I’m not sure why manufactured or modular homes are such a topic for criticism? When I moved to Colorado, I had no idea what to expect. After about 5 minutes worth of driving main street in the new town I now call home (not for the fact that I only spent 5 minutes, but because the main street is all of 7 blocks, expanding 3-5 blocks on either side to encompass town), I realized the dire need for housing. It’s Colorado. Like my home state–people are flocking to the mountain towns. It’s expensive to live here and the inventory for stick-built homes is next to none.
I found the mobile home park (mhp) and I made my first phone call to a local. Needless to say, I moved to a high mountain town–elevation of 8000 feet–the first of October. Because I got into town late afternoon, my work said I could spend a few nights dry camping in the parking lot. Cool. Except the first night was a crazy blizzard thunder storm and I woke up to single digits with about 6 inches of snow! The mhp manager was hesitant to let me winter in a camper, but his wife saw something in me that said “survivor.” I am a survivor, but I think in that moment I was in a desperate ‘fake it til you make it’ mode. They approved and I moved onto lot 11 which eventually became my first home. Almost 2 years later, with no luck finding a marketable home, I bought a used manufactured home about 2 hours away in Wyoming.
I’m fairly familiar with mobile homes. I was born and raised in one in my very early childhood. My parents bought their now home when I was about 4 years old. And that begin the renovation childhood with my Dad. I have fond, but faint, memories in that mobile home. It was the typical long corridor of tight spaces and separated rooms. The manufactured home I purchased in Colorado was a a 2006 and did not feel like a manufacture home inside! It’s a great opportunity for couples who are just trying to start a family, change a career–or singles who are wanting to buy their first home without breaking the bank in the old fashion “American Dream.”
Just like any home, this is an investment. You do you–if you’re just needing something temporary, or just want to set it in a mobile home park and that’s it, or that’s all you can afford, then do so. However, lot rent is ridiculous in Colorado–into the thousands per month in a lot of places!! You’re not saving, and you’re losing investment opportunities!
The investment piece is where some go wrong. First and foremost, plan to install a foundation under the manufacture or modular home–right off the bat (if you own the land/lot). It’ll likely come out of your own pocket, but it’s worth the investment. Then, go straight to the county and get the home rolled over to a permanently fixed home. Once that’s approved through the state (requirements are different for each state), the home is no different than a stick built home in valuation! Where manufactured homes depreciate is when it is not affixed to the lot/land via permanent foundation. It’s also useful for selling it–as it opens up loan opportunities for the buyer. When I sold this property, I nearly quadrupled the sale tag from what I purchased it for!
Great story about the locals. Once the home was moved, set on the lot, foundation installed and leveled, I was the one who had to hook up the utilities and skirt it. So, I did what I could–and the water was easy. So I thought. I wrenched and turned on the water valve to get it to open into the house with no luck. Figuring something was wrong–I called the local plumber. He’s a rather quiet guy, but was patient and listened and watched as I tried to open the valve. With little effort, he opened it right up and looked at me and responded, “Is that all you needed?” Haha, I’m still in touch to this day–and I still owe that bloody mary I offered from that memory!
About 8 months after purchasing the home, the park manager offered the lot underneath it for a reasonable price. So, under $50,000 total, I owned a home and the lot underneath it!
The first thing I did when I got the home set up? Paint! It is absolutely amazing how paint can spruce up a room. It’s cheap and it takes only a day or a weekend. I had already been addicted to Pinterest! There were many things, on the dime mind you, that I wanted to try.
I started on the master bathroom. And jeesh! I made a ton of mistakes! Read on into the next post to hear of my first DIY’s in my first, new home! X
Alright, once again, I wasn’t anticipating sharing this savvy renovation with the world. This camper is a 2002, standard camper. One piece of advice I will give you, is when I bought my camper it was from a dealership and I went in thinking I was purchasing a car. Wrong idea! They hike the prices of these campers so much and take no liability for any damages. After carefully inspecting three or four campers, this one was structurally sound with no damages. How to search for those damages? There are some great Pinterest Posts and YouTube videos to follow, but in short, feel/press on the walls for soft spots (water damage). Check for nibble marks and look under all cupboards/sinks and feel the floor for any soft areas. Anyways, the sales person was kind enough to tell me to go as low as I could feasibly see buying the camper for. I still had no idea what he was saying, but I purchased it for almost $3,000 under what it was listed as (I think I could’ve gone lower). Lessons learned-lessons shared!
