≡ Menu

Couple Renovate 5th Wheel Travel Trailer Into Tiny Home


This post contains affiliate links.

This 5th wheel travel trailer tiny home renovation is a guest post by Laura Sauve.

My partner Chad and I sold our 1200 sq. ft. home 5 months ago to embark on new employment and a new way of living via a ‘Tiny Home’ on wheels. We are planning on building a beautiful four-season one after we’ve saved for it, but for now, we live in a 5th wheel in Ontario Canada.

Yep, we are RV’ing this winter and so far so good! Aside from that, we are THRILLED that we sold nearly everything to embark on this amazing adventure. We have felt freedom we haven’t felt in our lives, ever! We live comfortably with our two Dobermans and two cats in our 144 sq. ft., very well appointed and decorated trailer!

Tiny homes can be gorgeous, modern and spacious, I tell everyone that I’ve learned space is actually an illusion and that happiness doesn’t come in the form of ‘things’.

Happy Tiny Homebuilding to everyone, thank you for your helpful website too 🙂

To explore more amazing tiny homes like this, join our Tiny House Newsletter. It’s free and you’ll be glad you did! We even give you free downloadable tiny house plans just for joining!

The 144 sq. ft. 5th Wheel Travel Trailer Tiny House (Before & After)

Couple Renovate 5th Wheel Travel Trailer into Tiny Home

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-002

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-003

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-004

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-005

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-006

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-007

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-008

Images © Kortnie Sloat

Photos Before the Renovation/Remodel (Below)

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-009

Images © Kortnie Sloat

 

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-0010

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-0011

Images © Kortnie Sloat

laura-and-chads-5th-wheel-tiny-home-before-and-after-0012

Images © Kortnie Sloat

Our big thanks to Laura & Chad for sharing their 5th wheel tiny home along with their inspiring story with us!

If you enjoyed this 5th wheel travel trailer tiny house you’ll absolutely LOVE our free daily tiny house newsletter with even more! Thank you!

You can share this using the e-mail and social media re-share buttons below. Thanks!

You can also join our Small House Newsletter!

Also, try our Tiny Houses For Sale Newsletter! Thank you!

More Like This: Tiny Houses | For Sale

See The Latest: Go Back Home to See Our Latest Tiny Houses

This post contains affiliate links.

The following two tabs change content below.

Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 122 comments… add one }
  • Comet
    November 21, 2014, 10:49 am

    Kinda makes ya wonder WHY these are not made to look like this when they are BUILT. I suppose some are but I have spent the last several years looking at all sorts of RV’s and have not seen one as nicely appointed as this. The very first thing everyone who buys one has to do is figure out more storage etc. A lot of RV makers seem stuck in the 70’s as far as colors and design seems to go and with little practicle design thoughts put into them. If you read reviews and blogs you will find huge issues with some re they way they were built and or set up. I would love to see the outside to know how this was configured when built. \\Nice job–I could move in tomorrow!

    • Martha
      January 30, 2015, 4:45 pm

      The addition of decorative items goes a long way to personalizing the 5th wheel and make it look beautiful as well as liveable. But these TV’s are made for traveling and not for sitting still – can you imagine what driving one mile down the road would do to the lovely accent pieces? Some RVers like more doo-dads than others, but when preparing to roll down the road everything has to be stowed and secured.

      • Laura & Chad
        March 2, 2015, 11:15 am

        As this is our Tiny Home, and our full time house, we only move twice a year and don’t travel with it. Obviously we pack up our breakables for these moves – mentioning something so obvious is rather funny no? These items aren’t doo dads, they are the ashes and memories associated with our previous loved ones. Thanks for the comment.

        • John
          November 29, 2015, 4:35 pm

          Well said, Laura. It’s a beautiful, loving space that embraces the present and respects the past.

        • Laura & Chad
          November 30, 2015, 10:59 am

          Thank you John! :))

      • M
        May 12, 2015, 5:26 pm

        When I do a similar reno in my trailer, and similar decoration with my treasures, I will use industrial strength velcro and/or grooves, cutins, etc. to hold the pieces in place if/when I decide/or have to move it somewhere. All pictures -framed in lightweight frames – will be hung that way which makes them easy to take down and clean. One of my favorite prints (watercolor of a blue vase of sunflowers) I plan to lacquer and seal onto the backboard of the tub so when soaking I can feel I am in a garden and making it the centerpiece of the bathroom. It would be interesting to know if and how this particular TH traveled if moved elsewhere and how the ‘displays’ held up under motion.

        • Laura & Chad
          November 30, 2015, 11:02 am

          Hi ‘M’ – we simply pack up our breakables in boxes for the moving of the trailer. Pictures are hung on a simple screw making it very easy to remove for cleaning/moving.

