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RV Mods: Smart Tiles Self Adhesive Kitchen Tile Backsplash

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

My husband and I do this every year. It’s cold outside, we are dying to go camping, but instead we end up at the annual RV show in our area. Just to check out what’s new,right? I was actually looking to see what was new with the Big Country, which I really like. As we walked the length and breadth of our local arena, I kept noticing that all the 2013 models had this awesome glass tile in the kitchens. Except it wasn’t glass tile at all! It was a self-adhesive gel tile. After examining the product for what seemed like forever, I turned to my husband and gave him “the look”. Which in our marriage, is loosely translated as,”Oh, crap, she’s going to do another project!”

http://youtu.be/FPF0h_vr_3c

In all fairness, though, we have been looking for a back-splash for our kitchen for some time now. It’s not that I am particularly messy when I cook. But seeing these latest models with this tile product really got me motivated. I found exactly what I wanted at homedepot.com. The product is called Smart Tiles and is sold by homedepot.com among other places.
Smart Tiles 1 - Piece 9.13 in x 10.25 in Peel and Stick Murano Dune Mosaik SM1035-1
We chose the “Dune Mosaic”, to match the dark brown and neutral tiles in our rig, but they do offer a number of different styles, which would compliment any decor. The items shipped very quickly and I was giddy with anticipation. I almost waited until the next day to start, but that is just not my style!We (I, let’s be real here) began by removing the wallpaper border on the wall we were working on. We just wanted the impact of one wall, so we did the wall behind the stove. At $9 a sheet (We purchased 12,whoa), these are not cheap, but the results will astound you. Removing the wall border wasn’t difficult, but in older rigs, it might be a problem. I suppose if you couldn’t get it off, this product would cover right over the wallpaper, but as you will see, a super-smooth surface is best. Our wallpaper left some adhesive residue, which turned out to be a good thing. The Smart Tiles are peel and stick and do allow for removing and re positioning,if necessary. I worked from left to right, bottom to top, cutting when needed with a sharp pair of scissors. This project probably took all of an hour, but most of that was spent with me just staring at my handiwork like an idiot. So here it is (drum roll,please)

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RV Mods: Smart Tiles Self Adhesive Kitchen Tile Backsplash Mod – Results!


Some words of advice: If you are not particularly handy or crafty,give this project to your wife/girlfriend/daughter. Not to be sexist, but unless you spent the better part of your childhood cutting out Barbie paper dolls, you will suck at this and make an unholy mess of this project. But not to worry, when your significant other sees these little jewels arrive, they will snatch them from your hands anyway. Seriously, work methodically. I measured twice, then carefully peeled the backing away and when placing the tiles worked them up from the bottom up. Simply pressing them gently was all they needed. They overlap nicely as well. I used my excess to cut half tiles for the ends and top. All said, I am totally jazzed with this backsplash. It looks very high-end and custom residential. I would love to use this in the RV bathroom around the sink. Truthfully, I want to cover my whole house in these tiles. Smart Tiles clean with a damp cloth, come in a range of colors and are the perfect solution for RVs. Enjoy!

Full Inventory of Smart Tiles for your RV mods at Home Depot.com
SmartTiles Website

Author Information:

Scott & Merri A
You can contact them on Twitter: @abernethysm

13 thoughts on “RV Mods: Smart Tiles Self Adhesive Kitchen Tile Backsplash”

  1. Thank you so much for posting this DIY. We have purchased a Class C with some water stains in the bath room. Wanted to do something with a high end look and this looks like the answer. Can’t wait to look at the different styles in the stores.

  2. I just installed these in our 1998 Damon Deacon in January in Syracuse, NY, with very cold outside temps. Had the furnace on long enough to warm the place up. Have since turned it off and on a couple times while doing renos and they’ve stayed on very well.

  3. Beautiful job! Thanks for sharing. I have been researching these tiles before picking up our TT (our first). Now that I actually have the project in front of me it’s a whole different story! The wall in the kitchen area has horizontal wallpaper border which I will remove but it also has 2 vertical seams that match the wall but are not flush to the wall. I’m hoping that the adhesive from the smart tiles should hold the wall together if I remove the seams. Did you have this issue at all?

  4. Awesome, glad you found it helpful. We love to post renovations from DIYers just like you, Lynn. Send us your updates sometime so we can share your success with the DIYRV community. Have a great day 🙂

  5. OH MY GOSHHHH!!!! This is brilliant! BRILLIANT!! We’re on our 4th year of restoration on a 1973 Balboa motorhome, and this THIS!!! is just exactly exactly exactly what we need! (Obviously I’m a little excited!) Thank you so much for posting this!!!

  6. We have them behind our range. It is probably a valid concern. If you had a grease fire or something catches fire while cooking it would melt those tiles in a second. That is where traditional tile would be a better fit. Our range sits off the wall quite a bit so we are pretty comfortable with it. Use your best judgement!

  7. Hi, I have ordered Smart Tile samples to use as a backsplash in our new travel trailer. They look wonderful and weigh nothing compared to real tiles. Just wondering, have you had any issues with them behind your propane stove top such as melting or just overheating in general? I noticed on the brochure they recommended not installing behind a range, but perhaps propane is different? Thank you and you did an amazing job on the installation. It looks beautiful!

  8. These tiles cut easily. So as long as you can keep a steady hand it should look nicely finished. For an exposed edge you could consider using a sharp utility knife along a straight edge to ensure a finished looking edge. The trim is a great idea for keeping it professional looking as well.

  9. Hi Seashoregrl,

    Looks like your in luck. All that matters is the climate when you install them. I contacted the company that makes the SmartTiles and here is their response:

    Thank you for your interest in our product The Smart Tiles.

    Yes, you can apply our tiles in your motorhome, just make sure that the installation is done at a warm regular room temperature (18+ Celcius) on a surface that is properly cleaned with TSP without leaving any dirt or grease behind. Once the tiles have been installed the hot or cold temperatures will not affect them.

    Please let us know if you have any further questions,

    Lucie Fontaine
    Service à la Clientèle / Customer Service
    Quinco & Cie Inc.
    2035 René Patenaude
    Magog, QC J1X 7J2
    T: 819-847-4001 Ext:230
    F: 819-847-4025

  10. Hi, thanks for posting this. I’ve been thinking about doing this also in our travel trailer. My concern is since the TT is not “climate controlled” all year round, will these fall off with extreme temp changes??

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