A good purchase none the less. Another piece of advice is to purchase and install a stabilizer hitch. That sucker was heavy and total cost for equipment and installation (it’s removable as needed) was around $400. Well worth the purchase as it keeps the vehicle, in tow, from swerving and stabilizes the tow load from uneven, damaged roads. Lastly, air bags on your vehicle your towing with is also a saver! This helps keep the nose of your vehicle from hiking up high when towing something heavy.
Typical camper from the early 2000’s. Orange tone wood veneer and gaudy wall paper attached to thin plywood and veneer. It was before the campers were renovated to the diverse and beautiful interiors you see today. I lived in it while I updated it…oh my was that a challenge! I remember at one point I was trying to cut into the wall and threw sparks. Another lesson learned (and I already knew but got inpatient and tried to make short cuts–DON’T do).
**Affiliated links provided throughout and at the end of this post to assist you with your savvy creations. No cost to you 🙂Please just click on the bold, underline words or the picture relevant to what you are interested in
First things first, paint! It is absolutely amazing the difference a little paint truly does! Like I said, I was on a budget–so I bought the cheapest paint I could. I love white as the background and then accent it with color. I chose bright white for the walls of the camper and an antique white for the trim. Subtle difference, but creates open, bright, seemingly bigger space! I have some before and after pictures of certain corners of the Camper.
First time making stairs, dog door and kennel–had to build a dog ramp for the old pup)
Left-before, right after in bathroom closet
Top right (before) fridge. Painted white, antiqued and decorated 🙂
Bathroom before and after
A quickly created fence for the dogs
A view of my palace.
Judgement was expected. Trailer court. pallet fence (and not good pallets at that–if you’re making a pallet fence, make them uniform and in good condition please!). And a single female in a camper. I was surviving and creating! And I learned a lot about myself on those cold wintery days with no escape (not many amenities to escape to in this town).
As you see, the rennovations were simple and budgeted. Mostly paint. Biggest lesson learned here is the veneer. Have you tried painting press board or veneer? It’s like painting over silicone caulk…it doesn’t absorb unless there are layers and layers…and layers of paint! I would suggest getting a bonding primer to assist with the paint adhering to the hard-to surfaces. Another suggestion,liquid deglosser. I’m trying it on a current upgrade and I have high hopes. It is supposed to replace the work of sanding, but I will do the sanding first and then clean everything with the deglosser. I am my father after all–“do it right the first time,” and “A good carpenter isn’t perfect, but can hide their imperfections well.”
The antiquing on the fridge was created by painting white and then taking a dark, oil stain and cloth and wiping it to the desire I wanted. I’m more of a perfectionist, but sometimes I have to remind myself it’s not going to be uniform and I just have to let it create itself! Why, I don’t know, but I decided I’d spray paintthe bathroom door (it was miserable and smelly, I think it was just the lack of available colors in the local hardware store). Don’t do that! Luckily enough the floors cleaned up to a bright white after all the renovations. Brush the paint on, don’t spray it in such a small space.
My bathroom was one of the more drastic updates. As you can see, I tore the gaudy shower slide and insert (I kept the tub in, but the surrounding plastic stuff had to go). Again, these days, peel and stick tiles are much, much better and more versatile. You can click the link bolded, or you can click on the picture above–unfortunately I cannot find the exact tile I used! However, the same as the veneer–sand, bonding primer, and stick. One difference is that I had to use a waterproofing bonder to help keep moisture from penetrating the wall behind the tiles. Cool trick: take a rolling pin and roll over the tiles after you’ve put them up. It helps get them to stick evenly. Hey! Had to get savvy! Instead of grout for the tile, I used grout you can find at your hardware store. I cut out a caddy-cubby and water proofed the wood–for storage of shower items. I did layers of the poly urethane and then caulked it in to ensure water resistance.
The bathroom sink was a gem. I loved the round sink on top of a butcher block like counter top. I believe the countertop was designed and coated the same as the shower caddy-cubby. It was a 1 x 12 cut and “planked” to creat the counter top. I found these cool trim pieces to put around the edges for a nice finish. I painted and antiqued the cabinets the same way I did the fridge. All the handles in the camper were taken off the cabinet doors and spray painted (outside during warmer weather!). I worked with a brushed nickel and also a really beautiful copper.
