When we started shopping online for the "perfect" RV, I was astonished to see how many RV make-overs were on social media. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, since we were in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, and we were not alone in our quest to find an alternative to flying across the country to see our friends and family. The Instagram RV makeovers were fascinating, and right up our alley, since Scott and I are huge DIY'ers. So, the plethora of makeover ideas were flooding my creative brain. I couldn't wait to get my hands on an RV with just the right floor plan for our little clan of 2 adults and two weeners!
First on my wish list was the perfect floor plan. Next on my list was beautiful wood cabinetry. I am old-school about pampering a wood finish with rich wax to create a luxurious luster and shine you just can't get with paint. The Fleetwood Pulse we chose has the wood I wanted. Last on my wish list was a decent shower, sinks, and appliances that didn't need any work. Our lucky find had all those things, so we were good to go.
With the items on my wish list checked off, I was okay with the horrible blue paint that the previous owners sloppily used on most of the walls. And the icky linoleum on the floors was going to be easy to cover with luxury vinyl tile (LVT). The upholstery sucked! But this girl knows how to sew, and finding someone to upholster the hard stuff would be easy enough. All the rest was just a matter of pulling out the old, and installing the new.
Scott was in charge of all the mechanical and exterior, so it was up to him to work that out with the previous owner and feel satisfied with all their technical conversations. He spent hours researching, and felt pretty good about the Turbo Diesel Mercedes Benz V6 3L 154HP motor, and the Dodge Sprinter 3500 chassis, which only had 41,000 miles on it. I was pretty stoked when we decided on the 2008 Fleetwood Pulse 24A, Class C, because of the floorplan. The only hitch was that it was in Phoenix, Arizona and we were in Fresno, California. We took a chance and flew to Phoenix with one-way tickets to check it out after studying it online and chatting at length with the owner. I feel like we got super lucky, because the minute I stepped up and into the RV that's now our baby, I knew it was going to be great fun to renovate, and call it our own.
Our "traveling weeners" seem super happy with their new home away from home! They have followed us around, every step of the way. Jens and Otto's view from the couch is just great, and they can see us no matter where we are, so they have a good view.
In the following blog posts, I'm going to be sharing the journey of our RV makeover. I'll have DIY tips, links to the products, and photos to show exactly what our experience has been. It's been fun! Check out our IG page, because that's where you'll see our adventures across the country as we provide travel tips and our favorite places. Look for @TheTravelingWeeners on Instagram for photos of the makeover, wienerdogs and travel pics.