RV renovation costs can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. It all depends on the condition of your RV and how extensive you want your remodel. Also, the price can fluctuate depending on whether you do the work yourself or hire someone to do it. In this post, we are going to take a look at 5 examples of RV remodels and the renovation costs that were incurred. Let get started.
#1. 1957 Vintage Century Travel Trailer
Sarah over at All Things With Purpose renovated a vintage 1957 Century Travel Trailer that she bought on Craigslist for $1700. She did an amazing job renovating what was a beat-up camper. Just about everything was a mess on the inside. The walls were covered with worn wood, the appliances had all seen better days. There was water damage that rotted the floors, windows needed work and the exterior needed work as well.
The overall RV renovation costs were $2,940. Since Sarah flips campers she made a nice little profit when she sold it. Here are some source links to her project.
- All Things With Purpose – Sarah’s blog
- Century Travel Trailer Renovation Costs – There are several renovation cost examples including the Century camper.
- Before photos and after photos
#2. 5th Wheel Interior Remodel
Julie over at Chickery’s Travels did a makeover of the interior of their 5th wheel. It wasn’t an extensive remodel however the results were pretty awesome. The work included painting over the beige and brown wallpaper, sewing new curtains, adding a nice backsplash, adding decorative items to provide pop and color, and replacing some furniture.
The furniture replacement was the most expensive part of the remodel costs at $1,955. The total renovation cost of the living room and kitchen remodel was $2,542. Here are some links to their site.
- Chickery’s Travels – Her blog
- 5th Wheel Living Room / Kitchen Renovation – Here you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the work and costs.
#3. 1999 Country Coach Makeover
Marc and Julie over at RV Love did a total makeover on their 1999 Country Coach. To say that the before and after is simply amazing would be an understatement. The work they did to the interior of their coach is amazing. Not only is modern-looking it’s also very functional. The remodel opened up their space and the interior color choice (white) makes the interior look bigger.
This is not an inexpensive remodel as they did a lot of work themselves. The flooring which was separated into 3-section was removed and replaced with luxury vinyl planking. Just about every interior light was changed. They were replaced with LED lights when possible.
The interior was already white, but they gave it a new coat of white with Benjamin Moore paint. They added black and blue accents in some areas to spice things up. In the kitchen, they did something very interesting. They flipped the cabinet doors so that the interior of the door is now facing out. The interior of the doors have a modern, clean contemporary shaker-style look than the original front which has a more traditional cabinet style.
They did renovations to the front cabin area as well. In the main area, there is seating for one. To create a second workspace a few cut floorboards, which snap together, were placed over the steering wheel. This creates a temporary second workspace in the driver’s cockpit.
The cost of their renovation totaled $12,000. In my opinion, it was money very well spent. Below are some links to their site and a Q&A video of their costs.
- RV Love – Their website homepage
- The Makeover Reveal – The reveal is the final episode of 8 on the renovation. Well worth seeing them all
- RV Renovation Costs – A breakdown of the work and the cost involved in this RV remodel
This video by Marc and Julie is a Q&A about their RV renovation. There is a lot of good information on the video.
Here are before and after photos from the renovation Match and Julie did. This is a photo of the before and after of look at their office space towards the front of the motorhome. It looks fantastic
Before
After
#4 Renovating a 2004 Monaco Windsor
Kevin and Leanne over at Explorking did an upgrade to their 2004 Monaco Windsor. The upgrade was pretty extensive and took 7 weeks to complete. The cost of this RV renovation was $27,021. They did a lot of work on their motor home. Here are just a few of the things they did.
Technology upgrade including the addition of a Touchstone Fireplace, TV lift, Engine Code Reader and a TV projector in the room among others. The thinking behind the projector is that it takes up less space and a typical LED TV.
Some plumbing fixtures were upgraded and Corain countertops replaced the old kitchen countertops that came with the RV. They did hire an RV plumber to do the plumbing work. So on your project don’t be afraid to hire someone for the renovation you don’t know how to do. It will save you time, money and unexpected issue down the road.
Painting walls and cabinets were also a big part of their remodel. They did hire someone to spray paint the cabinet but the work was not what Kevin and Leanne had expected. They ended up finishing the project themselves. Also, the remodel included, new flooring, new lighting, decoration to spruce things up, and electrical work.
Here are some links to Kevin and Leanne’s website.
- Explorking – Website homepage
- RV Renovation Expenses – Breakdown of their Monaca Windsor remodel
- The Catamaran – Kevin, and Leanne sold the TV and bought a boat
#5 Under $1,600 5th Wheel Renovation Costs
Christina Dennis over on here website The DIY Mommy details her 5th wheel renovation project. This renovation was fairly inexpensive costing Christina approximately $1,600. She did, however, have many of the supplies on hand, so that contributed to the lower cost. The original cost of the camper was $1,000, and it seems it was built somewhere in the 90s.
Steps she took to make here camper an awesome space are fairly straightforward. All start with making any necessary repairs such as water damage. The next step she took was to rip out anything you are wanting to replace such as window treatments, flooring, fabrics, etc.
She then primed and painted the wall and cabinets of the RV. The painting will make the biggest difference in the interior look and feel of your RV. After that Christina add decor, installed new hardware and fixtures, reupholstered furniture and added flooring.
The results of the renovation are stunning, and it’s hard to believe that it was done under $1,600. She pulled it off elegantly. Here are links to The DIY Mommy website.
- The DIY Mommy – This is the homepage
- $1,600 Renovation Project – This page details most of the renovation
- RV Kitchen Makeover – Detailed on painting kitchen cabinets
RV Renovation Costs Summary
As you can see from the 5 examples above RV renovation costs can vary widely. Not only will the extent of the remodel influence price but also the type of RV you are remodeling. In most cases remodeling, a small vintage trailer will cost significantly less than a motor coach. There are times when a renovation takes a plain Jane RV and turns it into a luxury travel trailer at a reasonable cost.
You can save a lot of money on your RV renovation cost by doing some or all of the work yourself. However, if the work is beyond your expertise, or you need specialized tools for the job you should consider hiring a qualified contractor.
I hope the ideas above will inspire you to do your own RV remodel For more ideas check this article I wrote on RV renovation ideas.
