I’m so happy to be sharing this makeover with you this week. Sarah has been a long-time reader of the blog, and this isn’t her first makeover. She and her family had originally purchased a smaller Rockwood and given it a full makeover. Unfortunately, once the project was complete, they realized it was a little too small for their family. But they loved pop up camping, so they sold their smaller PUP and gave it another go. Here’s Sarah to tell us all about it…
SARAH’S POP UP CAMPER MAKEOVER
We bought our 2002 Coleman Cheyenne in the summer of 2016. The timing was perfect, as we had just completed our first pop up makeover on an 8 ft Rockwood Freedom that we had bought the previous summer. When it was finally finished, we realized it wasn’t our forever trailer. We have three kids: 4-year-old twin boys and a 3-year-old daughter. An 8 ft box was a little cozy for us! So when the Cheyenne appeared just about an hour drive from where we live, we jumped on it. We were the first to email and the first to see it. We pretty much bought it sight unseen, as we were really looking for a Coleman at a good price.
After camping in it for a summer, we realized it was hard to go back to original Coleman décor. We weren’t willing to disrupt our camping season, though, so we decided to wait until the following spring to begin the renovation. When we pulled it out of our garage for the season last April, it was go time. We headed straight down to the United States to buy fabric, as sometimes deals in Canada are hard to find… and we were heading there anyway. 😉
We hit up Target for some discount curtain panels for the banquet seat cushions, but had a hard time finding a fabric that fit well with the look we wanted to achieve. Because I could reuse our existing curtains, I ended up having a look in the bedding department. I found the exact pattern that I had in mind in king sized bed sheets! I didn’t know if they would be thick enough to keep the light at bay, but since we used our previous curtains as lining, they were perfect. I just sewed new fabric to the existing panels. As I bonus, I was able to reuse the original curtain tabs.
I decided to use the same fabric for the couch and dinette seat backs and was really happy with the unified look. Because my sewing skills are seriously lacking, I used the staple method for all the cushions. I was able to sew a few straight seams for curtains, but I didn’t think I could manage the cushions.
With all the fabric complete, we moved onto the painting. I removed and painted all the cabinet doors, while my husband took on painting the interior. We started with one coat of primer and two coats of Behr paint in the color Cappuccino Froth. Because I used a latex paint, I really wanted to give the cabinets a clear coat after painting to minimize chipping, so we finished up with two coats of Varathane.
While the cabinets were drying, I sprayed the existing hardware and hinges with Rustoleum Metallic Spray Paint in Flat Chestnut and the heater cover with Rustoleum Heat Resistant spray paint in white to blend into the cabinets. We opted to use chalkboard paint on the removable fridge cover.
Then it was finally time to move onto the floor. My husband gave me a great tutorial on laying the flooring. We selected Traffic Master Allure vinyl plank flooring in Brush Oak. I hadn’t laid that type of flooring in a small space before, and we wanted to lay it width-wise to add the illusion of width to the trailer. That meant lots of cuts. I wasn’t too popular for that decision, but we were both thrilled on the final look. We ran into a small issue when reinstalling the door jam, as the floor added a bit too much thickness for the threshold to fit back over it. We were able to cut away the old linoleum and do a bit of sanding to the underside to fit it all back together, though.
Our last small project was to add outdoor carpet to the step, an idea I got from this blog! (You can find that here.) I just love how it keeps the dirt down inside and won’t get slippery during our wet west coast camping trips. We really worked as a team on this makeover and were beyond happy with the results.
It’s gorgeous, right? I know a few of you are wondering about those countertops. Sarah used the same treatment on her countertops that Hollie and Shannon each did in their makeovers, and it turned out beautifully. In involves painting the base of the countertop with Rustoleum countertop paint, adding decorative garage epoxy flakes, and sealing the surface with a few coats of Minwax Polycrylic. Sarah didn’t detail that process in her makeover, but you can read about how Hollie did hers here, and Shannon’s is here.
Thanks so much for sharing your makeover with us, Sarah! It’s beautiful, and I know you and your family will make some wonderful memories in it!
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Happy Camping!
Shelly says
Wow, beautiful job! I have just the counter tops to do in my makeover and have been reluctant to try this method. It seems though lots of folks are having success with it so maybe I will go ahead.
Thanks Larissa, I have been eagerly awaiting a new makeover! I was nearly done with mine but then we decided to strip the outside peeling decals and repaint the entire camper…a never ending project! I will detail how we are doing it when I finally submit my camper to you for review!
Lori says
Wondering if you have seen any remodels using the laminate plank flooring in a pup with a slideout. Does the thickness mess with the slide and what thickness works best?
Tracy says
Lori,
We used the peel and stick laminate flooring in our Coleman Niagara with a slid out for this very reason. We were afraid that it wouldn’t slide back in easily. I used an additional adhesive and put that on each strip of flooring individually and ours is holding up great. We live in super humid Alabama and have been on several trips. You may could look into peel and stick.
Tracy
Lori says
Yes we are comparing both before we jump in. Yours looks amazing! I’ve looked through most if not all of Larissa’s remodel stories and haven’t noticed a slideout with laminate. Maybe she knows of one that worked?
Bernadette says
Great job! Have you had any problem with the countertops yellowing from the poly? Mine yellowed:( I’m in Texas so maybe the heat had a lot to do with it.
Sarah says
Hi Bernadette! We actually sold this trailer shortly after the remodel was complete so I am unsure as to how the poly is holding up. We did however use this technique on our kids’ bathroom countertop and it is holding up really well! Just ensure that each coat is quite thin or it will have a yellow hue.
SHeila says
You sold this beauty, too! Are you on to a third? I can barely finish 1. Lovely job.
Laura says
Hi! We have this exact camper but an ’01. Can you share with us how many yards of fabric you used for the cushions? Your camper looks great!!