Am I the only one who makes a random decision at 9:47 one night and then insists that everybody fall in line? This is probably the thing that drives Josh the craziest in our relationship — the phrase she has a bee in her bonnet is thrown around on a regular basis around here.
I’ve been camping my entire life. Maybe you would call it something else because we summer in a travel trailer, but we always slept in tents when I was a little girl, so camping is what we call it. Josh and I are on our second travel trailer — we had a tiny one before the girls were born and after renting one for several summers in between, we bought our current trailer. She’s a 2007, but we like that she isn’t a super new model. The floor plan is more open and there aren’t as many cumbersome modern amenities (think oversized entertainment centers and kitchen peninsulas) to walk around. While completely neutral and not nearly as offensive as some I’ve seen (who designs these things?!), it could certainly use some updating. My parents are planning to live in their trailer while they decide about a permanent home, so they have been painting and replacing floors. It is beautiful and certainly gave me the nudge I needed to begin working on ours. We have no plans to replace our trailer any time soon, so I’m making updates that appeal to me and thinking much less about resale.
Originally, Josh told me that he wasn’t bringing the trailer home and I’d have to do whatever work I wanted at his parents’ house (where we stored the camper before our move). We have plans for her to live here, but there wasn’t an urgent reason to move the trailer until closer to camping season. After he saw how much I accomplished on Saturday, he decided to move it home after all. I’m thrilled since I’ll be able to work at night after the kids are in bed or for a few hours on the weekends, without having to drive back and forth.
This weekend, I uninstalled all of the bulky valances and mini blinds, removed all cabinet doors and drawers, and removed any hardware or fixtures that weren’t going to remain. I can’t believe how much bigger it seems without those window treatments! Keep in mind, our slide out wasn’t pushed out since there was no electricity, so it looks a little claustrophobic here. I also cleaned out every cabinet, interior storage compartment, and pass through storage bays on the outside. I threw away three huge bags of trash and better utilized all of our storage — this will be the most organized camping season we’ve ever had.
I had a hard time finding a floor plan on the internet that exactly matched our current trailer. Most of the ones I found on the manufacturer’s website were the more modern plans and the others were horrible quality. I wanted an accurate representation to share here and to use in future before and after posts, so I made one myself! You can better see the shape of our trailer when the slide is pushed all the way out.
Now, let’s talk about our plans for the renovation with a few before photos (and admire how super cute 6 year old Ella was!). You can catch our original camper introduction post here.
This is the best representation of how the trailer looks fully extended. We bought this model because it gave us ample living space and plenty of floor space for crawling babies and little girls. The newer model with this layout, have an L-shaped kitchen, which completely divides the space. We have plans to increase our counter space without blocking off this walkway. Stay tuned!
Dining + Living To Do:
Remove valances and mini blinds- Add light filtering (and unintrusive!) roller shades
- Paint all woodwork a warm white
- Paint cabinet hardware and light fixtures oil rubbed bronze
- Recover couch and dinette cushions with washed denim fabric
- Replace television with a flat screen (possibly flip up) version
- Add shelf to entertainment center for more storage
- Add pillows, throw blankets, and pouf ottoman
Kitchen / Pantry To Do:
Remove valances and mini blinds- Add light filtering (and unintrusive!) roller shades
- Paint all woodwork a warm white
- Paint cabinet hardware oil rubbed bronze
Remove wallpaper border- Add over counter storage system for paper towels and other kitchen items
- Add backsplash tile (possibly — I’m waiting until the kitchen is painted to make a decision)
Paint refrigerator panels with chalkboard paint- Add flip up countertop to left end of cabinets
- Add shelves or basket drawers to pantry cabinets (not shown here)
Master Bedroom To Do:
Remove valances and mini blinds- Add blackout roller shades
Remove doors and hinge hardware on upper cabinets (hello, open storage!)- Add baskets to over-the-bed cubbies
- Paint remaining woodwork a warm white
- Paint closet hardware oil rubbed bronze
- Add removable wallpaper above the bed
- Remove carpet from bedside storage compartments and paint to match woodwork
- Add bedside sconce or hanging light
- Update bedding and maximize storage underneath
- Add hooks to entrance wall for added storage
- Paint sliding doors to match cabinets and update hardware
Bathroom To Do:
- Paint woodwork and door a warm white
- Paint door and cabinet hardware oil rubbed bronze
Remove medicine cabinet door- Replace wooden towel racks and toilet paper holder
- Add shelving unit to bathtub/shower to use as a closet
- Replace shower curtain to conceal storage
- Add a full length mirror to the exterior wall or door
Bunkhouse To Do:
Remove curtains and mini blinds- Add blackout roller shades
- Paint cabinets a warm white
- Remove clothing rod and add shelf to cabinet
- Paint cabinet hardware oil rubbed bronze
- Add removable wallpaper on back wall (think hot pink flamingos)
- Remove carpet from bedside storage compartment and paint to match woodwork
- Update bedding and accessories
While it sounds like a lot, most of the projects are things I can do myself and operate within a very small budget. I’ll share updates throughout the project, with our progress, and the total amount of money I spend. While Josh might be convinced to help on some of the larger projects, most of this is cosmetic and I really want to tackle as much as possible on my own. I considered updating the floor, but the tile is in great shape and is a light neutral. I would love to replace the carpet in the slide out, but I’m going to steam clean it when we remove the couch for upholstery and see how it looks. I’m planning to add some layered rugs and an ottoman in the living area, so I’m reserving judgment on the existing flooring until everything else has been completed.
What do you think? Am I insane for attempting a trailer flip right before we start our home renovation? Any projects you think I should add? What and how frequently do you want to see? I can’t wait to hear your input!
