Remodeling Your RV – Is It Worth It?

There will come a time when your RV interior no longer meets your needs. What do you do when this happens? Many RV owners will simply trade it in for a RV, but what if you could just change the things about your RV that aren’t working for you?

Renovating your RV is another way create a living space that suits you better as your needs change. In fact, many older RVs have good bones that are worth keeping.

You will likely save money with a DIY renovation as long as you have basic DIY skills and are willing to put in the work. You know what you would change in your own RV. Don’t you? Why let the RV manufacturer decide for you?

We took the DIY approach with our Class C motorhome and were very happy with the outcome. Hopefully our renovation will give you some ideas for your own projects. The video below shows our entire renovation from start-to-finish.

There are also detailed videos for each project in this video playlist.

Why We Remodeled Our Class C Motorhome?

Our RV had seen a lot in the 11 years prior to the renovation traveling as a family with two kids. Once the kids moved on, our style of RVing took a drastic turn. The old layout just didn’t suit our RV lifestyle and needs as a couple.

So the grand plan was to transform the main living space into a comfortable place to relax and work instead of sleeping for six.

We also wanted to address some pet peeves that have bugged us for years.

• No place put dirty shoes
• No desk area to get work done besides the dinette
• Watching TV was difficult with the TV located in the overhead bunk area
• Small jack knife sofa was uncomfortable and too small for a grown adult
• Carpet was difficult to keep clean when moving to/from the drivers cockpit

There were several major and some minor renovation projects to complete. This made it a bit daunting, so we starting by removing everything in the main living space of the RV.

With everything removed, we could see how much space there was to work with. This opened up many possibilities for projects.

Renovation Plan

With the old furniture and flooring removed we identified several projects that we would tackle one-at-a-time. This process would take several months.

Here’s a list of the major projects:

• Replace the dinette with dual recliners
• Remove the uncomfortable jack-knife sofa
• Replace the original blinds with roller shades and new valances
• Replace the carpet and vinyl flooring with new plank flooring (In work)
• Paint the walls a solid color
• Build and install a custom TV cabinet / desk / table / shoe rack unit

Parts and Materials

The list of parts and materials for this project were sourced from multiple sources.

• RV Recliners from RecPro
• RV Roller Shades from RecPro
• LED Lighting and Switches from Amazon
• Flooring from Lowes

Replacing The Window Coverings

The first project was to replace the old shades with these day and night roller shades from RecPro. I had become an expert in restring day/night RV shades which was not my plan.

In fact How To Restring RV Shades was one of the first DIY videos I ever posted on YouTube.

Needless to say, it was out with the pleated shades and in with the roller shades. We were also looking for a more contemporary look and the vallances were a bit dated. So, I also made new valances.

In this video you’ll see the new roller shades and how I made the valances.

Replacing Dinette with Comfortable Recliners

The dinette had been our most used piece of furniture through the years, but was it still the best use of space? No. Plus we wanted something more comfortable.

Having a spot in the RV to really get comfortable and drift off to sleep while watching a movie was our new goal. We really wanted the RV to feel more like home and dinette just didn’t fit anymore. So we decided to install these side-by-side comfortable recliners from RecPro where the dinette once was.

The new recliners are a game changer. They are powered with automatic controls and USB ports. We’ve never been this comfortable in the RV before.

Here’s the video of the slide-out preparation and recliner installation.

A dedicated 120 volt AC power outlet was installed behind the new recliners to make them work. All that was left was to connect the recliner bases and backrests. All of the components fit in the door nicely and were easy to assemble.

Without a dinette, where would we eat? This is when the concept for a new piece of furniture came from. This new piece would sit across from the recliners and would serve multiple functions, including a table. But first, we needed to put in a new floor.

Building a Combination Desk / Table / TV Cabinet / Shoe Rack

We envisioned a multi-function piece of furniture across from the recliners that would perform multiple functions.

• Use as a desk and workspace
• Expand to a dining table
• Use as an elevated bar to sit at and look out the window
• Include a hidden TV with automatic TV lift
• And Include a shoe rack on the entry door side
• Finally, it needed to fold up towards the wall for travel

Phase I was to create the bulk of the cabinet frame and table.

Phase II of this build was to add a custom counter top with a cut out for the TV lift. Finally, the new piece was installed in the RV. 

Looking back, this was the most challenging project of the renovation. It took a few months of planning and design which ultimately paid off. The end-product was something very unique, cool and functional, and everybody wanted one.

Adding Trim and a Power Console in the Sitting Area

With the recliners in place, it was clear that a little table of some kind would be very useful next to the recliner. It would also be a great spot for USB and AC power receptacles. So I built a nice console complete with power and a little shelf next to the front recliner. It proved to be extremely useful.

Reusing Scrap Material From the Dinette

Using scrap materials from the old dinette, I was able to make it match the existing cabinets perfectly. It looked like it came installed from the factory. Matching the exact finish and material of the fake wood cabinets and countertop would have been difficult if had used new materials.

Here’s what I reused:

1. The side table was made from the dinette table top
2. I wrapped the console body with wood paneling from the dinette
3. I made custom trim from the RV bench seat wood to wrap the slide out wall

All I needed was a little trim. I made custom trim pieces and used walnut wood stain to almost match the existing finish. The wood stain also worked great to cover up blemishes in the existing paneling.

Cutting Holes and Installing Electrical Plugs

After marking the locations on the face where the electrical outlets would go, holes were cut with a hole drill and jigsaw. The 12V socket and existing AC outlet were installed in those holes. A new dual USB plug near the countertop was also added to finish off the console.

Our recliners have a couple built-in USB plugs that are only powered when the recliners have AC power. With the new USB plugs, there’s always power directly from the house batteries.

For tips on adding new USB and AC power outlets check out this article: How to add USB and AC power outlets to your RV.

Was the Renovation Worth It?

Making the initial decision to gut the interior and start over took a while. Once we got started by gutting the old interior, that hesitation turned to excitement and it was full steam ahead.

I can still remember the excitement we had heading out on our first winter trip south after the renovation. It was extremely fulfilling having done it ourselves in our own way. So YES, it was worth it.

Now it’s your turn. I hope this gave you some ideas and inspiration for your own build. What you do with it is up to you.