With more people at home these days, there’s been a significant increase in the number of people who are tackling DIY projects and home renovations. Why not use your newfound skills and extra time at home to try a camper remodel too? Whether you have an RV, pop-up camper, or another type of home-on-wheels, here are 12 budget-friendly camper remodel ideas for your next project.
Choose a simple color scheme.
Before starting any remodeling project, it’s important to look at the big picture. What’s the overall look and feel of the camper? What would you like it to be? If the interior seems cramped or dingy, you might be tempted to start tearing out cabinets or replacing the floor. But sometimes you can update a camper’s interior just by changing the color scheme.
It’s almost a decorating cliché, but white paint (along with other light colors) can make a space brighter and appear larger because pale colors reflect more light. (On the other hand, you might want to choose a warmer, darker color scheme to make the camper feel more cozy. It all depends on your personal tastes.) Allie from Proverbs 31 Girl, used a simple black-and-white color scheme for her camper remodel as seen here:
Photo credit: Proverbs 31 Girl
Refinish cabinetry with milk paint.
Chalk paint has been a refinishing trend for many years. It’s easy to apply, dries fast, and doesn’t have a chemical smell like most paints. If you like the easy application and matte finish of chalk paint, try milk paint on your camper’s cabinets. It’s available in a rainbow of colors and provides great coverage for larger surface areas. If you’re painting real wood, milk paint can also be applied as a wash so you see the texture and grain of the wood underneath.
Update a backsplash with adhesive tile.
Adding a backsplash to a camper’s kitchen area can be both practical and pretty. Cover an outdated backsplash or create a new one with adhesive tile. (But be aware that these tiles are often transparent so it helps if the wall is primed first.) See this adhesive tile how-to video from Our Little Nest. Another option is to use Tic Tac Tiles, 3D stickers that mimic the look of real tile. Sarah from Raising Brave has a helpful video that shows how she installed them in her family’s RV.
Use removable wallpaper to add pops of color or prints to walls.
Removable wallpaper has come a long way in the past few years. Today’s options are durable yet still much easier to apply than standard wallpaper. Plus, since it’s removable, you can easily redecorate when your tastes change. Use removable wallpaper to cover a camper’s walls instead of repainting them. You can also use the wallpaper to cover cabinets, refrigerators, and tabletops. (Or as shown below, you can even use it to decorate your camper’s ceiling.) Try this bold black-and-white pattern or this faux grasscloth. With so many colors, patterns, and styles available online these days, the options are endless.
Photo Credit: Flippin Wendy Design
Cover an old floor with new adhesive vinyl tiles.
The floor of a camper gets a lot of wear and tear. Sometimes, it’s best to simply tear out the old floor and begin again. (Especially if you notice things like water damage.) For instructions on how to install a new floor in your camper, check out this tutorial from RV with Tito. If the camper’s floor is functional, just not much to look at, it’s easy to update it with adhesive vinyl tiles. Try these faux wood adhesive planks or these square tiles. Prefer carpeting? Try adhesive-backed carpet tiles.
Install under-cabinet lighting.
Next to color, lighting can go a long way in making a camper feel homey. Installing LED light strips under cabinets will not only provide cozy indirect lighting, they’ll be useful during activities like meal prep.
Maximize kitchen workspace with a stove cover.
Most campers don’t have a lot of counter space in the kitchen area. One easy way to add to your work surface is to use a stove cover. Put it in place when you’re prepping meals and remove it when it’s time to cook.
Replace old furniture.
There’s no rule that says you have to keep your camper’s original furniture. (Though you should be mindful of weight limits so your camper isn’t overloaded.) Here are some furniture swaps to consider:
- Swap a recliner for an IKEA Poang chair
- Swap a jackknife sofa to a small futon
- Swap a built-in dinette for a small table and chairs
Photo Credit: Follow Your Detour
Add blackout shades.
Depending on where you camp, there can be a lot of artificial light at night. Turn your camper’s existing curtains into blackout curtains. Cut pieces of thick dark-colored fabric that are the same dimensions as your curtains. Then attach the fabric to the inside of your camper’s curtains using adhesive-backed Velcro.
Spruce up a sofa with a new slipcover.
If you don’t have the budget or skills to recover your camper’s furniture, use slipcovers instead. Choose a fitted one that’s similar in size to your piece of furniture or buy a slipcover that drapes over it. Reviewers claim this fitted futon slipcover will fit a jackknife-style sofa (common in campers). It’s available in many colors and is machine-washable.
Update kitchen and bathroom faucets.
Replacing an old faucet is a simple project that can help give the camper’s kitchen area a whole new look. Here’s a video that will walk you through it. Or, you can spray your existing faucet with some metallic paint like Allie from Proverbs 31 Girl (seen below). And as long as you’re changing the kitchen faucet, why not update the faucet in the bathroom too?
Photo Credit: Proverbs 31 Girl
Cover a dinette table with contact paper.
Marble, granite, and hardwood are all great surfaces for tables and counter tops—just not in campers. These materials tend to add a lot of excess weight plus they’re expensive. A faster and cheaper option is to recover a camper’s dinette table and countertops with patterned contact paper. It comes in a variety prints or more traditional patterns like gray marble.
Looking for some more inspiration? Check out these amazing Airstream before-and-afters.
