Bringing Home the Camper — In July, 2020, I brought home a 1975 TravelMate TEC pop-up camper.

After a long time camping in a tent, I decided to try the next step up - a tent on wheels! I don’t really want to “glamp,” so I figured a pop-up was a good compromise.
This camper is no longer made, and there is very little information about it online. Some of the aspects of it are obsolete and I had to get creative with the repairs and upgrades.

I asked the girls what we should name it - Girl #2 suggested “A1 Sauce” at first (“Elizabeth” came from Girl #1). I nixed both of those! A few days later, Girl #2 suggested “Brooke” and I asked if that was with an E…so that became her name - “Brooke With An E”. Check out my journey!

Danielle Kays 7/29/21 Danielle Kays 7/29/21

Painting a Pop-up-Camper

Brook-with-an-e has already been on a couple of trips since her voyage to her new home and remodel, but there was a few more things I wanted to do - and giving her an outside paint job was one of them!

Danielle Kays 8/27/20 Danielle Kays 8/27/20

Remodel of a Child of the 70s - A Pop-Up Camper Story

In July, 2020, I purchased a 1975 TravelMate TEC pop-up camper. Within a week, I booked a camping trip for the end of August - giving me a little over a month to update, remodel, and bring “Brooke With An E” up to camp-ability.

Danielle Kays 8/22/20 Danielle Kays 8/22/20

The Frilly Things - All the Curtains

Although curtains can sometimes be considered “frilly” and not needed, Brooke definitely needed curtains to cover her windows…the vinyl covering the screen was clear and there was no way I was going to be able to get dressed (or have any privacy!) with the current arrangement!

Danielle Kays 8/19/20 Danielle Kays 8/19/20

Making Mattresses for a Pop-Up Camper

Brooke didn’t come with anything comfy - no cushions, no mattresses. I knew this had to be one of the first things I remedied…she was nearly good enough as is to go camping right away, except for somewhere to sleep! Here’s how I “built” my own mattresses for $77 each!

Danielle Kays 8/16/20 Danielle Kays 8/16/20

Replacing the Floor on a Pop-Up Camper

The camper needed an update in the flooring - scraping away the layers and you could see the decades fall away! Replacing the floor was easy with peel-and-stick tiles and cost under $30.