The Cost of Renovating a Camper
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “what was the total cost to renovate your camper?”
Well, I’ve gone into this a little bit in previous posts, but I thought I’d do a super basic breakdown of the cost involved in a couple different example scenarios. With each camping trailer or RV we have renovated, there have been several factors involved in the decision to purchase and how much we’ve been willing to pay. The shape of the camper you are considering or the extent of the damage will impact how much you should spend initially on the purchase price. We try to do a very quick but thorough assessment of the repairs we will need to do and communicate that with the seller.
Check-List of What to Look For
When inspecting a trailer and considering a purchase, there are quite a few things we look for while visualizing price tags in our mind! Here is a checklist of things to look at.
Major/High Price
- Engine problems (RV)
- How many miles does the engine have?
- Listen and inspect belts, oil level, exhaust, look underneath, look for damage, etc.
- Ask questions about the history of maintenance. Was it driven frequently or did it sit for a long time?
- Take it to a mechanic or have a friend that knows a lot about cars come along to inspect!
- Water damage
- Do you see visible cracks or holes in the siding or roof?
- Do you see ripples in the wallpaper or ceiling?
- Inspect all interior walls and ceiling, be sure to open cabinet doors and look inside!
- Water damage can travel! It may be hard to tell how far it has spread, but if there is a clear source of the damage it might be easier to fix.
- Cushions, Mattress, Couch
- These are things that can really add up in price!
- Do they smell? Can they be cleaned?
- Can they be recovered or will you need to buy new?
- Frame damage
- Is it rusty or cracked? A damaged frame can get incredibly costly and sometimes impossible to repair
- Windows
- Are they in working order? Are they intact?
- Check skylights and vent coverings too!
- Are screens in place?
- Appliances
- Appliances can be quite costly to replace! Do they all work? Check them!
- Fridge
- Hot water heater
- Stove
- Microwave
- AC
- Heater
- Tires – Tires can be quite costly depending on the size of your camper, but you want them to be in great shape!
- Electrical – Do all exterior and interior lights work? A problem with lighting can either be a quick fix, or a sign of something more complicated
Minor/Low Price
- Outdated decor – Nothing a little paint can’t help!
- Ugly wallpaper – Easy, paint over it!
- Old/outdated toilet or faucet – Not that expensive to replace and fairly simple to do
- Flooring – Flooring can be ripped out and painted or replaced pretty inexpensively
- Lights – lights can be painted or replaced rather inexpensively
- Smoke detectors
- LP gas/Carbon monoxide detectors
- Pipes and tanks – Annoying to fix, but not the most expensive thing
- Gas tanks
- Sewage hoses
Disclaimer
Before I go on, I should note that every situation has been so different. You’ll never be able to predict what will or won’t go wrong. One of the ways we have saved money is by owning all the tools and most of the supplies already. Power tools and saws will obviously be an extra cost if you don’t already have them on hand. We also had a lot of the nails, screws and lumber left over from other projects. All these things add up!
Our 1990’s RV Remodel
In the example of our 90’s RV, the purchase price was $3,200 with the cost of repairs coming to about $2,370. The larges expense was the price of tires which was $1,300 right away. If you can find an RV with new tires that are in great shape, you win! We have 5 kids, so safety is very important to us and having a quality tire that’s in good shape is a must.
Here is the approximate breakdown of the repairs we did:
- Tires – $1300
- Caulk – $50
- Paint – $300
- Flooring – $30
- Couch (Facebook Marketplace) – $100
- Mattress – Already had
- Dinette Cushions (RV surplus store) – $40
- Engine Tune-Up and Minor Repair – $200
- Microwave – $190
- New Sewage Hoses $40
- Decor $20
- Window Coverings – $100
Cost of Repairs = 2,370
Purchase Price = $3,200
Total Price = $5,570
Selling Price = $12,500
Profit = $6,930
*Additional costs include license and registration, additional decor and bedding, extra camping gear, etc.
