We just purchased a new (to us) travel trailer. And of course, it always seems that within the first week after that type of purchase we begin to think things like “Well, I really like this but in our next RV…” “Hmm, this is not as nice as it seemed at first.”
I think this is a pretty common thing, and nothing to worry too much over. If you begin to have thoughts like this about your own RV, no worries – most can be dealt with fairly easily. I think the two biggest issues with our new RV are a soft spot in the floor and a full sized mattress where there used to be a queen. The spot in the floor is tricky. We didn’t notice it when we were looking at the RV but it’s right at the corner of the bed so it’s something we will have to address. Our plan is to ask someone with more RV knowledge than us, and to be brave, peel back the linoleum and fix it. It is a bit scary to really cut into your RV or make major changes, but it can be done if you are careful and ask for advice from people with more experience. In our last RV the fridge didn’t work. Rather than spending $1,000 on a new one, we dug in, pulled it out and built a small closet area in it’s place.
The full sized mattress was something we should have caught while looking at the RV. For once, we didn’t lay down on the bed together to make sure there was a decent amount of room (something we usually do). There was also space all the way around the mattress, which should have been a visual tip-off that something was not quite what it had originally been. We thought it would be relatively simple – we’d just go buy a queen sized mattress. Unfortunately the camper originally must have had a short queen because there is not quite enough room for a full length mattress. So, what to do? Sleep on the full-sized mattress? Not likely. We both need some room to stretch out when we sleep. Our old camper had a queen sized bed in one of the pop-outs and since it was still in the driveway, we grabbed the foam cushions from it and placed them in the bad space in the new camper. Perfect – length and all. I added a foam egg crate to the top, then a mattress pad and finally sheets and we have a cozy bed. Of course, this is temporary since we intend to sell the old camper – cushions and all.
After doing some research I located a place where I can buy foam so we will most likely buy pieces that will fit into the space and I will sew a slipcase for them (to hold it together firmly and keep it clean.
When I was a kid my parents discovered on the first camping trip in their Class C motorhome that there was no silverware drawer and a definite lack of towel bars in the bathroom. Dad retrofitted an existing cabinet with a little drawer at the bottom and installed some towel bars on some free wall space. My Grandpa was never happy with the chairs in his various Fifthwheel trailers, so he would simply take one out and replace it with his favorite Lazyboy recliner.
It would be rare, I think, to find an RV that was absolutely perfect unless you had one custom built. And even then, you might forget something. RV camping is about taking the best of home – a comfy bed, a roof over your head, the fridge, and space to relax – on the road with you. When buying a new RV you can frequently find many of the things you are looking for. When buying used, it will take patience and compromise to get the best RV for your money. It will not be perfect, by any means, but there are plenty of things you can do to make it just what you want.