The closet in the bathroom was so much fun! It had the closet with gross green carpet and the enclosed hanger dowel you see in most campers. Below it was a drawer. I cut another opening below that and added a door to it. That was access to my water for my weekly black and grey tank drainage and cleaning. Instead of the drawer-I took it out and replaced it with a decorative vent. That would help circulate heat where the water ran underneath the camper. Typically, water is connected from the outside. But with a little research in plumbing and a whole lotta help from dad (I call it “phone a father”), we drilled a hole in what was the storage (from the outside), insulated it with Reflectix Insulation. After, we ran the hose from the inside of the camper through that hole and underneath the camper where it was insulated and skirted. .May I note–best insulation ever! Many ways to apply it to make it just as efficient. There’s radiant barrier(like a thick wallpaper of tin foil) that can be added to improve its efficiency. There are tons of youtube videos you can refer to for installation ideas. No respiratory issues or itchy skin, easy install (literally can cut with a carpenter knife), water resistant, and can be installed with a staple gun! This was also used for the inside of my camper skirting–I live at 8000ft and with heat tape and the reflectix insulation….ZERO freezing problems during the bitter cold alpine winters!
The dining slide out was painted white with the antique white for trim. There was the green carpet in between the small storage cabinets above the table. I simply painted over it with the same color as the cabinets there and in the kitchen–called Forest Black from Gidden. The trim of the dining seats was, again, veneer. I replaced it with a stained 1×4. The seat covers were leafy, greens and blue smudge that matched the futon for the sitting area. However, they were in good condition and it’s not savvy to waste! I ordered these amazing, fitted slip on covers (click on bold words for link) specifically designed for them! Of course I added some throw pillows for comfort and style 😉
The kitchen didn’t have much for updating. Painting the cabinets and cabinet handles were the gist of it aside from the walls (white). When entering the camper, immediately to the left was the L-shaped counter for the kitchen; and the sink just opposite from the entrance side of the counter. I added some more of that wonderful wall paper (click on bold words for link) I used for the Nomads Camp(read that post next for more ideas!) and put that on the entrance side of the counter. Tied everything in really nicely! Here is a shot of the wallpaper and kitchen:
Lastly was the bedroom. I loved the difference the paint made in the bedroom. The bed was the typical lift for storage under it. What I didn’t capture was the cork flooring I installed in the bedroom. The bedroom had that icky green carpet once again and I wasn’t about to walk barefoot on it, wondering what other dirty feet have tip toed around! The cork flooring was the best options because it was light weight, water resistance, provided padding and insulation on the tootsies. Easy to install with just acarpenter knifeand I used locktite to glue it to the sub floor (liquid nails I’ve been seeing works really well too! Let me know if you try this). Lastly, I spray painted a textured paint on the “end tables” on each side fo the bed (again, on a warm day with plenty of ventilation!). I sealed the cork flooring and the endtables with a poly urethane for extra protection and voila! A completed interior!
The Nomad Camp. The healing from heartbreak. A detail on a wild land fire hotshot crew with amazing people who helped life me up. The friends I made who have become anchors of support and remind me to live a little. My redefined relationship with my family. My journey for holistic healing was being laid before my–still fairly blinded–eyes. The two years after heartbreak that shattered a lot of superficial value and beliefs I had of the world and my world, Divine intervention was giving me these tools to build strength for the near future endeavors.
One of this endeavors was accepting a Crew Lead position states away from Oregon. I was going back home to the Rocky Mountains. Colorado and Oregon had always been places of curiosity for very different reasons. And, Colorado was my next destination, but not without a crazy, left field decision on my lifestyle. I wanted to start completely over–minimize my tangibles and maximize quality memories. I traded in my vehicles for a Nissan Titan, sold almost everything, and bought a camper to turn tiny home. Needless to say, I do things big–so I accepted the position in Colorado without much for research and landed myself in a small town on the northern Colorado border. At 8,000 feet in elevation with starkly different climate from Bend, and a future of opportunities.
