FOR NEWBIES:💡Six Great RV Hacks👏
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
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Get the cheap thin plastic 'cutting board' mats. Cut to shape for your freezer & if needing to defrost, just pick up & pull out the frost. Saran Cling Wrap will slightly stick to surfaces too, to keep clean.
Though not an RV, inside the truck I drove as a trucker, on the flat surfaces in the bunk area, there was a fuzzy covering that was used to keep objects in place if you wasn't level when you parked overnight. I bought industrial strength Velcro and put the hook side on the base of my micro wave and television and it stuck perfectly on the fabric on the flat surfaces. This allowed me to leave those item out while I traveled.I suspect there are a number of things that Velcro would be handy for so you don't have to find a place to store them when your going down the road. Truckstops have item organizers that fit on the back of your seats that came in handy as well. Used to keep my atlas, notebook for pick ups and delivery information, pens, and a number of other items. Truckers have a very limited space to store their stuff. So truck stops is an excellent place to browse around for handy gadgets.
Good tip. I bought a rubber backed door mat that perfectly fits my dining table. It keeps stuff from sliding off even while driving .
This is by far the best resource for RV travel I have found on the Internet. Thank you for your channel!
Another hack that I did a video on was to tap 20lb propane tank(s) into my frame mounted tank for extended boondocking. Frame mounted tanks have to be taken to a fill station with the whole rig.
Here are a few of my personal hacks:
1. Lucky Line 70701 Pull-Apart Key Rings (Walmart). Engine key on one ring; RV door and compartment key on the other. This way I can leave the engine running and easily detach the other keys I need to get into the RV or storage compartments.
2. CaraVan RV Level app for iPhone. Every 8 seconds (or longer though settings) this app announces your leveling situation. Now i don’t need to ask my wife 100 times if the RV “feels” level! It even works though my bluetooth headset.
3. Sam's Choice Fully Cooked Turkey Bacon slices (Walmart). Each box has two sealed packs of 7 slices. Put the slices on a napkin lined paper plate, microwave for 30 seconds, and you’ve got bacon without all the greasy mess and consumption of propane needed to make regular bacon!
4. When storing water hose, connect both ends together to prevent residual water from leaking out and making a mess.
+John Langman thanks much for the great tips! The water hose storage makes perfect sense. And now we gotta try that turkey bacon... 😋
I added some driveway reflectors to my trailer bumper, sticking out about a foot, so I could tell where the "true end" of my trailer is. It's increased my safety when I'm driving through a single lane of Jersey berriers, out my right side, and at night. I also hung some PVC tubes in my cargo compartment to store my tank hoses in. I also mounted some offroad lights under my rear bumper, so that I can see my trailer tires at night. I don't want to dip off into a ditch....We've added Reflectics to our poor windows and that's helped a ton with not loosing heat or air through our crappy windows.
Ditto here as well.
Something we do every time we dump our tanks prior to moving on is make a cleaning solution in a 5 gallon bucket. We empty our hot water tank with 1 cup of LIQUID cascade dishwasher detergent ( cuts grease ), 1 cup liquid water softener like calgon (helps with hard water issues) and 1 cup of HE liquid laundry soap (self explanatory) Mix 5 gallons of hot water and cleaners together. After dumping tanks pour half bucket into black tank and half into grey. We have two greys so I split the second half in both. Drive home or to another park and let it slosh around and clean your tanks as you drive. When I get to another campground i can dump prior to parking. If I'm heading home then I have two 5 gallon buckets with lids that I split the cleaning solution between for ease of carry and dump down toilet. I first dump the black and dispose, then I dump the grey and send it back thru the toilet for an additional flush of the black tank.
We also use the Geo Method in our tanks. I use the powder version and just keep it all mixed up and in a bucket with a lid. One batch lasts about a year of camping. Works great as a tank cleaner and as an alternative to the nasty "blue stuff". 1 cup of powder and hot water per tank and we are good to go.
I checked the ingredients in LIQUID cascade dishwasher detergent and compared them to the Geo Method. Very close to the same thing. And ALREADY contains a water softener. it is a low suds detergent so will not clog anything and will not harm any medal. So adding the softener and laundry soap may not be necessary. Just 5 gallons of hot water. and you're done.
