Awww, Nuts! Explosions and "Before" pics of our "vintage" camper - let's get started!

Darn, with baby on the way I wasn't the best at taking "before" and "after" pics of the projects I've done over the last few months.  But, she's here now & I'm starting on our camper, which I am thrilled about!  Hubby has two weeks of vacation so he pulled it to our house from my parent's farm.  At 2 a.m. we heard what I thought was a gunshot.  Hubby looked out the window & the camper door was open, so he headed outside.  The tire had popped!  It wasn't until 15 hours later we went into the camper and found the wheel well had exploded and there were shards of wood all over the cabinets and floor.  Got 1970's paneling sources anyone?  Now, we've got a little more to do to restore our vintage find - ugh.  We both learned a life lesson - Buy New Tires!!

I'm starting with showing you the "before" pics of our camper.  Here we go...

The first couple pictures are the way she looked when we fell in love, yes, beauty IS in the eye of the beholder!  She's a 1973, so not technically a vintage camper, but the closest we could find without paying an arm and a leg!

 Yes, that's a tree growing between the area for the hitch.  Quite a few years since she's seen the open road!  My Dad remembers going camping when he was a teenager with the couple we bought this doll from.

And here she is all cleaned up...well, as clean as we can get her before painting her a pretty color.

That emblem says, "Travlo."  Someday it'll say, "Our Lake House."  If only we lived closer to the coast and could name this baby, "Our Beach House."

So, let's go inside!  Here's the view when you enter the door.  Yep, she's in good condition, but dated.  Let's bring this chick into fashion...frugal fashion that is...repurposing, reusing and recycling!  

Next to the dinette, along the front of the camper is the kitchen.  I don't think the stove was ever used.  The corner kitchen is not something I've seen in many old campers, but I love it!  I could do without the avocado green appliances & table, I'd love teal, but I've figured out a way to make the green work (which I'll  be blogging about later!)

Here's a pic of the total front area of the camper, the door is on the right side next to the stove.

Now for the rear area, our living/bedroom area.  The couch folds down into a master bed.  

My hubby is 6'5" and I'm 6'0" so we are definitely cozy when we sleep here. It's 78" so it's just long enough for us.  That's an ice box on the left, and a bunk folds down above the couch area.  To the rear on the left is a large closet/bathroom (port-a-potty area).

So there's your introduction...hope you hang around to see her transformation.  Hubby has two weeks off so we'll be, uh, repairing a wheel well, siding and paneling which was blown apart by the wheel explosion.  Ugh...setbacks.  I'm sure it's not the first, but what fun we'll have updating and then camping with our little family!  Life is sweet, isn't it.  (Oh, how long have I waited to be this happy!!!)