Our Budget Camper Renovation: The before tour and big ideas

LaNae Jackson

Jul 7

6 min read

250 sq ft Dreams Budget Camper renovation

Welcome back, guys!

I'm glad you're here. As I mentioned in my last blog post, Carl and I are planning to move into an 8x30 pull-behind camper while we build our tiny home. The camper will be our home for at least six months, so while we don't want to pour a lot of money into a full renovation, it definitely needs some updates and repairs. We also have a few ideas for reworking the layout to make the space more comfortable for long-term living with us and our pets. Budget Camper renovation

Today's post is all about the "before." I'll be sharing photos of the camper as it sits today, talking about what works (and what doesn't), showing some of the inspiration that's guiding our decisions, and walking you through the ideas we have for making every square inch work a little harder.

The Kitchen Before Budget Camper renovation

Kitchen and bunk space
fridge and closet/pantry space
Interior fridge space

As you can see - storage is definitely at a premium. The area to the left of the refrigerator was originally designed as closet space. At only 17” wide, it simply will not work for long-term living. The refrigerator itself will also be a challenge. It’s much smaller than we are used to which means we will have to be intentional about food waste and storage. And I just can’t help but notice there is absolutely zero countertop space on that side of the kitchen. As someone who prepares 3 meals a day at home, this could be an issue. Budget Camper renovation

The wall with the sink is another area that needs some attention. Before we can think about cosmetic updates, we already know it will require some structural repairs. Beyond that, though, the layout is actually pretty efficient. It has three small drawers, a propane stove, and a microwave overhead. Neither of us is particularly fond of the angled sink, but since it's positioned over the wheel well, it may end up being one of those quirks we simply learn to live with.

To the right of the kitchen is a set of bunk beds that won't be needed while we're living here. That space represents one of the biggest opportunities to make the camper work better for us, and I'll talk more about those plans in a bit.

Overall, the kitchen feels dark, dated, and designed for weekend camping rather than everyday life. Fortunately, I think a few thoughtful changes could make it feel much more open, functional, and inviting without blowing our budget.

The Kitchen Concept Budget Camper renovation

Fridge and pantry concept
Pantry concept

The first thing I’d like to do after repairing the sink wall is determine if we can adjust the sink angle. If so, we will straighten out that row of cabinets and open up the floor space a bit like you can see in the concept image. If not, it’s not a dealbreaker. I’m also going to remove the two cabinets above the sink and replace it with a wide shelf and cottage style peg rail running under it. I’ll stick some baskets up there for storage and it will give us a place to hang our mugs. Budget Camper renovation

The upper cabinet area will be painted to match the wall color - probably a light creamy color - and I’m still deciding on a splash of color for the lower cabinets. I'm currently torn between a sagey green with black hardware or a periwinkle blue with brass hardware. We will reuse the range and sink, but upgrade the countertop to a butcher block top. I will also source some curtains from a yard sale or thrift shop over the summer then hem them to work for the windows in this space.

The existing closet space and drawers on the fridge side will be converted into pantry and food storage. I’m not sure how I will organize it, and I'm sure there will be several iterations as we live in the space, but I will post what we learn from this along the way. This bank of cabinets as well as the fridge will be painted to match the lower cabinets on the other side.

The biggest question mark in the whole renovation is the dinette. While it's a great feature for weekend camping, I'm not convinced it's the best use of the space for full-time living. We don't need a large dining area nearly as much as we need additional workspace in the kitchen. Right now, I'm seriously considering removing it and replacing it with a cabinet and countertop running in an l-shape into the bump-out. If I can make the measurements work, I think I could pair it with some sort of retractable table and a movable chair so the space would still serve as a dining/office area when needed, while giving us a lot more usable counter space the other 95% of the time.

Living and Dining Budget Camper renovation

Dinette space before
Living space/couch before
Living space door wall before

The living and dining area is exactly what you'd expect in a camper this size: compact, functional, and designed to make the most of every square inch. For weekend trips, I think it does its job well. For everyday living, though, there are a few things I'd love to change.

I've already talked a little about the dinette situation. Obviously, I can leave it as is and just give it a refresh. But my first choice would be to remove it completely and reclaim that space for additional cabinetry and countertop. A cabinet that isn’t full depth would allow me to do a small table and single chair in that space, too. The challenge is that I'm not entirely sure what's hiding underneath. Since the bump-out sits over the wheel area, there's a good chance I'll have to work around a wheel well, and I'd rather not open a can of worms by tearing out something that turns out to be structural.

If removing the dinette isn't an option, I'll have to get a little more creative. One idea I'm considering is building a smaller bench around the wheel well and pairing it with a flip-down or retractable table. That would still give us a comfortable place for the two of us to eat while opening up the space and making it feel less cramped. I also like the storage tucked under the existing benches, so keeping some of that wouldn’t hurt my feelings. One thing I've learned from remodeling is that plans on paper don't always make it to fruition. I'm trying to stay flexible and not get too attached my initial plans. Budget Camper renovation

Dinette left as is concept
Dinette space everything removed
Dinette space with custom bench and retracting table

The living area is a little more straightforward. Ideally, I'd replace the built-in seating with a small couch, but once again, that depends on what we find during demolition. If those cabinets need to stay, I'll simply make the best of them by painting them to match the rest of the camper and giving them a fresh look with new foam cushions and homemade cushion covers. My goal is to have all of the seating throughout the camper coordinate so the entire space feels cohesive instead of looking like several separate rooms squeezed into one.

Dinette space concept
Living/couch space concept
Living space/entertainment concept

Bedroom and Bunk Space Budget Camper renovation

Bed space before
Bunk space before

The bedroom in this camper is simply a bump-out space. It is literally large enough for a queen-sized bed and not much else. There is a king-sized mattress stuffed into that space in the pictures, which is why the mattress is hanging over the edge. There are three windows surrounding the space and puck lighting above. The bunk space is dark, cramped, and completely useless to us as sleeping quarters. We will have to find a better use for this valuable square footage.

There’s not much I can change in the bedroom bump-out aside from paint and curtains. I might look into some sort of carpet to put under the mattress for added warmth, but I'm not sure if this will make a difference or not. I will put a new mattress in the space and likely figure out something else for lighting. A small shelf above the windows on the long wall would also be nice to have just to give us a little storage in that space.

The real opportunity to flex my creativity comes with the bunk space. I will extend the wall from the front of the bathroom to the exterior wall of the camper. The remaining bottom bunk space will become a space for a dog bed (I’m not sure why I bother, they will be on the queen-sized bed XD) and the remaining space on the top bunk will become a place for my coffee and tea station plus maybe an airf ryer. Since there’s not much countertop space in the kitchen area, it will be great to use that area for small kitchen appliances.

Bed space concept
Bunk space concept

WRAP UP Budget Camper renovation

Of course, there's one room I've intentionally skipped over: the bathroom. Trust me, it deserves a post of its own. Between the structural repairs, some big design questions, and a rather unconventional solution for our pets - it's shaping up to be one of the most challenging (and hopefully rewarding) parts of this renovation.

We hope you've enjoyed taking a look at our plans for the camper so far, and we hope you'll stick around to see how it all comes together. There are sure to be a few unexpected twists along the way, but that's all part of the adventure.

Another project down, a million more to go.

Until next time,

LaNae