  • Martha F.
    November 21, 2014, 11:20 am

    Having lived and traveled for several years in a 34′ 5th wheel I can attest to the spacious design of these units. I had comfortable furniture and plenty of storage. They are really crappy as far as things like plumbing and electrical, and the cost of replacing or repairing anything such as a fridge is outrageous. But the layout and actual space & storage is excellent in many models. The remodeling pictured here is great and it looks like they have retained the best features of a 5th wheel (i.e., storage) and made it look more homey. Nice job!

  • Susannah
    November 21, 2014, 11:23 am

    I love this one! The colours in paint, window screens, warm wood floors, and the varied textures give it shape and make it inviting. I like the narrow, long table with the bench beside it; seating for 4 without hogging the space. And the angled kitchen counter is great!

    • Kaleb
      November 21, 2014, 11:37 am

      I agree about the warm colors and things still look spacious. A real jewel!

  • Marcia
    November 21, 2014, 11:37 am

    Wow, this is really adorable! I assume that newer 5th wheels look nice also – just there are so many out there that are 70s and 80s designed and ugh.

  • laurine seymour
    November 21, 2014, 11:50 am

    Awesome job, love this idea! Now if we can combine a real tiny house with slide outs, we would have the best of both worlds!! Thanks so much for sharing!

  • Karen
    November 21, 2014, 12:04 pm

    We RVed fulltime for three years. It is great! Some builders will customise to some degree and omit the furniture. There is usually “basement” storage and a nice closet, but the insulation can be iffy, particularly around slideouts.

    This unit is great!!!!

  • Candy
    November 21, 2014, 12:21 pm

    Love this redo! This could be our 5th wheel before. Giving me some wonderful ideas.

  • Wil
    November 21, 2014, 2:06 pm

    Wow nice transformation! My only concern is heating in Ontario. RVs don’t have the most insulated walls and if it’s forced air propane like most RVs, What’s the heating bill look like?

    • Lisa C
      October 16, 2017, 1:07 pm

      Probably cheaper than electric heat unless propane is extremely pricey in your area.

  • Laura & Chad
    November 21, 2014, 2:09 pm

    Wow, thank you to everyone for the amazing comments!!! This Fleetwood Pegasus is only 8 years old but you can see from the before decor, RV companies still don’t have the decor up to date! That being said, we loved the layout, storage, angled ceiling, etc. The comments are accurate with regards to insulation – we’ve. Done allot of winterizing – going above and beyond by styrofoaming closets, storage hatches, spray foaming underneath and even redirecting a heat duct into our basement and ‘garage’ area. Luckily Chad is a talented mechanic so we can rely on his skills to fix most things. I recommend building a real tiny home in this cold climate – but we had a a four week timeline to do everything so this was our best option. We are building our savings to build our dream tiny home – please follow me on FB to share our journey :)))

    • Marcy
      November 21, 2014, 7:30 pm

      You did all that winterizing, painting, and other updating in 4 weeks?!

    • Marty
      April 27, 2015, 2:35 pm

      Well my big ole finger hit the report comment button accidentally … OOPS, SORRY! :-O Disregard that one!

      What I WANTED to say was, you’ve done a great job with this renovation. Clever design ideas, great use of color and use of more residential pieces … Brilliant. As a home designer/builder and interior designer, I find it fascinating when someone pulls off making a tiny house look like a suburban “small” house and utilize small spaces here and there within with the addition of furniture items, rather than self made pieces. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that at all, it is just interesting to see furniture pieces shopped out and placed so well, as an alternative to self built works). If your taste calls for it, experimenting with color, texture, fabrics and furnishings can make your personality come out in the home, and provide a cushy comfortable space that fits YOU. My clients LOVE stepping out of the box and doing that … of course after I tell them it’s okay, that they can put their foot in the water! Haha.

      Again great job. I know you’ll enjoy it!

      Best and happy travels.

      Marty.

  • Laura and Chad
    November 21, 2014, 2:14 pm

    We use $62 worth of propane every 15 days or so and we heat our water and run our fridge on it too. We just came through a -19 week and our hydro was $31 for the last 45 days. But we have gone over and above on our winterizing techniques, to minimize fuel consumption, our neighbor blows thru that in 6 days and also runs a diesel fired heater all day/night!

    • Sandee
      January 30, 2015, 4:41 pm

      I would love to know your winterizing techniques. I have a park model in Nova Scotia that I would like to occasionally use in the winter as it is on private land. Tips and tricks for how to survive without freezing in winter would be great. Thanks. Enjoy your little piece of heaven.

      • Laura & Chad
        March 2, 2015, 11:18 am

        Hi Sandee, so sorry for the late response! Please email me directly and follow me on Facebook at Laura Sauve Décor Consultant and I’ll answer your questions. Thank you! 🙂

  • MJ
    November 21, 2014, 4:05 pm

    I agree beautiful redo. Four of us live in our RV travel trailer, 2 bedrooms, one tiny bath, oh yeah and the 4 legged family member. 2 adult children, and us the parents, but it is 8×30, plus a large slide 3.5×12= 278 sq. ft. How long is your 5th wheel because 144 sq. ft. for a 5th wheel seems like it would be a lot shorter than it looks? 144 sq. ft. I would be going crazy with 2 adults, and a Doberman. But I would love my living space to look like yours, we just don’t have that much floor space even with a 12 ft. slide.

