You Gotta Have Faith (in Yourself): Our Vintage Camper Renovations Done on a Dime and a Prayer

One thing I don't normally lack is confidence. I've lived my whole life putting 100% into everything I do, and the way I look at it is, if you're doing your best you have nothing to be embarrassed or afraid of. That doesn't mean that I don't slip quietly back into my cover up when a pretty young thing in a bikini sits down next to me and "my 47 year old with four kids body" on the beach, but, for the most part, I don't shy away from a challenge, and I'm always up for new adventures. That's why I surprised myself when I was reluctant to blog about the renovations we made to Wanda's interior. It took me a minute to figure out what was wrong. Then, I realized that I was actually intimidated by all the restorations I had seen of other vintage trailers online. Because I'm a teacher, and not a carpenter, by trade, and I don't really know the first thing about reskinning a trailer, I let my confidence be undermined. I felt out of my league and found myself doubting that anyone would be impressed with the improvements we made to Wanda.

Then, I was working in the camper last night (I like to go out there even though it is only parked in the driveway, because it makes me feel happy and energized), and I started looking around. What I realized was that I like what we did to Wanda A LOT. True. It may not be a vintage restoration, but I was never that crazy about 80's decor anyway. And we may have scrimped and cheated in some spots, but we were working with a VERY limited budget, somewhat limited expertise, and a tight time schedule. The truth of the matter is, I'm happy with what we've accomplished so far, and that's what really matters. So without any further ado, here is the new and improved Wanda!

 The kitchen before any changes.

The kitchen during renovations.

The kitchen now. 

Our new cooking solution.

Highlights of the kitchen renovation include repainting the front of the refrigerator door with chalkboard paint so I can use it for messaging and advertising when Wanda is set up in shop mode. We also decided on an induction cooktop and a microwave to replace the old stove and oven. I am super proud that I only paid $18.00 total for the burner and the mini microwave. The induction plate is a NuWave that I got NITB for $10.00 at a yard sale, and the 12" x 13" microwave was a "You've got to be kidding me" thrift store drive-by find for $8.00. I knew we needed a really small microwave to fit in the box my husband built where the oven used to be, and I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I noticed this guy on the pavement of a local thrift shop as I road by on my bike one day. The thrifting odds were definitely in my favor! But, enough about the microwave. Notice the ugly range hood is gone. That makes me really happy. I'm also pleased with the new countertop my brother-in-law built for us. When the induction cooker is stored away that corner will be the perfect spot for a small TV. (I guess I should start looking for one of those when I'm riding my bike.) I did the cork board backsplash all by myself. The walls back there were pretty warped and messy. Then there was the small matter of the hole in the wall from the exhaust for the range hood. This is actually where I let myself get rattled. I felt like a cheater because we didn't rip the walls down to the frame and replace them. Looking back, who says you have to do everything "the right way". I like the way the cork board looks with all the natural design elements inside the camper. It's also convenient for hanging notices and flyers when Wanda's set up for shop, and the walls look a 100 times better than they did before.  A little spray paint to get all the drawer pulls to match and a couple bamboo placemats for accents and that's Wanda's new and improved kitchen space. Not bad for a teacher and a probation officer, if I do say so myself.

Then, there's the "living room" and the "spare bedroom" as I affectionately like to call the other two areas of the camper. I'm going to show you the spare bedroom first and save the living room/master bedroom for last, since that is my favorite spot in the whole joint.

The spare bedroom really used to be the dining room.

Once the banquette is gone the whole area takes on new purpose.

What I love about the changes we made here obviously begin with the cushion covers. Isn't the new fabric fabulous? That material was our starting point for all the renovations we've made so far. Everything we've done since we picked the fabric has been driven by that choice. I also love that the table is gone. It makes the tiny area seem so much bigger. How will we eat you may be wondering? Don't worry. We have plenty of TV trays for eating or playing board games. Notice the curtains, too. I made those myself with some panels from Big Lots, scissors, hemming tape, cafe rings, dowels, and some Command hooks. The fabric is folded in half and clipped up to let air in, but it can be dropped down to full length for privacy. No sewing machine? No sewing skills? No problem!

