Camper Remodel on a Budget: How We Gave Our Fifth Wheel a Whole New Look (Without Spending a Fortune)

Introduction: Our Camper Remodel on a Budget

If you’ve ever stared at your old camper and thought, “There has to be a better way to make this feel like home,” then you’re not alone. Sara and I recently tackled a camper remodel on a budget, turning our used RV into a bright, modern space—without breaking the bank.

We started with a dark, outdated fifth wheel where every surface screamed fake wood and every room felt cramped and heavy. And like most campers built for affordability, the design didn’t do any favors for the small space. But we had a vision—and a plan—to turn this into something more functional and comfortable for the whole family.

Using a mix of white paint and some serious elbow grease, we transformed our rig into something that felt brand new. What began as a fix for a failing fridge turned into an easy DIY project (okay, maybe not that easy) that made a big difference in how we travel.

In this post, we’ll walk through every part of our RV renovation—from practical upgrades like replacing appliances and painting cabinets to unexpected lessons learned along the way. Whether you’re remodeling an old travel trailer, a pop-up camper, or just exploring ideas for your first RV, this is the guide we wish we had when we got started.

So let’s get into the story—and share how a couple of gallons of paint, a few weekends, and a lot of patience gave our camper a whole new look.

TL;DR – How We Pulled Off a Camper Remodel on a Budget

If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to do a camper remodel on a budget without losing your mind (or draining your wallet), here’s the short version of our experience:

• We started with a used 2021 Keystone Cougar 364BHL—a fifth wheel with a great layout but a very dark interior and a fridge that didn’t work.
  
• Replacing the fridge kicked off a much bigger renovation: repainting cabinet doors, installing beadboard, updating light fixtures, and slowly reworking the whole living space.
  
• Our biggest mistake? Trusting popular paint recs. (Sorry, Sherwin-Williams.) Our biggest win? Beadboard walls and a brighter, cleaner look overall.
  
• We tried contact paper—it looked awful. Real paint and real prep made a huge difference.
  
• We’re planning to remove the oven, build a custom epoxy countertop, and reroute the LP gas line for outdoor use.
  
• The kids’ bedroom is next, along with some fine-tuning in the kitchen area and finishing touches in the master bedroom.
  
• Even though it’s taken more time than we expected, the process has completely changed how we feel about this space.
  

The Bottom Line

A camper remodel on a budget won’t be fast. It won’t always be easy. But with a little creativity, a lot of white paint, and a few lessons learned the hard way, you can breathe new life into an old camper—without spending $75,000+ on a new rig.

---

Why We Chose to Remodel Our RV Instead of Buy New

When we first stepped inside the Keystone Cougar 364BHL, it checked nearly every box on our wish list. Two full bedrooms—including a rear loft for the kids—made this rig feel like a small apartment. It was spacious, functional, and perfect for long trips with the whole family.

The kicker? This camper was a 2021 model—not some ancient fixer-upper from the early 2000s.

You might be thinking, Why remodel something that new? Here’s the thing: RV manufacturers love using the cheapest materials possible. So even newer models come with dark, outdated interiors, fake wood finishes, and design choices that feel more “1997 dentist office” than cozy family getaway.

The True Cost of a “Modern” Camper

Buying this camper new would have cost well over $75,000. Even gently used, we picked it up for somewhere in the low $50,000s—a big investment. And while the market has cooled a bit since then, at the time we bought, prices were still sky-high.

So instead of throwing more money at a newer model with slightly better wallpaper, Sara and I asked ourselves a simple question:

Could we take this used RV and give it a whole new look—for way less than the cost of a monthly payment?

Spoiler: we could.

Contact Paper Is Not the Easy DIY Project You Think It Is

I’ll admit, before we got into this remodel, I tried some of the popular budget hacks floating around Instagram and Pinterest. One of them was using contact paper to update cabinet doors. I bought a roll, applied it to a few cabinets at home first, and… wow.

Let’s just say: applying it ain’t no day at the park. It bubbled, it wrinkled, and it clung to itself like it was self-aware and plotting my destruction. And when I finally got it to stay flat, it looked terrible—like a half-hearted craft project that even Finn (our dog) wouldn’t be proud of.

That was the moment I knew: if we were doing this, we were doing it right.

