There are a few items on our fix-it list before we take the Winnebago on her maiden voyage, and one of them is to modernize the interior just a bit. The interior is in pristine condition except it’s heavy on the mauve. There’s a mauve dinette, mauve window treatments, mauve carpet, mauve captain chair, and, oh yeah, a mauve jackknife couch.
Before: A delicate, slightly Southwestern mauve jackknife couch.
Our game plan with the magnificent mauve jackknife was to cover up as much mauve as possible, without having to reupholster anything. We took a trip to Ikea to scout out some solutions and found a futon cover for $30 that fits with a little tucking in. Then lo and behold, matching cushions were awaiting us in the pillow section! We removed the old couch cushions along the back and replaced them with the Karlstad cushions. Next we tucked in the futon cover, found an old sheet to cover the bottom portion of the couch and finished the look with a map pillow and soft throw.
After: Same jackknife minus the mauve.
Feeling inspired to mod your rv couch? Here’s my 2019 updated shopping list:
(The original items I used for my jackknife couch are all discontinued at Ikea, so recently I went on Amazon to find comparable products that can achieve the same look/feel as my project for roughly the same cost.)
Easy-Going Stretch Slipcover – $26.99 (They sell a dark grey color in a futon size.)
20×20″ Pillow Inserts, set of 4 – $28.99 (This would create four pillows along the backrest of the jackknife couch, instead of the three cushions I have in my project. Or consider keeping your original jackknife couch cushions and covering them up with the slipcover.)
Heavy-lined Linen Cushion Cover – $16.86 each, 20×20″ size, charcoal color (need four total)
Jersey knit fitted full sheet – $15.99
Never Stop Exploring 18×18″ map pillow – $10.99
Total cost: $150.40
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Dirt Roads, Big Skies 
Nice job, I am looking for something in the black Pleather category or would this work better since it is washable?
This cover is nice because it is washable, but it’s a pain if you have a dog that sheds everywhere and you end up having to wash it constantly. (Like me!) A pleather cover would be way easier to clean, just wipe it off.
I need a new fold up thicker mattress for sofa. Any ideas for 2 heavy adults?
A store like camping world may carry replacement mattresses that would fit. Or try reaching out your RV manufacturer to see if they sell replacement mattresses.
Did you have a water tank there?
No, the tanks are located underneath the floor in the rear of the RV.
So where are the instructions? All of the links just go to ikea, not the product.
Good catch Marcie, it looks like the cushions are no longer available at IKEA, and I updated the links to the slip cover and throw.
We are trying to cover the mauve in our RV too…love you ideas. How did you handle the dinette area?
Thanks for visiting Natalie! I didn’t really do much to the dinette except add a few throw pillows to help hide the mauve. A couple small, fun pillows should help!
Hello, did you have barrel chairs to cover? I have two also in the mauve. Trying to find covers for them but no luck.
Thanks for stopping by Sabrina! I did not make any updates to the barrel chairs in my RV, so unfortunately I don’t have any good leads on covers. Hope you find something that works!
Janice….loved what you did to your sofa…I have the exact sofa and I have been looking did that cover have a zipper and if so how did you handle using that cover when you cannot actually cover the couch like a futon mattress?
Hi Jo Ann, this particular cover did not have a zipper, it was open-ended on the bottom, if that makes sense. I was able to remove the backrest cushions on my couch, then slide the cover over the top and it happened to fit really well. If you can find a cover that doesn’t have a zipper, that would work best! Happy RV-ing!
Thank you Janice I figured it did not have a zipper but I needed to verify. I found the style you used I just need to make sure it does not have a zipper…. it does not state it within the specs. Happy RVing to you as well.