Read: Our 90’s RV Renovation
1980’s Trailer Remodel
In the example of our 1980’s trailer renovation, we bought it specifically to resell, so this impacted a lot of the decision making process. We wanted to keep the cost low and not spend a lot of money on specific features that may or may not be important to the next owner. The tires were in pretty good shape, so there was no immediate need to buy new ones. There was a section of the frame that needed to be repaired, but not a lot of damage. All appliances were in working order. Because it was so large, the biggest expense was paint.
Here is the proximate breakdown of the repairs:
- Paint – $500
- Couch (Futon Bed) – $100
- Cushions/Pillows (recovered original with fabric on-hand) – $25
- Caulk – $50
- Decor – $50
- Shades – $150
- Lumber $50
Cost for Repairs = $925
Purchase Price = $1,000
Total Cost = $1,925
Selling Price = $8,000
Profit = $6,075
*Additional costs include license and registration, additional decor and bedding, extra camping gear, etc.
Read: Our 1980’s Trailer
1950’s Vintage Trailer Renovation
Our vintage, 1950’s trailer renovation was the very first camper I remodeled. She was my dream come true! I had always wanted to own a vintage camper and the dream became a reality when we found “Gidget” as we affectionately named her. The damage was extensive, and I learned a lot about water damage and running new electrical. It was a lot of trial and error, but it was a fun experience! Read more here: Gidget the Vintage Trailer
Here is the breakdown of costs involved in remodeling Gidget:
- Frame/Welding Repair – $1200
- Tires – $500
- Lumber – $500
- Paint – $300
- Caulk – $50
- Cushions and Fabric – $200
- Mini Fridge – $100
- Microwave – $40
- Decor – $50
- Electrical panel and converter – Stripped out of my parent’s old pop-up camper
- Electrical wire – left over from a past project (this could possibly be a big expense)
- Mini space heater – Already had
Cost for Repairs = $2,940
Purchase Price = $1,700
Total Cost = $4,640
Selling Price = $8,900
Profit = $4,260
*Additional costs include license and registration, additional decor and bedding, lights, extra camping gear, etc.
Read: Our Vintage Trailer Before and After
I hope this has been helpful!
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Pin-It for Later
Hocking Hills State Park, OH
We bought a 1983 Ford Shasta last year. Unfortunately, this RV had quite a bit of water damage, but didn’t realize just how much until we bought it. We weren’t able to work on it consistently, so we bought a RV cover. Again, unfortunately, the cover did not hold up and the RV has sustained even more water damage to the point where the floor, along with the walls, ceiling and insulation will have to be replaced. At this point we are looking at just scrapping it and seeing what we can get for the metal and selling the parts that are still in working order.
What would your advice be for something like this?
I bought a 1989 31 foot fleetwood bounder class A motorhome. And paid $2,500 for it. I knew the previous owner and new he took good care of all the mechanical things such as regular routine maintenance oil changes always making sure the motor, transmission and basically everything to do with keeping it road worthy. However the rest of the RV suffered he wasn’t the best when it came to how it looked those things were not important to him. But I am a retired contractor and even had a mobile home remodeling & repair business for 15yrs and would still work on 3 or 4 a year while building brick and mortar homes. So after buying it I decided to remodel it and being the over achieved and structural kind of guy I have always been. What started out to be a quick upgrade has turned into a complete refurbishment from floor to ceiling including the storage compartments, all new plywood on floors walls and ceilings I putplastic down after fixing all holes cracks caulked and glued everything then put 1/2 in. plywood on top of all that and put another layer of underlayment down and installed engineered waterproof laminate flooring. So its almost a frame off rebuild using the best material there is, I don’t believe in cutting corners. However the cost is getting a little crazy and mine and my wife concern at this point is. What if we end up not being the RVers type and end up hating it. After shelling out thousands of dollars because not only is the remodel material up there in price I have literally replaced ever compnant fridge $1600, furnace $800, converter, toilet, shower, lights to all led, stove top, sinks, microwave, and one air conditioner be cause the other had been replaced a couple years ago. $800 for 2 optima bluetop batteries. And considering a couple quiet generators. They are all the latest and energy efficient and new tires are next $1400. It is basically a well built 2020 RV with a 1989 title. what are the chances of recouping some of that money if we decide to sell it after the first month of RVing? I think high book is only $8,000 or $9,000 and Im in it about $12,000 do RVers take those things into consideration?
