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.