Have you tried living in a tiny home? Been in a camper for a weekend? For those gypsy souls who can contently live in a space smaller than a typical livingroom–kudos! The camper I renovated was 25 feet total (including the tongue). One slide out to accommodate the dining area, a gas oven/stove, electric hot water heater–and two rambunctious dogs to share it all with. The small town I live in is, well, small. Like, it doesn’t even hit 1000 population in the whole county small! To add, it’s at least 60 miles from any city that has amenities aside from the bare basics with a few okay restaurants (foods great, but there’s always a struggle in small towns for employees, thus, service and pricing. This is by no means a dig on those restaurants–this is the reality of living in a small town).
Did I mention it’s also high elevation? Winters can be brutal! I had no idea what I was getting into moving here. Renting was (and is) almost impossible when I pulled in after my long haul from Oregon on October, 2017. I decided to camp out in the dry (packed with my life, mind you) camper in a parking lot the first night. I went to be with pleasant and mild last Fall weather…I woke up with about 6 inches of snow and below 0º temperatures! I was striking out left and right trying to figure out my living situation; and I was up against the wintery jack frost racing in for the winter.
By the grace of God, the trailer park had an open lot and the owner hesitantly let me rent it out for the winter. This couple became my savior as they gained more trust with my survival skills and supported me to the day that I bought that lot from them (another post). My father, who absolutely and unapologetically disagreed with my decision to stay in the camper for the winter, came down with my brother to help me insulate and skirt underneath the camper. It was cozy. It was hooked up to the lot amenities (water, electric, and sewer) and the local propane company dropped off a tank, helped me change adaptors and hooked the camper up. Small town manners are something to note. They may mind their own business, or get into your business, and sometimes to a point it can be isolating or invasive. Yet, when there comes a time for the community to pitch in and help, there are no questions asked!
It was an adjustment living in a camper. The water line had to have a pressure reducer. I couldn’t, heh-hmmmm, drain the black tanks but once a week with a thorough flush in the toilet. I had an oil heater with a thermostat under the camper for those frigid nights and stuffed most the windows with bubble wrap. The more I’m conjuring up memories, the more I smile while writing this. It was a fun adventure! Different. Challenging. I was a pioneer on the frontier alpine lands and I did my best to survive. I’d bake or cook to add the extra heat. Showers were ultra quick (thank goodness for my forgiving course, curly hair). It was a life of a minimalist to the extreme–which I still to this day appreciate. However, it wasn’t the ideal life (in my opinion) for the isolated town with unforgiving climate. Nor was it the lifestyle I needed at this point in my life. I needed room. Room to exercise. Room to lay on the floor; snuggle and play with the dogs. A great experience, but something I could do as a snow bird for a few months–probably not permanently. I was starting to nest. I wanted to find a place to put roots down 🙂
Nonetheless, as I said before, I had to make it a cozy home! I knew I wanted to manifest this camper/tiny home into an asset, not a forever. So, I went creative. I also went on a budget. Another thing to keep in mind with any home on wheels is weight. The axles, how many? Tires–psi and max load. Not your typical home. I had to get savvy!
Within a year, I bought a home. I’ll describe the home later–as I don’t want to skew you in any direction. My! How does one think they can even afford a house on a single income these days?!? Anywhere and especially in Colorado?!?!
Once again, I didn’t think I’d be sharing my creations with the world, so photos are subpar. I hope they give you an idea of what I love to do with my imagination and my hands! It took me about three years to finish the camper before I sold it to a wonderful family that drove away with it and huge smiles on their faces.
I’ll create another follow up for the details on this savvy, cozy camper I made a home and the affiliate links for you to get savvy and creative.
This is where I started down the path of creating using my hands. The story starts with a heartbreak in central Oregon that landed me in Bend surrounded by friends I still today stay in touch with! I wish I would have taken more pictures back then–of course I didn’t think I’d be sharing my creativity. To be honest, I remember gathering a bunch of information and ideas off of Pinterest <insert angelic music here>. I’m resourceful and a dreamer. I carry with me a special binder that has goals, life design ideas, brain dumps, and drawings as my imagination jumps from one thing to the next.
After settling into my new home in Bend, I traded in my car for a Nissan Frontier with a Cab topper. As you see in the picture above, this is where it began. I called it the Nomad camp! During my down time at work, I took the weekends and explored everything from the Steens Mountains along the Idaho border, to the the Pacific 101 along the West Coast. My partner and very missed, VERY good dog, Apolo, was my adventure buddy. We’d load up and camp in amazing designated spots and found cozy dispersed sites tucked away from the world. The quiet and grounding nature was the medicinal prescription I needed to sort out the ending of a relationship. It was the end that created a the beginning to here and me now.
