Hey all! Happy Monday – I thought I’d show you a little bit of our latest project – a travel camper.
My in-laws have had this 1958 Garwood camper on the side of their yard since before my husband and I started dating. Apparently, it’s been used by several family members including his brother for a good amount of time. We’ve always joked about living in it – but recently we’ve had this crazy idea to renovate it!
Lookin’ pretty rough huh. It’s mostly been used for storage of Christmas decor and odds and ends. A few weeks ago we unlocked it and shuffled around, and then we ended up just cleaning it out. Thankfully, Papa Calvin (Bryce’s dad) had sealed it up well so that rain and snow didn’t do too much damage.
It’s actually a cute set up on the inside, if you can see past the grime and wasp nests. The power washer was our BFF for this project.
Inside there’s two bunks, a closet, a sink, an old propane stovetop, and a dining area. Everything needed a deep cleaning and some paint, but for a few days work I think we did a great job making it useable again. Here are some BEFORE pics:
Wood. Panelling. Everywhere. I had to use two coats of Kilz primer and two coats of paint to cover it up… and I’ll probably end up using another coat before we finish! Luckily I had a little painting buddy to keep me company. Isn’t he a cutie? Here’s some progress pictures:
With some sweat and elbow grease, we were able to get the camper “livable”. We covered the old cushions with some plastic tablecloths for temporary usage. Don’t worry about the propane tank you see, we just kept it there while we were driving – not while we were using it. There’s still SO much work to be done to make it ours, but it’s a great start! Before we invest in more upgrades, we’re taking it out for a test drive soon. Keep watch for our updates coming to you soon! Hoping to have some instagram-able before and after photos for you!
