How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV

How to add a peel and stick wallpaper with a pattern repeat:

1. Measure the length of the wall
2. Add about 2 inches to your measurement
3. Cut the first panel
4. The second panel: add to the length of the wall half of the pattern repeat. It will be indicated in the instructions on your wallpaper. For example, a Design repeat of 21-in is indicated on this wallpaper design

6. Add half of the pattern repeat of 21 inches= 10.5 inches to the measurement of your wall.

7. Lay the panels next to each other with the pattern lined up to be sure the pattern fits and the panels are long enough to cover the wall.

8. Use the exact steps with all of the other panels until you are done cutting all the panels you need.

9. Mark each panel to know how to start.

10. Start with panel 1, take about 10 inches off the backing and apply it to the wall.

11. Line up the pattern of panel 2 and apply it the same way. Move the pattern up and down to find the exact match. Apply all of your panels.

9. Use a long ruler or your level and utility knife to cut the panels on top and bottom to fit.

10. Here is a short video on How to apply peel and stick wallpaper:

Best peel and stick wallpaper patterns for your RV/TT/Motorhome

These awesome-looking wallpaper designs will fit very well in an RV, Travel Trailer or Motorhome.

If you don’t want to add a lot of colors and you prefer a simple pattern, here are some pretty options:

If you want to add color and more pattern, these options are very pretty with a small pattern repeat:

But of course, there are so many more pretty wallpaper designs, that it is very hard to decide which one to choose. I just picked two different styles and will work with them in my RV:

Frequently asked questions

How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV

Is it hard to apply peel and stick wallpaper in an RV?

It is not hard if you have somebody helping you to hold the panels straight. Especially when you are working on a tall wall, it makes the procedure easier. But it is possible to do it on your own. The hardest part was to peel off the backing paper.

What is the best temperature to apply wallpaper in your RV?

The ideal environment for applying primer and wallpaper is inside humidity 0% to 85% and room temperature 50 to 90 F.

Should I prime my walls?

Especially if you are applying a white or light wallpaper, it makes sense to prime the walls prior to adding wallpaper. Otherwise, the darker wall color shines through the lighter wallpaper.

I want to add wallpaper/backsplash around a window. How shall I do this?

The best thing to get a good look around the corners is to take the trim around the window off or to loosen the frame a little bit. You can easily hide the corners of the wallpaper behind the frame for a perfect look.

What is a pattern repeat?

Check the description of your wallpaper if it has a pattern repeat. If so, add the indication of the pattern to your measurement when cutting the second panel of wallpaper.

Where should I start with the first wallpaper panel?

It is better to hang the first panel of wallpaper in the middle of the wall and work your way out to the corners. Using a level and pencil, mark your first vertical line to add your wallpaper straight.

How to get the wallpaper seams right?

As you hang each wallpaper panel, position it next to the preceding one. The edges should only touch not overlap. If it doesn’t look right the first time, peel it back as much as needed, and reposition it correctly. You can also push the paper carefully with two hands towards the seam.

Should I add additional adhesive?

Normally the adhesive on the back of the wallpaper is enough to hold the wallpaper on the walls. However, sometimes it happens that the wallpaper is dated and the adhesive is not good anymore.

If you notice, that the wallpaper doesn’t hold up well on the wall, apply some spray adhesive like the 3M spray adhesive. Make sure that you add enough adhesive around the corners of the wallpaper panels.

Do you have more tips how to remodel my Camper?

Definitely! You can make a lot of easy updates to feel more comfortable in your Camper. Here are some easy tips

Pretty impressions of wallpaper with a small pattern repeat used in an RV or Travel Trailer:

How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV:

Of course, I have a complete Checklist of how to update your Travel Trailer or Camper or RV. I also have an Ebook, showing you exactly the steps you need to take to remodel your Camper. Take one step after the other and you will be done in no time.

How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV / Travel Trailer / Camper

And here is the bonus tip:

If you have no clue how to add peel and stick wallpaper but you would love to add some pattern at a wall, here is my bonus tip:

1. Paint the section you want to accent with a pattern. Preferably white or a light gray.
2. Decide what kind of a pattern you would like to have:
3. If you want shiplap, just get a level and a thin sharpie and draw the lines on the wall.
4. Draw the lines about 6 to 7 inches apart.

If you want to try something else, make a template out of a cardboard, get a spongy brush and your interior paint, or a sharpie, and start designing:

Another tip is to buy a stencil, tape it on the wall exactly where you want to have it. Get your accent color and paint over the stencil with a small foam roller. Depending on the pattern, you can add them on to each other or just paint one pattern. So easy and it looks very professional:

Summary of How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV:

It is such a fantastic and fast transformation if you want to add a pattern or an accent color in your RV. If you get a pattern without a repeat you won’t have any issues to apply it. Otherwise you can also add your own pattern in a fast and easy way by drawing it on to the wall.

Try it out, you are going to love it.

See you on the road

Conny

How to apply peel and stick wallpaper in your RV