I thought I would share an inspiring story from clients of mine with you this month, as I know many of us have dreamed of buying a trailer or RV and taking it on the road across our beautiful country and beyond.

When my clients called to share that they had bought their very own trailer— and one needing a makeover— I was on board!

They had camped in a tent for more than 30 years along with their three boys. But the pandemic and a few health scares changed their desire to continue camping in a tent. They could not afford a new trailer, so they searched for a used trailer instead.

Very quickly, they found this little gem. The bones were good, but everything inside was shaded brown or beige. It needed a bit of love and their special touches. They picked up the trailer, parked it in their driveway and invited me over for a look. We sat inside the trailer, chatting about how we could transform the inside. They set out to paint the walls, paint the cupboards, change the linoleum floor, and replace the valances and horizontal metal blinds with curtains.

The trailer smelled musty and as they pulled up the linoleum from underneath the bed area, they realized there was mold and areas of the floor were rotten.  That meant removing all the floor area and replacing it with waterproof plywood.

Painting the walls, cupboards and seats were next on the list. They removed all the doors to make painting easier.

The walls and upper cabinets were painted Benjamin Moore Cloud White (CC40). The lower cabinets and seating area were painted BEHR Velvet Rope (MQ5-58).

Now the fun part! The client gathered all the fabrics, took measurements and got to the task of sewing the curtains and cushions that would add the pop of colour to the space.

Some lessons that were learned along the way:

  • Paint over the “wallpaper” on the walls. It cannot be removed prior to painting.
  • Paint does not stick to all caulking. All original caulking had to be removed and replaced with “paintable” caulking, otherwise it looked messy.
  • Like any project, surprises can happen along the way. Be flexible and patient.

They were very pleased with the results. Total cost: $850.

They worked hard to ensure their trailer transformation would be done in time for them to enjoy the end of camping season. They took the entire family on an inaugural trip and made such wonderful memories.  They have so many plans to visit various areas of our country.

Happy travels!

Submitted photos