Now on to the best space of all. It's the couch, the master bedroom, the reading nook I always wanted, and so much more. 

                                                              

                                                                       First, it looked like this.

And now it looks like THIS!

My husband keeps asking me why you need a bunch of decorative throw pillows in a camper. DUH! Doesn't he know every reading nook needs lots of great pillows? You can stretch across the couch when you read, or you can put your feet up on that $5.00 yard sale table that couldn't be any more perfect for the space. I love that the table is small and the wood finish is spot on. The neatest thing about that table is that I got it BEFORE we even had the camper. I just couldn't leave the little guy behind for five bucks. When I bought it, I had no idea where I was going to put it. Little did I know where it would end up finding its home. Another time the fates aligned in my favor was with that string of lantern lights. I bought them at Big Lots for $10.00 and prayed they fit somewhere in the camper when I got them home. In my mind that went perfectly with the vibe of the cushion fabric. Imagine my delight when they fit across this nook perfectly. They look super cute when they are lit at night, and they finish off the space perfectly. My nephew is a little miffed that his bed is full of suitcases, but I couldn't resist turning the upper bunk into a permanently open storage area. My nephew was easily appeased when I reassured him that everything can come down to make room for his mattresses when I take him and his sister camping (She claimed the spare bedroom). I just love the way the suitcases look up there, and that record player fits so perfectly ($30.00 brand new at a yard sale, by the way). I have one more suitcase at home, and I want to get a few other trunks or baskets to really dress up the area, but I am happy with the way the nook is shaping up. 

So, that's the grand tour for now. The walls are wavy in spots, and the bathroom door doesn't close quite as tight as it did before we took it down to paint it, but we did the best we could with what we had to work with and of that I am proud. I can't show you the bathroom right now, because it is basically a storage closet at this time. I'll feature it a future blog post because it's pretty cool in its own right. It's the only area of the trailer that the previous owner never changed. It has all the original wall coverings and fixtures. It's fun to look in there and see how Wanda started out. The only other area I want to show off is the outside set up under the awning, but it is not ready yet. I got the coolest rug at a thrift store for $10, and I bought a nice set of bistro lights (at full price on Amazon, YIKES!) to string around the awning, but I need a cool bistro table and two chairs to complete the look. I've been scouring Craig's List, but have come up empty thus far. Everything is either too expensive, too cumbersome, or just "wrong" for Wanda. I'm gonna keep looking though. I don't think I've worn out my thrifting mojo yet.

Thanks for following our progress with Wanda and our vintage mobile sales adventure. I hope you learn something useful, and enjoy hearing about our experiences. Please subscribe to this blog to hear about all the amazing vintage resale venues we plan to visit, all the cool spots we intend to camp at, and all the important business (life) lessons we are sure to learn along the way. Stay tuned for the highlights from Wanda's first camping excursion at the end of this month.

The Top 10 Things I Took Away from Wanda's First Open Air Market

HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OTHER THAN HOW THEY OCCURRED TO ME AS I REFLECTED ON OUR EXPERIENCE

1. People from the Beach Haven/LBI Area Are Really Nice

From our very first customer, a woman who purchased the Fralinger Salt Water Taffy print that I secretly hoped no one would buy so I could take it home, to our very last, a woman who purchased a huge pile of boho chic clothes for her very lucky teenage daughters, everyone we met at the Beach Haven Flea/Craft Market was friendly and supportive. I loved the twenty-somethings with their sincere appreciation for unique finds, the forty-somethings who wanted to know everything about the renovations we did on the camper, the sixty-somethings who reminisced about all the items we had for sale that they remembered from their pasts, and the wide-eyed little ones who had their own creative theories about the origin and purpose of each item they picked up from our tables. But my most favorite customers at this market were a trio of teenaged cousins, two girls and a boy. The girls each bought a vintage suitcase and some super-cute clothing pieces. I have to say their excitement over each purchase was contagious. Their smiles made everyone around them smile, too. Their male cousin didn't buy a thing, but he LOVED Wanda. It was so much fun answering all his questions about our renovation project and our future plans for Wanda, because his enthusiasm and curiosity were so genuine. I told him I hope he acts on his dream of having his own camper long before he turns 47.

