Let us show you the inside of our vintage tiny trailer and walk you through many of the steps we took for this rv renovation. We had the goal of making this camper feel like home, and with inspiration from HGTV, YouTube, and Instagram, we brought our vision to life! While the reno took time, it was so rewarding, and fun to plan how to utilize every inch of the space so we could use it most efficiently. With a a bit of a boho design flare, we created our nomad space to be warm and comfy. We are still tweaking and finessing as we go and live in our trailer but let us show you how we got to this point! Before we dive in, let me give you a peek at the inside after all was said and done!
Photo: Full bed that converts into a table and seating for four, kitchenette with sink, stove, and working mini fridge, plus over head storage.
Photo: Bunk bed area that folds down into a bench seat/couch area Where It All Started When we bought the Boler it was in mostly original condition with a few personal modifications. It came with almond colour interior with dark laminate cupboards and cushions/curtains that look like they had been potentially recovered at some point. While the cushions and curtains caught my eye (and cushions remain the same today - I love them), the almond tones and dark wood needed a refresh and with a lighter colour to make the small space feel as open as possible.
The bunk beds were in great shape, including all the cushions and poles. Best suited for children, the bunk beds are 6.6' long, and 25" wide (with the bottom bunk having a little more width with the curve of the trailer). Homemade curtains hung in the windows, and while functional, were very dark.
So What Changes Did We Make to the Interior? We used the trailer with the interior as-is for a few short camping trips, and created a list of wants and to-do's as we lived in and used the space. When I look at the list of improvements and renovations, I can break them into two categories; functional and aesthetics. Let's dive into the functional updates first... Functional Fixes Electrical Updates
Originally the Bolers came with a typical 12V and 120 V electrical set up. At some point in time someone removed the battery and cut the 12V wires. We focused on the 120V system first and planned on also figuring out a solar panel connection. The wiring and outlets all looked like they were original, so it felt the safest to just rip it all out and replace the wires, outlets and lights. Since the trailer is small, this wasn't a long task. However if you don't have experience with household wiring you should get some help with this. We added 2 outlets on the bunk side, so the kids could each have their own plugs for their screens and devices. We installed 2 more outlets on the other side for us to utilize. The way the Boler connected to shore power was a 20 foot extension cord that was hardwired into the breaker panel and coiled up under the sink. When you wanted to hook up to electrical at a campsite you had to pull the cord through a hole in the side of the trailer. We definitely wanted to upgrade to a fixed outlet on the exterior of the trailer to keep the entire electrical system enclosed on the inside. This was so we could use whatever extension cord we wanted, and it also gave us more storage space under the sink.
Solar
This was confusing! The end result we landed on itsn't necessarily an interior aspect, but we thought we would include it here. When you start to google how to set up solar in a trailer it seems overly complicated to someone who has never used it before. We tried to figure out a simpler option and came across the Bluetti Power Station. There are a few companies that make similar products, but just do some googling and figure out what will work best for your set-up. The system consists of a portable battery with electrical outlets and small solar panel that we purchased separately, which plugs directly in to it to charge. We made the decision to not install this permanently anywhere in the trailer but rather keep the pieces detached so we could move the panel to where our site was getting sun, and also use the outlets virtually anywhere. We are able to run the lights in our trailer, use the coffee maker and charge our laptops and phones all day on a single charge. The connection for the solar panel is on the front and plugs in very easily. It turns a confusing solar power install into a simpler, mobile 2-piece system. This works for us.
AC Install
The original furnace didn't work when we bought the trailer. We were told that they are famous for not working consistently, so we removed it instead of trying to fix it. This gave us even more space under the sink, space we would use to install the ductwork for a new air conditioner. The Air Conditioner unit is one we found on Facebook Marketplace (it was new in box, but not used by the previous owner). We removed the electrical outlet from the front of the kitchen counter to make room for a circular cool air vent. The vent on the side of the trailer that was previously used for the furnace, we turned into a vent for our new air conditioning unit to exhaust. We stored the AC unit under one of the bench seats, and ran the cords through the side of the lower cabinet wall. The downfall to my install is that you have to access the cubby under the bench seat to turn the air conditioning unit on, but we felt it was a small sacrifice for the potential to cool the trailer when heat may be unbearable (especially considering there are four of us inside). The unit works and spits out cold air. As to whether it keeps the notoriously warm Boler cool in the middle of summer months, we will have to keep you posted.
Aesthetic Updates
One of my favourite parts! Being an art director, I am prone to visual things and attention to detail. I like to methodically plan out spaces and in this specific case, I was excited to tap into making sure the decor we chose would be utilized and/or had purpose.
