Jared & Kayla’s Pop Up Camper Makeover

It has been quite awhile since I’ve posted anything on the blog. Life had been busy, and we hadn’t gotten the chance to work on our own camper project much. Oh, how things have changed! All the kids have shifted to online school, and everyone is working from home now. Justin’s job is crazier than ever, so there really is no time for camper projects. It’s made me a little sad, but we are so fortunate to have the means to work (and take classes) from home. Because the world has been a crazy place lately, I figured we could all use a little pick-me-up. When I saw Jared & Kayla’s pop up camper makeover, I knew it fit the bill. It made me smile, and I hope it does a little of the same for you all in a crazy, crazy time.

Ever since Jared was young, some of his fondest memories have been camping with his parents and grandparents. He loved the smell of campfires and biking around the campground with his brother. As Jared became older, his schedule got busy and the camping trips were no longer an option. Jared and Kayla got married in 2012. Their daughter, Jordyn, was born a few years later. Not long into their marriage they discovered that they really enjoyed traveling to and hiking in the national parks. Since they so enjoyed getting outside and exploring, Jared came up with this crazy idea of buying a camper and camping around the parks in their home state of Indiana.

Little did Jared know how hard the pop up camper bug bites! For the better part of two years, he began researching ideas for renovating a camper. Kayla, not sold on the idea yet, wasn’t crazy about buying something new or very expensive, since they really didn’t know how much they would actually use it. Jared continued to hound her, talking camping 24/7 when she was around. He would get on this blog and Pinterest  and show Kayla these amazing PUP remodels. He slowly kept warming her up to the idea and continued to promise her a beautifully remodel camper, like the ones featured on this blog. On Father’s Day 2019, Jared opened a gift from his wife and daughter. It was a photo of their daughter Jordyn sitting on his neighbors’ camper and a sign that said, “I can’t wait to go camping with you.” Jared thought it was a joke, but Kayla had finally given in.

Jared’s neighbor had a small pop up camper sitting idle and weather-worn. The neighbor offered to sell it to Jared for $600, and the rest is history. They moved the little 1995 Viking pop up over the property line, and just like that Jared and Kayla were new PUP owners.  Jared is a teacher, so he had the entire summer to whip their new camper into shape. He started with the outside. There was a lot of algae and dirt that needed to be scrubbed and scraped off. Jared scoured the entire outside, including the awning, changed all the lights to LED, and resealed any sketchy spots on the roof before they became leaks.

Then Jared and Kayla started on the inside. They opened up the camper and started pulling out all the cushions. They removed the covers and used Arm & Hammer baking soda and fresh air to deodorize the foam. In search of a durable fabric that was easy on the wallet, Kayla and Jared took a trip to Hobby Lobby. Somehow that day, with a stroke of luck, they found a duck cloth type material that was thick and went great with their intended color scheme. Not only did it check off a lot of boxes, it was on clearance–and in the exact amount they needed. They used the wrap and staple method to cover the refreshed foam, and the grand total for the new cushions came to $50. What a deal!

Jared took all of the cabinet doors off and started sanding and priming them. He also prepped and primed the cabinets and interior walls of the camper. Kayla picked out the beautiful blue for the inside. Gorgeous, right? It really makes the whole camper “pop.” 😆 (Yeah, I went there. It’s been a long few months.) Jared and Kayla replaced the cabinet hardware with a more modern drawer pulls, and the look was complete. If you need tips on painting your camper cabinets, be sure to check out our post on that here. Once they finished making a mess with all the paint, they went to the hardware store to pick out a vinyl tile for the floors.

They found and adhesive plank vinyl they loved, and it was in their price range. Knowing there would be a lot of wear and tear on these floors–and taking into consideration the heat and humidity in Indiana–Jared decided to use Liquid Nails to insure the flooring wouldn’t come up once it was in place. After they finished the floors, they tackled the counter tops and curtains. Kayla got really lucky with the quality and color of the original curtains. With a quick trip through the washer, they turned outas  good as new and went great with her color scheme.

To give the countertops a fresh new look, Jared and Kayla decided to do another peel and stick project. This time, they used an adhesive marble look vinyl paper (available on Amazon here) to cover the existing Formica. Jared reports that it wasn’t the easiest task, but paid it off. It looks amazing. They added new white t-molding, and now the countertops look brand new!

After Kayla added some simple bedding and accessories, their makeover was complete. Now they have an amazing space to call home while camping–and best of all? No big payment looming over them. Win-win, right? Jared told me that during the renovation, their daughter just loved being inside the camper and playing on the beds and dinette area. She said was “helping” them. What awesome memories they’ll have of this whole process!

And they have even better memories up ahead when they are able to take “Skeeter,” as they’ve called their camper, out to the campground. Want to follow along on their adventures and see more pictures of their amazing little PUP? Be sure to follow them on Instagram at @skeeterthepopup. Jared and Kayla have posted some great before and after photos.

I hope Skeeter has brought a smile to your face and given you some weekend inspiration. It sure did for me. I miss camping, and can’t wait to get back to it very soon. We’ve got a little Rockwood camper sitting in our yard that needs to see a campground this summer. 😉 I’d love to see what you’ve been up to the past few weeks. If you’ve been working on camper quarantine projects, make sure to tag us on Instagram! We love some more summer inspiration. Take care of yourselves and be safe!

 

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Happy Camping!