Wendy Chiari Warrior be thing we learned to do is to dump our dishwashing water down the toilet. That puts extra soapy water down there and helps keep the black tank a bit clearer. We use a large Gladware container to wash in and we rinse in the kitchen sink. It is easy just to walk the little tub into the bathroom and pour in the toilet. Keeps the toilet cleaner too.
I love the LED light pucks, I've been wanting to find some, and now you have showed me where.
My uncle gave me the idea to use an extra shower curtain rod to hang wet or damp towels, swimsuits or other garments in the shower to air dry in the shower. When not in use, it simply collapses and we put it under the bed. Can be used both with and without hangers!!
Rince out a large laundry soap jug (the type with the valve) add clean water to at least half full. To this add a little dish soap. Put it on one end of the picnic table for hand washing. Beats a dish pan full of soap and dead bugs!
Floyd O'Hare Jr ohhh GREAT idea!!
Used this when tent camping. Great idea.
Genus idea
Floyd O'Hare Jr i
Omg I am doing this right now lol
LED lights to replace the incandescent ones in the trailer. Much more energy efficient, especially if your running on battery power.
Try those huge plastic leafy greens containers from Costco’s. They are lighter than most plastic shoe box sized containers, cost nothing, and save the landfills - btw they are a perfect size to divide most drawers too
I noticed you have no vent covers on your trailer. I have three roof vents in my fifth wheel, I installed two one over the kitchen and one over the bathroom. The vent in the bedroom never gets opened and is blocked by a pillow made just for this. Nice not to worry if it rains and the vent is left open also keeps leaves out. I made a wood cutting board that fits over the stove top, when using the stove it can be placed over one side of the sink. A key board makes sense by the door. I keep the truck keys and camper keys there. I attached a split ring and clip to the antenna crank. When the antenna is cranked up I put the camper keys on the antenna crank as a reminder to lower it before driving off. Small fabric covered storage boxes. I keep one by the door for shoes, keeps them neat. Thanks for the great videos!
my cousin has one and she says they used glow in the dark items around so they won't stub their toes or use glow in the dark tape for light switches.
You can take shoe holders (I prefer the canvas or cloth ones) and cut them horizontally between rows. Then use velcro to stick them onto walls, etc. Works really cool and makes the shoe holder's use stretch. I guess you could cut them vertically too.
Another way to protect a drinking glass during transport is by slipping a beer coozie over it. These are often given away for free at concerts, fairs, etc. as advertising.
Kristy Rocks, the sewn bedside pocket idea is awesome!!!!!!
Yes, it's been a great addition!
Command strips are your friend! We should have taken out stock in these things as they are extremely handy and we use them all over in our RV. The biggest mod we did was this....we have a bunkhouse model trailer with two full size bunks. Our 8 year old daughter sleeps on the top and we noticed that the bottom bunk was a major catch all. We felt this space could be better utilized, so we removed the bunk and added a washer/dryer vented combo unit and a closet and shelving in the back. it turned out so great and we absolutely love it. It was scary when we first started diving into it but it really turned out awesome! I would say don't be afraid to make your trailer what you need it to be.
My hack was using Eternabond tape to seal the roof seams on my camper. Once and done, lasts 15 years. No leaks ever. Not applicable on an Airsteam.
Well, actually, I have made several upgrades. Maybe they are not upgrades, but "replacements" for cheap plastic junky thingies. I replaced the medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink with a slightly larger one that is made of real wood in it's entire construction. It's very old, and has a beveled glass mirror in the door. It replaced the nasty flimsy plastic cheap one that comes from the RV factory. Next I noticed an unused space above the RV refrigerator. This area was "sealed off" with a thin wood panel that was attached with staples from the inside. Upon removing it, there was this nice open space that was begging to be used for "something". I finished off the interior and completed trim on the outside with oak. Also I added an electrical management system to the RV. It was purchased from Sean and Kristy's Amazon website - it's the Progressive Industries 30 Amp model for inside placement. I placed the unit up in a cabinet where servicing and installation was much better as compared to a small area that was located on the floor behind the toilet if all places and was only accessed by a small troll. I replaced the outside 30 amp power cable with a Furrion plug and twist connection, also purchased from Sean and Kristy's Amazon site. It replaces the old "mouse hole" type of cable storage. Other hacks included a replacement of the OSB under the dinette with real 1/2" plywood. I HATE OSB with a passion! Plans are in the works for 2 Fantastic fans and RV refrigerator fans, both inside and outside to help with cooling. I have further hacks to do yet, but these are just a few to get me started.
