🚻 RV Renovation Material Calculator
Estimate flooring, insulation, wall panels & more for your RV remodel project
Vinyl Plank
Carpet
Luan Panel
Foam Board
Fiberglass
Plywood (4x8)
Laminate
LVT Tile
| RV Type | Approx. Length | Floor Area (sq ft) | Floor Area (m²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A Motorhome | 35–45 ft | 280–360 | 26–33 m² |
| Class B (Van Conversion) | 17–22 ft | 60–90 | 5.6–8.4 m² |
| Class C Motorhome | 20–31 ft | 130–200 | 12–18.6 m² |
| 5th Wheel Trailer | 22–40 ft | 180–320 | 16.7–29.7 m² |
| Travel Trailer | 12–35 ft | 90–240 | 8.4–22.3 m² |
| Toy Hauler | 24–44 ft | 160–280 | 14.9–26 m² |
| Material | Sheet/Pack Size | Coverage | Sheets per 200 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luan Paneling | 4 ft x 8 ft | 32 sq ft | 7 sheets |
| Plywood (4x8) | 4 ft x 8 ft | 32 sq ft | 7 sheets |
| Foam Board (4x8) | 4 ft x 8 ft | 32 sq ft | 7 sheets |
| Vinyl Plank Pack | Varies | ~20 sq ft | 11 packs |
| LVT Tile Pack | Varies | ~20 sq ft | 11 packs |
| Laminate Pack | Varies | ~22 sq ft | 10 packs |
| Carpet (12 ft wide roll) | 12 ft x length | Per linear ft | ~17 lin. ft |
| Fiberglass Batt (R-13) | 15 in x 93 in | ~15 sq ft | 14 batts |
| Material | Weight per sq ft | Weight per m² | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl Plank (1/4 in) | ~1.0 lb | ~4.9 kg | Click-lock style |
| LVT Tile (3mm) | ~0.9 lb | ~4.4 kg | Peel & stick or click |
| Carpet + Pad | ~1.2 lb | ~5.9 kg | Includes underlayment |
| Luan Panel (1/4 in) | ~0.8 lb | ~3.9 kg | Lightweight wall panel |
| Foam Board (1/2 in) | ~0.2 lb | ~1.0 kg | Rigid XPS/EPS insulation |
| Fiberglass Batt (3.5 in) | ~0.15 lb | ~0.7 kg | R-11 to R-13 |
| Plywood (3/4 in) | ~2.2 lb | ~10.7 kg | Subfloor replacement |
| Laminate (8mm) | ~1.1 lb | ~5.4 kg | Floating floor |
Note: This article is based on real experiences and advice shared by RV owners and renovators through online communities.
Renewing an RV can totally change the look and feeling of an older caravan. With paint, vinyl floors and well chosen homemade details, one can turn a boring RV into a nice tiny home on wheels. It seems simple, but the results sometimes are truly dramatic.
How to Fix Up an Old RV
In one project one bought a Lady Intruder from 1999 through Craigslist for $16,500, and later spent around $4,000 for the whole conversion. That budget covered tiling at $300, paint at $70, shiplap at $100 renewal of the kitchen at $500, bathroom updates at $100, custom sofa at $280, attic bed at $300, custom master bed at $750, RV accessories at $600 and mini-split AC system at $1,000.
Even so not every renovation costs that much. Some manage to keep the expenses under $1,000 totally, ordering materials online, doing the work themselves and choosing cheaper materials. During the quarantine, one project was made up of buying a 20-year-old, a bit old RV with good “bones” very cheaply; later one passed six weeks gutitng it, fixing it, painting the cabinets, laying floors and covering all walls with shiplap.
There are some easy projects, that make a big difference. For instance, improve the kitchen with a new backsplash and changing the cabinet handles give a much more fresh look. Another simple option is brighten the bedroom, if it is too dark, with homemade wall art.
Replacing old wall coverings with new materials is a good way to personalize the wall space and beautify the hole. One also can swap ceiling lights for something better. Updating privacy curtains, gadgets, bathroom taps and shower fixtures help to refresh the atmosphere.
The website of Camping World offers quite a lot of good choices for RV-specific fixtures, although the variety stays a bit limited.
People renewed RV interiors in all styles. Boho, farmhouse, mid-century modern and coastal are among the most popular choices. Whether the vehicle is a fifth-wheel trailer, motorhome, travel trailer or bus, you find plenty of ideas so that it feels more like home.
Once a father and son worked together during ten weeks in the summer of 2021 to convert a Keystone Puma from 2010 from an ugly, old interior to a nice place to call home. Also pop-up caravans show their age with time and benefit from updates. Good advice before starting any renewal is to first take very precise inside measures, and later make a CAD plan.
One can move pretend cabinets and devices in the design before anything is built. Some companies also buy used RVs, fix them and sell them as ready-to-buy renewed vehicles. The downside is less say about the design choices, but one does not need to worry that someone finishesthe whole makeover.
Solar updates also deserve thought for those, that plan to do a bit of boondocking away from RV parks.
