Travel Trailer Turned into a Cottage on Wheels
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DIY enthusiast Tina has a knack for giving new life to things that are old and outdated. She says, “I have a passion for taking something ugly and making it pretty again.” If you scroll through her Instagram profile, you can see examples of her work, including beautifully restored furniture and rustic, country-chic decor.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Tina and her husband decided to sell their home and live in an RV to cut down on costs and simplify their lifestyle, so they sold their first RV, a 1967 Terry travel trailer, and purchased a larger 2007 Thor Freedom Spirit travel trailer, which their family lived in for 9 months. Tina says she actually worked on renovating the camper while under going treatments. She says, “It was therapy for me, and helped get my mind off everything going on.”
Thankfully Tina is now cancer free, and says the camper has now taken on a new role as a getaway for her family, and “a reminder every time we take it out of what’s important in life.” Tina and her family enjoy camping in their home state of Georgia, and hope to take some longer trips this summer. She calls this camper her “home away from home” and loves that it gives her “all the luxuries of home while enjoying the great outdoors”.
Before the renovation
Here’s what the travel trailer looked like when Tina and her husband bought it. As you can see, this RV was definitely in need of a style update!
(Click the images to view larger)
After the project was completed
Below are Tina’s answers to some questions I asked her about the renovation process:
Q: How long did the project take?
A: We finished everything but the master bedroom in about 2 months. We just recently completed the master and exterior for probably a total of 4 months total.
Q: Where did you purchase the materials for the project?
A: Most items we purchased off Amazon. It made it easier to purchase items that we would have had to spend days driving around to find. Our flooring came from Home Depot (TrafficMASTER Grey oak 6 in. x 36 in. peel-and-stick vinyl plank). The peel and stick tiles for the backsplash came from Amazon.
Q: What kind of paint did you use?
A: Behr Marquee Paint-and-Primer-in-One. We used flat white on the walls and the same kind in semi-gloss on the cabinets.
(For RV painting tips, check out this article.)
Q: What did you use on the wall behind your bed?
A: The planks behind the bed are actually the flooring, and we also used that on the steps next to the night stands. We attached it with Xtra glue and a nail gun.
Q: About how much did the project cost?
A: With decor and everything I would say about about $3,000. I’m a very frugal shopper so most all decor was purchased on clearance.
Q: What did you use to make the plank wall in your bathroom?
A: The bathroom wall was a packaged kit at Home Depot we found in the trim section. I’m pretty sure one box did that wall. They are wood planks.
Q: What about the bathroom floor?
A: The flooring I also purchased from Amazon. I was able to find it there much cheaper than other places. (It’s actually floor tile decals – you can view them here.)
Q: What prior skills and experience did this RV renovation require?
A: We learned a lot renovating our 1967 but, with the years difference there were definitely learning curves. One in particular was lighting. I wanted to replace all the lighting like we did in our ’67. I learned quickly you could do this, but regular light bulbs did not work like they did in our Terry.
(Note: For a guide to replacing light fixtures in an RV, check out this guide.)
Q: Did you paint the exterior of your RV?
A: Luckily we did not have to paint the white. We were able to remove the decals with a heat gun and then any excess with Goo Gone. But the heat gun removed most very cleanly.
Q: What did you use to paint your front door?
A: I used a black oil paint from Home Depot to paint door and trim. I believe it was Rust-oleum.
Q: What advice would you give to other RV owners who are considering an RV makeover like this?
A: Take your time and shop around. Pinterest and Instagram were great sources of inspiration for me.
Check out Tina’s Instagram to see more photos and ask her any other questions you may have about her RV renovation process!
Ashley Mann spent three years living full time in a 38-foot, 5th-wheel RV with her husband Josiah and their cat, Kitty. Her favorite thing about RV life is the challenge of finding the perfect way to organize a space, and she loves seeing all the creative and clever ways people come up with to customize their RVs.
Love what you’ve done. I’ve done similar flooring and the peel and stick tile in the kitchen. I’m having a horrible time getting them to stick. I even pulled them up and sprayed gorilla glue in them and they still are not completely stuck down. Any suggestions?
I own this website but I didn’t renovate this trailer; I just wrote about it. However, I have heard that the key is getting the subfloor COMPLETELY smooth beforehand…removing every single staple and bit of carpet padding. Once you’ve done that, there’s also a product you can get at Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. called Bond Enhancer Self Stick Tile Primer. That would be my next step. Good luck!