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Inside a $3,000 camper trailer from the 1970s that a woman transformed into a tiny home on wheels

Inside a $3,000 camper trailer from the 1970s that a woman transformed into a tiny home on wheels

Joey Hadden

Andrea Heap bought the camper for $3,000 and spent another $2,000 turning it into a tiny home.Courtesy of Andrea Heap

Andrea Heap spotted a camper trailer for sale near her parents' home in Colorado and bought it for $3,000.
She spent $2,000 and a year and a half renovating the tiny home on wheels with her dad, Paul.
Heap lives and works in her camper trailer, which has a bed, bathroom, kitchen, and work table.
Take a look inside the completed camper renovation, which Heap has named "Fern."

Meet Fern, a 1979 Fleetwood Wilderness Camper that looks like she's straight from the '70s from the outside.

The exterior of Heap's tiny home. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

"I always refer to my camper as Fern, and everyone in my family refers to my camper as Fern," Andrea Heap told Insider. "It's become like a person."

But inside, she's been modernized by her owner Andrea Heap, who lives and works in the camper trailer, and her dad, Paul.

The kitchen and working area of the trailer. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

Heap spotted a camper trailer for sale near her parents' home in Colorado in 2019 and bought it for $3,000. She spent $2,000 and a year and a half renovating the tiny home on wheels with her dad.

While she added modern features, Heap said she kept all of the original hardware, light fixtures, and cabinetry to maintain its "vintage flair."

Heap in her entryway. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

Heap told Insider that she wanted to preserve everything she could from the original camper.

The first thing you'll see when you step into the trailer is Heap's workspace.

Heap's table near the entrance of her trailer. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

Heap built and installed this table with her friend who makes furniture, while a friend made new coverings for the trailer's original cushions.

When she's not working, Heap's desk serves as the kitchen table.

Heap's kitchen table inside her tiny home. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

The kitchen includes all the necessities - a stovetop, oven, sink, and fridge.

Heap's kitchen with a new tile backsplash. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

Heap kept the trailer's original oven, stove, sink, and refrigerator but updated the countertops and backsplash.

Across from the kitchen, a barn door slides open ...

A barn door separating the bathroom from the rest of the trailer. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

... to reveal the bathroom, which has a shower, ...

Heap's renovated bathroom. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

... and a toilet.

The toilet next to the sink. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

Heap sleeps at the back of the trailer, where she has a custom bed made to fit the space.

Heap's bedroom at the back of the trailer. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

Next to the bed, Heap's closet stores her clothes.

Her closet in the bedroom. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

While she loves her finished home, Heap said she also enjoyed the transformation process itself. Restoring the camper made her a more confident problem solver and brought her closer to her dad.

Heap works with her dad on the camper. Courtesy of Andrea Heap

"My dad is handy and mechanically smart, and I was able to find out that I was too," Heap said. "I had never exercised that skill until I had to."