Lovel’s Pop Up Camper Makeover

We’re back!  😉  Oh my goodness!  It has been waaaay too long since we’ve shared a post with you guys.  Things over at the Richardson house have been a little crazy, but we are happy to be back and have some exciting projects in store for 2019.  I’ve got quite a few gorgeous reader makeovers to share with you all as well, so stay tuned for those.  To kick off the new year, I’m sharing an adorable little camper makeover from a reader named Lovel and her husband.  Lovel also came up with some creative storage solutions that I know you’ll love.

LOVEL’S POP UP CAMPER MAKEOVER

Lovel and her husband owned a boat for years and enjoyed spending time outdoors on the lake.  They decided to sell the boat, but after a year passed, they realized just how much they missed the outdoors.  One day, Lovel mentioned the idea of getting a camper of some sort, but her husband didn’t really seem to be interested.  Little did she know, he had already started doing research and was looking for a pop up they could pull behind Lovel’s SUV.  It wasn’t long before he found a 2004 Viking pop up that was in good condition but needed a little TLC.  They drove a few hours to see it and ended up purchasing it on the spot.

Lovel joined several pop up camper groups on Facebook and found some great ideas on how to “glamp” up her camper.  She also found all the amazing makeovers on this blog and decided she wanted to start making some changes so her little PUP would feel more like a home away from home.  Before they made any changes, though, they took the camper out on a few trips to see how they actually fit into the camper and what they might want to change.  This is such a smart idea!

Armed with a new list of wants and needs, Lovel’s mind went to work.  Her color inspiration came from a quilt she found on Zulily.  It was on sale for $20, so she purchased two–one for each bunkend. Then she started to pull out the colors from the quilt–navy, lime green and coral–for curtains, cushion covers, and accessories.  With the color palette decided, Lovel moved on to the painting.

When it was time to paint, Lovel removed all the doors, countertops, and hardware.  She started with two coats of Zinsser Primer on everything–including the walls–then she followed up with three coats of Sherwin Williams Alabaster.  Lovel wasn’t a fan of the greenish Formica on the countertops, so she gave them a coat of primer and painted them with two coats of Hammered Steel Rustoleum spray paint.  She reports back that it has held up very nicely. Lovel and her husband replaced all of the hardware with some very inexpensive hardware from Home Depot to complete the new look.

The first thing Lovel and her husband realized when they took their camper out was that they enjoyed cooking and eating outside of the PUP, but when it came to washing dishes, Lovel wanted to be inside with the hot water.  She found, however, that the sink in the camper was so low that she often had a backache after washing dishes.  To solve this issue, she came across an idea on one of the Facebook groups to which she belonged.  Lovel had her husband make a new countertop for the sink area.  Then she purchased a galvanized tub for $8 from Walmart.  Her husband cut a hole in the counter top so the tub just sat down about an inch.  They caulked the tub in place, replaced the faucet and drain, reattached all the water lines, and now the sink is the perfect height.  No more backaches!  🙂

For an easy flooring update, Lovel installed adhesive vinyl planks over the existing linoleum.  She cleaned old flooring really well before installing the new vinyl, which she found on clearance at Home Depot.  Score!

With the paint and flooring out of the way, Lovel got to work on all the fabrics.  She is an experienced seamstress, so she purchased some inexpensive navy curtains on Amazon to replace the old curtains.  She removed the curtain tabs from the existing curtains and sewed them onto the new curtains.  They had to be shortened in length, but Lovel said they worked out really well.  For the bunkend curtains, she purchased two navy trellis patterned king size sheets.  There was enough fabric leftover fabric from the sheets to not only finish the curtains but also cover the bottom seat cushions as well.  The covers on the cushions have an opening on the back that closes with snaps, so they can easily be removed and washed.

Lovel purchased a striped shower curtain and two matching crib sheets on Amazon. She used the crib sheets to cover the cushion backs and hung the new matching shower curtain in the shower.  In their maiden voyage, they realized the shower was much too small to be used for its intended purpose.  Lovel and her husband preferred to shower at the campground facilities.  They decided to use the shower area as a place to get ready in the morning.  Lovel put down a rug, added a small vanity stool, and hung a mirror.  She also has an area for toiletries and wash cloths. What a genius idea, right?

Lovel and her husband eat outside unless it’s raining, so to give themselves a little extra room, they moved the dining table outside to hold all their cooking supplies. That opened up the space in the between the dining benches, so Lovel added a small chest with three drawers (purchased on Amazon) to hold their clothes and toiletries.  If it ever becomes necessary to eat inside, they have a folding tv tray available to set up between the seats, but Lovel really likes having the extra room for storage space.

She and her husband also realized there was no great need for the long upholstered bench across from the dining area.  What they really needed was more storage space.  She removed the cushions and set a small storage cube from Target on top.  Now she stores food and paper goods in each basket.  She also had enough room to set up a small “bar” she made from a garage sale table.

Because she was conscious of weight issues, Lovel is still able to pull the camper with her SUV with no problems.  It was also important that everything she added to the pop up camper remain inside the camper after it was broken down.  She precisely measured every piece of furniture to make sure it would all lie down on the floor and nothing would have to be taken out between camping trips.  Everthing fits perfectly, and it is the perfect little set up for Lovel and her family.

Didn’t the whole makeover turn out so adorable?  Look at those happy colors!  And how creative was Lovel with all her storage modifications?  I love how she made the space really work for her family.  It truly makes the camper a little home away from home for them.  Thanks so much for sharing your amazing makeover with us, Lovel.  It is awesome.  😀

If sprucing up your camper is on your New Year’s project list, don’t forget to check out our awesome Reader Features.  There are so many inspiring makeovers in our archives.  You are sure to find the inspiration you are looking for.  Thanks for hanging with us in 2018.  We are super excited to see what 2019 brings us, and we look forward to seeing all your awesome campers.  Keep sharing them with us!

Happy Camping!