A Thrifted RV Reno: Fifth Wheel Shines with Creativity

By Bibi Barringer

FANCY A PEEK into our European farmhouse-inspired fifth wheel?

When we made the switch from our Class A to the KZ Durango Gold 382mbq fifth wheel in 2021, my husband, JC, had no intention of renovating. He was still recuperating from the fixer-upper home we sold three years prior, when we became full-time RVers.

But I spend a lot of time in the RV homeschooling and raising the family while JC is at work. And though it makes sense that manufacturers purposefully build their RVs with dark interiors to hide dirt, which is inevitable when spending time outdoors, those dark interiors tend to be a bit gloomy. And ours was no exception.

I wanted to create a natural, peaceful home. We have four kids, and life can get busy! My goal was to create a safe haven where we can all relax and recharge. The most interesting part is that we’re renovating while living in the camper full time.

After taking out some of the dark furniture and the black roller shade guides, and painting everything in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, I had a good calming base to start with. From there, I began adding in some natural materials with a soft mainstay color as a subtle accent.

As the renovation moved along, my vision for the space started taking form. The kitchen island and the two doors behind it are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter, which adds a nice accent without being too bold or visually cluttering. When you live in a small space, every little color or object adds up fast. It can become overwhelming, which is why I keep to natural and warming neutrals.

One thing we agreed on in this renovation was to put functionality first. We are a big family in a pretty small space, so we needed to keep certain things, such as the microwave, the overhead cabinets, and the room-darkening shades. Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of uncluttered windows. It was really tempting to just take the valance boxes down altogether! But they do serve a purpose, so they had to stay. One by one, I removed the dark, dusty fabric on each window box, every time marveling at how many staples a box could hold. I chose a new fabric with an old world natural feel and stapled it to the boxes.

When I started working on the first areas of the camper, I wasn’t fully settled on my vision. As the renovation moved along, I shifted my thinking and started visiting local thrift stores. I brought home pre-loved vintage treasures and gave them a new purpose in the RV. Slowly, a European-farmhouseinspired home, full of imperfections but with a natural feel, took shape. I only brought home natural materials, ceramics, cast irons, and items that really spoke to me.

Smaller local thrift stores seem to have better vintage finds, and as an added bonus, they often support their communities with outreach programs. It feels like a win-win for everyone that way—I get the excitement over that perfect find and giving it a new purpose, while also supporting local communities, and helping the environment by keeping items out of the landfill. And most of the items I removed from our camper are offered up for free at our local campground or on Facebook Marketplace.

One of my treasured big-ticket finds was a barely-used burgundy wingback recliner—an item that would cost $1,200 new—that fell into my hands for just $7. I was also very excited about the two custom blackout curtains I picked up for $6 each at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and was able to turn into six separate curtains around the camper.

After endless searching and multiple trips to the ReStore, I did give in and order matching aged cabinet hardware from Amazon. Until I get to buy more, I am making do with spray painting our old cabinet hardware in aged brass. It’s a shade or two off, but works for the time being.

For the kitchen, I found a vintage accordion-style cup holder, spray painted in aged copper to match the metal knife strip. I also found ceramic pots, candelabras, paintings, and more at various thrift stores. Finding these treasures and making them into my own has brought me such joy—it’s almost addicting.

One of my go-to rules has been to spray paint and fix up what I can before just replacing everything. Not only is it more budget-friendly, but it also gives me more time to either make up my mind or find what speaks to me. This has included the old cabinet hardware, the dining table that I stripped and stained to match the slide-out wood beams, and the bathroom fixtures. The kitchen faucet would have received a coat of spray paint as well if it hadn’t been in such disrepair.

Bibi shares more on Instagram @314sqft