If you’ve read this blog for very long, you know that I love a good pop up camper makeover story. I am a sucker for sentimentality. I love hearing stories about families who have fixed up their campers together and set out in search of adventure. Monte and Marie’s is just such a story. They are empty nesters who have been camping most of their adult lives together. Once the kids left, they decided to splurge on a pop up camper. Here’s Marie to tell you all about it. 😀
Monte & Marie’s Pop Up Camper Makeover
My husband, Monte, and I met 36 years ago at a four day music festival. He was camping with friends, and I was a day visitor. Needless to say, we really hit it off. The next year we went back to the same festival–this time camping together–and we having been doing it ever since. We have actually camped for 10 days total at the festival with 20-30 close friends. We traditionally tent camped, but two years ago, our neighbors were upgrading from their pop up to a hard side trailer, and we decided to buy their used pop up. With both of our boys out on their own, we felt it was time to treat ourselves. I had seen The Pop Up Princess on Pinterest and Facebook before we bought the camper, so knowing the possibilities, made the decision easier.
The unit was in great shape, but I had so many ideas to make it more personal. Luckily my husband was on board. We started with cleaning and prepping all the cabinets and the walls for painting. While I was at it, I gave the ceiling a good cleaning with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. We cleaned the windows with ProtectAll like Larissa recommended, and the difference was unbelievable! Clear windows! The zipper had separated from the window at the top where there was some tension, but we had the extra canvas pieces the manufacturer included for repairs, so we removed the panel and with some outdoor thread and a good needle on my machine, I was able to repair it. We also cleaned all the canvas and vinyl.
We had to do some repairs to our cabinet doors as the fake wood laminate had separated from the press board. We used carpenter’s glue, then cut up pool noodles to mold to the decorative dips in panels, before sandwiching the door between wood and clamping. 
After all the cleaning and repairs were done, we primed the cabinets and walls with Kilz and painted them. We used Behr Spun Cotton in Semi-Gloss for the cabinets, and the walls got a coat of Behr Cup of Cocoa in Semi-Gloss. We spray painted the hardware and trim with Rustoleum Rustic Myst. We applied a coat of Countertop Coating from Rustoleum in Earth to the countertops. Then we installed Allure Rosewood plank flooring.
With all the hard remodel work out of the way, it was time for the fun stuff. I have been sewing since I was a teen, so sewing up the covers for the cushions was a breeze. We took the bunkend curtains off and used a tension rod to hang the new ones. I sewed new fabric panels over the old side curtains and used Velcro to attach the new valances. The bedding came from Tuesday Morning, and I found the pillow at Goodwill.
Since it is just the two of us, we didn’t need the second bed. We took out the middle section of the u-shaped seating area at the end of the camper and covered the remaining seat fronts with bead board. This allows us to walk up to the bunkend, which we turned into our closet. We installed flooring on the bunkend and added drawer units for storage. The drawer units have felt on the legs, which allows us to move them to get to additional storage in the back.
I work at a company that powder coats our products. I took the stove cover and fridge door into work, and the guys there sand blasted the cover down to the bare metal, cut a metal panel out to fit the fridge, and powder coated them in turquoise for me so they would match the rest of the decor.
Monte and I worked together to make the table. Since it is just the two of us, we wanted a table that was a bit narrower than the one that came with the camper. We made the new top about 4″ narrower, although we kept the original, just in case we need it at some point. I sketched the design for the new table top, and Monte cut the wood. Then I stained and painted the planks, and we assembled it. We used a “bar pour” finish, giving the top a hard, high gloss finish. I used the attendance bracelets and picks we collected from previous festivals to make a table lamp for over the dining area. 
The decals on the outside of the camper were peeling and faded, and we knew we wanted to do something to freshen up the exterior. I told Monte that I wanted a “flower garden,” and so we took the camper to a local sign shop and had the front side wrapped. It turned out great, and we sure do get some amusing looks going down the road. 😉
Monte and I had fun working together to complete the camper, and we took it to the festival in September. The closet and shelving system worked great and kept the camper clean and organized. We loved it and are busy planning more trips!
Isn’t that such an awesome story? Their camper turned out so wonderfully! I’m seriously in love with that table, and I am so impressed with how organized everything is. Let’s take another look at that before and after shot. 🙂
Incredible, right? I’m sure Monte and Marie will enjoy many more festivals together in their new little camper. Thanks so much for sharing, Marie. It looks amazing.
Happy Camping!
Happy Camping!
Oh my goodness! I Love LOVE your turquoise powder coat! The garden is also the bee knees! I have always wondered if a vinyl wrap was possible. It looks great!!
Thanks Andrea! We love the wrap and the looks we get. I’m really lucky to have great co-workers that help with the powder coating.
Marie
Great job at making your camper work for you! I especially love your table. I have used that technique on a coffee table, never thought to use it in the camper! Thanks for sharing your story!
Deb
Livin Lite Quicksilver 5.0 and 8.0
Thanks Debra! We are extremely happy with the way the table turned out.
