Ever dive headfirst into a project with the confidence of a squirrel at a bird feeder? That’s us with our pop-up camper. There it sat our diamond in the very, very rough, looking more like something you’d gently walk away from rather than a potential haven of camping happiness. Our mission? To transform this beast into a beauty, armed only with dangerously high levels of optimism and a YouTube degree in DIY.
Graciously, this fixer-upper was a gift from Steve’s dad when we asked if we could borrow it for a trip, who after a good, hard look (and possibly a few chuckles at our expense), with a shrug said “it’s not bad you can just have it”, in the same tone one might say, “It’s only a small fire.” It’s true, the camper had taken a beating from a rogue limb, resulting in a dent with a personality and a roof leak that could’ve doubled as a soothing trickle of a sink dripping annoyingly. To add to its ‘character,’ the red dye from the vinyl base trim had bled into the gray canvas above, creating a crime scene worthy of Dexter’s approval.
The before photos are what you might call ‘maybe rustic’ if you were being very, very generous. Or ‘haunting’ if you were being honest. She was screaming for an update —or possibly just screaming; we’re not entirely sure. But Steve and I looked at each other, the same thought mirrored in our eyes: How hard can it really be?
Spoiler alert: these are always our famous last words.
The ambiance was further enhanced by the faux wood laminate peeling off the cabinets, probably in a bid to escape. It really tied in well with the eco-friendly plug housing a dirt dobber’s nest — talk about adding life to the place! Lastly, let’s not forget the exterior, adorned with peeling paint, with the bird looking less like a bird in flight ready to take on the storm and more like a bird that had been through a drying cycle of a car wash.
So there we stood, at the precipice of DIY immortality (or infamy, depending on who you ask), ready to dive into our camper renovation. Our first step was acknowledging that maybe, just maybe, we’d bitten off slightly more than we could chew. But armed with our DIY enthusiasm we embarked on a month-long adventure of our camper transformation from horrific to homey.
So, we hope you follow along as this blog post kicks off our series on the pop-up camper renovation, which, contrary to all odds, we completed in a record one month of trials, tribulations, and triumphs. We’ll share every I can’t see because I have sweat in my eyes, where did that tool go, what is that, ouch that hurt, the taste of dust isn’t good on my lunch, every high five, victory dance, and last but not least the many “huh did you say something to me”.
Expect tips, tricks, and a healthy dose of reality as we dive into every DIY project this camper threw at us. Join us, laugh with us (or at us — we’re not picky), and maybe, just maybe, get inspired to embark on your own DIY adventure.