Here’s the scoop on what I build. I build an expanding bench that pulled out to about a twin size bed. It also lifted for storage underneath. I wanted an end table, towards the cab of the truck, for storage and horizontal space. So, I measured the end table to stretch across the furthest inside wall adjacent to the cab. It served many purposes–where I laid my head, where I set my beverage/food and for storage and organization. The end table was built using 2×4’s and then paints/decorated with the colors you see (will list below).
The bench itself was to serve as a modern age daybed. Instead of a trundle that pulls out, I made the bench heavy duty–with the top slats (1×4) aligned to slide out (there is a beam or 1×4 attached to the sliding slats underneath the top part of the bench to assist in slide out and stopping the slide out from sliding to far). The structure of the bench is 2×4 studs. Keep in mind on how you are going to catch the slider once it’s fully out and still keep the bench flush to sleep on top.
The paint was when the chalk paint became very popular. I spent way to much money on it. I would suggest regular paint, and add cornstarch to match the consistency you desire (I read this option somewhere and haven’t tried it yet. Please let me know if you do). I would also make sure to sand the wood if you want a smooth finish.
What I didn’t think about were the ridges in the truck liner. I made due with 1x2s and a mat over it. It was hard on the knees climbing in an out otherwise. Lessons learned, lessons shared!
If you’re interested in trying this, I’ve provided (affiliated) links at the end of this article for easy and efficient purchasing and preparing 🙂
Most of the wood materials I purchase from Home Depot. It was mostly 2x4x8′ boards (I always find the cheaper ones) and 1x4x8′ boards, some wood screws, measuring tape, a drill and my first circular saw (still using today!). I’m a mostly committed customer at Home Depot, however, I am sure you can find similar materials at Lowe’s or any other hardware store. I like to support local until the local business can’t support me–unfortunately that is what continuously happens with our small town local hardware store currently. Covid, lack of employment, shipping and inflation in this tiny town. I will say, I’ve been recently introduced to Manards (thank you, babe, for creating a monster). Truly a Hobby Lobby for Bob the Builders!!
Again, I wasn’t planning on sharing this project with anyone back then, so I couldn’t tell you how much to purchase. Just make the measurements, check them twice….ehhh check three more times if you’re like me, and make an estimate of how much. I would add a few more of each in case there are some bloopers–and there always are in this artwork!
The wallpaper was purchased from Walmart. It wasn’t quite as available as it is now-and I think you can even find it on Amazon these days. I’ll throw both the links down at the bottom for your choice and convenience! (Affiliated links–no cost to you)
Lastly, the paint. I’m trying to do my part and minimize the waste I put into this world in this current state of our poor world. So, I also want to encourage you to create your own with a mixture of paints sitting around the house from previous projects. You can also go to any hardware store or store that sells paint to see if there are any mistakes for super cheap or even free! Or, ask a neighbor if they have paint they can get rid of! That’s truly the savvy way!
Mix. Match. Make it you’re own!
The completed bench in the photo above. I loved it so much! It was quite comfortable sleeping on. I had a Cabella’s extra thick thermal rest as well as a Cabella’s -15º sleeping bag that unzipped to make it a blanket (for my traveling buddy, Apolo, to snuggle in when it was cold). When the bench was slid out, it was perfect for the two of us!
I liked the slide out particularly because I could pack specialty items where the space was empty in the truck. If I brought a kayak, it would sit on top of the truck cab and topper, and storing the oars and life jacket (and the dogs!) in the empty space when the bench was slid in. Dry bags, firewood, snowshoes…you name it!
Below are some close ups of the finished product! I hope you enjoyed the read. If you’re motivated and want to take on this project, please comment below on feedback, how yours turned out, Hopefully this posts gives you enough to get started!!
Keep reading the following posts to follow along with how the Nomad Camp turned into the Tiny home. Lots of fun updates, diy, and ideas for you to fire up your imagination! There are also links to the camping gear I won’t go anywhere without (my truck now, tent, etc.)!
~Live Simply Savvy folks!
The “end table” completed and installed
The 1×2’s were to help save my knees!Add an anti-fatigue mat–perfection!!
