Tag Archives: RV Renovation

Getting Ready for the Spring Camping Season

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

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Hopefully, the weather is warming up in your area and it’s time to get the RV back out on the road!

Of course, there are things that have to be done in order to ensure your RV is camp-ready. Some of these tasks must be saved until the weather warms up and you’re about to head out on your first trip, but a few are things you can be working on right now. Doing these tasks now will help pass the time while you wait, and more importantly, will save you time later when you’re itching to get on the road once again.

Not sure what you should be doing during the off-season to prepare for the next camping season? Here are some of my favorite tips.

Make Repairs

First and foremost, you will want to use the downtime of the off-season to make repairs to your RV. While you’re just sitting around anyway, you can…

  • Send your rig to the shop now and take advantage of these months you aren’t using it.
  • Make all DIY repairs while the weather is dreary in preparation for spring.
  • Replace appliances and broken parts.
  • Reseal things.
  • Replace filters.
  • Change oil where needed.
  • Perform any other maintenance tasks you’ve put off.

Doing these things now will help you pass the time until you can finally camp again, and they’ll help you get on the road as soon as possible when the sun starts shining again.

Clean Up

You probably don’t want to wash the outside of your RV until the snow has finished falling. That said, if you didn’t deep-clean the interior of your RV before putting it in storage, now is the perfect time to do just that.

Parking in the middle of nowhere really does a number on an RV’s interior. Dirt and dust get carried in left and right, and try as we might to keep up with a broom and dustpan, that day-to-day cleaning can’t possibly keep up. For this reason, we recommend using the winter months to clean things like curtains, carpets, furniture, window screens, and all the nooks and crannies you don’t necessarily worry about while out camping.

Doing so will leave you with a bright and shiny camper that is nice to stay in when you finally do head out on your first trip.

Update Your Look

If cleaning isn’t enough to make your RV feel inviting, you might consider using this time to make some updates to the interior of your home-on-wheels.

Even simple things like changing out the bedspread or shower curtain can make a big difference. New window coverings can also add a nice pop of color, while rugs can cover stained floors, and peel-and-stick wallpaper or tile can cover ugly brown or gray walls.

Making simple but colorful changes to your rig will make it feel more at home so you can fully relax while out on your RV adventures this spring and summer.

Plan Your Springtime Adventures

Believe it or not, now is the best time to start scheming and planning for the spring and summer months. Where will you take your RV? Where will you stay while you’re there? When will you go and what route will you take?

Make these decisions now and start booking campgrounds and attractions. Because camping has become so popular, some camping reservations are very hard to get unless you’ve booked in advance. On top of that, some attractions (such as national parks) require timed entry tickets, which also must be booked far in advance.

De-Winterize Your RV

Finally, as the days get warmer and hard freezes become a thing of the past, you will want to start de-winterizing your RV. You can choose to do this all in a single day or spread it out over several days. Just make sure you get it done before you hit the road.

The most important de-winterization tasks include:

  • Recharging and reinstalling your RV batteries.
  • Replacing alarm batteries and testing the alarms.
  • Testing all appliances.
  • Testing RV lights.
  • Checking tires for damage and adding air to them if necessary.
  • Refilling and reconnecting propane tanks.
  • Checking all seals and resealing anything that needs it.
  • De-winterizing RV plumbing by connecting to city water, running all faucets until the water runs clear, filling fresh water and repeating the process using the pump, flipping the water heater bypass to open, and allowing the tank to fill again.

You may also want to clean the exterior of your RV, sanitize your fresh water tank and lines, change your water heater anode rod, and do any other maintenance tasks that are due to be taken care of.

May contain affiliate links.

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.

Richard M. ~ “Early on a Saturday morning, everyone was supportive, professional, and courteous in helping me diagnose the problem. The Tech was honest in the diagnosis and rendered sound courses of action.”

Kitchen Interior Design Ideas For Your RV

16 Tuesday Mar 2021

Posted by in Tips & Tricks

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Kitchen Interior Design Ideas For Your RV

11% of households in America own an RV, and over 25 million people go on vacation in one every year. When you own your RV, it means that you can change the interior design to suit your needs and your lifestyle. RV kitchen interior designs don’t have to be basic, and there are plenty of ways you can bring a touch of class to your RV. It is a good idea, however, to pick a stylistic theme for your décor in order to give your RV a unique character. Whether you go for shabby chic, industrial, arts and crafts, or even Hollywood glam, with a few changes, you can make your RV kitchen a special place that you will love spending time in. 

Update Your Kitchen Cabinets

Often sitting at eye level, your kitchen cabinets are one of the first things you notice when you walk in. It is worth getting cabinets updated – you don’t need to change the actual cupboards if they are in good repair: you can simply change the doors or give them a coat of varnish or paint. This will give a modern, luxury feel to your RV. Glossy paint is perfect if you are looking to give your RV a sleek, industrial look – you can go for bright, bold colors, or even a statement print. Sanding down your doors to bare wood can give your cabinets a natural feel, or you can use chalk paints if you are going for a bohemian style. If the kitchen cabinets in your RV are made from chipboard, you might want to think about replacing the doors for something more hardwearing, such as solid wood to give your RV kitchen a luxury feel. 

Replacing The Kitchen Worktop

Replacing or treating the worktop in your kitchen is another good way of giving it an update without ripping the entire kitchen out. You will need to be extra careful when you’re removing the worktop, and keep a note of the types of screws that are used to attach it. There are different screws for different purposes, and the ones needed to hold a worktop up will be heavy-duty. You don’t have to replace your kitchen worktop with Formica – using different materials will give your kitchen a luxury feel. You can go for bamboo, stainless steel, a natural tree slice, or even reclaimed wood. Just make sure that your kitchen worktop is varnished and treated if necessary so that it is functional as well as beautiful. 

A Tile Backsplash

A tile backsplash is an excellent way of adding color and character to your RV kitchen. You can choose something that ties in with your theme and color palette. Regular ceramic tiles are an easy way to create a backsplash, or you could create a mosaic from broken ceramic tiles for a rustic look. Pebbles and sea-glass are other good materials to make a mosaic from – just make sure that you measure your space carefully before you begin applying materials, or create your mosaic on a separate panel. Thin slices of wooden logs that have been oiled or waxed can be placed on the walls for a natural look. You could also make an effective backsplash using thin branches or bamboo affixed to the wall, either horizontally or vertically. Another good idea is to have a Perspex backsplash made up using photos that are treasured, perhaps of friends or family. 

The kitchen is the heart of your RV and can be a real statement area. Choose a theme for your kitchen, and you’ll be sure to have a space that is unique and stylish. 

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5 Super Easy RV Upgrades

28 Thursday May 2020

Posted by in RV Information, Tips & Tricks

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5 Easy RV UpgradesCamping 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.

RV Backsplash

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.

RV Shower Head

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.

RV Bed

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.

RV Shades

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?

RV Cabinet Shelves

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.

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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