    • Laura and Chad
      November 21, 2014, 5:35 pm

      Unit is 30ft in length. We live very organized so its easy to have our animal family live with us 🙂

  • ansbacheroma
    November 21, 2014, 4:35 pm

    Luv it!!! Beautiful job! Tasteful, stylish, inviting and cozy!! Excellent wall color choices defining spaces,
    great effect on galley look of 5th wheel!
    I too would like to see the outside to better envision the living space (not an rv’er) for my own ideas.
    How do you heat most economically? Did you change insulation? What other improvements did you make to standardize appliances or bathroom plumbing? How do you handle waste? Thank you!!!
    This is so exciting and inspiring. ……. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH FOR AN OUTSTANDING JOB!!

    • Laura and Chad
      November 21, 2014, 5:39 pm

      Rv’s come with black and gray water tanks that you release when full into RV park septic system. Our goal is to have a composting toilet in our custom version. We have spray foamed underneath, styrofoamed under the slide and insulated our closets/cabinets. We use a propane fired furnace and space heater, we’ve also plasticed the windows for wintertime and upgraded the ugly plastic toilet for a tall porcelain one 🙂

  • Laura and Chad
    November 21, 2014, 7:38 pm

    We sold our home, 95% of our furnishings, laid the floor, did the wallpapering, relocated and started a new job within four weeks. It took another two months to finish the update and winterize 🙂

  • sc
    November 21, 2014, 10:07 pm

    Hey this is really cute! Before seeing these tiny house blogs, I would have never considered living in a trailer. Now I might consider a gypsy vardo, an Airstream, A converted schoolbus, or even something like this. You say you are saving up for a tiny house? why? this looks pretty good what you got there.
    Although I would imagine a well built tiny house would last much much longer.

  • Laura and Chad
    November 22, 2014, 12:30 am

    Thanks SC! we want to a high r valued tiny home due to climates in Canada – there are limitations to an RVs insulation and a custom build tiny home isn’t full of artificial preservative compounds,etc. And yes, it will last way longer – 50+ years compared to an RV of about 15-20 max.

  • Quill
    November 22, 2014, 12:33 am

    This is gorgeous! Really fantastic. It’s also heartening to see someone living in a trailer someplace that actually has a winter. 🙂 I have to know, though (a worry of mine in my own future trailer living dreams) — what do you do about the cat litter box? Does it stink up the whole place?

    • Laura and Chad
      November 22, 2014, 2:07 pm

      Litter box we found at dollarama, its actually a smaller version so it fits nicely beside our toilet. We use silica sand crystals and clean it regularly so no odor. You’ll notice on the bathroom door we’ve installed a cat door so we can keep the toilet room closed at anytime and the cats still have access 🙂

    • Sandee
      January 30, 2015, 4:47 pm

      Can I add a tip for this one. I have apark model as a summer home with a cat I dearly love but I was also concerned about the litter box. I got a litter box that looks like a big planter with a fake plant in it. The whole plant and top half of the planted co doff for cleaning and there is a door in the planter. I just face this toward the wall and not one knows. Whatever it is make of allows the litter to be easily scooped with no sticking at all. I use either worlds best or a corn cat litter. It’s not an issue. If you google potted plant litter box you will find them . I bought mine locally at a pet store in NS. Hope that helps.

  • Andrea Hardy
    November 22, 2014, 12:37 am

    gorgeous!

  • RG
    November 22, 2014, 8:42 am

    We are selling everything and moving into a 5th wheel full time. This unit answers a question I have had since following Tiny House. There are all kinds of older model 5th wheel trailers in our area. Basically they could be free. The frames are still good the roofs are in good condition. The two basics I feel that are necessary. Materials can be reused, recycled materials can fit right in. And as I said the units themselves are basically free.

    • Sandi B
      April 28, 2015, 12:22 am

      So, RG, what area do you live in? I have not seen 5th wheels in my area that are older and almost free. Thanks

    • Bill Burgess
      October 16, 2017, 1:42 pm

      A great business acquiring all types of trailers to remodel for some youngsters looking to innovate…However MANY RV Parks have an age restriction for use of ten years so unless you have a commitment to a parking space, be sure to take this into consideration. I have found over years of travel many Mobile Home Parks will also rent space for longer term RV use. We got a great deal on a HUGE lot in a Mobile Park in Arizona and stayed for a year and a half. Usually at a better rate than an RV Park, better amenities and MUCH quieter.