Painting White. If you know me, you will know i will weight some other options to be thorough, but in the end I will go with white. I appreciate colour and all the joy it brings, I just prefer to accomplish that through textiles that can be interchanged and swapped in and out! So, to begin we cleared out the trailer and began to tape off all the windows, and anything else we wanted to remain in its original colour (not much ha). Once the interior was taped-off I went to town, painting every nook and cranny with brush and roller until the old almond colour was touched with white. I wish this was the end, but it is not. I gave the trailer three coats of white before I was satisfied. We gave the closet, cubby boxes, and kitchenette area a glossy, more hardy finished, and the rest of the space a matte white. You might be thinking, "but what colour white Melissa?". I'll keep it simple. White. Like straight up, not colour added, white off the shelf! I don't know if this would work for every room or design projects but when I use this stark white I do so knowing I will soften the space with many warm tones like woods, canvas, and warmer white lighting. I have found this white to work for me as long as I have enough warmth in my flooring, textiles, and art. The paint I used for the interior was everyday Home Depot house paint - nothing fancy. Note: I painted all doors separately on my dining room table with a small roller.
Polishing Original Hardware Not one of my favourite interior projects, but as my daughter says, "so satisfying". We took the original hinges and closures off the cupboards and soaked them in a bowl of warm water and a little bar keepers friend. I grabbed some steel wool and then used good ol' fashion elbow grease to make these things shine! When we were finished, the original hardware appeared worn and so we decided to spray paint them with a brass finish, and they looked great.
Flooring Another Facebook Marketplace find, we purchased one box of nice textured vinyl floor from a local home that had it leftover from their own project. Risky? For sure! What if we needed more!? Inexpensive and worth the risk? I think so, as it all panned out (but just barely). In a space this small we just went plank by plank making cuts as we went and pieced them together until we got to the end. This took some thinking on the go, problem solving, and letting go of perfection. In the end we covered the entire space with the one box but only had a few offcuts left over at the end and a couple spots in the install that we wont talk about or look at, and everything will be fine! The vinyl flooring was just a simple lock and load style. It had good padding on the underside, so we put it directly on the Boler floor, tacking it down with glue in a few areas. We then added a very thin, small trim to hold down the edges. Once the flooring was in and the walls were painted white, the trailer started to come to life.
Lighting
We removed all the original lighting. The under-mount fluorescent lights that sat under the upper storage above the kitchenette had to go, and the light that was over the bed was removed so we could remove the ugly cord that randomly ran up the wall. What we were left with was... no light. Our solution this far has been quite simple. We used sticky under-mount lights for under the upper storage and bedside the kids beds, and ordered two hanging lights that plug into outlets. We wrapped the cord around the horizontal poles that are over our bed and with the flip of the switch have beautiful lighting. When purchasing lighting, I always opt for warm light. This is the type of light that is cozy and makes you wanna stay. For the hanging Edison bulb lights, we can move these with ease and pack them up before travel days to prevent them from swinging around.
New Custom Table
The table that came with our Boler was warped from water damage. We tried to find one online but had no success. We also tried to get one made for us from a trailer shop, but they were going to charge almost $1K. We decided to go to Home Depot and sourced a nice piece of birch plywood that we thought would work. We cut the wood with a skill saw, including rounding the corners, and finished it with a clear varathane coat. There you have it! New trailer table for $80. Don't worry, I didn't forget about the leg! The leg that came with the damaged table did not seem to work well, so we ordered one online from Ebay which was a unique find, and currently no longer available. It was sleek, black and worked perfectly with the interior of the space!
Pocket Storage We put pockets... everywhere. In the bunk area there are two, and on the backs of all the closet doors there are five. We also have pockets by our bed, hanging from the pole. We love the pockets. They are a woven material that come in sets of three, and we found them at Ikea. The pockets easily come apart and can be used individually or together. On the back of the closet door we screwed through a piece of wood that sits at the top of each pocket and attached it directly to the doors.
Textiles & Decor {Coming Soon} This is the part I impatiently can't wait to get to. Blankets, pillows, curtains, art and all the things. That said, I think I could write a whole blog post of its own just on this part, and so I shall! I will post that soon, and will definitely link all my fun finds!
So what so you think? Let us know in the comments below, or send us a message. If you have questions, or just want to chat about process, learnings, or parts, we are more than happy to connect. We have not included every single thing we worked on, so maybe we will need to extend on this blog, depending on questions! We have loved transforming the inside of our tiny travelling trailer and wish you all the best on your renovations, no matter what they may be.
