I’m excited to share this latest reader remodel from Gwen. She and her family started off with a perfectly standard, if somewhat boring, Starcraft pop up camper. They wanted to update the camper to fit their family’s lifestyle and budget, so they rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
Gwen took down the curtain tracks and tabs in her camper. She was afraid her kids would easily pull them down, so she bought some heavy-duty telescoping curtain rods instead. She installed them over each bed. They easily pop right on and off, so Gwen takes them down before folding up the camper.
To recover the cushions, Gwen took some fabric that had been sitting in her attic for about seven years and put it to good use! While she says she realizes the off white is not ideal, the fabric was free when she got it seven years ago… and you can’t beat free! Gwen made a traditional cover with an opening in the back that the cushion slips into. She used leftover fabric to make pillows and blankets and used items she already had from around the house.
What I love most about Gwen’s camper remodel is that it didn’t take her long to get that baby out on the road. Gwen and her family were enjoying their “new” camper not long after they finished their hard work. How about that view from their bedroom window? 🙂
Nice job, Gwen! Your hard work really paid off! I hope you all are enjoying your campers as well. I’d love to see pictures of your pop ups in action. Feel free to email them to me or better yet–post them on our Facebook page!
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Happy Camping!
I love this! About the flooring, was it fairly easy to install? Was it hard to trim to fit around the edges? Did applying it over the original flooring interfere with opening the cabinets and drawers? I would really love to do this in my PUP!
I’m not sure how often Gwen check the comments here, Heidi, but I hear good things about the Allure GripStrip flooring. It’s much thinner than the Interlocking flooring we used, and that was super easy to trim. It was one of the best things we’ve done for the camper. I love it!
Soooooo easy!! I used a box cutter to score, and then snapped off the excess. It is super thin, so no issues at all with putting it over the linoleum and still having cabinet clearance. I hope it works for you!
Thank you! Can’t wait to start my update!
Did you have trouble getting the flooring under the slide out?
WOW! You totally transformed your camper. Nice job, Gwen! I also loved the savings ideas given, you know how to pinch a penny!
Thank you! I got most of those ideas right here on the pop up princess! It’s been so much fun!
Nice makeover! You didn’t mention the shelf over the bunk, but I see it in both the before and after pics. Is that standard or did you install it before the makeover?
Thank you!! I don’t think it is standard, but it was already in here when we bought it- score, right?! It is so handy!
I have the same trailer and the shelf is standard.
Love your creativity!! I was blessed a week ago with a free Starcraft Spacemaster, it looks very similar to yours. Did you have to clean the canvas? Our has Mildew/mold on it and I am wondering if you used a specific product? Also do you find it hard to keep the sink up and in place while using your camper? THANKS
Cleaning your canvas is a great way to refresh the camper. Do you know what type of canvas your Spacemaster has? This is the process we use to clean our canvas, but we had no mildew. Mandy over at Campfire Travelers had some serious mildew and used the Bass Pro Shops cleaner with great results. You can read all about that here. Can’t wait to see pictures of your new project! 🙂
You hit the jackpot then!!! Wow, congratulations! We have a bit of mildew, but honestly, I haven’t gotten to it yet! It’s on the outside, and I plan to give it a good cleaning in the next couple of weeks as the weather cools down a bit. My plan is to use the Bass Pro Shop mildew remover. I don’t have any trouble with the sink at all. Once it ‘swings’ up, it stays put. Best of luck to you and enjoy!!
Can you tell me about the bunk-end shelves that are attached to the tent poles? Are they homemade, or did you purchase them somewhere? Love the makeover!!!!!!!!
Oops… I didn’t see any comments before I commented. Sorry. If anyone does know where to get/how to make those shelves, that would be appreciated. Thanks!
Those came standard in Gwen’s camper, Jen. You could always make something like this on your bunkends, though. 🙂
Thank you! So, we went camping this last weekend, and I made sure to check the name on the shelves……it’s called a ‘Space Station’, and apparently Starcraft put them in their ‘high end’ models in the ’90s 🙂 Not sure if you can still buy them, but I hope having the name helps!
Your camper remodel is beautiful! I am curious what you do with the blinds when you fold up?
Thank you!! I actually just take them out. They have those little slide in tabs, so when we are ready to fold up, we pop those out, remove the blinds and store them until next time! It is super fast, and we love the blinds!
Beautiful job! Question about the curtain rods….how are they in place? Like a spring/pressure shower curtain rod?
Thanks! Laura
She used hardware to mount them to her ceiling, Laura. She used a curtain rod similar to this one. 🙂
I’m curious what length of screws you ended up going with when you put up your mini blinds. Your makeover looks great!
I have the last exact camper! We are doing ours right now. How did you paint the cabinet side next the slide? We can’t get our hand in. How did you do the floor under the slide?
I, too, have a similar pop-up and am wondering how you got the plank flooring under the slide. I have my boxes of flooring ready!
We also have a pup like Jennifer Stephens with the slide out dining space. How do you paint that tiny area. Inquiring minds need to know. Help!
I don’t have a slide, Janel, but I have featured a couple campers with them. Everyone I have talked to about the slide says they just used a thin paintbrush and painted in that space the best they could. I don’t know that anyone has a magic answer for you… at least, not one that I have heard yet. 😉
Hi Gwen!
I love your makeover. Can you tell me what size screws you used for your blinds?
Hi Larissa,
We have a Fleetwood Niagara pop-up with a full shower and we’re wondering what to do with the metal that surrounds it. We are afraid that if we spray paint it that it will chip off. What suggestions do you have or others have that may help? Also, we have a refrigerator what do we do to change that? We are just afraid that after using all of this stuff that it won’t hold up.
Our pop up camper has held up remarkable well over the last five years. Just make sure you prep well before painting and use an oil-based paint. For more tips, you can see our post on painting here.
You guys have any trouble with the plank flooring holding up? A Home Depot employee said to not use it as in the heat it can come up. He recommended a whole sheet?? Any ideas I’m halfway through my Reno and stressed out after talking with the hone depot employee as the plank flooring was what I was going to use over our linoleum.
Where do you live, Carrie? We can’t use adhesive plank vinyl in the Arizona heat, as the adhesive won’t hold up. We are using a sheet linoleum in our Rockwood project. We used a click lock plank vinyl in our Coleman, and there has been some minor separation between planks, but nothing too serious. I’d use it again if I had to. 🙂
I’m curious as to how the valence is made. Is it wrapped around something or left with a sewn edge?