Kimberly Dekker said most of the inspiration from the camper came from their home.@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram - The Dekkers, a family of five, recently renovated and moved into an RV.
- The family found a camper that fit all their needs at the beginning of this year, and with the help of a contractor, they gave it a major face-lift.
- Kimberly Dekker, the mother in the family, picked out fresh paint, new flooring, fabrics, and decorations to transform the camper.
- "Now it looks like home," Kimberly Dekker told Insider. "It looks bright and cheery and light-filled."
From Glacier National Park to geysers in Yellowstone, the Dekker family has explored some of the country's iconic nature destinations, all while bringing their home along for the journey.
The family of five lives and travels in an RV. At the beginning of this year, they purchased a 2010 Jayco Jay Feather.
In a few months, Kimberly Dekker, Brendan Dekker, and their three boys have created lifelong memories and learned powerful lessons.
"Obviously the changing scenery outside our door is pretty amazing, too," Kimberly Dekker told Insider. "Our front yard is not the typical front yard."
But before their journey could start, their camper needed a renovation.
The family of five took the jump this year and moved into an RV full-time.
The Dekker family has already visited some bucket-list destinations.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
The family made the decision that they wanted to relocate from Southern California, but they didn't know where to settle down.
"We hit a point in our life where we knew we were not wanting to settle down there," Kimberly said of Southern California. "But we also didn't know where we did see ourselves."
Living out of an RV seemed like an ideal opportunity to travel, explore, and hunt for a permanent home.
In February, they moved into a camper and quickly realized that their goal of finding a place to settle down had vanished.
"There's such a value for us to stay mobile and have our options open," Kimberly said.
This isn't the family's first time living on the road. Last year, they took a two-month road trip and lived out of a pop-up camper.
The family swimming and playing in the water.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
The family of five decided to start small. The pop-up camper would offer them the chance to test out an RV lifestyle.
They road-tripped for about two months and were instantly hooked.
"By the time we came back, we were super sad to be going back to normal life, if you will," Kimberly said.
She immediately started searching for an RV, and when she found one that had a king-size bed and two bunk beds, they purchased it.
The family purchased their RV for $12,000, and renovated it for under $2,000.
The family tows the RV with their Suburban.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
The family purchased the 2010 Jayco Jayfeather EXP 26p in February, and four days later, they were on the road.
The incredible renovation happened so fast thanks to the help of a contractor, Kimberly said.
Kimberly and the rest of the family were prepared with paint colors, flooring, and everything. So once the RV was in the contractor's hands, it was a quick turnaround.
The family also did a few projects themselves, like reupholstering the cushions, adding storage, and decorating.
"We're constantly adding to the bones of what he did," she said.
When the Dekkers received the camper, it was dark and drab.
The camper is a 2010 Jayco Jayfeather EXP 26p.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
Kimberly said the top priority when buying the camper was purchasing something that "had good bones."
"You can pretty much do anything with the interior, but you don't want it to be falling apart under all the prettiness," she said.
When the Dekkers received the camper, it featured wooden cabinets, brown interior, linoleum flooring, and outdated furnishings.
"Everything was brown," she said. "It was dark, brown, and dreary."
Kimberly said her biggest goal with redecorating was making sure the camper felt like home.
Pinterest and Instagram inspired Kimberly's interior.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
The RV had a kitchen, dinette, king-size bed, and bunk beds. The family wanted something that was large enough for five people, and this camper fit the bill.
Kimberly's goal was to brighten the space and make it feel like home.
"A lot of what we brought into the camper came from our home," she said. "It was important for us to create an environment for the boys that felt comfortable and familiar."
Kimberly had the cabinets and flooring replaced, and they had the entire interior painted a crisp white.
"Basically everything got a face-lift," she said.
While many people remove the dinette, the Dekkers decided to keep it and give it a new look.
The dinette's cushions had a brown, patterned fabric.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
Before the remodel, the RV featured linoleum tiling and carpet. The dinette had cushions with an outdated, dark pattern.
Many families opt to remove the dinette and replace it with a table and chairs. However, the Dekkers knew the dinette would serve as their place to eat dinner, do schoolwork, and complete office work.
"For us, keeping that there was important," she said. "I don't regret that at all."
Now, the dinette has reupholstered cushions, pillows, and a fresh paint job.
Her three boys complete their schoolwork at the dinette.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
Kimberly said she drew outside inspiration for the camper from places like Instagram and Pinterest.
She told Insider her favorite part of the renovation is the cabinet color.
The RV's king-size bed was a big draw, but the wooden furnishings were not ideal.
The camper fits a king-size bed and bunk beds.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
The family initially assumed they would have to give up their king-size bed when moving into an RV. When Kimberly found a camper that fit the large mattress and still had living space, a kitchen, bunk beds, and a dinette, she was sold.
Kimberly, Brendan, and her youngest son share the giant bed. The other two boys share bunk beds.
The wooden furnishings and walls were painted white and the cabinetry was painted a mossy green.
Kimberly added touches from the family's home to build the interior of the camper.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
One of the best decisions the family made was replacing the flooring.
Light vinyl planks replaced the linoleum and carpet. Since the planks are peel and stick, Kimberly said they can be swapped out when accidents happen.
Kimberly also added that the family was intentional to keep as much storage as possible.
"While it might have looked better to pull out cabinets, maintaining as much room for storage was vital," she said.
The camper also features bunk beds.
The boys are 2, 5, and 8 years old.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
Kimberly said her sons love living in the camper.
"It has definitely given us a better understanding about what's important in life," she told Insider. "The boys are learning that we don't need more stuff, we need more experiences."
The bathroom was also painted and new decorations were added.
The family plans to live out of the RV for the foreseeable future.
@thedekkertrekkers/Instagram
"I don't think people realize this truly feels like our home," Kimberly said. "There's nothing lacking, there's nothing missing."
Overall, the family is thrilled with the renovation and the benefits of living on the road. They've already traveled across the continental US, and their bucket list is filled with destinations.
"I'm happy and grateful for our little home," she added. "It really feels like our home."