13 Easy RV Renovations You Can Tackle While Your RV is Winterized
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These easy RV renovations can be completed even if your RV is winterized and stored!
With winter approaching rapidly, most of us have packed up and stored our campers for the season.
But, before we know it, we’ll be dragging our RVs back out of storage and remembering a slew of projects we meant to get done before our next camping trip.
So, if you’ve spent all summer thinking, “I should really replace these old blinds,” or “I wish my dinette was nicer,” or “This oven doesn’t work well,” don’t wait until you’re complaining again next summer.
Check out these easy RV renovations you can complete before the end of the year.
Uncomplicated RV Renovations You Can Accomplish While Your RV’s in Storage:
1. Remove Furniture That You Plan to Replace
One of the most common complaints about older campers is the quality of the furniture.
If you’ve been dreaming of ripping out your dinette or buying a new couch all summer, now is a great time to remove your old furniture.
This is a great way to ensure you finish the project since you likely won’t be able to camp next year until you replace everything!
Plus, the holidays are a great time to ask for new furniture as a gift! Here’s a list of couches that would be perfect for an RV remodel. Those can all fit through your RV door, too!
Removing pieces from your RV is relatively simple. Most RVs are held together with screws and can be removed with a power drill. Check out these tutorials for step-by-step instructions:
- How to Remove Your RV Couch
- How to Remove Your RV Dining Booth
- How to Remove RV Cabinets Like a Professional
2. Update Your RV Window Coverings
Hate the old valances around your windows? Grab your power drill and take them down!
You can easily swap your old RV window treatments with new blackout shades, curtains, or blinds. This may sound overwhelming or expensive, but you can replace window treatments one room at a time or find an affordable DIY option.
(Right now, the biggest trend is grabbing a dowel rod, drapery clips, and Turkish hand towels to make your own curtains! You can see how cute the towels look in this renovation.)
Check out 47 Ideas for an RV Window Makeover to see even more RV window renovations.
3. Create a Headboard
A new headboard is a great way to cozy up your RV bedroom, considering many RVs don’t have any type of headboard built in. DIY shiplap is a common choice for many RVers!
Or you can install an actual bed’s headboard or grab faux stone siding and install it along the wall.
Check out 19 Headboard Ideas for Your RV Bedroom Remodel for more inspiration.
4. Refresh Your Bathroom
Swap out your shower door for a colorful curtain, or install hooks and rods for towels!
Little annoyances like not having a spot to hang your towel are something you typically only remember while camping. If you take care of it now, you can be delighted next season when your RV feels more like home!
Other renovations, though, such as swapping out your showerhead or painting a yellow shower surround, should wait until spring when temperatures are warmer.
But you could get wild and go ahead and swap your toilet for a self-composting one…
5. Turn Your “TV Hole” Into Something New
Most RVs come with a TV or two installed.
And, if you have an older RV, you know that removing your ancient large TV would create an awkward empty spot. So what do you do?
These professional renovators have added fireplaces, shelves, mirrors, artwork, and decor to turn the empty wall into a beautiful, homey statement.
Complete your entertainment center makeover with help and inspiration in this blog post.
6. Upgrade Your Appliances
Making an RV maintenance appointment in the summer can be impossible with long wait times and products on backorder.
The off-season is a great time to upgrade your RV appliances, like your stove, oven, or fridge.
Appointments are easier to come by, and if you need tanks or a hot water heater replaced, the maintenance techs can winterize your RV after installation.
We recommend trusted RV parts stores like RecPro for shopping for RV-safe appliances.
7. Reupholster Your Dining Booth Cushions
A simple way to revamp your dinette booth is to reupholster your cushions.
You can remove these for winter when you store your RV and have the perfect craft project for the dark winter months.
Trying to figure out where to start? Here are 7 Ways to Reupholster RV Dinette Cushions.
8. Make Room for A Growing Family
Are your kids growing up, or do you have more on the way?
Now is a great time to start planning how to add bunk beds or a nursery to your camper.
Instead of buying a whole new camper, consider adding custom bunk beds to your RV.
Are you worried about having a baby in your camper? You’ll love these 16 nurseries in RVs that will ensure your baby is ready to travel!
9. Convert Bulky Cabinets into Shelves
If you’re not a fan of all the bulky cabinets in your RV and have considered removing them, shelves are a great way to gain back storage space.
The most popular place to add shelves is to replace the cabinets in the bathroom, particularly for decor.
You can also build shelves inside your existing cabinets if you want that extra bit of organized storage!
10. Reframe Your Slideouts
The interior frame around your slideouts probably isn’t something you notice very often. But once replaced with something new, it can become the space’s focal point.
Currently, many RVers are creating faux wood beams to frame slideouts. We often see this in the living room, where the largest slides are typically located.
You can frame just one slide all the way or frame them all like this RVer:
All three slideouts on this contemporary fifth wheel were framed with wood. “We made them from 1x8s, beat them up, and framed them to look like beams,” Victoria said. This kept the beams lightweight while looking authentic and worn.
You can tour the rest of this bright fifth wheel here.
11. Install New Lighting
Did you know you can install any 120-V light fixture in an RV? That means no more settling for bland lighting!
Find a light fixture that fits your dream style—boho, farmhouse, modern, eclectic—and install it.
Consider hiring an electrician to complete this if you’re uncomfortable doing it alone.
12. Create an Accent Wall
We love a good accent wall in an RV!
Slat walls are popular on DIY home renovation shows as a sophisticated upgrade from shiplap. (Don’t worry; we still love shiplap too! Here’s how to create a shiplap wall in your RV.)
You can follow a similar process to build your own slat wall.
13. Get Organized
In a small space, it’s easy to feel like you’re surrounded by clutter. Tackle your RV’s organization in the off-season by finding kitchen or bathroom storage solutions.
Add shelves, drawer organizers, or a utensil bar to stay organized in 2024.
- Sturdy & Durable --Made of good iron material, strong hardness, not easy to break. And it's a nice sturdy design with full metal construction; It looks nice with any pan pot and with almost any kitchen theme. It definitely holdes weight of cast iron pans. The total weight of pots/pans/utensils on the rack not to exceed 30 kg or 66 lbs will be best.
These RV Renovations Can Wait Till Spring
If your RV is stored for the season or you’re in temperatures below the 50s, here are a few projects you should wait until the spring to tackle.
- Painting
- Replacing the floor (particularly if you have your RV stored with your slideouts in)
- Installing tile or backsplash
- Hanging wallpaper
- Adding skylights (like in this skoolie reno)
- Installing new faucets
Adhesives can be affected by cold temperatures. It’s best if they aren’t installed in a non-temperature-controlled environment in the winter.
You can install new faucets or showerheads in the winter, but if you want to test them after installation, you’ll need to re-winterize your RV after the renovation. So, we recommend holding off until spring!
Wrap-Up: Simple RV Renovations to Tackle Before the End of the Year
Which of these easy RV renovations are you most eager to tackle? Share your reno in the comments!
Read next: Need Help with Your RV Renovation? Check Out These Professional RV Renovators!
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.
