This Couple Found Items at Auction to Rebuild Their RV Bathroom at a Fraction of the Cost
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Who says an RV bathroom remodel has to be expensive? RVers Bryan and Bailey decided that there was no need to choose between RV life and a dreamy bathroom. They went to auction and found everything they needed to turn their RV bathroom into an envy-inspiring space.
Slide to see the before and after:
They saved big on high-end products because they chose to shop at auctions instead of retail. Everything you see in this bathroom renovation—from the marble floors to the board-and-batten to the soaking tub and heated bidet—cost under $600.
Finding Items at a Local Auction
Local auctions are held in most cities across America. You may be picturing a lecture hall with people in nice clothes holding up paddles while someone talks at an inhuman speed. But today, most of these auctions are held online.
“We live in Phoenix, AZ, so we have a couple of different auction sites we look at regularly,” said Bailey. “Auction Nation, Nellis Auction, & Sierra Auction. Nellis is in Vegas, Phoenix, & Dallas as of right now. But we recommend people search for auction sites on Google where they live. There are so many out there that people don’t know about!”
If you bid and win on a product, you can schedule your pickup and pay online. Auction houses like Nellis offer curbside pickup and will load your haul into your vehicle for you. Nellis also offers a seven-day return policy. You can return an item within seven days for a full refund. All auctions will have different terms that are viewable on their website.
Bryan and Bailey found everything for this renovation from a local auction. Some products came in “perfect condition,” though some needed a little love to be restored.
The Clovis bathtub looks brand new and was a steal at auction prices. You can find Clovis tubs for around $2,000 from home goods stores like Wayfair or Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Even on Black Friday or closeout sales, you’ll never get a deal quite as good as Bailey found at auction.
Also found at the auction were the LED mirror, the marble tile flooring, the vanity (“that we completely redesigned”), and a heated bidet.
See More: The Top 10 RV Renovations of 2023
Installing a Bathtub in an RV
Installing a bathtub in an RV can be tricky because of its weight. A tub can weigh a few hundred pounds, plus the weight of gallons of water and your body. The RV floor needs to be reinforced to handle the extra weight. This tub is acrylic, making it light enough that either Bailey or Bryan could carry it independently.
“We secured [the tub] with slide stabilizers in the basement storage area to the existing wood/metal frame structure and then from the basement storage area to the main frame… It just has to have the stabilizers when water is in it. We have tested all boundaries with this tub and its water weight and have filled it all the way to the top with Bryan in it (143 pounds), and there was no sag or anything under the tub!”
In the next RV where they add a tub, Bailey noted that she plans to build a platform right into the RV frame instead of using stabilizing jacks.
Get more bathtub inspiration: 9 Alternative RV Bathtub Ideas
A Heated Bidet
The luxury in this RV bathroom doesn’t end with the soaking tub. A heated bidet was also found at auction for $17. This heated bidet normally retails for $259. It offers heated seating, heated water, and it’s self-cleaning.
Installing a heated bidet requires finding plumbing and electrical connections.
“It comes with a split off from your regular cold water so we can connect it to the water line and the bidet takes it from there! [For electricity,] we just found the closest electric outlet and ours happened to be the one in the living room, so we just pulled the cord through a small hole in the wall. It actually plugs in behind our TV in the living room!”
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Creating the Board and Batten Accent Wall
One of the most popular accent wall designs right now is board and batten. Adding b&b was an almost free renovation for Bryan and Bailey. They used wood from the old cabinets in the bathroom and added a coat of paint.
Bailey says board and batten was one of her first ever DIY projects and one that is easy enough for anyone to figure out with a little “b&b math.”
B&B Math
Board and batten math will help you figure out exactly how to space out your boards based on your available wood pieces. This is the best place to start if you’re repurposing cabinets or using scrap wood to create your board and batten.
“Measure your wall, subtract the total length of all the wood put together, and then divide by how many spaces you want!” advises Bailey.
“For example, our boards are 1.5″ thick and we knew we wanted to use 6 pieces. So we did 6×1.5 = 9 inches total. Our wall was 53″ minus 9″ = 44 inches total. Then just divide that by how many open spaces you want. (Our wall was 5) And we knew each space had to be 8.8″ apart!”
Installing Board and Batten
Once you know your spacing, grab a hammer and nails to install it.
Step 1. Remove the baseboard from the walls if you haven’t already done so.
Step 2. Install the top horizontal board first. Make sure it is level and nail it into place.
Step 3. Install your first vertical piece in the corner. Nail it into place. Then measure your open space (8.8″ in this case) and install the edge of the next piece of wood at the 8.8″ mark.
Step 4: Paint, if desired.
Now you’ve got a gorgeous board and batten wall in your RV!
A Steal of A Renovation with Auction Prices
With items found at auction and wood repurposed to create the sophisticated bathroom, a price tag of only $600 is unbelievable! If you’re trying to renovate your RV on a budget, search for appliances, sinks, tubs, cabinets, mirrors, fixtures, and more at your local auction to save money.
Loving this bathroom renovation? Check out these amazing renovations:
- This Couple Transformed Their Trailer in Less Than Two Weeks (Without Taking Off Work!)
- 15 Beach Themed RV Makeovers
- Turning a Dark Fifth Wheel into a Bright Contemporary RV Home
- Gutted Vintage Airstream Overlander Rebuilt into Modern, Off-Grid Home
Alyssa Padgett is the author of the best-selling book, A Beginner’s Guide to Living in an RV. She loves all things #RVlife and travels full-time around the globe with her family of four.