Not that I’m an expert but I wouldn’t worry about high book unless the buyer is getting a loan and must convince the lender it’s worth what they are paying for it. You might not get everything back that you put in but any buyer will be able to see that it’s in far better condition than most 30 year old RVs. The power train, even if well maintained, might be a question mark. Even low miles can sometimes conceal issues like rubber or plastics that are much more time sensitive than mileage sensitive. At the end of the day, it’s worth what someone will pay for it. A buyer shouldn’t care much about what you have spent on it but should care about how much they are getting for their money.
In one of your pics there’s two beds and you painted it white and the original up top? Well I’m the pro goal the before on the left side the wall is damage what did you do to repair the wall to make the see less look?
I’m curious as to how I can buy one you are reselling. We have been looking for one and I love your work on them. Do you have a website or anything?
Stephanie
Hi i am wondering how you painted your 1980s trailer. We just got a1989 king of the road 30 foot “ish” trailer we have been stripping it down. I need some help and I have some questions it would be amazing to ask your opinion! Thank you! Your work is beautiful!
Always love seeing these renovations. Nice to see the break down. Thanks for sharing these numbers. Thinking about buying and fixing up a camper to sell.
Ideas on remolding 2009 Fleetwood 5 th wheel rv 3 slides rear kitchen
What type of paint do you use for the exterior?
Hi you do amazing beautiful work. My question is this, I own a 1964 Dodge van. It’s completely gutted and I don’t need it to run. Just want to use it as my she shed. But I can’t get the design right. Like where to put a hot water heater? Should I just use a composting toilet. I really want to do this. I have lots of cypress wood to use. But don’t know anything about running electrical. Any suggestions?
Thanks for writing this article! I live in a camper with my husband and two kids, and what you wrote makes the remodeling experience way less daunting.
How much time was put into each of your remodels?
Hi how much do you spend a month to keep your camper functioning properly ..like on gas and to keep the camper warm/cool, to cook and use shower and toilet.? Can there be a tv on it.?I’m thinking about buying one for me and my two kids. I am seeking more financial freedom this year.
Hi! We do not live full time in our RV, but I can tell you that gas for traveling is definitely more expensive. I would say on a normal trip with the RV, we would pay at least double the amount in gas. But, if you are just parked somewhere and not traveling far, you wouldn’t need gas! You either hook up to electric or use propane for heat. The cost will depend on where you are staying and how much they charge per night.
We own a 1993 Airstream LandYacht Motorhome, low mileage. We were in the midst of redoing it, replaced some of the floors, added new couches, added accessibility with wide door and a ramp for our son in a wheelchair. Then unfortunate sickness allowed the rv not being aired out. It sprung a leak, a thin green mold came on everything, the cream leather ceiling came unglued. Now we are overwhelmed. Is this too much for an rv service to fix?
What do you use to clean and then paint over hideous wallpaper?
Hi Lori!
Don’t worry about removing the wallpaper – in most campers it is not like normal wallpaper in a house, and is not possible to remove. I would clean the walls with a degreaser and then prime them with a bonding primer like Stix – or use a paint like Behr Marquee that is self priming. Just paint right over them!
How did you install the double bunk beds?
Hi Brittany!
The double bunk was original to the camper. Aren’t they great though? They’re considered “quad bunks”
What if the wallpaper is bubbling from being old and not takin care of from previous owner i was using a blowdryer to remove it but it taking FOREVER so i gave up and started chipping away at the bubbled areas and sanding the edges smooth.. I’m not sure if it will work though?