Think Before You Remodel That Used RV
My inbox is routinely flooded with ‘How-to’ articles and Pinterest entries on renovating used RVs. Granted, the photos are enticing and exciting. My fingers itch to spread out a tarp, pick up a paint brush, and splash new colors on our travel trailer’s pale grey walls. I drool over some of the showcased projects, the lists of DIY supplies, and I applaud the DIYers who tackle these projects. Then I remember why we purchased our used Winnebago Minnie 2401RG travel trailer. As my hubby gently reminds me, we bought it to travel, not spend days or weeks ripping out flooring, or priming and painting the interior and/or the cabinets.
The retired couple we’d bought it from had outfitted the Minnie with everything we needed to haul it home and use it immediately. They also took the time to give us a detailed tour of the Minnie’s features, and ensure our SUV was configured to haul it safely.
We had spent two months looking an many RV travel trailers before choosing this one. Our choice was based on several factors. At a dry weight of only 5200 lbs., the Minnie could be pulled with our mid-sized SUV. No need to buy a new truck. The inside of the Minnie was pristine, the cabinets a light, warm cream color, and everything worked but one LED hallway light that needed a new switch. The floor plan was also ideal for three adults, one of whom needed a modest, mobile office.
The previous owners had replaced the jack-knife sofa with theater seating, but they saved everything needed to reinstall the sofa and included it in the sale. We hauled everything home and swapped out the theatre seats for the sofa in about two hours. The sofa converts to a bed for my sister, leaving the dinette available for use as a late-night, mobile office. The power strip and a narrow wicker basket installed at the back of the dinette table made a perfect cubby to store my laptop and mobile monitor, making it easy to switch the space from mobile office to dining area. Otherwise, no remodeling was required.
Sometimes I feel left out of the joy of remodeling our little RV. I love the pics other RVers post of brightening up an older RV with new colors, or replacing older, dated cabinets and new upholstery. But as retirees, it’s more important for us to actually go places and do things rather than wait, wait, wait until all the little details of our RV are perfect. We made a careful choice — we wanted a slightly used RV travel trailer that didn’t require much, if any, renovation, and we put our time into finding the right rig.