  • Georgina
    November 22, 2014, 11:08 am

    Laura and Chad did a wonderful job! The attention to detail is very apparent. Good going guys!

  • Elle
    November 22, 2014, 1:46 pm

    I’ve seen the inside of a number of 5th wheels. They are roomy with good ceiling heights but the decor and the configuration sucks–except that there is a king bed set apart from the main area. This one is fabulously renovated. It’s amazing, beautiful and thoughtfully configured. Love the feel all ’round.

    I reiterate one of the other commenter’s questions–“why are these not made to look like this in the first place?” Do RV manufacturers not hear the public or do they simply not care because profits are stable? I’d have to guess it’s the latter.

    • Laura and Chad
      November 22, 2014, 2:28 pm

      Thank you! We cant take credit for the bones of the design, we only removed the ensuite sink and built a nicer, more modern one. Everything else is pretty much cosmetic – wallpaper, paint, flooring. We did reconfigure the dinning and sitting areas, but that was just a matter of layout 🙂

      • Bill Burgess
        October 16, 2017, 1:50 pm

        I am considering a slide out seating area in several of my Park Model Designs. Shipped to the site and then the window frame sized units slide out and are bolted in place as Park Models are usually one move and done system. With a wall-a-way love seat system, the duel recliners could fit in most window size openings. I have not checked to see if a manufacturer makes a system for a unit with legs as this would be the easy way, just buy a legged unit and remove the legs.

  • Seema
    November 22, 2014, 2:48 pm

    When I first heard of you’ll selling your house and moving into a trailer, I was not impressed. But now after seeing how well the little space has been utilized for comfortable living, I am just blown off. The play of colours and choice of décor gives it a designer look. You have loads of talent and a long way to go.

  • Elle
    November 22, 2014, 4:29 pm

    I noticed the changes you made in LR/DR. Been a while since I was in a 5th Wheel. This particular brand and model of RV is the most re-doable of the RVs I’ve seen. It’s the height and separate king bedroom that are so worthy. Good bones.

    I’d really like to know more about your process. Did you find an older RV and gut it? (no images of the exterior.) How much did it cost and how did it break down between the RV and the decor revamping costs? Is that a retail cost that anyone would spend or a designer discount due to your business? How long did it take to rework it all? Did you hire any of the work out? If so, how much and at what cost? How long ago was the project begun and how long have you lived in the RV? Do you have a complete report of the revamping details that you sell as part of your business?

    Went to your FB page, but did not see this information (staunchly not a FB user, if any question requires one be so).

    Basically, this is a wonderful rework. You did GOOD guys!

    • Laura & Chad
      November 22, 2014, 7:24 pm

      Hi Elle, thank you so much for the inquiries! We have allot of knowledge now as we weren’t rv’ers when we started 5 months ago. Our 2006 Fleetwood Pegasus 5th wheel (google for pic of outside, we changed nothing there as this is a temporary tiny home for us 3-5 years max) We bought it used from a dealer because of our timeline and the 1 year limited warrenty they offered. Not to mention we could do as much renovating on their site at no cost, and even after hours. We paid $16k for the unit itself and put just over $3500 into updating the décor, waterproofing the outside seams with seamtape, buying a few things like xpens for our dogs to have an outdoor space, outdoor rugs, lighting etc. I received no extra discounts because of my business, I’m not a retailer but a decorator/consultant/installer. We did the wallpaper, flooring and basic tear down in one weekend and then it took another month when I finally moved in to finish all of the décor and tile work. Winterizing for winter has taken another month, with us just working on the weekends. We bought the unit the 3rd weekend in May this year and Chad moved in June 1st, I followed June 28 after our house and possessions were sold. Basically 5 months living like this and it just gets better for us. We don’t offer ‘revamping’ details on a formal scale, as this update is only our temporary dwelling, but now that I have more tiny home lovers following on FB, I’ll be posting different parts of our update and am always available to help others via consultation . Hope that helps you 🙂

      • Laura & Chad
        November 22, 2014, 7:33 pm

        Hi again Elle, you asked if we did everything ourselves, 99% of it yes. We hired my carpenter friend to alter an existing piece to fit our new bathroom, see those pics on FB this Monday, but everything else Chad and I have done ourselves. Many years of experience with typical homes has prepared us well for RV dwelling 🙂

        • Elle
          November 23, 2014, 3:20 am

          Thanks for the timely response and the precise answers. Very much appreciated. Good luck in your new, albeit temporary home.

  • Dianna Anderson
    November 22, 2014, 5:19 pm

    Great job! I absolutely love it! Could you please tell me where you bought the stone wallpaper? Maybe SKU number? Any info? I have a project and that image scale is perfect for smaller areas. Some of the stone image size on the wallpaper I’ve seen is just way too large. Thanks.

    • Laura & Chad
      November 22, 2014, 7:13 pm

      Hi Dianna! Thank you 🙂 The wallpaper is found at Rona.ca or in store – they only really offer these stone type vinyl papers there. lots of variety to choose from too!