These suitcases found their new home with my favorite customers of the day.

2. Working an Open Air Market Provides You with an Opportunity to See a Sunrise and a Sunset on the Same Day

Wanda's first open air market was at Veteran's Bicentennial Park in Beach Haven, New Jersey, an hour and a half from North Wildwood, New Jersey where Wanda has been getting primped and prepped all summer. The fair started at 9:00 AM and set up began at 6:30 AM. This meant we were up at 4:15 AM and on the road by 5:08 AM (8 minutes behind schedule) in order to get to the fair in time to set up. You would think a little more than two hours would be ample time to set up, but I have to admit we were still hanging clothes on hangers and setting them out well after our first sale of the day. Then, the fair lasted until 4:00 PM with strict instructions that no clean up or packing could commence before that time. Don't tell Pam, but we cheated a little and started packing up some things inside the camper around 3:30, and we still ended up pulling out of the lot around 6:00 PM to head home. Luckily, we made it to our new favorite dining spot in North Wildwood, South Dock Marina at 10th and Delaware, just in time for a beautiful sunset. I have to say it was not a bad spot to debrief on the day's events. In a nutshell, we saw the sun rise on the way to the market, and we caught the sun set at the day's end. I guess that's what you call putting in a full day's work.

Sunrise on our way to Beach Haven.

Sunset at South Dock Marina once we were back home in North Wildwood.

3. You Don't Have to Feel Bad about Missing Your Daily Workout, Because You Get Plenty of Exercise Unpacking and Packing Up at a Market

If you sell vintage wares at open air markets, you need to bring a wide variety of merchandise for your displays. You want to have an inventory that will appeal to a diverse customer base so you need to bring a little of this, some of that, and a bit of the other stuff to make sure you attract the interest of most of the potential customers who walk past your booth. And let me tell you, that inventory adds up quickly when you are packing! Sadly, these items will not unload and load themselves in and out of your truck or van. Be prepared to do a fair amount of lifting and carrying if you set up at an open air market. Hopefully, you will sell a ton of stuff at your markets, like we did at Beach Haven, but don't let that fact deceive you into thinking packing up will be a breeze. We had steady sales for the majority of the day at the Beach Haven fair, and we were very pleased with our final sales total, but it still took us over an hour to break down our display and pack everything up before heading home.

We used every inch of space under and around Wanda's awning to set up our central display.

Luckily, we paid for two spots at the market because we filled this secondary location with no problem.

We loaded up Wanda's interior with merchandise, too. People loved looking around inside the camper.

4. A Market Umbrella Is No Substitute for a Standard Pop-Up Canopy

This was Wanda's inaugural pop-up appearance, so when it came to mocking up our set up we didn't have a lot to go on. No one had been to the Beach Haven Flea/Craft Market before and I couldn't find photos online for a reference point. To make things even more interesting, I was at the shore with the camper, and my partner, Sue, was in Philadelphia with all the merchandise. I took pictures of Wanda with the awning open and sent measurements of our interior and exterior display spaces to help Sue decide what to send to the market, but we really didn't know what the actual space was going to look like when we arrived at the market, so we had to play it by ear. We decided on a large market umbrella to supplement the shaded area under Wanda's awning. Even though, we had a heavy umbrella stand, and it wasn't all that windy of a day, the umbrella base kept lifting of the ground and titling our umbrella over. I think the umbrella was up for less than five minutes before we folded it up and put it away. Next time, we'll have one of our white pop-up canopies with us even if we are not sure we can use it. We thought about packing one, but decided against it. It would have been better to have had the umbrella with us and not have used it, than to need it and be without. It was well over 90° at Beach Haven, and we definitely could have used a little more relief from the sun.

