I bought my old camping-car in spring 2024 for €6,800. It was a 1992 Pilote profiled model with 168,000 km on the clock. The exterior looked tired. The interior smelled like damp carpet and old plastic. I knew right away I would tackle a full renovation camping car project myself.
The goal was simple. Make it livable for long weekends and the odd two-week trip without spending a fortune. I finished the bulk of the work in four months of weekends. Total materials and small tools came to just under €3,200. That number still surprises me.
I want to walk you through exactly what I did, what worked, and what I would skip next time. No fluff. Just the steps that actually moved the needle.
How Much Does a Renovation Camping Car Really Cost?
Budgets for this kind of work swing hard. I saw people quote €500 for a quick paint-and-fabric refresh. Others sank €10,000 or more into full layout changes.
My own numbers broke down like this:
- Bathroom materials: €420
- Flooring and underlay: €310
- Paint, primer, and hardware: €280
- Insulation top-ups: €190
- LED lighting and basic wiring: €340
- Storage upgrades and textiles: €260
- Unexpected repairs (soft wood under the shower tray): €380
I kept a 15 percent buffer. I needed almost all of it. Water damage hides in places you do not expect.
Honestly? Most of the money went into sealing and weight-conscious materials. Every extra kilo counts against the PTAC. I refused anything heavier than PVC panels or thin marine plywood.
If your camping-car structure is sound, you can stay under €4,000 for a solid mid-level refresh. Push past that only if you change the layout or add solar and lithium. I skipped solar this round. That decision kept the bill reasonable.
Planning the Whole Project Before Touching a Tool
I spent two full evenings with a notebook and a measuring tape. First I listed every problem. Soft floor near the bathroom. Yellowed shower tray. Dim lighting. Cabinets that refused to close properly. Then I ranked them by risk.
Leaks and soft structure came first. Looks came last.
I photographed every pipe, cable, and joint before I covered anything. That single habit saved me three hours later when I needed to find a water line again.
See, the order that worked for me was strict:
- Structural fixes and sealing
- Insulation where it was missing
- Flooring
- Bathroom
- Paint and cabinetry
- Lighting and small upgrades
I refused to paint over problems. That rule alone prevented a lot of redo work.
I also set a hard stop date. Four months. After that the camping-car had to leave the driveway and hit the road. Deadlines force decisions.
Fixing the Bathroom First
The bathroom was the worst zone. The tray had turned a sad shade of yellow. Joints had pulled away. The cassette toilet looked ancient.
I started with the tray. It was still solid, just ugly. I sanded it lightly with 220 grit, wiped it with acetone, and applied two coats of special shower-tray paint made for boats. The can cost €28. Two coats and 48 hours of drying later it looked almost new.
Walls got lightweight PVC panels. They weigh about 1 kg per square meter. I cut them with a utility knife and glued them with MS polymer adhesive. That glue stays flexible under vibration. Regular construction adhesive would have cracked within a season.
I replaced the old mixer tap with a compact camping-car model that used the existing 3/8-inch fittings. Installation took 25 minutes. No new plumbing holes.
All silicone joints came out. Fresh sanitary silicone went in, smoothed with a wet finger. I let everything cure a full day before running water again.
Total bathroom spend: €420. The space went from grim to usable in one long weekend plus curing time.
I almost quit when I found soft wood under the tray. A quick consolidant treatment and a scrap of marine plywood fixed it. Crisis averted.
Updating the Interior Look Without Heavy Changes
Once the wet areas were solid I turned to the living space. Dark wood and tired fabric made the whole cabin feel smaller than it was.
I painted every cabinet door and the ceiling white. Proper RV primer first. Regular house paint peels fast on these surfaces. Two coats of primer, two of finish. The difference was immediate. Light bounced around. The cabin felt bigger.
Cabinet handles came off. Square black pulls went on. Cost: €45 for the full set. Small change. Big visual lift.
Textiles got a full refresh. I ordered new seat covers in a light grey that could take a beating. Blackout curtains replaced the old drapes. A few throw pillows in solid colors finished the look. Total textile spend stayed under €180.
Storage needed help. I added full-extension drawers in two lower cabinets and hung simple baskets behind the doors. Suddenly the endless hunting for the can opener stopped.
Lighting was the last cosmetic piece. I swapped every bulb for warm LED. Then I stuck battery-powered LED strips under the upper cabinets. Instant ambient light for evenings without draining the leisure battery.
IMO the white paint and LEDs did more for the mood than any other single upgrade.
New Flooring That Handles Travel and Mud
The old carpet had to go. It held every bit of dirt and smelled permanently of wet dog even though I do not own a dog.
I pulled it all out and checked the subfloor. Two small soft spots near the door needed patches of marine plywood. Once dry I laid 2 mm closed-cell foam underlay and then vinyl plank flooring made for RVs. The planks click together and tolerate movement better than glued sheet vinyl.
The whole floor job took two full days. Materials cost €310. Clean-up after a muddy weekend now takes five minutes with a broom and damp cloth.
I chose a medium-grey wood look. It hides dirt better than pure white and still reflects light.
Boosting Insulation and Everyday Comfort
My old camping-car lost heat fast. Condensation formed on the windows by morning even in mild weather.
I added thin Armaflex sheets behind a few interior panels that had never been insulated. Around the windows I stuck reflective thermal film. New thermal curtains went up on the big side windows.
The difference showed up on the first cool night. The cabin held warmth longer and the windows stayed clearer. I spent €190 total on these materials. Not glamorous work, but it made sleeping better.
Ventilation mattered too. I cleaned the existing roof vent and added a small 12 V extractor fan in the bathroom. Moisture now leaves instead of sitting on the walls.
Power and Small Electrical Upgrades
I kept the original leisure battery but cleaned every connection and added a simple battery monitor. LED lighting cut the draw dramatically. I can now run lights and charge phones for days without starting the engine.
I did not install solar this time. The budget and the roof already had enough holes. Next project maybe. For now the basic 12 V system works fine for weekend use.
One concrete tip: label every wire you touch. Future you will thank present you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I budget for a basic renovation camping car project? I spent just under €3,200 on materials for a solid mid-level refresh. Add 15 to 20 percent for surprises and you should land between €2,500 and €4,500 if the structure is sound.
Is it worth renovating an old camping-car instead of buying newer? Yes if the chassis and body are solid. My 1992 model now feels fresher than many 2010s examples I looked at, and I know every system inside it.
Can a beginner really handle the bathroom and flooring? I had basic DIY skills and YouTube. The bathroom took one long weekend plus drying time. Flooring took two days. Take your time on sealing and you will be fine.
What is the single biggest mistake to avoid? Skipping the leak and soft-wood check. Everything else is cosmetic. Water damage is structural and expensive.
How long does a full DIY renovation usually take? Mine ran four months of weekends. If you can work full days it can shrink to six or eight weeks. Do not rush the drying and curing stages.
The camping-car left the driveway last autumn looking and feeling like a different vehicle. I still catch myself smiling when I open the door and see the white cabinets and clean floor. The work was messy and sometimes frustrating. The result was worth every scraped knuckle.
If you have an old camping-car sitting in the drive, start with the leaks and the bathroom. Everything else builds from there. Grab a notebook, measure twice, and get after it. The road is waiting.