Thanks for the tips! One hack that's helped us is using a honeycomb sock organizer for our glassware, in addition to the non-slip drawer liner. Works great in our Airstream.
Change out the normal electrical outlets for the newer outlets with USB plugs. It's nice to have them next to the bed and in the living area where you normally charge your phone, tables and such. Now they server a dual purpose.
thanks, this is a really great idea! We may do this mod in 2017.
Can USB outlets by modified to input/stream to stereo?
I'd love to plug in my phone or a USB stick into bedroom USB port and stream throughout the trailer. This might also allow me to use smartphone as an alarm clock and wake to music.
BTW, great hacks & tips. Just bought new Airstream 23D (not picked-up yet) and I'm learning SO much watching your vids.
Yes that is a good idea, I bought a couple of them to install hadn't done it yet. That is on my to do list.
The plugs mentioned are for charging only as they replace your Electrical outlet. You could however buy a replacement stereo that has bluetooth capabilities and just stream wirelessly while your phone is charging on your USB outlet.
We use the anti-slip fabric but we also just buy REALLY cheap dishes. So no worry if it breaks, at most we're out a dollar per dish.
Liked the pocket idea for nightstand. I had same problem & found a Backpacker's toilet pouch with a hanging hook, pockets, zippers. Put up a hook for hanging & opened it up. It holds my iPhone, tablet, Kleenex, small flashlight. Works really well. Never had it come off hook but would be easy to take down & zip up.
The best investment I've made is a Dometic Ice Maker. We have a Class B Serenity Leisure Van and there is nothing like discovering you are out of ice after you are all hooked up. Now we are giving ice away to other campers. I enjoy the show.
The Dometic ice maker is great for day to day ice needs.No icetrays and it males ice relatively fast.
+Jerry Karlovich great idea! Now I want one! 😄
Not sure yet if the hacks I've done will be a true improvement, not tested yet, but always hopeful. The bed in our 16' Aspen Trail was configured with bed head and foot situated left to right forcing the person sleeping on the inside to climb over the other person to go to the bathroom. We've added a piece of wood for mattress platform and are building an ottoman/storage unit/last one foot of mattress support and giving us the ability to turn the mattress the length of the trailer rather than the width. It leaves no room to open the fridge but bathroom visits will hopefully be less of an ordeal. I also replaced all the bulbs in unit with cooler LED bulbs that will hopefully cut down energy needed to run them and produce less heat.
The non slip fabric can be found at dollar tree. It comes in a roll.
+Marilynn “lynnietoot” Arnold thanks for the tip! 👍
we had installed inline transfer switches for our power inverter and onboard generator on our 20 foot 75 great divide. These transfer switches are relays that are activated by our generator or inverter to send power to our 110 a.c. electrical system in our trailer. this modification is very handy for boondocking!
12 volt electric mattress pad heater.. nothing beats crawling into a nice warm bed when its cool around you.. why heat the whole rv?? also move thermostat close to bed easier to lean over turn it up than get out of bed after its warmed up.
That's an excellent tip. I once tested a 12v electric blanket with a fully charged deep cycle battery and it took 6 days to run the battery down.
However the 12v automatically cut off every 45 minutes. Wish I could find the hack to keep them on. The lizard people... haha
the people who have reptiles for pets know how to hack a 12v heating pad so it doesn't shut off. The pads made for reptile cages cost $150 but the hacked heating pad cost $10
I love those small bungee cord loops with the plastic ball attached. I have many of them that I use to keep long extension cords together. They work great for the water hoses and tv cables. Just wrap them around the hose, and loop it over the plastic ball to hold it. When the bungee cord wears out, most box stores or hardware stores sell the small diameter bungee cord that you can buy by the foot.
Oh, and don't skimp on the different sizes of plastic wire ties. They are cheap, and work to keep things tidy.