Shade seeking was a #1 priority at Beach Haven for sellers and buyers alike.

5. A Well Packed Cooler Is Your Best Friend at a Busy Market

We had our first sale at Beach Haven a few minutes before 9:00 AM when the market officially opened, and I was settling up with our last customer of the day about 4:15 PM while my husband loaded the van. With the exception of the hour between 2:30 and 3:30 when things slowed down a little, we had a steady flow of customers at our spot all day long. For the better part of the day, I took care of the cash box and the Square Register while my husband showed people around the camper and made small talk with customers.We were both legitimately busy the whole day. I was very happy to be able to reach in the van and pull out drinks and snacks whenever we had a little break. It was definitely worth the few minutes I took on Friday night to prep everything and put it in containers. Not to mention that we would not have made it through the day's blistering heat without a steady supply of water bottles. I strongly advise bringing a well-stocked cooler with you to any market or fair. It makes for a much more enjoyable outing.

We're happy campers (pun intended) because we're fed and hydrated.

6. Having a Camper as the Backdrop for Your Booth is a Win-Win

Wanda's first pop-up appearance was all that I hoped it would be and more! To say I was anxious about taking Wanda to her first fair would be a huge understatement. I was a nervous wreck about the whole thing, in all honesty. Happily, I didn't let my nerves get the best of me, and I persisted with my plans for Wanda. Not only, did Wanda draw a lot of attention from passers-by at the market, but she served lots of utilitarian purposes as well. I loved listening to people talk about how adorable the camper was and watching their faces light up when we said they could look around inside. It was fun to watch people take pictures of Wanda and hear them fantasize about having a camper of their own. I especially got a kick out of a couple of customers who called family and friends on their phones and urged them to come see Wanda for themselves. However, Wanda was good for more than just "show". Several customers took clothes inside and tried them on in front of the full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. Others just took refuge from the heat for a few minutes and hung out in front of the fans we had running inside the camper. I, personally, enjoyed listening to the vinyl records that we played all day on the record player inside the camper. I do have to thank my brother-in-law for lending us his portable Honda Quiet Generator. It was perfect for our electricity needs at the market, and generated its own share of buzz amongst the male visitors to our booth. Looks like we're going to have to sell a lot more merchandise so we can buy a generator of our own!

Those fans may be small, but they sure can blow. And that record player could not be any more perfect for our space.

7. Make-Up Mirrors Magnify the Intensity of the Sun's Rays In Addition to Your Reflection

At Beach Haven, I learned that you have to pay attention to all the details of your market set-up. Obviously, you have to keep track of the cash box and your cell phone at all times. You also have to be aware of the way your display changes as items sell. To keep your booth looking sharp and attractive, you have to do some rearranging periodically throughout the day as items sell and create vacant spaces. We also had to track the sun as it changed position throughout the day so we knew where the next "shady spot" would be for us to hang out. What I didn't keep an eye on were the vintage makeup mirrors we had for sale. It really caught me by surprise when I smelled smoke around 3:00 PM. It was even more alarming when I saw that there was actual smoke coming from one of our clothing racks. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the makeup mirrors had caught the changing angle of the sun and burned holes through two of our garments. I admit I panicked a little when I realized this one black jacket was actually in flames. Thank goodness I was able to pour the ginger ale I was drinking on the hot spots. You can bet I won't make that mistake again. Here's a picture so you know I am not making this one up.

The flames from the black jacket actually melted the hanger it was hanging on.

