The best summer ever
Have you ever started a project and thought, “What the hell are we thinking?” That’s exactly what came to mind when Brandon pulled into our driveway at the end of June with the Beast on Wheels. However, as I sit here typing on my laptop in what we call our tiny luxury condo, I can say without hesitation that it was 100% worth it. We met our completion deadline of August 30th and hit the road to Lac Le Jeune, where we had a wonderful time with family. There was plenty of exploring, canoeing… and sleeping off the ground! Yahhooo!
So, here we go. Let’s jump right into the before and after photo reveal.
Day 1 - The Beast Arrives - June 2018
To be fair to the Beast, the outside didn’t look terrible when she first pulled up. It definitely had that woodsy, “we are seasoned campers” vibe. Looking at this photo again, I understand why we were so excited to get our hands on her. You can practicality see the potential oozing out of every crack (literally it had cracks) and rusty window screens.
We liked the look of a creamy white base and black trim to match our truck, which it would be towed behind. The paint chip we fell in love with is called Queen Mary (love the names they come up with). We decided to pull the base color in through the interior and it instantly created a warm and inviting atmosphere. Exactly the mood you want when it falls to freezing temperatures during an evening in the woods.
First Family Camping Trip to Lac Le Jeune - August 2018
Where do we start with the original interior? It was dark, brown, kind of cold, musky, dark, and did I mention dark? I know that’s the norm for these bad boys but come on… it was like sitting in a cardboard box of misery. Why do you think they always went with this color scheme? Was it to hide all the dirt you inevitably track in whilst in the wilderness? Was it supposed to be a cool take on rustic living? I have no idea but I did know this: it had to go.
We started by ripping out all the wood paneling, dirty old window coverings, and the rusty moldings that lined the flooring. Once that was out, the trailer started to feel much lighter and brighter. It looked even better the minute we scrapped the nasty seat cushions and brushed the first coat of paint on everything. The old cushions held a ton of dust, but we were relieved to discover that the foam underneath was free of mold and mildew. That helped a lot in terms of cost when it came time to get the seats reupholstered.
We couldn’t resist adding some shiplap to a few of the walls in the bathroom and along the back portion of the trailer around the window. It created a cozy feel at the back of the trailer and warmed everything right up. When we ran out of shiplap, we added some graphic wall paper to the bathroom walls. We went with the thick stuff to cover and smooth out any unwanted texture on the old walls.
We changed the kitchen faucet to something a little more practical (and by practical, I mean something that didn’t require a hand pump to get water into the sink) and aesthetically pleasing. In addition to all the new pretty stuff, we upgraded the water lines throughout the trailer, replaced the water tank, insulated the back wall, installed a new toilet, replaced the tires, and updated all the electrical.
With all that complete, we were proud to head out for our first camping adventure in our fully renovated trailer. No longer named the Beast (new name recommendations are welcome).
So, without further ado, please enjoy the after photos and a look into our new memory maker. Thank you for following along with us this summer! Who knows, there might be another trailer remodel coming your way soon. P.S: don’t tell Brandon.
