next layer was stapled to the floor – not
so easy. The original layer was glued to
the floor. It was summer and it was hot
outside and even hotter inside. This was
to our advantage, or so we thought, as the
heat was softening up the glue making
it easier to pull back the forty year-old
linoleum – Great! But at the same time
our shoes were sticking to the floor. In the
end, we were both stuck to the floor and
had to step out of our shoes and make a
leap for the door and our freedom.
During the entire renovation process, I
was working during the week and Shane
had jobs that took him away for days
at a time. Fine weekends were a bonus.
Week days, I was calling local carpenters,
kitchen installers and builders to give
us quotes. There was little to no interest
from these tradesmen in working on a
caravan - some didn’t bother calling back
or even turn up for appointments. Finally
I found Peter from a local Joinery who
had renovated a couple of caravans. He
measured her up for a kitchen cabinet,
a three-drawer cabinet, shelving, folding
dinette table, new doors for the overhead
cupboards and two push release slide
out benches. The new cooktop and sink
would take up most of the kitchen bench
top and the TV would hang above the
three-drawer cabinet. This cabinet work,
electricals and plumbing would end up
being the most expensive part of the
renovation process.
Meanwhile, Shane got busy building
the new dinette seating and under seat
storage, king bed framework and under
In retrospect
it was at times
all too much, but
it was so worth
it in the end.
bed storage. He located all the leaks
(mainly from the roof) and sealed them
and patched up the side walls where the
ply had decayed away. Between us, we
laughed and cried, sanded and scraped,
peeled and polished and removed and
replaced just about everything. Installing
the front and rear walls was the most
challenging. It took an entire day. I
pretty much left Shane (and his colourful
language) to it and kept myself occupied
painting the new framework. In retrospect
it was at times all too much, but it was so
worth it in the end. It was great working
together as a team and we feel confident
in our renovating ability to do it again
should we ever feel the urge to do so.
It took three months to get the exterior
sanded down and cleaned, the aluminium
door and window frames de-oxidised and
the fly screens replaced. It was winter by
this time and almost every weekend it
rained at some point. Shane is a painter
by trade so when the flooring was laid
and the new cabinets, shelving, railings
and front wall mirror were installed he
waved his magic brushes and rollers over
her walls, ceiling, framework, cupboards
and drawers, then moved on to her
exterior. Wiring up her new LED driving
lights was a nightmare. “Left blinker, right
blinker, brake lights, side lights” He was
one phone call away from ringing an auto
electrician. Sheer determination over
three weekends saw all the planets in
alignment and the lights finally working.
16 | vintagetrailermagazine