6. Pretty, pretty fabric

It was certainly a rush trying to finish the majority of the painting and construction in the camper before it got too cold. It was wet and rainy September so we patiently waited for a few consecutive dry days and then shut up shop. Our tiny pop up is now closed down and hibernating in our side yard, waiting patiently for spring.

While it is cold and snowy outside, I have a few sewing projects that I would like to work on: curtains, cushions, throw pillows, and fitted bed sheets. I am on Christmas break and had the time to start working on re upholstering four of the bench cushions. The foam was in perfect condition. So was the fabric cover, but since it was dated I decided to sew a new cover to put on over it. I washed the old covers to give them a new and much better smell and went to work designing zipped bench cushion covers. After taking several measurements I began cutting enough fabric for each of the four cushions. This meticulous measuring, calculating, and cutting took close to two hours. I wanted to be very sure that I didn’t use more than the 5 yards of fabric that I already had cut. I created one panel for each cushion that had a zipper across the entire short end. When I was done, I squeezed the covered cushions in the new covers and zipped them shut. They fit like a glove! It took quite some time to get this project completed, but it was worth it. I know there are many tutorials on a “no-sew” cushion cover method, but I wasn’t sure how well they would hold up.

I plan on using the same fabric as I had used for the cushions to create several curtains for the bunk ends. I had already sewn four salmon colored panels (bright accent) and will add these to the Azure fabric and maybe throw in some plain white if it looks too busy inside the pop up. I also purchased two large throw pillows that I will reupholster with coordinating fabric. Chartreuse?

The foam beds/ bunk ends are an odd size at 47” x 71”. I looked for a traditional twin or full sized set of sheets, but neither worked well for what we needed. I have made several fitted sheets for my daughter’s bed and plan on doing the same for our camper beds. I will do this by adding another 8 inches on both measurements, cutting an 8” square in each corner and sewing the corners to make them boxed. I will sew a casing and add elastic, creating the perfect fitted sheet for what we need. Instead of purchasing expensive fabric from the store, I am keeping my eye out for a set of flat sheets that I can cut as needed.

Once I finish sewing the curtains and throw pillows, my goal is to work on creating a toddler bed to go over the dinette table when it is time to go to bed! I may use the cushions that are already on the benches and make a fitted sheet to make it more bed-like, or even cut a piece of foam as a mattress topper to make the bed a little more like we have at home.

Until it is warm, sunny and the flowers start to bloom, this pop up project will be on hold. Stay tuned for some more pictures and camper up dates in the spring! 

5. Flooring and steps

Old ugly floor:

When thinking of how I could beautify our little pop up, I really didn’t put too much thought into the flooring. I had already purchased two boxes of a pretty expensive vinyl floating floor, but I would have been OK with a peel-and-stick vinyl. I definitely did not think that this floor would be difficult to put in. I even told my husband not to worry, I would install it after I painted. He laughed. And told me no. After watching him put together a puzzle and use his muscles to cut and snap pieces of flooring, I knew he was right. Totally out of my league.

He started by measuring each piece of vinyl flooring and slowly snapping it together and making sure it went under the fridge and cabinet and fit tightly next to the benches. These things were tricky because we needed close to every piece of flooring in the box. One of the boards were already broken, so Cody knew the pressure was on to be very detailed oriented. The hardest part was the last plank, the one that needed to fit under the metal bracket the door sits on. It was the most time consuming project of this flip, but SO worth it. Check out how well the floor brings the aesthetics together.

After the floor was in, Mr. Muscles went to work man-crafting two perfect sets of stairs to get into the bunk ends. The wood was ruff so I took some sand paper and spent a bit of time rounding the edges and smoothing the wood out. A little wood putty and some paint and they were done. Now we can actually fit an entire foot on the steps instead of side stepping and maybe breaking an ankle.

