Since we started RVing, we've done quite a bit of experimentation with different setups with not only indoor and outdoor living areas, but also with the rig itself, both in motion and stationary. You may have seen some of our short life-hack videos on the topic, but here's a little more information on what we're doing to make our lives easier.
First thing's first: Stabilizing the RV. You don't want that thing rocking around on the wheels when you're parked, but what could you use? Sure, the camping stores are going to get you to purchase those plastic leveling blocks. They aren't that bad of a product to help with getting the jack contacts to a higher point for better stability, but they do fall apart somewhat easily from being plastic, and looking at various outlets, can be quite expensive. One of the better choices that we've found are step stones that you'll find in a hardware store. Not only are they relatively inexpensive, but much more sturdy. Even with the rounded top edge, they'll still stack comfortably which was one of our original worries that has been alleviated. The one square foot size is what works the best for our jacks, and when we travel, they fit between the rungs of our ladder and provide some ballast to offset the weight of the trailer. They are a little on the heavy side, so if you're averse to picking up one of these, you can always cut down a pressure treated 2x12 into squares, but be aware that they aren't going to last as long, as we've had some of them split on us.
Now that everything's set up, let's look at that outdoor kitchen. We've tried those grills with the foldable legs before, but they are incredibly flimsy. Sure, you could detach and re-attach more sturdy legs like we do with a smoker, but it's not always the easiest to do that, not to mention a larger amount of room would be needed for storage when traveling. Enter the tabletop grill. This one could have turned into a bit of an issue as less and less RV parks are including picnic tables with their sites. Coincidentally, one of the parks actually requested that a board be placed between the grill and the picnic table to prevent damage. Upon further investigation, it was simple plywood, and was able to be found inexpensively. Couple this with the difficulty of finding metal fold-up tables at a reasonable price, and two and two came together to simply use the folding card tables with some pressure treated plywood.
Heading back inside, one of the most important things for all of us is drinking water. Sure, many people think to drink from the tap, but this isn't always a good option. We've come across moldy water pipes in one location, along with tap water in another that was so rich in iron that it turned our shower orange. These aren't exactly things you want to drink, and those filters that you put into a water pitcher or similar small dispenser just weren't doing the trick. So we started turning to water bottles, but not only was this getting expensive (especially in states that charge bottle deposits), but the amount of trash dramatically increased, despite the pup having a "ten second toy". The solution ended up being a water pump that we would attach to refillable water cooler bottles. The good news is that there are caps you can get so you can simply refill instead of exchange, saving even more money to make the system pay for itself. How many bottles you get would depend on how close you intend to be to a refill station or a spot you know to have clean water. It can also fit in the truck if you're traveling and don't want to spend an arm and a leg on convenience store drinks.
So while you're out there Following Your Internal Compass, take a look at some of the hassles in your life and see if you can make things easier for you.
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