We bought a used RV on Facebook Marketplace. James Christenson
We renovated a 1989 Jayco pop-up RV we found on Facebook Marketplace for $700.
The paperwork to purchase and register the vehicle in our name was more complicated than we expected.
We didn’t think our renovation process would become so popular on TikTok.
This is a machine translation of an article by our US colleagues at Insider. It was automatically translated and checked by a real editor. We welcome feedback at the end of the article.
After seeing how our neighbor’s self-made mobile home, Lil‘ Dreamer, my partner Amanda and I were inspired to find our own. RVs vary drastically in both size and price, but after minimal research we decided we wanted a 20-foot RV that was easy to maintain.
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Then, when we found a 1989 Jayco online for $700, we jumped at the chance, despite having little to no experience with pop-up campers. Here are the ten things that surprised us the most about the whole thing.
I was surprised we even got this camper
Finding a motorhome at a good price can be very difficult. James Christenson
When a ready-to-drive camper is offered at an affordable price on an online marketplace, it is usually overwhelmed with inquiries. If you’re not among the first three to get in touch, chances of getting an appointment are slim.
One night I saw a 1989 Jayco pop-up RV on Facebook Marketplace for $700. Although we didn’t have any concrete plans to buy a motorhome yet, I figured it would be worth pursuing.
I sent a message asking if the camper was still available and if there were many requests. Within ten minutes the clerk replied that she had more than ten requests but I was second in line.
Five minutes later she informed that the first person was not able to collect the vehicle, so we exchanged information and made an appointment for the next morning. Luckily the seller was less than ten minutes from our house.
It can almost feel like a lottery when you can get a really good deal, especially when the sales clerk is trusting you to keep the appointment rather than on a first come, first served basis.
The camper was actually in good condition
The mobile home was as good as intact. James Christenson
Campers offered at this price are usually gutted or have major damage from a water leak, but that wasn’t the case with this camper. I researched what to expect from this motorhome using Google images and YouTube. I found floor plans, basic assembly instructions, and potential issues to watch out for.
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When we inspected the camper, everything was intact, even much of the 1989 appearance. The metal coating on the roof was medium tone, the paint was dull and the vinyl graphics were cracked. But after just ten minutes of inspection, we were ready to make the transaction.
The paperwork and buying process was complicated
We had to arrange a separate meeting with the actual owner. James Christenson
When I’m buying something with wheels that will likely have a title, I usually bring several general bills of sale forms, pens, and registration papers in case I need a signature from the previous owner.
However, the saleswoman brought us a folder with papers and documents, including the original receipts issued by a motor home dealer over ten years ago and a registration document with the name of the previous owner.
During the transaction, she stated that she was not the registered owner, just an intermediary. Normally that would be a red flag as I usually like to buy something from the registered owner but in this case I had no problem getting it sorted. Also, the seller was able to put me in touch with the owner.
Normally we wouldn’t go through these hurdles, but we figured that the worst case scenario would be that we have a motorhome that we have to do more paperwork for and drive to the registration office to get the registration document in our name, and that’s a step which should not be overlooked.
Not registering the title is like buying an Apple device with a locked iCloud account. It’s also important to have the right paperwork if you’re involved in an accident or stopped. I was eventually able to go to the owner’s house and have him sign the documents we needed for the transfer of ownership, such as the bill of sale, vehicle title and a government registration transfer form.
Our home vacuum and washing machine have made a big difference
We didn’t want to have to gut the RV. James Christenson
When we came back we immediately started cleaning. After taking stock of the smells and appearance, we realistically considered how best to restore the RV without taking everything apart.
We started by vacuuming all the dirt and debris from the interior of the RV, as well as removing some discarded wasp nests and traces of a mouse that had lived there. This was nothing a simple industrial vacuum couldn’t handle.
Each pillow was still in its original checkered cover, so we disassembled all four rectangular pillows and washed the covers, which had the musty smell of a jacket that had been sitting in the closet for too long.
Amanda ended up making new pillowcases for the benches. James Christenson
There’s not much you can do with 25-year-old pillowcases without damaging them, but the washing machine restored them to about 90 percent. Amanda eventually designed new covers to give the seat cushions a livelier look. We also sprayed diluted detergent on the actual cushions and let them dry in the sun.
Renovations can be expensive, but we were able to find some replacement parts online and at Goodwill
We found a $20 mini-fridge at Goodwill. James Christenson
The RV’s sink faucet was outdated – it’s easy to break as the sink is constantly turned around for storage during transport – but we were able to find a comparable replacement online.
And when we removed the wood and vinyl case that we thought was a refrigerator, we discovered that it was actually an old icebox. Eventually we replaced it with a mini-fridge I previously bought from Goodwill for $20.
We had to modify the sides of the original cabinet slightly, but luckily the dimensions were similar enough and the power cord was routed through a small compartment that allowed us to plug it into a simple 110 volt outlet.
We were able to mend the tarpaulin instead of replacing it
We sewed up some of the tears in the tarpaulin. James Christenson
The outside was littered with algae and other debris. We had learned early on that the water pressure from a pressure washer would penetrate and tear through the fabric of the tarpaulin. However, we were also able to check for leaks. We were able to fix the top with RV roof sealer that cured fairly quickly and resembled a thick paint.
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The tarpaulin was old and had tears in a few places, but instead of replacing it we tried using an awl to sew up some of the tears and reinforce certain areas. We have also treated them with a water-repellent spray.
We didn’t expect that our renovation process would get so much attention on the internet
Our original TikTok has been viewed over three million times. James Christenson
In the midst of our progress, Amanda made a TikTok to share with her friends. Initially, her account had fewer than 100 followers, and she usually only got about 100 views per video. But the first camper progress video she uploaded got an unusual amount of views — 10,000 times on the first night.
It was like a game. We kept checking back and guessing the number of views, which kept increasing. In the next 24 hours, the video had over 100,000 views and her account had amassed almost 8,000 followers.
Viewers asked lots of great questions, gave helpful feedback and advice (like why it’s dangerous to paint a propane tank black), and really liked that we were restoring an old RV. We’ve released more videos since then, and the original TikTok now has over three million views.
Our homeowners’ association has given us some problems, but so far everything is going well
Different homeowners associations have different rules. James Christenson
As much as TikTok, our community, and we were excited about the camper, our homeowners’ association wasn’t a huge fan of it. We kept getting notices from the homeowners association asking us to “remove it from public view” or to put it by the side of our home until we were eventually fined to have it removed from public view.”
After checking our cameras, we found that a assigned law enforcement officer in an unmarked vehicle was patrolling our neighborhood every two to three weeks looking for anything abnormal, such as RVs, cars in yards, overgrown lawns, or objects protruding over fence lines. to control.
We got several fines. James Christenson
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In two months we racked up over $300 in fines, but after some quiet negotiation with the condominium manager, we were waived after we moved our RV out of sight. Now it sits in our backyard, “out of sight of the public” while we work on cosmetic improvements and plan our next trip.
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