Not everyone has the space, but I mounted a portable bbq on drawer slides above the generator. It's level as soon as I'm set up. I included a wire closet type shelf with a chain & hinges that opens flat when the door is open. Thank you for your consideration and excellent ideas.
I love your advise. They're so practical. You helped a novice learn how to back up my camper. Thanks!!!
You inspire us to get out more often. 1992 Airstream excella. Got hit by a big hail storm in Texas. Renamed our airstream "Hail on wheels".
+Gege's channel haha welcome fellow Airstreamer! We've been lucky so far with hailstorms. We got caught in a mild one in Florida that was scary but thankfully left no lasting dents. 😱
What to do if hail reportedly headed your way? Never thought about this before. Try to park under a tree?
Gege's channel
Carry a large tarp with you.
You might need more than one.
Use these to make a barrier between the hail
and your RV.
Pull under a overpass if possible
Insurance!
Here's a cheap one: rubber bands to place around cans, jars, and bottles to keep them from rattling while you're mobile. That might also work for nesting items.
Bungee cords and tarps. Both are a must have for camping or traveling.
We use shelf liner, too. It saves us from broken dishes!
I'm so thankful for folks like you. You've helped me get started into RV'ing. You have given me a lot of information and have made things so much easier. This is going to be a great adventure.
Thanks Griz, glad we have been able to help in some way.
My wife and I found that the LED puck lights work well in tight spaces. We also have found the instant-on night-lights valuable in the bathroom; They operate from regular A/C outlets, preventing the awakening of the wife/husband when using the BR during sleeping hours if/when the regular (brighter) BR overhead light is turned on. Another plus is that less electricity is used. The light also goes off automatically; works by sensing movement.
The brand is AmerTac; available from Amazon. There is also a similar device that fits inside the toilet (can't remember the two brands we used), but we found that the devices were not reliable over longer periods of use. Besides, the AmerTac served the instant-on purpose perfectly, and they shut themselves off after a few seconds, but only after the person leaves the area. We also use the devices at home.
to keep fridge cool while we drive. We freeze water bottles and as they unfreeze, we also have our drinking water. Of course this is done prior for us in our home, but for quick trips without taking large bags of ice. it helps.
I have recently purchased clear hard plastic bins for the fridge. It makes it so much easier to see what you have, and you just pull the bins out and everything else stays in place!
I have various size bins to accommodate all the different size food!
Hello, I have been watching your videos and have gotten motivated to get out and go further. I have a 2012 forrest river toyhauler. since having mine, I have completed numerous up grades and mods, from the ridiculous shower head from the factory, to the addition of solar power. But, the one item that you, nor any other blogger has done to date is brakes. I just completed the installation of the electric over hydraulic disk brakes system from Titan brakes. The complete system for a 3000 lbs per axel set up is around $1000.00 very easy install, and works far better than that of the standard magnetic drum system. I have photos of the install, just unsure how to attach.
Thanks Ron H. Westchester, CA Truman aqua go
My wife and I have an Ennercell battery charger that charges AA & AAA batteries from dead to full charge in 15 minutes , it also has a USB port to charge computers and cell phones . You can plug it into regular 120 house current , or you can plug it into your 12 volt vehicle outlet to charge the batteries . We always buy good rechargeable batteries for our flashlight , handheld gps's , portable radios and other battery powered equipment . We also have a solar battery charger .
thanks for other tip. That is exactly what I need. Do you have as link for that? I tried to look up on Amazon with no luck.
Good suggestions and additions. My wife and I are long time travel trailer campers and have done most of these mods. They make life on the road much better. We replaced our stock RV shower head with the very affordable Niagra Earth Massage 1.5GPM handheld shower head. Gives very good pressure off of the RV pump, while using much less water.
Like the pocket idea, we are in the process of re-upholstering our new to us fifth wheel. Mod I did the other day was add shark-bite one way valves onto the pex supply lines for the shower. That way when I turn off the water flow of the oxygenics shower head, there's no back flow of hot or cold water into the opposing line if there's a pressure drop, so i don't freeze or get scalded when i turn the flow back on. It had been an issue prior. Only initially tested it, and it seems to help. Will have to take a trip and fully test.