  • Laura & Chad
    November 23, 2014, 5:34 pm

    I just posted a picture of the outside of our 5th Wheel ‘Tiny Home’ – you can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/LauraSauveDecorConsultant

  • Nina
    November 24, 2014, 8:52 am

    Wow!! This is amazing!

    Beautifully decorated. The way everything functions makes it seem so much bigger than 140 sq ft.

    Can’t wait to see their new home when they build.

  • Celia
    November 27, 2014, 11:31 am

    I can’t believe how 140 sq ft can make such a beautiful place. Amazing!!!!

  • Irene Campagna
    November 27, 2014, 11:33 am

    Wow – this is amazing. Laura and Chad, you both should go into renovation and decorating business. Just beautiful!

  • Laura's mom
    November 27, 2014, 11:35 am

    To say I am PROUD of my daughter (and her partner) is such an understatement. Pictures are so beautiful but the real product is beyond the imagination. I can’t wait to be involved in their next venture. They have provided me with inspiration .. that just maybe I can go “tiny” too.

  • Laura & Chad
    December 1, 2014, 7:17 am

    Thank you ladies! It really is amazing how 144sq ft can function so well eh?! Our cleaning time is literally minutes :))

  • MK
    December 4, 2014, 10:30 am

    I think this is amazing!
    We also have 2 large dogs and 2 cats. Where did you put your litter box? Would you be so kind as to add a picture of this?
    Many thanks.

  • Rose Bailey
    January 3, 2015, 8:07 pm

    Just curious about the heat in the winter??? We have a 37 ft quad slide that is well equipped with heated tanks but I am concerned about the heating in the winter. Live in NH so know how brutal winters can be. Do you close in the underneath and heat tape? Knowing how cold it gets here you would probably have to run your furnace all the time costly??? How have you dealt with that issue?

    • Laura & Chad
      January 12, 2015, 11:53 am

      Hi Rose, thanks for asking! Firstly our unit has only 1 slide, having 4 will make it more costly for winter fuel that’s for sure. We have spray foamed the entire underneath of our trailer, not the slide of course, and have fully skirted the entire unit with Styrofoam and j-molding for rigidity. We have also insulated the storage doors and under our fifth wheel with spray foam and styro board. We have insulated around the tip out, put sytrofoam noodles under the slides separation in our house and plasticed our windows, sytroed all of our vents and ac ducting too. We have also taken one of the furnace vent hoses and directed it into the basement to prevent plumbing and hot water tank from freezing, doing this has allowed us to leave the hot water tank off all the time except when we need it, saving us resources. On -30 weather weeks, we last about 8 days on 100lb tank, here it’s about $60. Between -5-15 the tank lasts us closer to 15 days, and it includes hotwater, furnace and fridge. Our hydro runs between $20-80 per month, we have two electric heaters that we run on a thermostat too and a small eva dry dehumidifier. Hope that helps!

  • YouGuysAreReallyNuts
    January 11, 2015, 10:56 am

    So, when people ask us, why not just get a camper when we tell them about our tiny house plans, we’ve always said campers are not tiny houses. I guess now they are? This is a camper reno, not a tiny house. While it is very beautifully done, putting it in the same category of a tiny house, is incorrect.

    • Laura & Chad
      January 12, 2015, 12:00 pm

      ‘you guys are really nuts’ – not sure if you’re intending that towards Chad and I or Tiny House Talk, regardless, it’s not only rude, but disrespectful to people who make tremendous efforts in life. If you read the article, we have indicated that we are in the process of building a typical Tiny Home and have decided to call our 5th a Tiny Home too as it has minimal square feet, excellent storage ideas and has been re-done to resemble an actual home over a typical rv. If you feel the need to bash our efforts or others who choose to transition this way, so be it, I’d ask you though to examine why you feel this need. Are you jealous of others who achieve things quicker than you? Are you envious of our progress and successes by being featured in this blog? Whatever it may be, I’ll ask you to refrain from the attempted degradation of our current TINY HOME. Thank you.

      • YouGuysAreReallyNuts
        January 12, 2015, 4:05 pm

        was intended to Tiny House Talk, they have this other article that I had alway referred people to explain the differences: https://tinyhousetalk.com/rvs-and-tiny-houses/

        You wanna call your place a tiny house, be my guest, doesn’t bug me any. But I’ll still answer when people ask me why I want to waste my money on a tiny house and point to RVs and campers, that they’re not the same thing.

    • LC
      February 3, 2015, 12:44 pm

      Tiny house Talk is about LIVING TINY. ‘nough said…… Bravo Chad & Laura & THT.

