I’ve got such a fun makeover to share with you today. This one comes from a reader named Christie. Christie’s love of camping started when she met her now husband Jesse in 2013. After a few months of dating, they went tent camping for the first time. Christie was hooked. Once they were married, they both decided they were too old to go camping without at least a bed and air-conditioning. 😉 So the hunt for a camper began. They found a hard shelled camper within their budget and purchased it, but it was not meant to be. They used it for about two seasons until they realized that it just didn’t have enough space to comfortably bring their three dogs along.
To make a long story short, Christie convinced her husband that a pop up camper would work perfectly, since they didn’t need the extra bed on the other end. They quickly sold the hard shelled camper, purchased a 1995 Fleetwood for $1,500.00, and affectionately named it Herbie. Shortly after purchasing Herbie, Christie found this blog, and the rest is history. 🙂 They decided Herbie definitely needed a remodel. Neither Christie nor her husband had much remodeling experience, but they jumped in with both feet.
They gave their PUP a good cleaning and removed any mildew from the canvas. Herbie’s floor had already been replaced when they purchased him, so they checked that off their list. The counter tops were also in good condition, so they didn’t need to worry about those either. They decided to focus on repainting the cabinets, installing new floor molding, and refurbishing the hardware. Christie left the cabinets in the camper, but removed all the doors and hardware. They sanded everything and put two coats of Zinsser 123 Plus Primer on all the surfaces and walls. Then they applied two coats of Valspar semi-gloss interior enamel paint. They used Rustoleum oil rubbed bronze to spray painted the existing hardware.
The inspiration for Christie’s cabinet and wall color came from Felicia’s Pop Up Camper Makeover. Christie loved the bright green color and wanted to do something she could not get a way with in her own home. 🙂 She purchased her cushion, valance, and tie back fabric at JoAnn Fabrics for 50% off. She picked something that was bright and fun, but could also hold up to three dogs. Outdoor fabric fit the bill, and she could not be happier with her choice.
Her polka dot fabric came from Walmart for 60% off, and the blue curtains on the bed ends came from Kohls. Since she did not have any sewing experience, she recruited her stepson’s girlfriend to do the sewing. Didn’t she do an amazing job? Christie decided to have the new fabric sewn over the existing curtains, so they could reuse the tab system that hangs the panels. The valances and tie-backs all have Velcro attachments, which makes attaching and removing them easy. The cushions were in great shape, so Christie decided to use the wrap and staple method to cover them.
Christie and Jesse decided that the original full sized mattress was pretty comfortable, so there was no need to add a topper. All the bedding and pillows were purchased on clearance at either Target or Kohls, except for the top blanket, which Christie made from some fleece. Her storage items and accessories were either purchased at the Dollar Tree, Dollar General or TJ Maxx to make sure things stayed within their $500 budget.
Since they weren’t using the other bunkend, the converted it into a sleeping area for their dogs. They covered the floor of the bedding area with indoor/outdoor carpet and made each of the dogs matching bed pillows from fleece. She added the battery operated LED paper lantern lights both bunkends for soft lighting. There is enough extra room in the dogs’ area for their camping items, and no dog items take up people space, which makes Christie happy. 😀
Christie tells me that “Herbie the Love Camper” is still a work in progress, but he is a happy and bright home away from home that she, Jesse, and their three spoiled rotten hounds love to be in. And really, that’s what it is all about.I love it! Beautiful job, Christie! I hope you enjoy lots of adventures in your new little space. Thanks so much for sharing!
I love it! Beautiful job, Christie! I hope you enjoy lots of adventures in your new little space. Thanks so much for sharing!Happy Camping!
Happy Camping!
I LOVE it! What fun colors! We travel with doggies too. It’s nice that they have space for them. I might have to copy that idea!
Oh my gosh, I love this color you picked. We have recently bought a 1999 Coleman popup ourselves. We have picked a chocolate brown color. We hope to look as awesome as yours!
I keep reading how people sew their new curtains over the old. I can’t visualize how to do that. Can anybody explain or have a link to a tutorial? I love the bold colors of this camper. I agree that a pop up is the perfect place to get creative and have fun.
Try checking out Jessica’s remodel, Kari. She sewed fabric to the black out panels she was using, and that might give you an idea of how to do it. 🙂
I love this! Could someone please explain the wrap and staple method to covering the cushions?
Here you go, Jennifer!
WRAP AND STAPLE METHOD FOR CUSHIONS
I love the bright colors! It looks so happy and inviting. The beautiful pillows really add to the decor. Great job!
This is one of the “coolest” remodels I have ever seen. Love all the bright colors. Wish I had seen this before I got started on mine. You did an awesome job!
I noticed she painted the walls below the bunk ends in green. But then in the next photo, the part of the wall that angles out and meets the floor is different. Is this painted? Flooring so it’s like a kick plate? Carpet? I absolutely love the bright colours and retro feel.
THANK YOU! This is not only beautiful but a wise use of pattern and functional fabrics. This is so unique and artistic. If I see one more “farm house” inspired camper/RV/trailer interior, I am going to scream! Those who decorate in the gray/white solid color scheme with absolutely no pattern will soon realize their interior will be showing wear and will be difficult to keep clean.
I am so glad you like Christie’s makeover, Jennifer. It is beautiful, right? The thing I find so awesome is that everyone has a different interpretation of beautiful, and there is no right or wrong. That is why I feature so many different styles of makeovers. I actually adore the farmhouse style, and find my white cabinets so easy to keep clean, but I also love the look of a brightly painted cabinet as well. I’m glad so many people have different ideas of what is beautiful. It keeps life interesting. 😀