Thank you for the info. June 1st will be our first time ever. 😁 family of 5 with small dog 🐕
Thanks for the helpful tips!
We use round screw-on eyelets & bungie cords to secure TV trays & fold-up chairs.
Hi kids. One of my favorite mods is shoe pockets. I hang them inside the closet door for hats, scarves and gloves. And if you need a little more room in the medicine chest and you look a little bit you can find clear plastic shoe pockets which can be cut so you don't have to use the whole thing in one place. Thanks for the videos
I use Command strip hooks in the TT. Great for hanging wet items inside of the shower. I also use them for other small stuff to hang in the bathroom.
I have another type of shower head that boosts pressure but because the walls of the shower are so flimsy, when done showering, we lay it on the floor of the shower.
We travel with a small dog so we use part of the storage area under the foot of the bed for a dog house. I cut out an entrance on one side of the storage area and put an old towel inside. Part of that area uses plastic bins to store odds and ends. There's also room in there to store a small TV and blue ray player.
Those cheap plastic end covers on the rear bumper never stay in place very long, so I use a five inch bolts with nylon locking nuts at both ends of the bumper vertically to keep the dump hoses in place.
I also found a "huge" wooden cutting board at IKEA that doubles as a cutting board and food prep station. It's large enough that it actually covers the whole top of the 3 burner stove.
We installed 3M commando hooks high up on our shower walls to hang wet coats to dry, etc. Our shower is a corner style so no way to put up wall to wall bracket. Also we use the non slip liner under our decorative baskets so they don't move during travel either. Great ideas. Really like the cabinet puck lights.
+Cindy & Darryl H I like the hooks in shower idea! Would be great for hanging wet swimsuits etc too. Thanks 👍😊
So! After 3 years of trying to find the right key on my TT key ring I decided enough was enough! I purchased a pack of those tiny colored sticky stars from Walmart and put a different color on each lock and key. Made it much easier to just find the coordinating color than a specific key.
I added 4 mesh pockets to my teardrop and 2 coffee cup holders. The holders can be used for cups or for things like candle lanterns.
Great mods list .I have a vintage 1980's German Motorhome that had european Hella 12 v sockets in all the lights , by the bed and next to the lounge chairs .I've changed most of these to modern usb changing ports for powering tablets phones etc . easy mode that updated the interior without changing its look.
Love the pockets idea. I have passed on buying RV's because they did not have night stands. That has been a major draw back until now. Great idea. Now I know where to put my glasses and cell phone at night. ... Thanks!
For a better running black water tank, use fabric softer instead of the blue stuff with formaldehyde. Smells better and easier on septic tanks. Also dissolves paper better. Btw, I put no paper in the rv tank. Saves the knife valve, which was prone to gum up on our 78 Airstream.
+Don Chambers interesting! Never heard about putting fabric softener in the RV tank!
Great tip! I doubt anyone would stuff a soiled baby diaper into their toilet. (Well maybe but they won't do it twice.)
....so why put a pile of paper into an RV toilet?
This gave me some ideas... We just bought a small camping trailer to put on our property (35 acres of wooded land in NE Florida). It's mainly just a "weekend getaway" type of place until we clear some land and are ready to build. A few of these hacks will be quite handy.
I installed fishing rod holders in areas above head height. It was nice not having to untangle them from a closet after a trip.
Thank you so much for the tips.
They may not be earth shattering but I'd certainly say they are hugely helpful! I'd never have thought a different shower head could be such a win/win item!
Safe travels and God bless.
Very good tips! We really liked the pockets idea.
Instead of screwing on and off the hose to the MH/Trailer and to the citywater, use quick connects that you can buy at Home depot or Lowes. Makes things much easier and no more scrapped knuckles.
I bought some soft zippered containers that are meant to hold sets of china at a store that specializes in storage containers. Then I got a bunch of felt from the fabric store and store all my plates and bowls in these. If I'm setup for a few days I just put the plates in the cupboard but before we leave I stack up the plates with felt between each plate and zip up the bag and put it in the cabinet. No rattles, never had and damage and it was reasonably cheap to buy.
