The RV life is a unique one for sure. Your rig is often an expression of yourself. While you are trying to figure out how to make it fit your personality, here are some upgrades you shouldn’t wait to do.
Secure Your Belongings By Replacing Your Storage Locks
Believe it or not, most RVs use the exact same keys for the basement storage—the storage under the living space of an RV. I was under the impression that all of my belongings were safe—as long as I remembered to lock the doors. And the thought of going on a day hike and coming back to things being stolen wasn’t something that I was ok with.
Once I got over being frustrated with this reality, I quickly ordered new locks. I have seen a lot of people order combination locks, but I opted for locks like these. It didn’t take long for me to replace them—only about 5 minutes per lock. But when I was done, I felt a lot better about life. I knew I wouldn’t be worried about leaving my RV to go out on the water or up into the mountains!
Replace Your Faucets
Oh the plastic faucets. Why was this ever a good idea? I know they are lightweight, but really? This was an area that my wife and I didn’t like from the beginning. The only reason they weren’t replaced immediately is because we had just spent so much money purchasing our RV. And we wanted to give it a chance—without any changes.
We made it one year and that was it. The upgrade from plastic to household quality was 100% worth it. My only regret was being too cheap to do it at the beginning. It only took me about 30 minutes to replace each faucet. And most of that time was cleaning out under the sinks. When I was done, it felt like a next level space. I am not sure what it was about that simple, and seemingly meaningless change. But it was a big upgrade in our eyes.
We opted for a longer neck faucet in the bathroom. This made it a lot nicer to clean those potential stains on shirts, or to get our heads underneath it to tame the bed head.
Add An Extra Waste Valve
The leaky waste valve makes a less than desirable job just plain gross. If you have ever had to empty the gray and black water tanks, you probably know what I am talking about. It is the moment you take the outside cap off to attach your sewer slinky, and a little bit of stench and liquid comes flowing out. First of all, this is not ok from an environmental perspective. Second, it isn’t ok because I don’t see it or smell it.
An extra waste valve helps eliminate this experience. By adding the second valve, you can simply attach your sewer hose to the outside valve, then open two separate valves. This stops the waste valve from leaking onto the ground, and helps you dispose of the waste correctly.
This solution is incredibly simple. If I had known this was an option, I would have bought it after the first dump—instead of trying to catch it in my sewer hose. Valterra makes an affordable twist-on valve that only takes 30 seconds to attach.
If you ask me, the $30 and 30 seconds it takes to solve this unsightly problem is totally worth it.
Upgrade Your RV Mattress
If you use your RV a lot, this is something that has probably crossed your mind. The beds you get with your rigs aren’t the greatest. My wife and I tried to be content with ours, but after about 6 months we decided to replace it.
Before we replaced the actual mattress, we tried several other things. We got a new memory foam topper—and we still use it. We got new pillows. We did the whole “aromatherapy diffuser” thing. And we tried weighted blankets. But after trying all of these things, it was time to get the new mattress.
We not only upgraded our mattress, but we actually went to a larger size. We couldn’t fit a king bed in our set up, but we discovered a new size mattress—the olympic queen. This mattress is 66” wide and 80” long. That’s 6 inches wider than a typical queen mattress. And that little bit makes all the difference.
In our search for our mattress, we discovered a premium mattress company that makes an array of mattress sizes called Brooklyn Bedding. They make high-quality mattresses. And The Brooklyn Signature Hybrid mattress comes in 14 different sizes—including short mattresses and rv sizes. If you are looking for a great mattress, this could be the one for you. My advice is to wait for a sale. At the time of this writing, they are currently offering 30% off.
Keep Living
No matter where you are, or what upgrades you are considering, just keep moving forward. It can get discouraging at times. It can feel like there is always something else that needs done to your RV. Just remember to keep living. Don’t let those pesky things slow you down or stop you from going out and having fun.
If you get overwhelmed by your RV and have questions, remember you can always contact someone at One Source RV for help. They have an exhaustive list of parts and accessories for your RV, but also provide trusted information via their online chat—regardless of your location.
And remember, the One Source RV staff team is backed by the experience of formerly Master Certified RV Technicians with over 30 years of experience and other service professionals.
