Camping season is officially upon us. This means you’ve probably pulled your rig out of storage and gotten it all spruced up and ready to hit the road. Maybe you resealed it, and you likely did a nice cleaning too. However, in some cases, this just doesn’t seem like enough. This is because sometimes an RV upgrade is in order.

Unfortunately, in many cases, RV upgrades mean a lot of time, money, and effort. Don’t worry though! If you’re feeling like your RV needs some upgrades but don’t want to put in a ton of effort or time before your next camping trip, there are options.

Below are some of my favorite quick and easy upgrades that make a huge difference without a huge investment of time or energy.

Kitchen Backsplash

Have you ever noticed that RV kitchens don’t include a backsplash? This is probably due in part to cost, but also to save on weight. That said, if you’d like to have a backsplash, you can definitely have one. Moreover, it doesn’t have to cost a lot, or add much weight at all, or even require a bunch of work.

To create a super simple DIY RV kitchen backsplash, simply invest in a set of the peel-and-stick tiles sold in most hardware stores. Peel them, stick them to the wall behind your sink and stove, and voilà, you have a good looking backsplash that cleans off nicely.

Improved Showerhead

There’s no denying the fact that stock RV shower heads are pretty terrible. They don’t give even water pressure, they often twist in odd directions, and they tend to use way too much water, meaning you run out of hot water—or water in general, if you’re using your fresh water tank—before your shower ends.

To fix this issue, just change out the showerhead. I highly recommend the Oxygenics RV shower head, which gives awesome water pressure without using much water at all. It does this by incorporating air into the stream, making it feel stronger than it actually is.

Comfy Mattress

RV mattresses are another common complaint. Sure, they’re lightweight, but at what cost? Flimsy stock mattresses are thin and uncomfortable, and the fact that they’re usually sitting on nothing more than a piece of plywood doesn’t help matters.

Fortunately, it’s totally possible to change out your mattress.

Changing your RV mattress is as simple as measuring your current mattress, finding another mattress of the same size to go in its place, and switching the sleeping space out. If you can’t find one that is exactly the right size, getting something a couple of inches off usually isn’t a problem. If you go with a foam mattress, you can also choose to cut it to size.

I should note that getting a mattress of any size through an RV door can be difficult. For this reason, you may want to purchase a rolled foam mattress and open it inside the rig.

New Shades

Most new RVs come equipped with awesome pull-down “day and night” shades. If you have these window coverings, keep them. This is not something you want to change.

That said, those with older rigs may not have such luxuries. These individuals often find that the blinds that came in their campers are less than adequate, or simply falling apart. This is where replacement shades come into play.

Pretty much any shades will do the job just fine. That said, my family really likes these shades from IKEA. They pull up and down incredibly easily, come in numerous sizes—making it easy to find a shade for every RV window, even the small ones—and are very lightweight. I also found them super easy to hang up, and they didn’t tear up our walls at all.

Cabinet Shelves

The final item on my list of super helpful yet simple RV upgrades is cabinet shelves. Far too many RVs don’t come with shelves in the cabinets. This makes organizing difficult and finding anything even more so. Why not add some shelves and save yourself a bit of frustration?

Shelves such as these are perfect. You can buy as many or as few as you need, and they can even be stacked. You might also consider a lazy Susan if you happen to have a very deep cabinet.

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About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

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