We use the anti-slipe liners in our pop up, due to storage we used the clean towels, weaving between plates, snaking between coffee cups etc. It was put to the test by a drunk driver forcing exstreme maneuvering and near jack knife. To our surprize nothing broke or damaged, minor movement.
Airstream Hacks... Yes indeedy. I added to my rear skid plates, 2 skid wheels. Got em' at Harbor Freight, 10" wheel/tires with inner tubes. Drilled holes lower on both skid plates, installed with large washers, lock washers, & long bolts, and it holds up without any welding. These skid wheels are better than skid plates alone since they provide roll effect instead of dragging on the ground where rough surface or steep driveways are encountered. I still may go with a lift kit, and or larger (16") wheels/tires. I'm not concerned about weather AS likes my ideas or not. It's my trailer & I want it to work to my satisfaction. For those who say: 'What about the new owner if you sell it'? Well, I am the new owner of the new 2020 Flying Cloud. And yes, I have addressed this clearance issue with AS in Jackson Center. I also asked my dealer in Maine. I asked additionally, here, there, and everywhere. So since I got conflicting answers, I figure I can use my olde fashioned ingenuity and decide what's best for me. Do you hear of anyone else using these skid wheels? CamperFrank, Lynn, MA.
We are tent campers for now (Between RVs).
I am on CPAP therapy, , so no shelf for the CPAP machine would be a non starter. I have had a MUCH smaller travel trailer in the past where I formed brackets to match the curve of the trailer wall, and then mounted them and a shelf for the CPAP using Liquid Nails. Just mount it up high enough you aren't going to whack it with any part of your body rolling around in bed etc...
Most RV pantry cabinets are far too tall to be useful. You can use those wire mesh can risers, or make your own out of plywood to double up or possibly more your storage capacity. Especially with canned goods.
We are always looking for plastic grocery sacks. I stuff them in an empty tissue box and they pull right out. Also, as I replied below, 3M Command hooks are awesome. They are adhesive, come in all weight ranges and remove with a pull of the tab on the bottom with no damage to the walls (and no screws or holes to drill).
great video, I'm sure some people say all this thing very simple, yeah that's RV all about ,make it simple and practical, one little led light, one hook makes a big difference, thnx
+Zoltan Szabatin yes, exactly! These things are simple, but it took us a few years to figure em out. 😜 Thanks for your comment 👍
Great hacks! Thank you 😊
Have a few mods.
Hot weather caused problem with black walls on slideout so velcroed the aluminum foil bubble wrap and dropped the heat by 100 degrees
Added solar shades that snap on to widows to cut heat buildup
Solar powered led yard light clamped on roof makes it nice when you have to get stuff done outside at night.
A couple of our favorite do-dads are: 1 the collapsible rake. We like to camp lakeside in the trees and often the site is a little messy. The rake is full size when extended and works great for a quick clean up and collapses to a easy to stow size for travel. The whole thing is less than 3ft when collapsed and the tines close up against each other in a very clever way. 2 the green springy trash can. Finding a place to stow a trash can big enough to hold a lawn trash bag has always been a pain but we found a collapsable one that takes up very little space. It is a simple Tube made of a tarp like material with a large spring holding it up. It collapses easily and has a strap and buckle to hold it flat when not in use.
Cheap tension curtain rods inside cabinets to secure baskets and bins, cups, cookware. Second rod in shower to hang towels. Hanging fruit in a net under cabinets.
Women-makeup wipes and dry shampoo to conserve water. They sell a product to cut hair drying time in 1/2 (Redken)
Spray bottle with laundry detergent and a salad spinner to ring out-to wash small underclothes. I’ve even sprayed stuff down and layer it outside in the rain, praying sun to come soon and dry. Not sure the neighbors enjoyed the view, but it was raining.
We love to carry folding hammocks that are lightweight and small but great if you have the right trees
Yogurt and or buttermilk to add enzymes and cheap probiotics for black tank.
Have you looked into LP generators?
Probably the best thing I did for my 27ft travel trailer was to change out the 205-75R15ST load range C (50psi) tires to 225-75R15ST load range D (65psi) tires. This really improved the stability of my rig as the original tires seemed to "balloon" on rougher roads. The much stiffer new tires cured this problem giving me much greater peace of mind.
