This next makeover comes to us from a couple of readers in Canada. What I absolutely love about it is that Marie-Andree and her boyfriend, Louka, got creative with their remodel in order to save money. They really thought outside the box when it came to sourcing the supplies for the makeover–especially fabric. You will be amazed at all they did on such a small budget.
It all started when Marie-Andree and Louka began dreaming about buying a tent trailer, remodeling it, and taking a big road trip over the summer. They didn’t want to put too much money into the project, so they set a budget and started looking for the perfect camper in their price range.
Marie-Andree and Louka bought a 1997 Coleman pop up camper for 1300$ CAD (right around $1K for those of us in the US 😉 ). Since they live in the city center of Montreal, they kept their new camper at Marie-Andree’s parents’ place up north in the country. They went every weekend to work on their new project.
They started by taking out all the cabinet frames. Marie-Andree told me it was pretty easy and only took them about an hour. They made sure to take pictures along the way to make it easier to reassemble when they were finished. Smart idea! I always recommend that. 😉 Louka and Marie-Andree’s dad braced every cabinet, since they were made out of cheap wood and not very sturdy. They actually had to rebuild one entire cabinet as well.
Meanwhile, Marie-Andree started sanding all the cabinetry. They selected SICO exterior paint and primer in one. Marie-Andree tells me they had to apply about three coats of white paint to get good coverage. Then they moved on to installing the floor. Marie-Andree selected a sheet vinyl floor that they found at a retail shop for 50$ CAD. Since they live in Quebec, their main criteria when selecting the flooring was that it be able to withstand cold weather. They tell me they are very happy with the outcome, and that it wasn’t all that difficult to install either.
To save money on fabric, Marie-Andree purchased everything at Ikea. She bought a large printed duvet cover, which she cut apart to use for valances, curtain tiebacks, and cushion covers. She also purchased long curtain panels and cut them to the right size for her windows. This is a huge money saver, as curtains can get expensive. She used our Command hook and drapery ring system (tutorial here) to hang the curtains. The finishing touches were the pillow covers and duvet covers in shades of gray, red, and white, also from Ikea. Gotta love Ikea! They have seriously great prices on linens and are a great choice for economical fabric.
In the kitchen, Marie-Andree and Louka purchased a prefabricated laminate countertop from their local hardware store. They removed the original sink and cut a hole in the new countertop to accommodate it. They cut off the excess so the new countertop would fit the galley cabinet and added a white trim piece to either end.
Lastly, Marie-Andree gave their dinette table a makeover. They kept the folding legs from the original table and simply bought a new table top. They love the clean simple look, and it only cost them 20$ CAD. The whole transformation cost them 320$ CAD ($245 USD). Pretty amazing, right? And proof that it is absolutely possible to make big changes on a small budget. Nice work, Marie-Andree and Louka. Enjoy your travels in your brand new camper. 🙂
Have you made big changes to your pop up camper on a little budget? I’d love to see it! Check out our tips for getting featured here.
Happy Camping!
Happy Camping!
Glenda says
Well done, makes it even better when you can stay in the budget! Enjoy!!!
Noelene says
Love that you can achieve that on such a tight budget. Have just bought an old 89 pop top. Thanks for the inspiration 😊