Remodeling Gave Us Flexibility—and Control

We didn’t need a new rig—we needed a better version of what we already had. And the beauty of a camper remodel on a budget is that you control everything:

• The total cost
  
• The design choices
  
• The pace of the project
  

Yes, it’s a lot of work, but that’s true of any home renovation—even the ones on wheels. And by choosing our own materials, from real wood trim to upgraded lighting, we were able to create a space that feels like home.

It may still be a 2021 camper, but now it looks more like one of those remodeled campers you see on YouTube or at campgrounds where people stop and say, “Wait… you did all this yourselves?”

Yep. We did.

---

First Step in Any Remodel: Fix What’s Broken

Before we ever touched a cabinet door or picked out a paint color, we had one glaring issue that demanded attention: the fridge. If you’ve ever had an RV with a traditional LP gas absorption refrigerator, you already know the struggle.

This thing was supposed to cool our food using heat (I know, I still don’t fully get it either), but it was unreliable at best and utterly useless at worst. On trips to places like Pennsylvania, Cedar Point, and even Yellowstone, we were playing a dangerous game of “Will the milk spoil today?”

We added vents. And then installed fans. We did everything short of casting a spell over it. Nothing worked.

From Frustration to Fix—Our College Fridge Upgrade

Enter our favorite mobile RV mechanic, Joe. When I asked him what our options were, his honest answer was, “I have no idea.” Not exactly confidence-inspiring, but it gave me permission to take matters into my own hands.

That’s when I made the call to rip the whole thing out and replace it with a residential refrigerator—you know, the kind that actually cools food. I found a compact college dorm-style fridge at Lowe’s for around $200–$300, drove down to Frankfort, and Joe and I spent a Saturday removing the old one and installing the new one.

Here’s the crazy part: even though this new fridge was narrower and shorter, we ended up with more usable storage space inside. It keeps things cold, makes ice, and—most importantly—works. Total win.

Making It Fit—Sort Of

Of course, dropping a smaller fridge into a custom RV cabinet setup left us with some awkward gaps. Joe and I framed it out with some basic trim boards, and I figured I’d come back later to finish the edges, paint it up, and make it look polished.

But if you’ve ever started an RV renovation, you know how these things go. One small project always turns into another. And so began the journey of repainting the kitchen area—a journey that would slowly snowball into a full-blown camper makeover.

What started with a fridge became a catalyst for updating cabinet doors, rethinking the storage space, and transforming this old RV into something far more functional and fresh.

---

Giving Our Dark RV Interior a Bright, New Life

Once the fridge was in and (miraculously) functioning, we had a new problem: it made the rest of the camper look even darker by contrast.

The cabinets, the valances, the blinds—all dark brown. And paired with the dull off-white paper covering the walls, the camper just felt heavy and cramped. The kitchen area, which should’ve been inviting and practical, felt more like a cave.

If we were going to be spending extended periods of time in this thing, it needed a whole new look. So we grabbed our paint brushes and dove into what we thought would be a quick weekend update.

Spoiler: it was not.

Painting the Cabinets—How Hard Could It Be? (Answer: Very)

I’ve painted a dozen rooms in our sticks-and-bricks house. It’s not that hard, right? A couple of coats of paint, maybe a little primer, and boom—done.

Not so in an RV.

We’re dealing with fake wood, thin veneer, and surfaces that paint absolutely does not want to stick to. First, I had to take all the cabinet doors off. Then clean them. Next lightly sand them. Then clean them again. (The joy.)

I used Kilz primer, which did an okay job at sticking to the surface. But the first coat looked terrible. You can’t really turn back once you’ve started brushing primer onto an RV cabinet, so I just kept going.

I was hoping this would be an easy DIY project—but just priming these things required hours of work and left me questioning every decision I had made up to this point.

Before I picked up my paintbrush, I did what any modern RVer does—I Googled. I hit the forums, scrolled Instagram, read blog posts, and watched YouTube videos. Over and over again, I saw the same recommendation: Sherwin-Williams. RVers everywhere were raving about how great it was for cabinets.

So naturally, I bought it.

WRONG.

I don’t know what paint everyone else was using, but the product I picked up went on like glue. Thick. Sticky. Uneven. It didn’t self-level or spread well. Brushing felt like a workout and left a finish that was… let’s say, far from satisfying.

