An Update On My Vintage Camper Renovation -Tackling Beatrice's Exterior

My vintage camper renovation moves to the exterior

Spring has (finally) sprung here in Wisconsin. The days have started to warm up a bit which means that work on Beatrice can go forward. We still have some major things to work on until she is fully finished, but that hasn’t stopped me from spending time in her writing, relaxing, napping, and reading. I am madly in love with this special place and when she is finished and parked in our back yard in her own special spot I am sure she will turn heads that will be driving through our neighborhood. We found out that she is actually quite the topic of interest already with passersby as she sits in our driveway. She still looks a little rough on the outside, but just wait till she is finished!!

We began the task of filling old bolt holes with a filler and sanding them down in preparation for painting. There were 2 patches on the sidewalls that had an experimental paint patch from the previous owner that needed complete sanding. Rick took on the first patch and it basically peeled off. Underneath we found FREE written in permanent marker. We suspect either the previous owner (who was going to take on the renovation, but decided not to when he found out how much work it was going to be) probably got an extreme deal on her and in turn, made a little cash selling her to us for $500. All far in love and the vintage camper business!

You never know what you will find underneath a paint job!

So yesterday I got busy sanding the holes that were filled and Rick caulked the front window as an extra precaution against any leaks. I soon found out sanding is not an easy job, but I liked it anyway although today as I write this I am paying the price on my upper body!

Filling and sanding before painting can begin

After that, I refilled some spots that still needed a little fill and filled in some major dings. I decided against filling in all the dents and dings since I feel it gives her “character”. After all, she is nearly 50 years old! We all know at that age we all have some dings and dents! It’s called aging gracefully! :).

I’m still undecided about the exterior design but think I want to continue the vintage theme and go with the aqua like the original sink and white on the upper half. I have tossed around having decals made with her name and a decal of my blog logo to jazz up the outside. Mostly I want to keep her clean. Who knows maybe I will throw in an Eiffel Tower decal for a little Paris flare!

The flooring will be the next thing. We needed to wait till it was consistently over around 60 degrees before installing the laminate floor. I choose a wood-look interlocking laminate that was waterproof. It will add extra weight since the planks are fairly heavy, but should still keep Beatrice under a lighter towing weight. The gray color will look perfect with my interior color scheme. I know it’s not a “vintage” look, but I had no desire to restore her to her original interior. I like a more modern look with vintage touches like my hanging lights.

The last major thing-will be working on the door possibly a rebuild since it does not close as tight as we would like. We’re not sure exactly how much this will take and could turn out to just be a minor fix, but really nothing about this renovation has been minor!

Now YOU can share my Beatrice renovation story with the children in your life! Or even for yourself.

Order Beatrice The Little Camper Gets Rescued the first children’s book based on the true story about a little vintage camper’s rescue and renovation.

This colorfully illustrated 32-page picture book is the beginning of my passion project to bring my very own Beatrice the Little Camper to life! find out more!

Order through Amazon

This has been such a journey! We are nearly 8 months into this project. I want to share some things I have learned so far by going through this process of renovating a vintage camper.

I have an incredibly patient husband.
Be prepared to do everything twice when it’s your first camper renovation.
Rebuilding a camper is waaaay harder than building a stick frame building-everything is not standard. You need special EVERYTHING!
YouTube is your best friend.
The Tin Can Tourist Facebook page is also your best friend-for moral support and advice from those who know.
I am constantly amazed at the huge community of vintage camper enthusiasts there are. Especially women! It is beyond cool at the number of women who have such a passion for their trailers.
The feeling of pride each time you cross another hurdle and it turns out just fine.

Thanks for reading along on my Beatrice journey. It won’t be long now before she is finished. If you are interested in any detail about this renovation, just contact me either by posting a comment or through my email. I’d love to hear from you. Many of you have contacted me with messages about wanting to have your own special place one day. Don’t give up! It is not an easy project, but one that is well worth it!