If you’ve been following our Instagram feed this is one modification that will come as no surprise. This quick and easy modification will not only protect your kitchen walls, but will also add a touch of elegance to the interior of your truck camper.
The backsplash modification using the Home Depot peel and stick Smart Tiles was a popular mod in the RV community a few years ago. We liked the idea and looks of this mod back then, too, but Mike and I decided to hold off over concerns we had about the product. Our main concerns were about the product’s ability to remain adhered in Arizona’s triple digit heat and its durability over time. With strong ratings in the three years the product has been out, and the need for a backsplash in our new camper, we decided the time was right for this RV modification.
Manufactured by Quinco & Co. Inc., a Canadian company, the Smart Tiles
Installing each Smart Tiles sheet was incredibly simple and took only minutes. The instructions recommend starting at the bottom and working your up the wall. A small amount of overlap is needed when applying the sheets to get the right look and spacing between individual tiles. The hardest part was ensuring that each sheet was square with the wall since it had to be done by eye. You’ll want to make sure the walls are cleaned before starting the project. We used rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth and they worked well in getting the walls prepped for this mod.
Are there any lessons to be learned from this job? Just a few. The age-old advice of measuring twice and cutting once applies. Mike actually went to the extreme and measured three or four times before making his cuts. Applying each sheet can be a bit tricky as well as each sheet is very sticky and grabs at the slightest touch. Fortunately, the sheets are easy to pull up and readjust in order to get them positioned just right.
As you can see by the photos, the backsplash looks great. At first, we kept the backsplash confined to the side wall only, but after a few days, Mike and I agreed that the project looked unfinished and that the tiles should be applied to the back wall as well. For the entire project, we used six sheets of the Smart Tiles product for a total of $60 for the entire project. We are thrilled with the look and we really can’t complain about the price. The tiles look like a professional installed them and it didn’t take that long to do, perhaps an hour not including cleanup. For a camper that doesn’t have a lot of “foo-foo,” this is a quick and easy way to add a touch of elegance without making the interior too dark and gloomy.