Wow! Interesting.. I have 6 D range sitting at Walmart to put on my rig and replace my G range tires.
Hope they are better as a tire guy said they would be. Cost about $1,300
I have a Harbor Freight penlight with a pocket clip that I keep in my shirt pocket all the time when RVing. I use it 4 or 5 times of day, often in the daytime, especially in cabinets or drawers. Thank you CSI TV program! They sell for about $8, and often go on sale for $4.99
Hooks yes especially 3m. The oxygenics excellent though comes with a crappy hose. We replaced with nice flexible metal.
Great tips! Thank you!
Buy a lid rack used inside kitchen cabinets. They can be used for more than pot lids like a towell holder, or beside the bed if you have no table. You can line one with batting and use them for anything breakable. They can be painted too. Good for an RV basement to hold small cords, sandals or pet items. They come is different sizes. They screw on easy. Makes a good sunglasses holder if lined. Alot of RVS have ample wall space that can be used. Just make sure you don't place one where a slide room would hit it. :)
We got the Oxygenics shower head and It works great. Plus it looks pretty good too!
Our first RV is a Fleetwood Cheyenne Pop-up so any hack that can save time or add comfort is really appreciated. My favorite hack to add storage was to purchase two of the collapsible closet storage bins that are designed to hang from a closet rod. They are easily stored themselves and when extended each has six bins with extra side pockets. Curtain rods were too short so I purchased two 8-12 foot aluminum extension handles for paint rollers that I can extend across one bunk area. These bins hold a variety of items and are surprisingly strong.
I too have bought something like you collapsible storage bins but is called
Foldable 6 Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer, I use is in my closets next to my bed to put my clothes in, works great.
If you have a slide that is covered when your awning is out, you might have noticed that the awning will rub on the top of your slide. I bought a 6' length of small pipe foam insulation. The insulation is already cut length wise, so you can slide the foam insulation down the top flange of the slide out to prevent the awning from rubbing the flange and possibly rubbing a hole in your awning. The cut in the insulation tube will hold it in place, then just slide off slide out flange when you're ready to break camp and store under bed or closet. Much cheaper than a new awning.
Love the hacks! I found the puck light adhesive does not stay stuck when the RV interior warms up, so I added hook & loop strips (Velcro) to reinforce the puck lights. Now if I could only remember to turn them off! LOL
We have quite a bit of storage space in our 19' Coachmen Freedom Express, but there are some items I prefer instantly at hand, so I purchased an inexpensive cloth shoe holder (Walmart) and cut each row across the bottom of the hemmed pockets (wound up with 6 rows of four holders each). I then placed hook & loop strips across top and bottom of each row and placed on wall or inside closet door to store flashlights, shoes (of course), bug spray, chargers and cords, tissue packets, etc. At first I tried hanging the entire shoe holder, but it became too bogged down and fell off wall when we were driving. By separating the rows, I was able to strengthen the "holdability."
We're planning for full-time RV living when I retire early in ... 2 years, 357 days. =]
LoLoHo has been a great "go-to" for us during our learning curve. Thank you!
Patti Poteete Turning the puck/tap lights off. Lol. I’ve considered getting small motion detector porch lints to replace mine.
Btw, hows retirement and traveling? Hope it’s going well.
D.
I've done a few RV mods and tips videos if you want to see them all.
....but my first is to thread a garden hose down the spout of the fresh water fill. When I water up the 70 gallon tank can be filled at full speed. With no gurgling and air locks it takes 10 minutes to fill rather than 60.
On my wife and I first camping trip thanks for all the tips and tricks
i new to RVING and thank you so much very helpful hacks and info
Love all your Video’s, even if I forgot to give them thumbs up because I was Binge watching
I took the bed out of the back bedroom of our motor home and put in kid-o-bunk stackable cots for my 2 girls and made a great bedroom for them
You have the voice for radio
Replace the sewer hose cap with a third blade valve so u can equalize the tanks. When the grey tank is getting too full and the black tank is hardly full open up both those valves to let the excess gray water go into the black tank. I guess you could use the cap to do this too but there might be some smelly leakage.