If you’re doing your own camper remodel on a budget, I strongly suggest doing a test panel first—even if a dozen influencers swear it’s the “best option.” In my case, this so-called top-rated RV paint made everything harder, not easier.

Lesson learned: what works for one camper doesn’t always work for yours.

It’s a Lot of Work—But It Makes a Huge Difference

Despite the unexpected pain, once the cabinets were done, the difference was night and day. The kitchen area suddenly felt bigger, brighter, and more like something out of a home design magazine than a used RV.

Even with the minor flaws (and trust me, there are a few), this was the biggest impact project in the whole remodel.

And like everything in the RV world, the devil’s in the details: things like paintable latex caulking, updated light bulbs, and fresh hardware went a long way in giving our older RV a more modern, lived-in feel.

Adding Beadboard to the Dinette and Living Slide

You know how sometimes a small annoyance finally pushes you to take action? For us, it was a loose valance above the dinette window.

It had been wiggly for a while, but I always hesitated to mess with anything screwed into the RV walls. I mean, when you’re dealing with thin lauan panels and insulation that’s barely thicker than a cereal box, the last thing you want is to accidentally punch a hole through the exterior.

But fate (and a stretch of absolutely brutal roads through Missouri and Kansas) had other plans. Somewhere on the drive home from Colorado, we hit a bump that sent that valance flying off the wall. We came home to find it lying across the dinette table.

Suddenly, our decision was made for us.

Why Beadboard Was the Best Option for RV Walls

We wanted to clean up the space—especially the small area in the slide where the dinette and sofa live—and make it brighter. But traditional wallpaper or stick subway tile didn’t appeal to us. And after our contact paper fiasco, we weren’t in the mood for any more sticky frustration.

We landed on a more permanent, durable, and budget-friendly option: painted beadboard panels. They’re lightweight, flexible, and look great even in tight spaces.

They also made it easier to cover up the holes left by the old valance and add some visual interest to a part of the camper that felt flat and uninspired.

The Prep Work (And the Ridiculous Haul Job)

We headed to Home Depot and picked up our beadboard sheets. Pro tip: if you drive a 3500 with a fifth-wheel hitch, hauling full sheets of paneling is not happening. We ended up using our daughter’s Honda Pilot to get everything to the camper. Not exactly a proud moment, but it worked.

We pre-cut the panels in our garage, rolled on three coats of paint, and let them cure overnight. We originally tried spray paint for speed, but it took forever and didn’t coat evenly. In the end, good old-fashioned rollers were the easiest way.

Installing Beadboard Inside a Camper = Creative Problem Solving

When it came time to install the panels, we quickly ran into a problem: our air compressor couldn’t get enough power because we were using the wrong extension cord (rookie mistake). After a quick trip to the hardware store, we got everything hooked up properly and started securing the panels with brad nails.

We worked around the dinette, behind the sofa, and wrapped around the newly installed fridge area. It wasn’t perfect, but it was clean, fresh, and completely transformed the space.

And once we reinstalled our new blackout curtains and updated the curtain rods, it all came together. The area finally felt like a cozy home—not just a box on wheels.

Fixing the Ceiling and Lighting for a More Modern Look

Once the walls were bright and fresh, it was hard to ignore the elephant in the room—or more accurately, the brown, outdated ceiling fixtures hovering above the dinette and sofa.

The camper originally came with these faux-wood light panels—basically decorative boxes attached to the ceiling, each holding a trio of LED lights. Functionally, they were fine. Aesthetically? Not so much.

We stared at them for a while and asked ourselves the question we’d asked at every stage of this RV renovation:

“If we’re already doing all this work, why leave that ugly thing in place?”

Out With the Old (Light Fixtures)

Removing the light boxes was easier than expected—and incredibly satisfying. Without them, the interior space immediately felt taller and more open. But that exposed another problem: a thin strip of trim wood that had been hiding a seam in the roofing lauan.

Instead of just slapping up new trim, we decided to do it right. We spackled and puttied the seam, sanded it smooth, and gave the entire ceiling a fresh coat of white paint to match the walls. Just like that, we went from a patchwork ceiling to a more modern look that felt cohesive and intentional.

The Power of Small Lighting Upgrades

With the valances gone, the white paint brightening everything up, and the beadboard in place, we wanted to keep the momentum going. So we swapped out the old light bulbs for soft, warm LED bulbs that gave off a more natural glow—and actually made the space feel warmer, not just “whiter.”

