I’m really excited to share this next makeover with you. When Shannon sent me pictures of her 80’s era camper, I was amazed at how she and her husband, Chad, completely transformed their tired trailer into something so beautiful. On the outside, it looks like a little vintage Coleman camper, but on the inside, it looks like a cute little beach house! Come on in, and I’ll show you… 😉
Shannon had grown up tent camping and had always dreamed of owning a camper. In January 2015, Chad was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of appendix cancer. He was one of the “lucky” unlucky ones, because he caught it early. Even so, it was a tough recovery, and Chad ended up losing his job. While he was home, he had some extra time on his hands, and when they came across this 1984 Coleman Columbia pop up camper, they decided to take it on as a project. Shannon took on the role of “designer,” while Chad did most of the manual labor.
The camper was in rough shape. Chad tore out all the cabinets and rebuilt them to be a little more sturdy. Then he gave everything a coat of white paint. Wow! What a difference already!
For the flooring, Chad and Shannon went to Lowes, but their budget limited their choices. They were trying to complete this makeover as economically as possible, so Shannon picked a rustic plank vinyl floor. She was hoping for a gray flooring, but there weren’t any in her price range. She altered her plans for her makeover a bit, and went with a more rustic theme. She purchased the plank flooring in the color “Driftwood,” and was really pleased with the outcome. Chad did a fantastic job, didn’t he?Shannon purchased the fabric for her curtains and cushions at Fabric.com. She tells me it was her biggest expense. Although she really loves how it all turned out, if she ever did it again she’d buy pre-made curtains and hang a curtain rod. She reused the existing curtain sliders on her new chevron curtains, but didn’t have quite enough fabric to make curtains for the entire PUP. For the bunkends, she added orange sheers for a pop of color.
Shannon and Chad painted the table with chalkboard paint. They also added a galvanized tub to serve as a sink, since the camper doesn’t have one. Chad built a cute backsplash behind the sink, which they covered with SmartTiles. If you’d like to see a tutorial on that, you can check out our post on adhesive vinyl tiles here.Shannon is also pretty crafty, so she made various pillows and knick-knacks to display around the camper that were in keeping with her “Rustic Beachy” theme. Sooo cute! 😀Shannon really outdid herself on all the little details. I love that pop of orange! It really adds visual interest and gives the camper a fun, carefree vibe. Perfect for the beach!If you want more details on this cute pop up camper makeover, make sure to swing by Shannon’s blog–Pop-Up Pad. There are lots more pictures and details about all the fun projects and crafts that really make the camper. Nice job, Shannon and Chad! Thanks for sharing your makeover with us. 🙂
Happy Camping!
terri says
Shannon and Chad – you have a beautiful little camper and I love the added back splash! I was looking at the same flooring at Lowes last night and wondered what it would like like in a space instead of spread out on their grey floor, it looks much warmer than I expected. Thank you so much for a peak into your paradise!
RObert Lou says
Popup looks great, I was wondering about the flooring, is it peel and stick vinyl planks? Great job!
Mary says
I just picked up my very first pop up (1991 Palomino TXL-SC with hard sides) this weekend. It was actually originally my parents who bought it brand new, then moved to WA and gave it to my sister who only used a handful of times and has now offered it to me! My girlfriend and I will begin the project ……it needs a really good cleaning so that’s the first thing!
My Aunt is a pro at sewing so she has offered to help with the curtains and such…….my question is, was there a particular type of fabric you preferred for durability? I know the current covers to the cushions have vinyl on the bottom………..did you repeat this when you recovered your?
To be honest, we have not even opened the trailer yet, so Im not sure whats on the inside….the little ice chest apparently bit the dust a few years back so my sister was using a top open ice chest in place, I know there is new flooring and a new fridge , beyond that its a mystery until I open it this weekend.
Any words of wisdom on the process would be welcomed!
Thanks in advance!
Debra Myers says
I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Have fun!
amber williams says
HI! My husband and I have an 88 Palomino TXL hardsider. I am dying to start working on it. It’s in pretty decent shape, but there are several things that I just want to make a little more pretty. Does yours have the external lift arms? Ours does and it can be pretty hard to set up at times. Can’t wait to see what you do with it!
Caroline says
Great remodel. It’s super cute!
Ari says
This remodel looks amazing, just like all the other ones I have seen. What caught my eye was the size of the camper, I just bought our FIRST camper for our family of four, and its a small one just like this one, 1990 Starcraft. I am very excited to remodel it. I will make sure to check out Pop-Up Pad as I begin as well and all the resources available here. Thank yous o much for posting, what an inspiration!! 🙂
Elisa says
What a cute remodel!! I really like the bright colors and the counter tops are beautiful!! 😍😍
Robin says
Just bought a 1985 Coleman Columbia like this 1984! Love the remodel! It’s very inspiring 🙂
Candice says
The one bed that has the 2 inserted pieces to fill in the gap, did you completely do away with that? Like put in new wood and just extend it? Or did you keep that same system? We just bought one identical! And now we want to make it over too 🙂
Lindsey Ford says
I just purchased my very first pop up…a completely original 1984 Coleman Columbia!!! It’s looks exactly the same as Shannon & Chad’s before their renovations, right on down to the same fabric, although I think mine is in a bit of rougher shape. I cannot wait to start my renovations and I’ve been looking at your website for inspiration. You can imagine how excited I was to see another 84′ Columbia!
Anne says
did You get started on your renovation? Just curious! I am looking at a 1983coleman Columbia this weekend! So hoping it’s a good one and I can join those of you here on this journey!
Mary king says
Beautiful remodel especially the orange curtains