We’ve been avid family campers for years and have just recently outgrown our current travel trailer. With 5 of us, including a teenager that is almost 6 feet tall, plus a dog, our camper was just too small to house us any longer. We’ve been talking for a couple of years about what we wanted to do once we outgrew our trailer, and finally decided to buy a pop up camper. I grew up camping in pop up trailers and have always loved them. They surprisingly have a lot of space. And if you buy them used they’re relatively inexpensive, and often don’t really need a lot of work done to them. So this summer we finally decided to make the leap and buy a new-to-us pop up camper.
I was a little overwhelmed at the idea of trying to find a trailer…we’ve had a lot going on here this spring…so my Dad, being the great sport that he is, helped to find the perfect camper for us! A couple of weeks ago this 2004 camper became available and we snapped it up the first day up on Kijiji! It has the perfect layout with enough beds for all 5 of us.
Our Pop Up Camper Before the Makeover
Meet Wilma! Our 2004 Forest River Rockwood Pop Up Camper. She is in excellent condition and really doesn’t need anything done. But…I just can’t help myself…I’ve always wanted to make over a trailer and now is the perfect time. Wilma is getting a makeover!
As you can see the trailer is fine, but the colours just aren’t what we want for our camper. The cupboards are a little dark and the cushion pattern is outdated.But the bones, the structure and the layout are perfect for us.
This camper has 4 beds, including a kingsized bed, a queen and 2 twin beds, so everyone will have a bed…no one will have to have a makeshift bed on the floor anymore! This is very exciting for our youngest 😉
There are 2 sitting areas with tables. One is set up like a sectional couch, and one table is a small dinette, so there’s lots of room for hanging out, eating dinner and playing games.
It’s a fantastic layout. All it needs is a freshening up with some new paint, new cushions and some fun decorations. I can hardly wait to get it finished! Our goal is to makeover Wilma in less than 2 weeks. I think we can do it because really, all we’re changing are aesthetics, nothing structural. I think the hardest part is going to be changing the cushion covers and painting. I hate painting, but it’s worth it in the end.
Our Pop Up Camper Makeover Plans
I thought it would be fun to share our camper makeover with all of you, so I’m going to show you what our plans are for Wilma. You can also follow along on Instagram as we share what we’re up to in real time.
What We’re Not Changing in Our Pop Up Camper
Our camper is in great condition, so there are quite a few things we’re not going to be changing:
We are not changing any structure at all, the camper is in great condition.
We’re keeping the beds, they’re in great shape.
We’ll also be keeping the curtains, they’re also in great shape and I like the colour enough not to go to the trouble of replacing them, I’m just going to wash them. But I will remove all the frilly valences.
I like the drawer and cupboard pulls so we’ll keep them for now. They’re currently gold and the shape is great.
The Makeover Plans for Our Pop Up Camper
Most of our makeover plans are aesthetic changes that shouldn’t be too hard to complete.
Prime and paint the cabinets. We’re thinking either white or really light grey
Add new flooring. We’re thinking vinyl grey peel and stick hardwood.
Do something with the counter and table tops. We’ll either cover them with contact paper or replace them altogether.
Recover the cushions. This is going to be the biggest challenge for me because I can’t sew and we don’t want to pay to have someone recover them. So I’m going to DIY reupholster them with a light upholstery fabric of some kind.
Repaint the outside of the camper. We’re not going to do that this summer though, we’ll tackle it either in the fall or next spring.
Decorating: Purchase new bed linens, rugs, dishes, string lights and decorations.
Our DIY Pop Up Camper Makeover Budget: $1000
Our budget is $1000, but we’re hoping to keep it closer to $500. Our goal is to keep this as inexpensive as possible without being too cheap. We’ll see how it goes.
The budget will only include paint, flooring, cushion covers and that sort of thing. Not the decorations or new bedding.
As we refurbish and work on our camper I’m going to share our progress and DIY projects over here on my blog, so make sure to stay tuned! I think the final reveal is going to be amazing!
Donating it to us at Goodwill Car Donations is the easiest way you can get rid of it while helping your disadvantaged neighbors. Your camper donation will show them the way to a brighter future! We will sell your vehicle through auction and turn over the proceeds to the Goodwill organizations in your local area.
When the outside is hot, you feel it inside too. Noise from outside is an issue: Pop-up campers have thin walls, hence you can tow them easily. However, the thin walls allow loud noises to penetrate the tents. Storage problem: You might have to pay to store your pop-up camper.
To start, choose a color scheme that makes your camper's interior feel clean, cozy and oh-so-inviting. Paint the walls, paint or replace the cabinets, cover cushions with fabric you love and hang color-coordinated curtains to overhaul the interior.
The camper we bought was actually already painted, but we washed it down with soap, primed it, and then painted 2 coats of exterior paint. We tried a brush and a roller and definitely suggest rolling it. It's already been through a lot of rain and is looking good. For the interior, we decided to use the same color.
Leaving your camper “up” might seem like a good idea. However, since pop ups are constructed with soft sides, typically canvas, leaving it popped up is an invitation for critters and pests to enter and set up house or cause destruction.
they will all leak shortly after regular maintenance stops happening. that said there are a lot of 30 year old campers in much better shape than 2 year old campers for this same reason.
Some locations have restrictions due to safety – unfortunately, there are a number of campsites and parks (such as Yellowstone) that have rules against pop-up trailers or exposed canvas campers due to safety concerns — especially in areas where bears and other predators are common.
It can be as simple as hanging a few hats, signs and pictures, adding a lamp, putting up some string lights and plants, or stacking your favorite books. Try to think vertically, and utilize hooks and hangers in these spaces to really maximize the space and functionality.
Decor can include throw pillows for your seating area, blankets and curtains in fabrics that you enjoy. These options not only add a personalized touch to the space but also add comfort. Another great addition to your decor is introducing some greenery with plants that add a natural element to your RV.
If you want a water-based paint, I would lean towards using an alkyd enamel paint. I've read that this type of paint has worked well for campers for others.
Lowe's Sherwin Williams exterior paint did a great job on this project! The exterior paint with primer makes this a fairly easy job. This paint glides on and provides great coverage. However, I do recommend two good coats to make sure that you really get into everything.
If you do want to find out your RV's “blue book” value, you can use the NADA website. Fortunately, it's pretty straightforward and user-friendly. Navigate to NADA's RV value homepage, and choose the “type” of RV you have (or are looking at buying).
How long does a pop-up camper last? A pop-up camper can last as many as fifteen years if you look after it. But, of course, the actual time frame depends on how often you use it and maintain it.
You could find yourself running into the “10 Year Rule”. Though it may not be accurate all the time this rule is based on the assumption that an RV over 10 years old might be too weathered or worn. The heated debate of how this rule is applied to renovated, well maintained, or vintage RV's rages on.
Pop-up campers, also known as fold-down campers or tent trailers, offer a comfortable way to explore the great outdoors. They're often easy to tow and lightweight, which makes them a great option for a variety of tow vehicles. These tiny but mighty campers normally sleep two to four people.
Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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