Vintage Coachmen RV Keeps Original Exterior Design but Adds a Modern Interior

Yes, building a conventional house is challenging. But with a camper van, if you truly want to travel and live full-time in one, you would have to learn how to deal with everything that is breaking down on the way. Imagine your vintage van failing you in the middle of nowhere. What is there to do?

Well, some YouTube videos and forums could help you, and then you’re good to go (assuming you understood what alien car language those people are talking about).

Allison and Eric have just done that with Clementine, a 1976 Leprechaun Coachmen RV on a Chevrolet chassis. They have everything inside this mobile home and that includes even an office workspace and an off-grid system.

This 1976 Coachmen has a rather funny name since it is part of the Leprechaun Series. This rather sizeable imp boasts more than a new interior. It also benefits from a heart transplant, which in this case, is a 5.7-liter (348 cubic inches) Chevrolet small-block engine.

This powerplant is widely considered a great option. It is sought after for its reliability as well as quiet operation and performance. Its exact specifications are not mentioned, but depending on the original application, it could have as much as 370 hp (375ps).

With just a glance at the exterior, you can see that Clementine still holds its original design in white with orange shades (hence the name). However, a new addition was the small wood siding next to the front cab and an outdoor custom-built door that allowed the two of them to install a wood grill.

The roof is also new and on it, two 200-watt solar panels were added. Besides the solar panels, the off-grid system also comes with an inverter and three lithium batteries.

If the exterior still looks vintage, the interior is completely the opposite. Although it is a tiny home on wheels, it does not seem so small inside. This can be partially attributed to the bright interior design and wood accents, but also to the way all the furniture was put in place.

And it all starts with the kitchen, which has a wooden aesthetic with white and blue cabinets. The backsplash chosen by the couple has a real tile look, but it is just a peel-and-stick wallpaper.

It is placed on the left and right sides of the van and is also functional, with an oven, a stove, a hood, a stainless-steel deep sink, and a top-loading fridge. The fridge is nicely hidden underneath the right-side cabinet and was mounted on slide rails that can be pulled out with a simple push motion in the cabinet. Although the kitchen is not large, it does hold some storage and cooking space.

The living room is where the office is also located. The workspace consists of a long table mounted on the wall next to a large window, allowing for magnificent views of the outside while working. The table can be folded down, this way it gives the living room more space, even for guests.

Speaking of guests, they can nicely sleep on the extensible sofa that provides enough sleeping space for two people. A few overhead cabinets provide extra storage for all kinds of stuff. On those cabinets, a screen projector can be added to enjoy cozy and warm nights while watching a movie.

Since the whole interior is designed following an open-space concept, the bedroom is not separated by a wall and is placed on top of the front cabin. For easy access to the bed, a staircase was added right next to the workspace table. The stairsteps are also used as storage for the inverter, solar charge controller, and lithium batteries.

The overhead cab where the bedroom was placed is just a two-person foam mattress with unique custom-made wall-side features and teensy-weensy storage right next to the mattress.

It is quite difficult to add a bathroom with a shower in such a small space, but the couple managed to do it perfectly. It even has a bathroom vanity, a composting toilet, and a cedar shower cabin. There is also a small door that allows easy access to the closet, which can also be accessed from the exterior door. There are a few open drawers and a hanging rack.

The couple does not say how much the whole renovation ended up costing. If you want to get a vintage RV, keep in mind that no matter how cheap it can come, you have to think if it is truly worth spending that much money on repairing and renovating it. Since it is such an old vehicle, you can expect a few parts to stop working after so many years.

However, if this specific build sparked an interest, you can check the video below to see how everything ended up and perhaps give you an idea of decorating your own RV.