Renewing Pepe the Pop-Up Camper

The camper had been stored outside for a couple of years without attention. The $50 price tag was made by an angry wife who wanted it out of the yard. They had discovered the week before that mice had been having their way unsupervised. That meant the canvas had been chewed through in too many places to repair easily. It smelled. And, the mattresses had become nests. Later I learned another nest had been built inside the propane stove, of all places.

The running lights didn’t work, or the turning lights, or the interior lights. The porch light (the light by the door) crumbled in my hand when I removed the cover to replace the bulb. But, the tires were relatively new, and to my surprise, the seat cushions were in great shape once I washed them. The interior table wasn’t included. There was no awning.

The next couple of weeks working on this camper were some of the best fun I’d had in years. I joined PopUpPortal.com and started asking questions. I found the original manual online. I saw post after post where others had managed to troubleshoot the same issues. Pepe and I came to know each other. I learned to patch a couple of punctures on the aluminum roof and coat it with a rubberized paint that worked very well. I found parts to replace those that were damaged and bought new LED light bulbs. I q-tipped with vinegar and sandpapered and nail filed my way to working electrical connections. I measured and cleaned and painted and chose a vendor for the new canvas. And then after a good deal of the work was done, I parked Pepe for the winter.

Bear Creek Canvas gave me a lead time of four to five months, so just after the new year I ordered the replacement canvas. Pepe is now worth $1,400. The canvas was incredibly difficult to install, so $100 of that was hiring a friendly weightlifter for help. Replacing the canvas was really worth the effort. We’ve been inside during some heavy rains (and one derecho in Peninsula State Park) and it’s completely dry.

Research showed that anti-fatigue pads with a new memory foam mattress would be a good combination. Some of our best sleep is in those beds. Nearly a full on each end, we keep his and her sides. The fun bedspreads are twin-sized and from Wal-Mart. The spiffy new table spends time outside with us for the most part, but fits beautifully when we need to eat – or color or paint – inside if it’s raining. The legs telescope up for extra height. The rugs are two that I’d had for years but are happy in their new home. (And yes, I did catch that paint on the wall. It’s gone now.)

Many people paint the wood-grained paper in these pop-ups, but I knew I’d have that option later if I wanted it. So far I’m glad to have taken an easier approach. Pepe has a cooler instead of a refrigerator. A styrofoam beer cooler slides right in there for keeping meat super-chilled during the trip. We travel with another cooler for daily needs.

The propane stove comes in handy for coffee on rainy mornings. It works just fine and can be outside the camper door if we want it. The electric works both plugged in and from a battery thanks to a converter that gave no problem at all. The only thing I’ve not tested is the propane heater. I’m a bit of a wimp about camping if the mornings are much colder than hoodie weather, so it’s not been necessary. In theory electric blankets would work when plugged in, but the foam mattresses make that a bad idea according to their manufacturer.

Look through the gallery and let me know if you have questions. Clicking on the image will open it full-sized in a new tab.

I will confess, this post makes me a bit sad. It’s a few months to go before Pepe is out again.