4. COLOR

 Now that the inside of the camper was cleared out, it was time to sweep and prime. I had anxiety choosing the perfect color palette for the pop up. I knew I wanted something bright. I have a blue wall in my sewing room and it helps me relax and focus. So off to Lowes I went. I picked a bright blue (Valspar, Rushing Stream) and a very light gray (Valspar, Notre Dame). I used these paint swatches to choose the perfect fabric from Walmart (Waverly, Disks Azure). I really enjoy the fabric because the pattern is small enough where the bright colors will not overwhelm the camper. I plan on using this fabric for the bench cushions and some of the curtains. While I was out with my swatches and fabric sample in hand, I went back to Lowes to choose a vinyl flooring. My intent was to purchase a faux wood pattern, the cheapest they had. By the time I left I had purchased a luxury vinyl floating floor. Luckily I only needed two boxes (JUST BARELY), because at $55 a box I was pushing other items out of my camper budget.

Our little camper came equipped with a cream colored dinette. Boring. I removed it from the camper and sprayed it with several coats of Valspar Stone spray paint. My genius idea is to top the dinette with polyurethane to give it a faux granite look. I also taped off (VERY WELL – this stuff sprays everywhere and is messy) the counter top and sprayed three coats of the stone spray paint. I purchased two cans of spray paint for these two small projects and they didn’t go very far. The texture is amazing and I can’t wait until it is warm enough to apply the poly to both the dinette and counter top.

I love me some color. I was very excited to begin the painting process, but I knew immediately that I would have to prime every single pressboard and wood piece in the camper. Twice. So I did. The white made my little pop up feel open, but I couldn’t wait to start with the blue and gray. The benches and steps were painted blue and any wall areas light gray. The gray is light enough to look white in certain lighting.

I was on a roll! I enjoyed painting and bringing life to our future home away from home. I was chatting with my sister and another friend about what I could do to update my ugly camper fridge. The front was made with a particle board insert and BOTH ladies suggested Modge Podging fabric to the front. So smart. I began by spraying the metal part of the fridge a dark gray and then went to work with the front. I used a multi-purpose sealer to stiffen the fabric (two coats). Once it was dry I measured and cut the fabric to fit. The metal part of the fridge and the particle board had a gap that was just the right size for placing the thickened fabric in between. I applied a layer of Modge Podge in the middle of the particle board and slowly smoothed out the fabric. Once I got to the edges I added a tiny more Modge Podge and used a flat head screwdriver to make sure the fabric edges didn’t show. Once the Modge Podge was dry, I added two more layers on top of the fabric to ensure it was adhered well enough for camping.

3. Scrub, rip, tear, smash, throw away

Now that the inside of the camper was rid of mold, it was time to update the interior. It was bursting with outdated and dirty fabric that I’m sure looked wonderful in the early 90’s. I couldn’t wait to rip out anything unwanted and toss it into our large garbage bin. I started with the old fabric that lined the ceiling. It was stapled every few inches, so it took some fingernails and patients. I then moved to the stained cream curtains. They were attached to a track that went around the entire camper, so I was sure to save all of the curtains for their little plastic tabs (more info on how I made new curtains later on).

The plastic windows had this greasy film on them and it was bothering me. After some research I found a product that is sold at Walmart that is meant for boats: Protect All Cleaner and Polish. I was definitely skeptical. I sprayed on this greasy (thick) white spray and spread it around with one cloth. After letting it sit I wiped it off with a clean cloth. Viola! It worked like a charm and I barely had to use any of the product on each window panel. This bottle is in my camper cleaning arsenal.

Grimy windows before

I had big intentions of reupholstering the fabric cushions so I removed them (along with the bedding foam) and put them into storage to work on over the freezing cold winter. I have become quite the seamstress so this is the highlight of my flip. More details to come later!

The last thing I needed to do before dramatically changing the appearance of the pop up with paint and new flooring was to remove some of the cabinetry. Mr. Muscles went in and removed the sink and another cabinet that was just wasted space. We figured that we will have running water wherever we camp, so why keep a sink that we would need to maintain? This left a nice, big, flat countertop next to one of the bunk ends. We also removed the heater that was original to the camper because it just made me plain nervous. Cody took the hole that it left and replaced it with a repurposed cabinet door. This will give us access to the electrical units and the back of the fridge.

