Ellie Yeater is not your typical teenager. While other 14-year-olds might spend their summer hanging out with friends, swimming, or playing video games, Ellie from Williamstown, West Virginia, took on a much bigger project. She transformed a 1974 Wilderness camper into a glamorous camper, or “glamper.”
This term combines “camping” with “glamorous,” and Ellie believes her revamped glamper will make camping much more enjoyable and comfortable.
Ellie’s summer project is truly inspiring. She saved up around $500 from chores, birthday money, and other activities to buy and renovate the camper.
Her mother, Lori, shared that Ellie spotted the camper listed for $200 on a neighborhood bulletin board.
With the camper purchased, Ellie used the remaining money to buy paint, flooring, fabrics, and other items to upgrade her glamper. The camper was in rough shape since the previous owners used it for both camping and hunting. “There was a ton of labor involved,” her mother said.
Ellie’s older brother, Isaiah, had built a small cabin for him and his friends, and this inspired Ellie to create her own space, only “cuter” and closer to the house so she could have electricity and Wi-Fi. The first step in her project was to completely disassemble and clean the camper.
She painted the camper with Valspar’s “Mystic Sea” color. In one picture, you can see Ellie removing excess glue from the floor after everything had been taken apart. Her grandpa Lawrence taught her basic carpentry tasks like bracing and filling holes.
Ellie chose an aqua blue color scheme for her glamper. She painted the interior, transforming the dull wood into a vibrant space. The camper’s interior slowly took shape, showing remarkable progress.
In the final stages, Ellie added finishing touches with help from her grandmother, Mary, who made the upholstery for the seat cushions and curtains. Ellie also laid new floor tiles. She collected many items over the summer to decorate her glamper.
One image shows Ellie bringing in a mannequin decoration she bought from a warehouse sale. She mentioned that Pinterest provided a lot of inspiration for her project. Ellie continued to decorate her glamper with items like a vintage camera, an old electric fan, and matching napkins made by her grandmother.
When asked what she plans to do once the project is complete, Ellie said she might have a sleepover with friends or enjoy some quiet time to read and play the ukulele.
Ellie’s determination and hard work turned her dream into reality. For someone her age to take on such a big project is truly amazing. When asked why her daughter would take on such a task, Ellie’s mother said, “I have never told her that she couldn’t do anything.”
This kind of support inspired Ellie to work on and complete this wonderful project.
Ellie’s story is a reminder that hard work always pays off. With determination, we can achieve any goal we set our minds to. Please share this inspiring story with your family and friends!
Share your thoughts in the comments down below!
