The Cameo Camper Renovation: Gold Sewer Hose Bumper Caps
Today we’re back with a super-quick, super-simple project that provides an attractive solution to a very functional, unattractive “problem” of life with a camper – what to do with that long, awkward (and relatively dirty) sewer hose. In my constant effort to combine form and function, we decided to use our 4” square bumper to store our 15-foot-long sewer hose, and turned a necessity into another opportunity to add some blinged out style our gold bumper.
Our gold bumper cap shopping list
Paint thinner
Lint-free rag
Metallic gold spray paint – we used what we had on hand (a can of Valspar, that no longer seems to be sold) , but any smooth-textured, spray paint made to work on plastic should do
Clear spray sealer* – Optional, to protect your gold finish
Scrap cardboard, or something to protect surfaces/rest the caps on while spray painting
Painting the bumper caps
First, we wiped down the caps with paint thinner and lint-free rag to remove any dust, oil and residues. Then we used the gold paint to spray multiple light layers from many different angles to get into all of the nooks and crannies of the cap, until we had a nice consistent solid gold.
We let the caps dry before handling.
That’s it! Told you it was super quick and super simple.
How the caps work
These caps have magnets on the inside to stick onto the bumper and with a simple twist, hook onto the bayonet-end of the sewer hose. With the hose stuffed inside of the bumper and the cap hooks engaged with the hose, removing the cap from the bumper easily pulls the hose out one end of the bumper.
They sell different styles of bumper cap and though you really only need one cap to hook onto one end of the hose, we got two of the same magnetic hooking caps for a balanced look. The magnets are very strong and hold on to the metal bumper great without also needing to screw into the hose.
How it’s holding up
The metal bumper and plastic end caps have held up really well so far, but we’ve thought about using a clear spray sealer to help protect the paint job to make the bumper even more low maintenance. You can see in these photos some small water spots and dirt, but the paint job still is solid. (Remember, as with all paint jobs, prep is key to a great, long-lasting finish.)
We’ll probably choose a clear coat that’s got a gloss to it (versus a matte finish) to help really highlight the gold metallic color.
What do you think of this solution? Do you have a clever way to store your sewer hose? We’d love to hear about any tips or tricks you’ve got in the comments below.