AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE TABLE TOPPER IDEA

The Airstream Interstate is legendary for being rough and bumpy in the rear while driving (e.g., see this Air Forums thread and this other recent thread on suspension upgrades).  Even during our brief ownership, I've already had issues with stuff launching off the rear table while the vehicle was in motion.

As a simple way of minimizing this tendency, I modified an idea that I found on a general RV forum (I would link to it if I could remember where I read it).  Several users suggested making table place mats out of grippy shelf liner to prevent dishes from skidding around while traveling.  

This stuff.  It comes in many, many colors now.  Not your Grandma's shelf liner.

Thumbnails screengrabbed from Amazon.com  

I took that good idea one step further and made an entire table topper out of it.

Like this.  The color is so close to our actual table that you don't even really see it unless you look carefully.  

Just trim to fit with sharp scissors.  Nothing hanging over the edges to get accidentally dragged off by someone squeezing into the "booth".  

The other thing I did was make a similar protective cover for our countertop.  We have the recessed sink and stove which have glass lids (seems to be standard on newer Interstates but only some of the oldest ones have this option).  It's a configuration that makes for a great continuous large task space, except working directly on top of the glass would likely result in it getting scratched to pieces over time.  Furthermore I worry about chips or breakage if small objects are dropped onto the glass when no padding is present.  

So as a workaround for that, you can either cut a single piece to fit the whole counter, or just cut smaller pieces to fit directly over the glass inserts.  I did a piece for the whole counter and I'm very pleased.  

Anyway, there's one more small make-your-life easier option that costs almost nothing and helps to address a specific situation.

I am looking forward to the day when we can ease off our DIY and upgrades to the point where we can just take a small trip and I can sit in the back doing nothing except relaxing and sipping tea.  However, grippy table topper or not, I may have to swap this fragile assembly for one of those really squat Asian sets that would tend not to tip over in heavy road turbulence.  Perhaps in cast iron.
:-)