Anni bought a 30-year-old travel trailer and turned it into a bohemian retreat—despite warnings
Devoted caravanner Anni renovated a travel trailer in a bohemian style. Working on the trailer and heading out on trips bring a perfect balance to her job as a nurse. However, the trailer does not replace the family’s year-round cottage.
As the road narrows further and further wrapping tightly even our small car, you can't help but wonder—how on earth did a travel trailer manage to squeeze through here?
We arranged to meet with Anni Jurvakainen at a beach on the outskirts of Porvoo on the south coast of Finland, and that’s exactly where we find her. She’s already made it feel like home by setting up a table outside and opening a reed-patterned umbrella above it. The boys, Oliver and Roni Kosunen, are tossing a frisbee while Anni has just finished baking the base for a strawberry cake in the trailer’s small oven.
The travel party doesn’t plan trips much in advance or stress on the road; they simply move forward one stop at a time.
The family left Oulu in northwestern Finland a week ago. On the way, they stopped in Pietarsaari to visit the in-laws, enjoyed PowerPark amusement park, and visited the fortress in Pori, in the west coast for Roni, who’s fascinated by military history. At Anni’s request, they also popped by the idyllic Mathildedal village. When they drove through Espoo in Greater Helsinki, the traffic almost drove them up the wall, so they hurried off to more spacious surroundings.
The travel party doesn't plan trips much in advance or stress on the road; they simply move forward one stop at a time. Anni got used to this style as a child. Often, they visit frisbee golf courses at the boys’ request. With the trailer, they don’t always stay at campsites but instead look for waterfront spots and some privacy whenever possible.
They often find good pit stops through the Puskaparkki Facebook group where others share their finds. Relatives live all around Finland, so sometimes they pull into yards with familiar faces waiting.
Anni has been a caravanner all her life. Her family always had travel trailers, and as an adult, she learned to tow them herself. Sometimes she travels alone, and sometimes her partner comes along, who had to to skip this trip due to work.
On her travels, Anni hasn’t come across many women who tow a trailer by themselves. She’s not afraid to tow because “she’s dragged all kinds of contraptions behind her car”, although she only learned how to back up recently.
This 1990 Solifer is a new purchase and Anni’s first own trailer. Experienced caravanners warned that you can’t find such an old trailer that’s stayed dry, but during her renovation, she discovered there weren’t any soft spots at all.
Anni lucked out with timing because she bought the trailer right at the start of the Covid pandemic. Ever since, trailers have been in hot demand around Finland, and RV travel has never been more popular.
Anni handled most of the renovation herself with the help of her partner, tackling the trailer’s surfaces and counter tops. They switched out the vinyl flooring, painted the walls and cabinets, and replaced and reupholstered the built-in cushions. They removed the upper bunk because they needed the storage space more than an extra bed.
If she were picking out a trailer now, she’d get one with fixed beds so they wouldn’t have to turn the dining area into a bed every night.
The sandy-toned walls are painted with chalk paint and then sealed with clear furniture lacquer to make them more durable.
For Anni, freshening up the trailer felt like a small job, since she’s renovated a 1920s house and built a new one, too. She’s restored furniture and even built a double bed and a few dining tables from scratch.
In their current rental home, Anni is always working on something, even though she lacks a proper workshop. Her partner once joked that they should get her a trailer as a project.
“That ‘threat’ from my partner got me looking at trailers—and then I ended up buying one.”
The trailer’s interior was designed with a bohemian, natural vibe, and its stylish look stands out from most others.
Anni’s Instagram handle, boheemikaravaanari, also came about thanks to her bohemian interior style. Social media has introduced her to other trailer enthusiasts and a shared passion for the lifestyle. Caravanning isn’t just about travel—even puttering around with the trailer helps Anni relax. Working on the trailer provides a welcome counterbalance to her hectic job as a nurse.
Anni’s trailer trips have gone smoothly, but of course, things can go wrong.
A new generation is picking up Anni’s lifestyle, too. Her sons look forward to quick overnight outings as well as longer journeys. Sometimes two of their cousins come along. They usually travel with three large dogs, too—this 12.5-square-meter trailer fits more than meets the eye.
They spend most of their time outside on their trips, unless the weather is bad.
“It’s not so fun when it’s raining and everyone’s cooped up inside, especially if the dogs are wet and smelly.”
Overall, Anni’s trailer trips have gone smoothly, but of course, things can go wrong. Just before we met, she was sweeping up glass shards after a couple of drinking glasses toppled out of a cupboard on a bumpy road. Water once leaked from a container into the bathroom, and on an autumn trip to Koli in eastern Finland, they spent a chilly night in just a few degrees above freezing when the heater just wouldn’t work.
“A more powerful tow vehicle would be nice, but at least this one goes forward—and sometimes even backward.”
In the summer, the trailer also serves as guest lodging in their yard. In winter, it used to be kept under a shelter at Anni’s mother’s place, but now it will stay at the cottage that Anni and her family recently bought farther north by the sea, where they intend to spend time year-round.
They also considered a tiny house on wheels instead of the cottage, where the family would have moved. However, there were so many building rules that it would have become basically a full-fledged house, which defeated the idea of a more “primitive” lifestyle.
Even the kids were ready to move into a tiny house on wheels and didn’t mind the lack of running water or a flush toilet, as they’re used to it through caravanning. Next, they’ll be practicing a simpler lifestyle in both the trailer and the cottage.
“It’s nice to get to teach the kids that things take effort. Water doesn’t always flow at the turn of a tap, and it’s not always warm at home unless you light the fireplace.”
Still, the teenagers aren’t exactly thrilled about moving into a travel trailer, even if Anni and her partner could envision it.
“Maybe when we retire, we’ll live in the trailer!”
As evening approaches, Anni wonders if they should stay here for the night or continue from Porvoo toward Kuopio in eastern Finland.
They have an aunt in her eighties waiting in Kuopio. Driving in the dark doesn’t scare Anni, and they can always stop somewhere to sleep and pick up again whenever they want. That’s the freedom of caravanning.