  • kira
    January 12, 2015, 1:31 pm

    What an inspiring story. Currently, I am on the edge of buying a fifth wheel–the last weekend spent shopping and looking for what’s out there. And, boy, to call them UGLY would be a compliment. I read somewhere that the style off the lot is deemed “Early Ugly”. I couldn’t agree more! WHO DESIGNS THESE!???? Well, anyway, I am going to buy one in order to take my kids on a 10 month journey and can only live in one of these if they are more aesthetically pleasing. So, my question is: How did you do the labour? Do you or your partner have lots of experience? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

    • Laura & Chad
      January 13, 2015, 11:37 am

      To say we have experience is an understatement. Chad is a diesel mechanic raised by two carpenter parents and grandparents and I myself have build a custom home and have renovated many typical home spaces, and watched ALLOT of improvement shows. All in all, we have at least 15 years experience in all things reno. If you don’t have any skills in this department, hire someone like myself to help you, there is no point spending money on materials if you really have no idea or finesse in applying them décor wise. I agree that the insides are ugly, I wish I could work for an RV design company and teach them a few things, lol. That being said, it is possible to improve it’s esthetics, if you are in the GTA Ontario area, I’m available 🙂 You can research how to do certain things, if you’re talented and studious, you could potentially succeed.

      • mountaingypsy
        February 1, 2015, 4:13 am

        Laura, Your 5th wheel is gorgeous, and yes many of us wish you could work for an RV company!! They are improving the interiors a bit, but they still lack style and interest. I was in décor for years, and love remodeling, and cringe when I see how boring they are done! (mobile homes and spec houses too) But apparently they design them for ‘basic boring beige’ public, that are afraid of color and style! lol It is great that you and Chad have the know how to do such a terrific redo. I am impressed with most of the tiny homes seen here. Most of the builders have a good style and custom look. RV’s tend to look like plastic/tin/paper/cheap, even when they are not (cheap). I am surprised that industry has not updated the look, because of the tiny homes! I am fond of wood, so they are charming, inside and out. I think people need to shop and be more creative, to lessen the cost of most TH’s, like in remodeling. It is not hard to find bargains that look expensive and custom. Again, your home is gorgeous!! I bet ya’lls TH will be a knock out.

        • Laura & Chad
          February 2, 2015, 11:55 am

          Hi Mountain Gypsy! Thanks for the compliments and comments! You are so right when it comes to getting creative and shopping around…all of our blinds were found on Kijiji as well as our new main bathroom sink! Fabulous that you are into design too, hopefully one of us can get hired as a designer for an RV co. eh? haha, thanks again MG :)))

  • Deb Priest
    January 19, 2015, 3:57 am

    Two questions. What is the wall covering that looks like stone? And, something I’ve been contemplating… How do you get a full size sofa thru the door of an RV??? I want a comfy sofa too! Love your redo!! It gives me hope!!

    • Laura & Chad
      January 20, 2015, 1:01 pm

      Hi Deb, we answered both of these questions above, but here you go:

      1. Stone wallcovering is vinyl wallpaper and available at Rona
      2. Our couch was easy, we just took off the 6″ legs, turned it and brought it through the front door. RV doors are generally 24″.

      Hope that helps! 🙂

  • Shelley
    January 21, 2015, 1:17 am

    can you tell me what you used for your ‘rock’ wall? I am currently redoing our 41 Can’t text…driving. Toyhauler. We removed the wall between the living room and garage. Huge space!

    • Laura & Chad
      February 2, 2015, 11:45 am

      Hi Shelley, it’s vinyl wallpaper found at Rona 🙂

  • Julia
    January 29, 2015, 11:43 am

    We have a 5th wheel that has been home for a year now.

  • Marsha Cowan
    January 30, 2015, 6:38 pm

    Wow! Really nice! I love the angled kitchen counter and the stone faced living room wall. Great job!

  • Roy
    January 31, 2015, 8:24 pm

    How did you do the walls? I’d love to redo the walls in my fifth wheel.

    • Laura & Chad
      February 2, 2015, 11:48 am

      Hi Roy, not too sure which walls you’re asking on, but the rock walls are done with vinyl wallcovering found at Rona and the painted walls are done using a vinyl specific paint made by Valspar. Hope that helps 🙂

  • Peter
    February 1, 2015, 4:37 pm

    By the looks of the flooring and other things, I get the feeling that this no longer mobile. The interior looks identical to our. 33′ ft Fleetwood “Wilderness” trailer, ie; the windows, cabinets, sinks, bathroom. Food for thought… Thanks

    • Laura & Chad
      February 2, 2015, 11:52 am

      Hi Peter, thanks for the response. Our unit is 100% mobile as we move it twice a year, about an hour each way. Despite how you may see the floor, it’s completely functional and I’ve even done a video explaining how we achieved it. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxffP530duM

      Food for thought for you, our trailer is a 5th Fleetwood Pegasus.

