13 Useful Items for Your RV While Traveling Full-time
- Golden Phillips
- Aug 8, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 4, 2022
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As much as I wanted to take my time moving into our RV, that's just not the way it went down. My hope was to spend some time nesting and making everything just right before heading off into the sunset.
Instead, we were frantically trying to clear our house of all our belongings up to the last minute. After downsizing for four years, we still weren't quite ready. Thank goodness for Facebook and all the bargain shoppers in our neighborhood.
We slept in our RV for the first time two days before we were scheduled to pull away from our property. Our priority was to get our cat acclimated to the new living conditions. Cooking and setting up house would have to wait for the road.
As we pulled away in the dawn of morning (not dusk mind you), we made it a whole block before pulling over to have breakfast. Pans went flying and crowded spaces felt confining as we started to learn how to live in a tiny space together. It would take some time getting used to.
Day by day, our living situation improved and we learned what tools we needed to make things work just a little bit smoother in such a small space. The 12 items below were all added in the first few weeks of living on the road. They have made our lives so much easier!
This fan is awesome! Our trailer is fully equipped with USB outlets throughout, so this puppy quietly hums away from anywhere we need it. And we don't have to be connected to shore power either. It runs on 12-volt, the battery is more than able to power it everywhere we go.
Our first SOWER project provided WiFi near by so we had no need to install our long range repeater. However, when we moved to a more remote location and discovered the WiFi was quite some distance away, and multiple RVs lied in the way, we made a trip to the hardware store to set up our kit.
We built our own WiFi extender using two different sizes of PVC pipe, magnets, zip ties, and some bolts. We need the antenna high enough off our rig so that it would not have to reach the WiFi signal through our neighbor's RV. We carefully shot the cord through our lower air vent that comes standard with toy haulers.
The extender stays connected whether our porch is down or not. During travel we drop the part that extends past the RV ceiling into the larger tube and it rides on the back just the way you see it, minus the corded part.
These handy shelves make it easier to get plates and pans out when cooking and eating. Just imagine having to unload your entire cupboard to get access to what is underneath each time. We have three of these shelves strategically placed to get the most use our of our small space.
Our travel trailer came with one drawer. It's directly under the oven and has enough space to fit a baking dish and some hot pads. Kitchen drawers are a priority for me, so when I found this handy drawer tower, I immediately forced it into our pantry. Yes, the shelf did get raised a bit to fit the tower, but it now works wonders and provides support for the heavy items on the shelf.
I absolutely love our dish mat. I don't know why I didn't get one of these at home. We simply lay it out on our covered stove when we are ready to do dishes. It soaks up on the water right away and is ready to rehang as soon as we put the clean dishes away. No drips anywhere!
I needed just the right size baking pan to lay out bacon slices or roll out pizza dough. I didn't want to waste any space, so I measured my oven and found the perfect size pan for our RV oven. It's also super durable and the rose gold color makes me smile each time I use it.
This tray has so many uses in our tiny home. First, it's simply a great way to carry lots of items from one place to the other. For example, when we visit friends or family and we need to bring a bunch of food inside, or at a potluck.
Next, it perfectly fits my laptop so I can use it as a lap desk. I simply add one of our removable chair cushions underneath and wallah, I have a comfortable work station while sitting on our cozy couch.
Finally, I use it as a large flat surface, like when I need to roll out pizza dough. Our table doesn't work, because as you can see below, it has lots of slits in it. While some of the slots come in handy for holding a hand of cards, it's not great for writing on or rolling out dough.
Finally, if I feel like the RV is a little dull, I'll store the brightly colored tray vertical above our couch. It makes a lovely piece of artwork.
This stand is normally used in the corner of a shower, but with our low ceilings we were able to install it behind our toilet. I have my own personal green house in our bathroom complete with a skylight and air vent.
At first I was nervous about how this stand would endure travel, but we have had absolutely no issues. We just make sure to pack the loose items in each tray tight.
This over the door hook station provides a great way to hang our towels, bathroom organizer, and clothes at times. I love how it acts as another piece of art too. As you can see below, we were careful to protect the door so that it doesn't get all scratched up during travels
Pockets, zippers, slots. It's all we need to stay organized and ready to face any day. The organizer easily folds up so we can carry it to the camp showers, or into a friend's home.
We have been using over the door organizers for many years. They make storing stuff so easy and accessible. From winter gear to craft supplies, the handy pockets make finding things a breeze. We use this one for rolled up shirts and accessories.
We really didn't need anything fancy for this job. The bags are stored in our shower so lightweight and durable was most important. These bags came in a compact package and sprung together just when we needed them.
I couldn't resist buying this placemat when I realized I could easily put it up on my RV walls with a few glue removable glue dots. It's lightweight, waterproof, and pretty.
There you have it! Our 13 most useful items that we added in our first few weeks of living in our RV full-time. Each item has made this tiny abode feel a little bit more like home. Let us know what you think if you try something in your tiny space.
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