Welcome to Camping in Neverland! This blog is dedicated to all things camping—adventures in nature, tips for getting the most out of your gear, and, of course, the beauty of restoring vintage campers to their former glory. For this first post, I want to share an exciting journey we’re about to take with a very special camper: our 1998 Coleman Pop-Up, affectionately named Neverland.

A Dream Begins

Our story begins with a dream of turning an old, well-loved camper into a home away from home—a place where we can disconnect from the everyday and reconnect with nature.

We have had a long camping journey together as a pair. We started with camping in a tent that was older than me (let’s just leave it at that)! After many misadventures, namely one where I forgot the tent poles and we had to use paracord and trees to hold up the tent, we decided to upgrade to a new tent. This lasted us quite a few adventures, cold camping trips, and times with friends. It worked well for our dog and keeping the heat in. We made it “bougie” by using air mattresses, and could even cordon off half the tent for a “living room”. And then came along our son.

Suddenly we were faced with more issues that prevented our adventure into nature. Our annual fall camping trips to Northern MN were cancelled, and we struggled to find balance. We couldn’t tent camp and make sure our son was warm enough, and we couldn’t rent a cabin because of our dog. We were stuck. Our only option forward, that we could see, was an Airbnb and even just one weekend would be an astronomical cost.

We’ve always loved the idea of camping in comfort, but there’s something truly magical about the nostalgia of vintage campers. We both grew up camping in Pop-Up campers, and the idea of being able to raise our family doing the same thing, was magical. When we get to the cost/benefit analysis (I know, math kills the romance of this), the idea of restoring a classic, like a Coleman Pop-Up, felt like the perfect project for us.

We found Neverland on a local ad. It had seen better days—faded canvas, the roof was cracked and peeling, and the interior looked a bit tired—but it had potential. The layout was exactly what we were looking for, and the bones were good. After a thorough inspection and a little negotiating, we brought Neverland home, ready to start the restoration adventure.

Thank you for joining us on this journey of restoration! Stay tuned for more updates, tips, and tales from the road as we continue to explore the world of camping in Neverland.

Until next time, happy camping! 🌲

— The Team at Camping in Neverland