Inside family-of-four’s $4,000 retro 1970s caravan that’s been transformed into a stunning ‘house on wheels’ – complete with a kitchen, two bedrooms and a stylish living space
- The Stephens family, who live in Victoria, purchased ‘Wilma’ in January 2020
- They gutted the interior of the 16ft Franklin caravan and re-did it in two months
- Wilma has an off-grid power system, solar panels and batteries to run a TV
- The family were only able to go on one holiday with her before COVID-19
A family-of-four have spent $6,500 renovating a 16ft Franklin caravan in two months, adding a TV, coffee machine, fridge and luxury bedding to the 1970s framework.
Ollie, 36, and Kylie Stephens, 34, who live on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, purchased ‘Wilma’ the vintage caravan in January from a farmer for $4,000.
They renovated her part-time over the course of two months and still have plans for future work, but Wilma already has an off-grid power system that runs a TV, coffee machine and fridge.
Ollie, 36, and Kylie Stephens, 34, who live on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, purchased ‘Wilma’ the vintage caravan in January from a farmer for $4,000 (pictured with their children Ava and Chloe)
They renovated her over the course of two months part-time and still have plans for future work, but she already has an off-grid power system that runs a TV, coffee machine and fridge
‘We basically gutted the van from the inside and filled a skip,’ Ollie told FEMAIL.
‘We bought a double bed for the rear of the caravan, which has storage slots included, a kitchen from Bunnings and bench from IKEA.’
They ordered wallpaper from the UK and a splashback of Tik Tac Tiles – which look like regular tiles but are instead fancy stickers.
‘We kept the original floor plan and gave it a modern twist. It was important to us to honour the vans aesthetic as much as possible while bringing her into the current age,’ he said.
‘We love mid-century modern so the inspiration was always that. We had the buffet and beds, as well as the daybed, reupholstered but kept the original buttons.’
Special touches inside include comfortable beds with luxury linen for both Ollie and Kylie, as well as for their two children Ava, seven, and Chloe, five.
Cooking is a breeze with their combi oven, two-burner gas stove, 12v fridge and powerpoint for on-site camping.
Cooking is a breeze with their combi oven, two-burner gas stove, 12v fridge and powerpoint for on-site camping
‘The renovation cost is currently at $6500 but we did all the work ourselves except for the cushion covers,’ Ollie said
‘The renovation cost is currently at $6500 but we did all the work ourselves except for the cushion covers,’ Ollie said.
Sadly the family have only had one opportunity to travel before Victoria was locked down as part of the containment strategy for coronavirus.
They have big plans for travelling the east coast of Australia in Wilma and hope their third child, who is on the way, will be able to join them.
They have big plans for travelling the east coast of Australia in Wilma and hope their third child, who is on the way, will be able to join them
‘Wilma comfortably sleeps two adults and two children with the ability to drop the dining table and accommodate our soon-to-be-born third child,’ he said.
Ollie’s best tip for those wanting to renovate their own caravan is to check the water damage on the vehicle prior to purchasing it.
‘Do your research, don’t believe everything the seller says. What is underneath the van is just as important as what’s on top,’ he said.
You can follow the family’s adventures on Instagram at Vintage Wilma.
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