I had asked my husband to remove the steps in order to paint and prepare to put flooring in, but they fell apart upon removal. That worked out well for us because Cody was able to create new steps that were visually appealing and sturdier. See, I told you he was handy. Next step: PAINT!

2. Hello, mold!

Once we got our camper home and the sun was up, I was outside inspecting the work that needed to be done. I had two weeks left of summer vacation and a lot of work to do. In my naïve thoughts I had imagined a light scrubbing and some paint. Boy, was I wrong! I went inside the camper and noticed how dirty the camper canvas actually was. In my haste to buy this bad boy I didn’t really look at the canvas, I just thought it was dark and old. It was actually covered with mold. Every. Single. Inch. I did some research online and found that many people found success with an AMAZING product called Mean Green. I found it at my local Dollar Tree and Dollar General.

There are several formulas but I found that the Mean Green Mildew formula was by far the best for the inside of the camper canvas. I sprayed it inside and out and the mold literally ran off of the canvas.

The mold removal was a messy, dirty, smelly job. If I had to do it again I would buy the Mean Green by the gallon (I bought many bottles), purchase some masks to prevent breathing in the fumes, and buy more plastic gloves. In case you need to go this route, here is what worked well for me: I removed anything that I didn’t want bleach to get on. I then sprayed the Mean Green on in a manageable and workable area (the ceilings were interesting) and left it sit for about 30 seconds. I came back in and wiped the bleach off what fresh water. I washed it off with water to 1) remove the old mold and 2) remove any residual bleach for fear it would eat through the canvas if left on. Very few spots needed to be re-touched, but nothing a little elbow Greece couldn’t help. This step took DAYS of spraying and scrubbing, but the results were fantastic. I even used other Mean Green products for the canvas over the bunk ends and the gunk wiped away with ease.

Since we were in a rush to finish the majority of the camper and get it closed before freezing weather, we did not get a chance to spray and scrub down the awning and camper top. That will be a Spring project.

1. How it all began...

My husband and I were into camping before we had our daughter. She came along and I no longer had an interest in sleeping on the ground in a tent with a screaming, crying, non-sleeping newborn. This past summer I was browsing Pinterest (my weakness) and noticed a few posts about pop up campers. I was sold. I began obsessively reading and staring at pictures of how other fellow crafty people took campers and flipped them. I started looking at campers on Craigslist but was disappointed at the lack of pop up campers in my price range. Bummer. After weeks of stalking browsing Craigslist, I thought we finally found the perfect camper. My husband and I rushed to a tiny little town about 45 minutes away and were immediately disgusted. The ceiling and floor had a lot of water damage, the screens had many critter holes and the condition was just plain bad. I left with a sad face on. I believe everything happens for a reason, maybe a pop up wasn't meant to be.

About a week later I was driving to my SIL's house when I noticed a garage sale. Set back near this family's barn was an older pop up with a tiny sign that said '$250'. WHAT?! I slammed on my breaks, turned around and pulled into the driveway. After a brief conversation with the owner's dad I asked if he could hold the camper for $50 until I could get my husband to look at it later that night. He said sure and off I went. No less than an hour later I was back. Who was I kidding? I couldn't pass up this deal, even if my husband would be mad (sorry Cody). I paid cash and this puppy was in our side yard the next day.



After a closer inspection of our new-to-us camper we noticed that it was in solid shape for being a 1991. There were some tiny tears in the canvas and a critter recently went to town on some of the wiring. Definitely nothing that we couldn't live with or fix (you'll see how handy my husband is). We were now the proud owners of a Jayco 806 Deluxe Pop Up Camper. By the time we got it home it was dark and I had to wait until the next day to get to work. I could NOT sleep. I browsed Pinterest and made big plans for our little pop up.