Day 52 / 313 Six Must Haves for Full-time RV Living

Saylorville Lake – Cloudy 52 Degrees

Living in a compact space forces one to be very choosy about their possessions. After 15 years of travelling and camping regularly and now, nearly two years living full time in our RV, I have come up with a list of 6 must-haves for the full time RV dweller. All six are beneficial to anyone who owns and uses an RV to any degree but if you are going to take the plunge get these things sooner, rather than later.

1. Dry-weave quick dry towels. Everything from you bath towels to cleaning rags needs to be this type of cloth. I started with my nice fluffy bath towels and quickly found out that in the confined space of the RV bathroom they take forever to dry and will get musty smelling in short order no matter what kind of detergent and softener you use. Dish clothes and cleaning rags will be in near constant use. They need to be able to dry out in the short time between use.


2. A good bag less vacuum cleaner. Higher end RV’s will have central vacs, but they simply aren’t good enough for full time use. The floors and upholstery will get unbelievably dirty with the small space and constant tracking in and out. Add a pet or two and you’ll be covered in fur before you know it. I chose a Shark Rocket for its compact design and versatility. It serves as a good vacuum for the car and well as every nook and cranny of he motorhome. Once you get one, use it daily. It will be horrifying to see how much hair and dirt accumulates day to day. Your carpet will thank you by lasting longer.


3. Raised storage racks. RV salespeople make a big deal out of a big pantry closet or bedroom closet. The problem is most of the space is vertical space and goes unused without a little creativity. I use raised wire racks throughout the camper. When you live full time, you need to be very creative. There are several cool ideas on Pinterest to use space creatively, but you’ll get the most bang for your buck with a couple of dollar store wire racks. Again, the appeal to me is they are cheap and lightweight.


4. Collapsible Silicone / All in one. Really two things but we’ll consolidate in the spirit of the theme today. A collapsible colander is a must in terms of storage space, durability, and weight. I also recently purchased a 3-gallon collapsible bucket. Again lightweight, iron tough and takes up very little space when not in use. All-in-one measuring spoons, dry and wet measure. Make sure they are plastic. Again durable, unbreakable (unless the husband uses it as a tool) and lightweight and compact.


5. Air Purifier – We invested in one after about 9 months. We bought a medium sized Therapure from every bodies favorite discount store who I won’t name. It has the ultra-violet light component as well as the hepa filter. It made a huge difference in the overall freshness. It will also go a long way to eliminating dust and pet dander in the close space. The fan also helps move the air around when you don’t have heat or AC running.


6. Comfortable outdoor furniture. When you go full-time your patio will turn into your secondary living room if you like to be outside at all.  Chuck the cheap lawn chairs in the dumpster or stash them away for company you don’t want to hang around long. Invest in some nice comfy chairs and a patio table. I kept my nice set from the house and even though it’s a bit of a pain to disassemble and haul when we hit the road it is worth its weight in gold when we are in place for 3-6 months. In the beginning I viewed it as a luxury, now I would say it’s necessary to be truly comfortable.[gallery ids="728,727,726,725"]

Everyone's RV is set up differently and people have very different needs, but I think these 6 things go a long way to making things easy and adhearing the cardinal rules of full-time RVing.  LIghtweight, durable and versitile.

Until tomorrow...