Cabover Camper Renovation | Before and After

Last month Dan found a cabover camper on Craigslist – perfect for our family of three. The camper was in dire need of some sprucing up so we decided to wipe off the 90’s, give it a fresh coat of paint, slap on some tic-tac-tiles and put in new floors. That was it…just paint, tiles and flooring and it looks so much better. A mini home away from home. Scroll down for the AFTER pics!

Here are some pictures from
— BEFORE —

Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees^^^Dan with his new/used camper…So excited to take it out for a camping trip!

Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees

^^^White or gray? We ended up going with gray grout. We used Tic-tac-tiles for the camper because it constantly sways and flexes while driving…real tiles don’t have any give and will crack easily if applied to campers. These peel and stick tiles are awesome. They may take a bit of practice to get them lined up correctly but the finished product looks fabulous.

Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees

^^^^When painting veneer wood, make sure you lightly sand the wood with a fine grit sandpaper (320 or higher). Once sanded, wipe off the dust with an acetone rag. I painted everything with a primer and let dry overnight. I used a bright white water-based paint to fish the veneer and an oil based paint for the real wood (cabinet doors). Dan painted the cabinet doors with a cheap spray gun he found on Amazon…80/20 paint to acetone mix to make the paint thin enough to spray, but thick enough to cover. We tried using the water-based paint for the spray gun but it didn’t cover well. Go with Oil-based!

Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees

^^Rust-Oleum high gloss black automotive spray paint for the camper hardware.

The Big Reveal!

–AFTER–

Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees  Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees  Cabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees KneesCabover Camper Renovation | A Bit of Bees Knees

^^^And a baby gate for Maggie while she naps. It can fold up and fits behind the fridge when we aren’t using it.

Well that’s it! It was a fun month-long project that we juggled between Mag’s nap times, but it was easy and we’re quite pleased with the final look – our mini home away from home.

A Bit of Bees Knees Amazon Shop!

I’m pleased to announce the opening of my Amazon Shop. It will have a permanent home on the menu bar at the top of my website ↑↑↑.  I hope it will be a fun place where you can come to get ideas, browse a curation of goodies that I’ve been eyeing, use myself or have given as gifts. I love thrift stores and hand-me-downs as well, but Amazon is my go-to for everything in between; gifts for family and friends, beauty & wellness products, home decor, kitchen items, pantry treats etc. I’ll be updating this list regularly and seasonally, so be sure to check back often for new finds.

My family receives a small percentage of commission from the Amazon Associates Program when these links are clicked on and purchased from Amazon. I do not have access to, or collect any of your personal data. I hope you’ll find some enjoyment in scrolling through or window shopping. Thanks for checking it out.

Our Baby Turned 1!

And just like that our Maggie is ONE (on March 4th)! You’re a happy, funny, snuggly little bundle of love and our dream come true! We’re excited for all the memories we have yet to make, all the birthdays, holidays and milestones yet to be celebrated and all the adventures to be had! What a blessing it is to be your Mom and Dad – to watch you grow everyday and to share with you all the people, places and things we love. This past year has been a blast! Happiest of birthdays to you Margaret June.

In lieu of gifts or a big party for Maggie’s 1st birthday we decided to have a small celebration at home with her Grandparents and Uncle. We created a time capsule filled with letters from family and friends. We will keep the letters sealed away so she can open them on her 18th birthday.

* I thought I should share the idea here so you could make one for your own kiddos too.*

French Onion Soup With Jalapeño Cheese Bread

Homemade French Onion soup with crusty jalapeño cheese bread
Makes 2 huge bowls:

1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 onions (thinly sliced)
6 cups beef broth
2 tbsp dry sherry
A few sprigs of thyme
Salt and pepper
Jalapeño Cheese Bread (we got ours from @growersranch)
Lots of Swiss Cheeeeeeese

-Heat butter and olive oil in a large stock pot.
-Add onions and cook until tender (be careful not to brown them).
-Add broth, sherry, salt, pepper and thyme. Simmer for 30 min.
-Ladle into bowls, top with toasted jalapeño cheese bread and cover with slices of Swiss cheese.
-Place in the oven and broil until cheese is bubbly and starting to crisp.

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