Month: May 2017

Best Money I Ever Spent: RV Accessories That Were Worth Every Penny

Are you ready to make a shopping list?

About a month ago, I asked a few Heartland RV owners to help me warn others about regrettable RV accessory purchases: items they bought that just didn’t work out.

This month?

This month, it’s time to flip the coin and report from the opposite side.

Items are listed in alphabetical order, and the cost approximated to account for differences in retailer pricing, tax, shipping, and special offers.

Links to manufacturer/retailer pages were provided by contributors as a starting point for your research. You may find better pricing and selection elsewhere.

BodySpa RV Shower Kit by Oxygenics

$45.00

“Uses less water and the pressure is great. My family loves showering in our RV now.”

Stacy Vaughn, owner of a 2017 Road Warrior 427

Photo source: Camping World

30-Pint Electronic Dehumidifier by Haier

$160.00

“Where we live is hot and humid, and we will soon be moving to the wet Pacific Northwest. We found that we were sticking to our furniture and bedsheets, and the bathroom just never seemed to completely dry out after showers. This dehumidifier has curbed those issues, and as a bonus has helped with the efficiency of our the A/C units.”

Carissa Edwards, owner of a 2014 Big Country

Photo source: Target

Elongated Ceramic Toilet, Model 320, by Dometic

$200.00

“Our new toilet eliminated some unpleasant issues. It’s taller so it’s more comfortable to sit on; the bowl is deeper so there’s plenty of space between us and the water; the seat and lid are both sturdy wood rather than plastic; the seat is elongated instead of round, making…um…personal hygiene tasks easier; when flushed, it rinses all the way around the bowl from under the rim; and it has a hand sprayer to quickly dispatch any stubborn residue. In short, it’s much more like a residential toilet, which is exactly what we want in our full-time home. It was easy to install, too. Who knew a lowly toilet could make us so happy?”

David Goldstein, owner of a 2013 Landmark San Antonio

Here’s a video of the product installation on David’s blog, Landmark Adventures.

(Author’s note: We at OwnLessDoMore also upgraded to this toilet, and our behinds stand behind David’s assessment.)

Photo source: Amazon

GlowStep Revolution Step System by Torklift

$600.00

“What makes them worth every penny is that they easily adjust to a variety of terrain, and have adjustable stabilizing legs which make contact with the ground, eliminating bounce. The step size between each step adjusts equally, so there is no gigantic step at the top or bottom of the rise. No need for a portable extra step, ever again! For me and my poor knees, these steps are a true lifesaver. I no longer have knee stress with step sizes that are uncomfortable. These steps will go with me if we ever change coaches.”

Erika Dorsey, owner of a 2016 Heartland Big Country 4010RD

Here’s a full write-up of the product installation on Erika’s blog, Mammoth Travels.

Photo source: Erika Dorsey

Feel free to comment below with your own tale of money well spent!

Author’s note: A version of this post appears at Heartland RVs. It is printed here with permission.

“Oh goody. Another project!” I said. RV done yet?

The Toad was built in 2008, and RV insulation standards have come a long way since our little home on wheels came off the assembly line.

To put it briefly, our fifth wheel’s threshold for extreme temperatures is a lot lower than that of newer units made for year-round enjoyment. We do our best to control our climate by supplementing our furnace and AC with space heaters and fans as needed, which is often.

The most obvious area for improvement: the basement ceiling. There’s nothing between those aluminum joists but air — air that does nothing to help us control the temperature in the bedroom, which sits right above that storage area.

There it is, the nothing between the joists.

The joists are not spaced at typical household intervals (ours weren’t even spaced at consistent intervals) so we had to do a lot of trimming to make standard pink insulation fit between them.

This time, I remembered to get proof that I was on the job too.
Please note that my footwear coordinates with the fiberglass insulation.

Materials

  • Single-faced fiberglass R-13 insulation
  • 2” HVAC tape
  • Tape measure
  • Utility knife

There’s not a lot to say about the “how to” part of the installation. Our day went kind of like this:

  • Pull everything out of basement
  • Measure
  • Measure again
  • Cut
  • Contort
  • Shove
  • Tape
  • Uncontort
  • Put everything back in basement
  • Look forward to enjoying a warmer bedroom this winter*
Measure
Cut
Contort
Tape
Oh, and don’t forget a lunch break.
We went out for Thai!

*Even after complaining loudly and often about spending a whole day in May on the project, inhaling pink insulation fibers and wondering why your husband can’t just wear pajamas when he’s cold.

Author’s note: A version of this post appears at Heartland RVs. It is printed here with permission.