  • Tina
    February 2, 2015, 11:35 am

    Hi. I love your 5th wheel home! I am looking at making a backyard shed kit into a home so I can live in my daughters backyard. I would love to have something mobile since we discuss moving south in a few years. But, the tiny homes on wheels are too expensive for me and so tiny, and I can’t do the loft bed. I have wished before I could have a 5th wheel, but a couple of things have made us feel we had to rule this out. 1. depreciation, anything you can tell me about that would make me feel better ?? 2. My daughter lives in northern Ohio and gets hellish winters. We figured freezing pipes and etc would be a problem. How do you keep them from freezing? Thanks is advance if you can answer my questions! T.

    • Laura & Chad
      February 3, 2015, 7:42 am

      Hi there, please write me on my decor page via Facebook:)

  • Rose
    February 26, 2015, 10:51 am

    Hello! Absolutely LOVE your space! Did you keep the furniture that came with your 5th wheel & recover it or buy new? Can you use regular furniture or does it have to be RV furniture? Thanks!

    • Laura & Chad
      March 6, 2015, 6:04 pm

      Hi Rose, gah! we love it too 🙂 living Tiny has been something really great – thank YOU for loving it too!

      The only piece of furniture we kept for the units original pieces is the dinning room table. The bench we brought from our last home, same with the sofa. The dinning chairs are typical house ones too…anything you can fit in through the door furniture wise, can pretty much work inside an RV – scale is important tho. Hope that helps! 🙂

  • Letsgoplaces
    March 4, 2015, 7:03 pm

    Hi I’d love to know the color you used on your kitchen cabinets. There are a million different “whites”. I did read through most of whats written and couldn’t find where you stated the color. Amazing job. We’re in the process of doing our 5th wheel and its turning out great. Kitchen cabinets are next. Its either white like yours or distressed red! we’ll see. Really love what you’ve done with your TINY HOME 🙂

    • March 6, 2015, 3:00 pm

      We’d love to see pictures of your tiny house project 🙂

    • Laura & Chad
      March 6, 2015, 6:06 pm

      Hi Letsgoplaces, great question…the only issue with it might be your location. The paint colour is called ‘High Society’ and was through Sico paints, who sadly are only in Canada – but perhaps you are? I don’t have the code number of it anymore, or I’d share for all! 🙂

      Thanks for the support, good luck with your cabinets – distressed red eh? Would LOVE to see that! 🙂

  • Peggy
    March 11, 2015, 5:24 pm

    we want to remove carpeting and put in vinyl flooring or whatever you used. What did you use, plank, click, vinyl? And a nice strip of what where the slide is? We have a park model and it is closed during winter. Did whatever you used winter ok? Any info will be welcomed.

  • Laura & Chad
    March 12, 2015, 10:27 am

    Hi Peggy, please follow me at:

    http://www.facebook.com/LauraSauveDecorConsultant

    Also, check out my Youtube videos answering your questions:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCVkygSRvo4m1xACOnlwFCA

  • Patrick
    March 24, 2015, 10:43 pm

    There ya GO!

  • Lake Lili
    April 27, 2015, 2:03 pm

    Great job Laura & Chad! I particularly like the stone facing on the slide out. How did the weight increase on the slide affect the movement? My child and I lived in a 5th wheel from July through October in Ontario several years back… and I can understand why you are building something with better insulation. We were going through a 20-pounder every two days that October. It got really pricey. Wish the one we had had looked as nice as yours. Again great job.

  • Patty
    April 27, 2015, 9:42 pm

    Well done!

  • logjam
    April 27, 2015, 10:35 pm

    Love the appointments but this trailer has got to be bigger than 144sf. It’s 12 x 12? The bedroom looks about that size.

  • John
    April 28, 2015, 6:59 am

    I passed by and stopped to look at a 5th wheel a few weeks ago. It was rough, but only $800.00. I thought long and hard about taking on one more project! Your beautiful unit makes me wish I could jump back in time and take it home for a renovation.

  • Cory
    May 3, 2015, 6:41 pm

    i am looking into purchasing a travel trailer and turning it into a tiny home so this is an amazing inspiration! There has to be a lot of extra weight added with more standard home building materials. Did you need to reinforce the trailer at all or can the standard trailer handle the added weight?

  • Frankie
    May 25, 2015, 2:52 pm

    absolutely amazing!

  • carolyne
    June 1, 2015, 12:15 pm

    Simple living ,, just right,, need my cup of coffee and I would be real comfy in this rv,,, GREAT JOB!!

  • Lauren Jade Martin
    June 20, 2015, 8:21 pm

    We just put a hold on our RV trailer and it has a very very similar layout to this! I’m so excited to get to remodeling!! 😀
    xx
    Lauren Jade
    Lauren Jade Lately
    Simplify Life, Maximize Happiness

  • Rachel
    September 8, 2015, 4:12 am

    great job, I love the sofa idea, how did you get it thru the door ?

