Modern with a Retro Twist

With fabric on the couches, beds, and drapes, we decided to kick off the remodel at my favorite starting point- fabric. It's a relatively small investment- a bit of elbow grease, a sewing machine, and loads of fabric- that's bound to add some wow. 

The first challenge was picking our color palette. We wanted something that would make the inside more modern, but still stay true to the retro roots. After mixing a couple different palettes that seemed too bold, we looked to the camper for inspiration and were attracted to the original brown and orange palette. The neutral pumpkin and cocoa coloration is made fresh and new by adding a cement grey, a subtle cream, and buttery yellow. 

We started with the Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy collection for the inspiration fabric- the grey floral and polka dot leaves have just the right amount of retro for the drapes and pillows. A dark colored cocoa fabric for the beds should hold up well with use, while the iron weave design adds a large scale pattern to keep it from being boring. The pumpkin basketweave not only brings in texture, but is super durable and add some brightness. The upholstery weight chevron rounds it out with just a touch of modern cool. This mix of durable solids, geometric upholstery weight, and retro florals packed just the punch we were looking for. Time to break out the sewing machine.

1. Curtains- Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy Bouquet Grey 

2. Throw Pillows- Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy Leaf & Dot Grey

3. Beds- Maco Indoor/Outdoor Piso Texture in Cocoa

4. Throw Pillows- Premier Prints Indoor/Outdoor Zig Zag in Canyon Orange

5. Couch Cushions- Orange Belgium Basketweave- Upholstery Weight

Camper's First Night

After a quick stop at Mars Cheese Castle (Yes, it's actually a castle. Full of cheese.) for cheese curds and New Glarus beer, we pulled into Bong Recreation Area for our first camper trip. From Chicago, head north to Wisconsin, turn left at Mars, and go about 7 miles down the road. About 45 minutes away, it's one of the closest places to go camping and one of my favorite sites for a quick trip.

Bong was originally set to be an air base for WWII (which is why it is named after Richard Bong- a jet fighter pilot), but the plans were abandoned just before the concrete was poured. Now it's 4,500 acres of prairie land, wetlands, and woodlands with 40 miles of trails, over 200 campsites, several fishing holes, and a beach. It also has plenty of electric sites, just what we needed for our one night test.

The camper was easier to set up than expected. We took video and notes of the process, but ended up not needing them. The steps were pretty logical- lock wheels, set stabilizer bars, pull out beds and lock with poles, use crank to raise the roof, and secure the canvas by zipping all the zippers and velcroing all the velcro. Plug camper into the outlet just as you would any other appliance. Done.

Interior and exterior lights flip off and on with a switch. The camper even has several plugs for anything else you need- christmas lights, phone charger, blender (camping margaritas, anyone?)

When we got the camper, the original owners included all the contents as well. We spent a good hour or two rooting through all the storage spaces, taking stock of what we had and organizing. When we were buying the camper, we were so focused on it that we didn't realize how much other stuff came with it. From cookware and silverware to vintage (and super cute!) plates and bowls to other tools like a hatchet and rope, it had everything we needed.

We were surprised to find the refrigerator is not electric, but propane. Hooked up to the propane tank, it kicks on once you ignite the pilot light (obviously you only want to do this when you're stopped and not while on the road). It took several hours to get cool and only had enough room for our beverages (see Mars Cheese Castle), but it chilled our champagne enough in time for our toast.

Now was time for the real test- sleeping. Surrounded by three windows, it was nice and breezy, and the bed was surprisingly roomy, bigger and more comfortable than an air mattress. Even after 25 years, the cushion of the mattresses and couches still had a lot of support. Definitely something I could sleep on night after night. Our non-camping bulldog even seemed to like it. She usually paces the tent all night when when we bring her camping, but in the camper, she slept soundly and all we could hear at night was her bulldog snore of approval.

All in all, it was more than I expected it would be. It was smooth to tow, pretty easy set up and take down, and a different camping experience all around. I think this means she's ready for the road. And I got some places in mind.

The New Addition: Finding a Camper

After searching on Craigslist for eons, we finally found the starter camper of our dreams. Turns out, it's a 1986 Starcraft Starmaster, and it checked all our boxes in it's vintage glory.

Under 1,500 pounds
We planned to tow the camper with our Honda CRV, but we didn't know if it even could. We just knew we wanted a camper. With a quick jaunt around the internets, we found our max tow weight.  It limited our camper search a bit, but we found most small soft-top pop-up campers were under our 1,500 lbs restriction.

Good canvas condition with no mildew
What the inside looked like wasn't a priority, especially since we plan to update it, but the outside condition was super important. If I believe everything the internet tells me, and I do here, canvas replacement runs about $800 to $1,000- that's just for the canvas and doesn't include shipping and time for installation. Replacing the canvas didn't seem like a worthwhile investment when you can just find a camper with good canvas for a bit more money. We could work with a few small rips, but mildew was a no-no.

Sleeps at least 5
Sleeps 5 = room for the two of us, our dog, and two buddies. Perfect.

Working refrigerator, sink, and stove
A camper without these things is just a tent on wheels. If we were going to buy a camper, we wanted it to be a tiny house on wheels.

Title
Campers need state registration, which means a title is required. Everyone hates the DMV, and not having the title would mean more time there. Also, if an owner didn't hang onto the title, it's likely they didn't take good care of the camper either.

This Starcraft camper had it all, and then some. It came with the original owner's manual  (which should come in handy) and amazing storage with a 3 drawer dresser, storage under both couches, and a wardrobe + vanity combo. To boot, it also has newish tires, a bike rack, and a full propane tank. They even threw in a french press for camp coffee.

We bought the camper from its original owners, and we could tell they took loving care of it. They happily shared camper memories over the 24 years, and much needed cleaning and maintenance advice. They had a lot of history with the camper, but were excited to pass it on to us. As we were pulling away, they stood in the driveway for a long time, likely saying good-bye to their camper memories just as we're saying hello to ours.