Sometimes it’s the final touches that make the biggest impact, and this was one of those moments. All of these little changes worked together to make a huge difference in how the space felt and functioned.

What started as a quick patch job had now evolved into something more: we weren’t just fixing broken things—we were redesigning our own RV to better fit our family and our style.

Future Upgrades: Kitchen Countertop, Stove Removal & Epoxy Project

Now that the living and dining space has a bright, modern feel, our attention has naturally turned to the kitchen area. And the next project on deck? Tackling the section around the oven and stove.

Here’s the deal: we rarely, if ever, use the oven. The stove gets occasional use, but most of our meals happen outside on the Blackstone grill or are easy dinners that don’t require much more than a hot plate or microwave. So we started asking ourselves:

What if we took the oven out—and did something better with that space?

It’s not a quick decision. Removing an RV oven means dealing with the LP gas line, the cabinetry, and rethinking the countertop. But the more we looked at it, the more it made sense. It’s an unused appliance that takes up valuable storage space in a small area where every inch matters.

The Epoxy Countertop Plan

We’re still finalizing the details, but our goal is to rebuild the counter section where the oven currently sits. That’ll involve removing the appliance, patching up the space, and adding a custom epoxy countertop that ties in with the rest of the kitchen.

We’ve been watching tutorials, experimenting with samples, and mapping out what we’ll need. The idea is to go with something light and bright—probably white with pops of color to coordinate with the cabinet doors and beadboard.

This project will definitely be its own step-by-step guide, once we get started. And yes, we’re expecting a few surprises along the way—because nothing in RV life is ever quite as straightforward as it looks on YouTube.

Making Better Use of the Gas Line

Another reason we’re excited about this project? Removing the oven gives us the opportunity to reroute that now-unused LP gas line. We’re thinking of adding a quick connect and using it to power our propane fire pit or outdoor cooking setup.

We’re not quite there yet, but this feels like the natural next step in the remodel. It’s all about making this space not only prettier—but also more practical for how we actually camp.

What’s Next: Brightening the Kids’ Bedroom and Wrapping Up

After a few rounds of sanding, priming, painting, hauling beadboard in the back of a Honda, and battling bad paint choices, you’d think we’d be ready to throw in the towel.

But here’s the thing: every project we’ve done so far has made our camper feel more like home.

That’s why next up on our list is the kids’ bedroom—the back room with the bunk beds and loft that originally sold us on this Keystone Cougar in the first place.

It’s been functional from day one, but like the rest of the camper, it could use a little love. Our plan is to repeat a lot of what worked in the living area: remove the dark valances, install blackout curtains, and bring in more white paint and beadboard to brighten things up.

We’ll also be looking at storage space options to help the kids stay organized, especially on longer trips when we’re using the camper for an extended period of time.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

There’s a lot we’ve picked up through this process—and honestly, more than a few things we’d do differently next time.

Here are a few takeaways for anyone planning their own camper remodel on a budget:

• Test everything before you commit—especially paint brands and materials that will be on display
  
• Expect delays and double the time you think a project will take
  
• Don’t believe all the “easy DIY project” labels on Pinterest. They’re usually harder in a camper.
  
• Paintable latex caulking will become your best friend
  
• Sometimes the best thing you can do is slow down, live in the space, and let the remodel happen in stages
  

We’ve still got more to do—like that epoxy countertop, the oven removal, and finishing the master bedroom—but we’re already living in a camper that feels lighter, brighter, and more uniquely ours.

What started with a fridge problem turned into a remodel we couldn’t have predicted. And even though it’s taken a lot of time (and a few extra trips to the hardware store), it’s been worth every step.This old travel trailer has a lot of better days ahead.

About Us

We are Mike and Sara, and our kids and dog are exploring the US while camping in our fifth wheel! Since the late 90s we have been exploring the great outdoors one hiking trail at a time. We introduced our kids to hiking while they were young and they love exploring new places. We call Kentucky home and we find ourselves exploring the state parks, national parks, and other wildlands in our area as often as we can!

Our RV camping journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Waking up close to the trails we love hiking was enough for us to get hooked on the camping lifestyle! Thanks for following our adventures!