Girrrrl!!!!! This is amazing!! What a wonderful place for you and your husband!!
WOW!!!
Thanks Kelly!
What a great idea about getting it wrapped.
Thanks Blakely! The most difficult part of the wrap was deciding what picture to use. The shop that we used required a picture with 300 dpi, so I spent hours and hours looking for just the right picture for us and then insuring we had the proper permission to use it.
Marie
This is great! I love that you can use the bunk end as a closet! I’m jealous of all your storage. I thought your husband’s shirt looked like it might be a KC Royals World Series shirt…I did some Google searching and I’m thinking I might be right… We’re Royals fans at our house, too. Maybe we’ll run into you camping some time! 🙂
Sara – Both of us were born and raised in Kansas but now live in the South. We return to Kansas every year for the festival. You’re right – that is a Royals World Series shirt. Both of us are fans. Thank you for your comment.
Can you tell us about the chandelier hanging over your bed please? The re-do is awesome!
Hi Tracy!
The chandelier was a purchase for my Son’s wedding from a store in Salina, Kansas that my Sister-In-Law found for us. It uses battery operated tea lights and is for display only. We take it down each night before we climb into bed. It really is not “functional” but does add some ambiance to the pup in the evenings. Thanks for your comment!
Marie
Another pop up redo featured on Pop Up Princess used this chandelier. Looks very similar
Gifts & Decor Shabby Elegance Scrollwork Candleholder Chic Decor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008YQ4Z2Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uQbYybC27B46X
What year make and model is this camper? I really like the layout of the floor plan – Great job on the remodel 🙂 love it
It’s a 2002 Coleman Mesa.
Marie
This is so awesome. We love all of your ideas. My husband and I have always camped but had a huge camper with slides and all that entails. We sold it and down sized to a pop up camper. With the help of mMy family (Sis and brother in-law) we are currently in the process of glamming it up! We’ve just started but I am so excited! Primer coat on cupboards yesterday and curtains on the way to being finished. Thanks for sharing.
I love, lpve, love it!!! Especially your color scheme 🙂 We just bought an old pup to give some loving, and my colors are also turquoise and green!!!
I’m thinking about doing a paper bag treatment on my countertops… and pallet wood panels on the outside of the sides of the pup 🙂 Any thoughts??? 🙂
What did you do on your bed end? That mattress looks so thick and comfy! Your pop-up will close with a mattress that thick?
Check our post on making your PUP beds more comfortable for ideas on making the bed thick and comfy, David. You can find it here.
David – Since we use the other end for storage, the mattress from that end goes on top of the other one. We move it back to the other end to close the camper. The storage units (drawers) that we use slide down between the seating for transport. Sorry it’s taken so long to get back, I just saw this!
I use my other bunk end as a closet too. I hang clothes up ob the center bar. I keep the curtains pulled as it keeps the heating /cooling down. I hang a small quilt i made to one side of the closed cyrtain and hand towel/apron on the other as my kitchen is on the right side
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On your new table, can you still lower it for sleeping. Just wondering what you used for legs. We are just beginning our “old girl” and the table that is there is so wobbly and ugly. I would like to do a pretty table and new leg system but still have the option of using it as a bed. Thanks. Beautiful job you did! I love the colors!
Love this! I live in Winfield and am excited to go to Bluegrass this year! I have only lived here a year, and I wasn’t able to attend last year. I’ve been reading this blog and have started searching craigslist for my pop up camper! Love to hear your story about your relationship and your camper! 🙂
My hubby and I are about to purchase our first “new to us” pop up. Stupid question – you hung curtain from a tension rod, do you take them down prior to closing up the tent trailer? Thanks in advance for the reply.
Some do, some don’t, Diana. I would recommend taking them down when you fold up the camper. 🙂
The camp rules on the door,where did you purchase it from? Would love to do that, by the way what a lovely makeover!
Kay – I used stencils and made the camp rule sign.
Do you know where I can get a new glass for my door. I have a 1986 Palomino hardside and can’t find it anywhere.
BTW your trailer looks fantastic!
What a fabulous idea removing the middle seating area to make the space work better for you! And that dinette table…WOW! Absolutely beautiful!
How much did the wrap run you?
Fabulous make over. I love the concept of using the extra bunk end for storage and dressers. It is just me and my dog that go camping so I too only need one bed side. However, where do you put these when tearing down the camp and moving? The dressers seem big and they do not look like they fold down.
Hi Wendy! Actually the two drawer units lay side by side between the benches with enough space to close up the bed over the top of them.
Love the make over. Can you give more info on using Velcro for the balance? I just started my remodel and the curtains have me stumped. I love the tension rod idea for the bunk ends so that helps immensely. Now I’m just trying to figure out the valances.
Did the tension rod hold up when the camper was down?
Hi love your camper. Where did you get the camping rules décor for your door.
Is that vinyl ?
Marie,
My husband and I also met in Winfield! Looking forward to another year! Your camper looks awesome, thanks for sharing!
Love what you did with the bed area you are not using..Looks fabulous. This is just the idea my husband and I have been looking for.