Welcome to our Pop up Camper Remodel: Painting and Flooring. We have tips for painting your camper cabinets and replacing your camper flooring. Removing the interior, painting the interior and cabinets, applying vinyl flooring, and spraying the hardware.
This is what we did with our 1999 Viking popup camper remodel and how it went.
Have you seen our other camper posts?
- Pop Up Camper Remodel: An introduction to my new baby!
- Pop Up Camper Remodel: Getting the Smell Out
- Pop up Camper Remodel: Painting and Flooring
- Pop up Camper Remodel: Painting and Flooring
- Pop Up Camper Remodel: New Cushions
- Pop Up Camper Remodel: Progress to date and a new season!
- Pop Up Camper Replacement Parts
- Fun Pop Up Camper Products
- Camper Spare Tire Covers
- Camper Must Haves – Investments that will pay off big time!
- Pop Up Camper Must Haves – our favorites for our pop up camper
- Pop Up Camper Sleeping and sleeping two kids in one bunk
- 1999 Viking Pop Up Camper Before and After!
So, if your like us and you’re wondering how important it actually is to take the time for some serious prep – sanding and priming or a special kit – or if you can just wing it with a paint with primer and a decent cleaning… I’m here to tell you, it depends on your plans for your camper.
For us, we know we want to take it out this summer, we know it will take a lot of abuse, and we know it won’t be long before the kids are too busy for camping trips.
We decided to go the “good enough” route because we bought this camper to be used and enjoyed. We will find out if we only find a chance to use it a couple times a year, or if we eventually want to go bigger because we use it so often. This camper is our trial run.
Painting makes a huge difference in the look of the camper, so if you’re afraid you have to take the time to do it perfectly or not at all, I say go for it!
We started with the easy part: removing and painting the cabinet doors and spraying the handles and hinges. We gave everything a good scrubbing with water and a bit of dish soap and jumped right in with the painting.
It wasn’t worth it to us to completely gut the camper. We decided to take out the smaller and less involved portions for the dinette and cabinet near the door.
We used a white paint with primer than I found in the mistint area at Menards. A whole gallon of paint for $5? Yes, please!
It took a couple coats before we decided it was good enough to go back in.
In the meantime, we had purchased some vinyl flooring, also from Menards, and put that in. As I mentioned before, we didn’t bother with removing a lot of the areas with things like the sink or water heater, so we gave those areas a good cleaning and left the flooring underneath as is.
We were happy to replace the floor under the dinette since we had determined that is where the majority of our old, mildewy caper smell was coming from.
Once the floor was done, the cabinets went back in and the hardware went back on.
We’ve noticed a little bit of the paint not holding up to our abuse of putting everything back in, but that was mostly on a piece that I forgot to wash completely. Surprisingly, we didn’t have too much to touch up after the flooring went in and scraped against it all. So, I definitely think we’ll be ok!
I think it looks so much fresher now! A light colored paint does wonders. Even our green looks better. I think once everything is finished the green should start to blend in or, hopefully, disappear a bit.
I love this little camper! She is really taking shape.
We have also done quite a bit of cleaning, figured out the screen room, and made new cushions. All of that is a story for another day (maybe this week) and we are off for her maiden voyage this weekend. We’re going to Grantsburg, WI for Watercross – can’t wait to see those snowmobiles on water and test her out!
I know this camper is a lady, but she’s also a Viking – any name suggestions for her?
Have you seen our other camper posts?
- Pop Up Camper Remodel: An introduction to my new baby!
- Pop Up Camper Remodel: Getting the Smell Out
- Pop up Camper Remodel: Painting and Flooring
- Pop up Camper Remodel: Painting and Flooring
- Pop Up Camper Remodel: New Cushions
- Pop Up Camper Remodel: Progress to date and a new season!
- Pop Up Camper Replacement Parts
- Fun Pop Up Camper Products
- Camper Spare Tire Covers
- Camper Must Haves – Investments that will pay off big time!
- Pop Up Camper Must Haves – our favorites for our pop up camper
- Pop Up Camper Sleeping and sleeping two kids in one bunk
- 1999 Viking Pop Up Camper Before and After!
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How Cute are These!?!
Hi Kristin! My family and I just bought the very same PUP (minus the potty) – but same year and everything else. We’ve already redone the cushions – thank God for staple guns! – and we’ve bought our new flooring. We are hoping to do the same thing you did and just paint down and dirty. My question is, what kind of paint did you use? (i.e. latex, oil etc.) And did you sand or pre-treat in any way? I’m afraid about the “wood” soaking up the paint OK or expanding since it’s just particle board.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Kelley in Columbus
Hi Kelly! How fun! We love out popup. You already did the fun part – the cushions make such a difference!
We did not do our painting right. 🙂 I wanted to just get in there and get it done, so we gave everything a good clean and just went for it with a paint from the “oops” section at the store. It all could have really used a sanding before hand. We do have some places where it has chipped off.
I have heard amazing things about how well chalk paint covers. I think it’s a bit some died,nut I would probably go that route next time.
Let me know how it goes and if you’re sharing pictures anywhere!
Hi! How much flooring did u have to buy?
Hi Samantha! I don’t remember the exact amount, but we measured from one bunk to the other for the length and from the door (or under the dinette) across the to cabinets to figure out the size of the piece we needed. We didn’t go inside our cabinets where the water tank, heater, fridge, and shower were, but we did go completely under the dinette and cabinets on that side of the camper. We actually got our vinyl piece from the remnants section at our local store, so it wasn’t terribly expensive.
Hi Kristen!
I love the flooring! …Do you recall the name of it?
Thanks!
Heather
Thank you so much, Heather! Unfortunately, it was so long ago I can’t recall. I wish I could help you out!
Thanks for sharing! Hope you are staying safe!
You as well! Thank you!
It’s beautiful! We have a similar popup and would love to remove the sink/cabinet and use that space to widen the seat banks further. My husband is tall and it’s just too crowded to sit at the table. Is it possible to remove a cabinet and then move the seat bench? I’d be laying new floor too.
Hi Claire!
I have seen campers that have had the sink and cabinet removed. I’m sure it can be done! With a new floor it will look even better too. I would love to see it when you finish!
Was the flooring a solid piece or was it tile pieces? Does the heat play a Rollin what flooring you use?
Hi Jenn! Yes, this was a large piece of vinyl flooring that we laid in and cut to fit. If I understand your question correctly, heat does play a role in this process. If your flooring is too cold it will be very hard to work with because it will be quite stiff. It helps to bring it indoors to stay warm until you’re ready to install.
I hope that helps! Thanks for your question, Jenn!
Great makeover! I like the color you choose.
Thank you so much!
I like the top of your cabinets. Did you paint them that color? Also my camper need a new canvas. Do you have any suggestions? It is a 1983 Starcraft Starflyer. Thanks
Hi Ann! Thank you for your comment! We painted the cabinets white because the countertops were already that green/teal color and we didn’t want to have to re-do them too. I loved how it worked out! I have heard recommendations for Bear Creek Canvas and I think they will ship. Sounds like a fantastic camper, Ann! I can’t wait to see what you do with it!