Eric Baker You replied in LoLoHo that you installed a "third blade valve" to enable grey water to dump into the black water tank. What is a "third blade valve"?
Anastasia Hopkinson It is a short extension that you add to the end of your grey/black tank exit pipe. The same place your hose attaches. Then you attach your hose to it. It has a “blade” valve like the two tanks have on them. We will use ours after emptying the black tank to back wash the grey tank into the black and flush it out.
The process:
Open the third blade valve at the end of the pipe to your hose. Then open your black tank to empty it. Close the third valve and open the grey valve. The water rushes from the grey into the black until both are equally full. Close the grey and open the third valve to drain the black tank again. Then open the grey valve and empty the grey tank.
This helps to break up the “pyramid of poo” that can accumulate under the toilet.
Hope this helps.
D.
We use a cloth shoe rack on the bathroom door to store all of our bathroom items, very handy
I found LED string lights at the dollar store. they were battery operated and about 2 feet in length. they were only $1 and super bright. they would be perfect for lights in cabinets and as night lights.
The pillow says it all! LOL I had a small popup with no place to put pots and pans, so I built a simple small pot rack (piece of 2x1 board with hooks) and hung from the ceiling with chains. I would simply remove and store it when popup was folded up. And I've always made my own curtains and pockets (for the bathroom) for all my RV's, including the front windshield curtain in my current motorhome. Another big hack: don't forget to get some refrigerator rods. Nothing like opening the frig door and everything falling out! LOL
+Lynelle Phillips haha after getting smacked in the face by a few flying objects, I learned to lean back when opening an overhead cabinet ! 😂
Some great ideas! I like the idea of slip grip BETWEEN items. I use the slip grip on counters and tables too. Really works to keep thing stay put. I wonder if you could sew some see thru plastic pockets so u knew what was in them.
Eric Baker Heat the seams to seal them up. No sewing needed.
Or use clear shoe holders like the ones you can hang on a door. Cut between the pockets so you can use them in different places and reduce the weight.
great info love the lights
love the pockets!
hooks are great, looking for more, the correct color, right now.
i bought a solar light so i can read in the dark ---- Amazon, $13.
the best showerhead, yah.
good hack, fabric pockets.
Great job ,thanks .One add would be rechargeable batteries, they also last longer per charge . Safe travels
Lets Get Social La. and use the solar charger that they sell at Harbor Freight to charge a rechargeable batteries
I put pillows in mine. Works great!
For the puck lights, we use rechargeable batteries. I have a couple of chargers that do 4 at a time.
Another tip: adding a 12v socket with USB ports for charging phones, Mifi's, or running the antenna booster. Amazon has a very good one specifically for RVs and it's dead simple to install.
One more: get on or two 12v 120mm computer fans and install them behind your fridge vent, wiring it into the 12v supply of the fridge. On a hot day, it'll help push hot air out of the space behind your fridge and help the fridge cool much better. As it's wired to the fridge's 12v supply, it's off as long as the fridge itself is off.
I added a heating element to my AC unit, great for cold weather and best of all you don't use your own propane, just like the AC runs off of shore power!
Thanks for the hacks!
I'm not sure if this idea should be under hacks or maintenance. When your rig is stored for long periods of time you don't want to leave fuel (even if treated with Stabil) in your 30 gallon fuel tank just to exercise the generator once a month. We cut the fuel line to the Onan 4000 just behind the propane bottles and put in a couple of valves, a Tee and additional fuel filter and a small plastic tank with a cap and fitting at the bottom - we can now put in a quart of gas, and run the generator until it runs dry and that keeps the fuel system from getting gummed up (does that sound like experience talking?). We really appreciate all your videos!
bsjcook
Done a few of these. Shelving, no slip mats. I have videos installing a Fantastic vent fan, replacing a Dometic fridge cap with one that has a small solar panel and fan to increase cooling efficiency, and a video replacing incandescent bulbs with LEDs. I've done other projects too like a 4 awg charge wire from the truck alternator to charge the truck. Wired in an inverter. Reinforced 4 corner jacks with aluminum angle metal. Always something to do.
+CITAP1 yes, always something to do! We recently did LEDs to our interior... I gotta get busy on a video about that. 👍
👍Great ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Great Stuff.