8.  Beach Haven is an Adorable Little Beach Town

It was very early when we were driving into Beach Haven on the day of the market, and we were pretty tired on our way out, but none of that prevented me from noticing the quaint appeal of our host town. Even though I was driving a Ford E-150 cargo van for the first time and my attention was primarily on the road in front of me, I still managed to soak in many of the adorable shops and kitschy eateries along our route. Beach Haven made such an impression on me that we are headed back in two weeks for my birthday. Our goal for Wanda was to get our feet wet by taking her to one open air market and one campground this summer. While we were at the market in Beach Haven, I decided I wanted to return to the area for our first camping excursion, as well. For my birthday weekend at the end of August, we'll be camping at Long Beach RV Resort, relaxing on the beaches that boast "18 Miles of Smiles", and exploring cute little establishments like the ones pictured here. I can't wait.

9. Customers Appreciate Little Gestures

My mom has a hard time coming in my camper, because it reminds her too much of a trailer my grandfather had years ago in Tuckerton. Being in my camper makes her feel sentimental now that her dad is gone. I know how she feels. We all miss Tootsie Pop. That's why I couldn't pass over a vintage Tootsie Pop canister I found in a local thrift shop a few weeks ago. I didn't know what I was going to do with the can when I bought it, but I knew I had to have it. When I brought the metal canister home, I had a spark of inspiration. All of a sudden, it was obvious that I should keep the Tootsie Pop tin in the camper that reminds us all of Tootsie Pop's old trailer. It was a natural fit. One thing led to another, as thoughts so often do in my mind, and, before I knew it, I was online ordering a bag of Tootsie Pops from Amazon. I put the canister full of lollipops out for our visitors at the Beach Haven market, and I'm happy to report that the treats were a hit, especially with Wanda's youngest visitors. Having a little something sweet available for people who visit your booth at a fair is a nice way of thanking people for their interest in your wares. It doesn't have to be Tootsie Pops, but I 'm sure you can think of something fun to offer your customers. They'll love it!

                                                           

10. Carry Spare Parts, Probably the Hardest and Most Important Lesson of All

Have you ever heard the expression, "Pride goeth before the fall"? I know I wish I would have remembered this proverb when we were packing up at Beach Haven. We had A LOT of stuff displayed at the market so you can imagine my delight when I looked around and realized we were not going to be the last ones off the lot when the fair was over. I just couldn't resist bragging a little to my husband about how many other vendors looked like they would still be packing up when we were ready to leave. I should have kept my mouth shut! We were all packed up and ready to pull out when my husband asked me to check the brake lights on the camper. He is still super nervous about towing the trailer and needs reassurance. Even though the brake control wiring worked perfectly on our way to Beach Haven, I still went back to check the brakes just to make him feel better. Imagine our dismay when the brake lights on the trailer came on for a second and then went dead. After 30 minutes of talking with our mechanic on the phone, climbing in the dirt under our van to check the brake wiring, checking the brake control module in the car repeatedly, and swearing up a storm, my husband conceded that the brake lights on the trailer were not going to come on. This was a problem! After much deliberation (and watching all the remaining vendors leave the lot), we made an executive decision to head home with me following closely behind the camper in the cargo van, paying close attention to when we needed to stop and change lanes. Luckily for us, it was a pretty straight nonstop run for the majority of the ride and our plan worked. I managed to stay behind the camper the whole way home without causing any problems for anyone else on the road. It was a bit of a stressful ride, but we were happy to make it home without a traffic citation. The next day, Andy consulted with our mechanic on the phone again and went to AutoZone to pick up some fuses. Back at home, he easily replaced the fuse on the brake control module, and we were back in business with working brake lights on the trailer. Needless to say, we now have extra fuses in the glove compartment of the van, and I will never brag about our progress again when we are packing up at a fair. 

                                  
                             My nephew informing me the trailer lights were working again.

Thanks for following our progress with Wanda and our vintage mobile sales adventure. I hope you learn something useful, and enjoy hearing about our experiences. Please subscribe to this blog to hear about all the amazing vintage resale venues we plan to visit, and all the important business (life) lessons we are sure to learn along the way. Stay tuned for the highlights from Wanda's first camping excursion at the end of this month.