  • Bobbi
    October 18, 2015, 8:01 pm

    Laura and Chad, love your home. My tiny house on wheels is also a fifth wheel and I love it. It’s what I can afford, I do not travel so I can leave my treasures out as you do, I got rid of 90% of my material things but I have what is important to me and don’t miss what I got rid of. I recently winterized for my first winter in my tiny home, and while it might not look glamorous I feel proud of what I did on my own with guidance of the RV Park owner. I love having something of my own, being on my own and having less to bother with. It’s encouraging to read of others who want to live simpler and more within our means.

  • Den Desnoyers
    November 4, 2015, 5:24 pm

    What about the outside? I live inOttawa Ontario,region,I live in fifth wheel last 6 years ,April to October ,because camping close.
    I will like live winter,but most municipality don’t allow you.
    Can you give me idea where ,you can live in Rv full time.
    I love new home.

  • Micki
    November 5, 2015, 12:42 am

    Thank you for the wonderful inspiration! I recently bought a 20′ 79 Invader and placed it in my daughter’s backyard. I have been living in it for about a month thinking on what I wanted and needed to renovate to make it mine. I really appreciate knowing how you used spray foam insulation on the underside. I will be putting decks and I hope a cover over it all. I am thinking of walling it up to under the windows. I only paid $800 for it and it does need some repairs. However, it’s so nice to see I’m not just a crazy ol southern woman.

  • Deb Pertzborn
    November 5, 2015, 2:18 pm

    Can you close the slide on the 5th wheel? Also does it have 1 slide or 2? I love what you have done with this!

    • Denise Owen
      November 27, 2016, 9:12 am

      We just bought one with the same layout as yours and I am so inspired by your remodel!! My question is how did you get the couch in? It looks like a sleeper couch too. could you please give me some ideas

  • Karen Thomason
    November 6, 2015, 12:26 pm

    I am a widow and bought an RV to live in. It is 538sf and offers plenty of room. I have a sleeper couch that sits three. But I would like to replace it with an affordable 2 seater sleeper couch so that I can add a small table and 2 chairs, do you have any ideas?

  • cheri
    November 9, 2015, 8:17 am

    I remodeled my Pace Arrow motorhome,,and I love it,,I added a storage room on side of my motorhome and then added a walk way from motorhome to my storage room to use it as a place to store things,,,it looks so awesome and I am very happy with my finished project,,,I would not live anywhere else…

  • Corinne
    November 11, 2015, 3:24 am

    I really like how you renovated the 5th wheel.. …to begin with you had a good floor plan..everything was very open…having the dining area at the end..so it wouldn’t be in the way or centered. …I like how you added the full sized couch for comfort…and you opened up the cabinets to expose your pics and items…plus you painted them white which adds brightness to it…..I like the chopping block table too it adds some warm Ness for the kitchen….good job!!!!!!!

  • Rusty
    December 28, 2016, 8:33 pm

    Where did you get your table from? We love what you did. We have the same layout in our camper. We are in the process of remodeling it right now.
    Thanks for the pictures and the info

  • Mac
    March 18, 2017, 10:24 am

    Truly beautiful home.

  • keepyourpower
    October 15, 2017, 6:38 pm

    Are there bump outs? Is that the correct word for them? The parts that can move out, once parked?

    • keepyourpower
      October 15, 2017, 6:46 pm

      AND….Where is your TV? Music?

  • Michael
    October 15, 2017, 6:58 pm

    Great job, I could live in it, too. It shows that you can do a THOW on a budget. However, the base 5th wheeler needs to be a good one because there are plenty which aren’t build to last and insulation is another week point. Laura &Chad, which brand is yours.
    Thanks for sharing.

  • Evening Iris
    October 16, 2017, 3:12 am

    WHY would you ever want to leave this gorgeous home and saddle yourselves with yet another foundation house? If I had this living situation, giving it up and moving into a foundation house would be the farthest thing from my mind; seriously. Save your money. Retire early. Travel. Relax. You have it made already but you don’t seem to know it, yet. Is this unbuilt foundation house REALLY your dream living situation?

  • Denise Desnoyers
    February 25, 2018, 2:43 pm

    What about isolation for cool in Ontario wheather.live in full time 12 months,because it my plan to do same with my fifth wheel.

  • Cindy
    December 17, 2018, 7:47 pm

    I love this!!! so cozy, I really like the fifth wheels they just seem to offer a bit more in the way you can set things up and this place just looks wonderful. You did an amazing job

  • Shawna
    December 17, 2018, 8:06 pm

    Wow!! One of the BEST looking RV remodels I’ve seen and I’ve been studying them for 3 years for when I get ready to do some things to my own rig. A lot of great looking design ideas, guys!! 😀

    • Alex
      December 18, 2018, 10:05 am

      Hey Shawna, awesome! I’m glad you liked it and that you are getting some ideas from it! One of my favorite trailer remodels too!

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.