Can you travel in an RV and still pursue your favorite hobby? I didn’t used to think so. But now I know better!
A man for all hobbies
My husband has many hobbies. He likes to ride his motorcycle and bicycle. He enjoys fishing and hiking along with snorkeling, and occasionally scuba diving. The best part? My husband can pursue many of his hobbies as we travel in our RV all around the country.
…And then there’s me
I used to envy Hubby. “So many hobbies. So little time.” That seemed to be his motto. And then there’s me. I like to read. Not too exciting, huh? Of course, while we were in our stix-n-brix home I enjoyed gardening, sewing, and crafting. When it was time to get back in our RV and head out on the road, I used to put my hobbies away. That was a mistake. Turns out, you can travel without giving up your hobby.
Organization is key for RVing with a hobby
Yes, a gardening hobby requires special consideration when you’re on the road. I’ve learned to make use of portable pots and planters. If we’re going to be in the same general area for an extended time, I will try growing plants that do well in that climate. It’s fun to learn how to grow things that I can’t grow back home.
I’ve learned to pack along my favorite gardening tools like gloves, hand spade, and watering can. Because potting or garden soil bags are so bulky, I usually plan to purchase those items when we get to our destination. Gardening takes up a good deal of space, so I keep all of my plants outside. When it comes time to leave, I often “gift” the camp manager or campground host with a plant. If I plan to keep the plant for myself, I put it inside a deep cardboard box and place the box inside our shower for safe transport.
A sewing hobby also takes a bit of planning if you’re going to sew while in your RV. I use the floor or bed when cutting out pattern pieces because those are the largest flat surfaces in our RV. When I sew I place my sewing machine on the dining table. It isn’t in the way because my husband and I eat on TV trays or at the picnic table most nights. I enjoy finding fabrics at local area shops. They often carry prints and designs that I cannot find back home.
A dear friend recently introduced me to “Mandala dotting.” It’s a fun way to use paint in decorating wood, plastic, glass, or other surfaces. Since I’m just starting out, I haven’t found the perfect storage for my brushes and dotters yet. For now, everything fits inside a small cardboard box. If I continue with this new hobby, I might need to find a better organizer/container.
Organize and pack for any hobby
You may not be interested in gardening, sewing, or dotting. The point is that you need to:
- Think through what to bring from home, and what items are better purchased near your campsite.
- Consider where you can best work on your hobby. Is inside or outside of the RV best? You may decide to modify your RV’s interior a bit to better accommodate your hobby.
- Finally, remember to think about how you’ll get your completed projects back home. Or, if you’re full-time RVing, where you’ll place/store your completed projects.
The right storage is important
When at home, I have a craft room. Inside that room is one entire wall of cabinets where I store hobby supplies. Because space is limited inside an RV, you should give some thought to how you’ll contain the supplies you need for your hobby.
I’ve purchased some great storage and organizational containers that help me when I take my hobbies on the road. These totes, boxes, and crates enable me to easily pack my hobbies for a trip. The containers also provide storage while we’re on the road traveling. When we return home, the containers fold flat for easy storage.
Where to find hobby supply containers
No matter what your hobby, you’ll probably find the perfect container for hobby necessities on Amazon. Just search for “hobby containers.” Here are a few of my favorites:
For sewing, I use this one. For gardening, this one is my favorite. And for my new painting/dotting supplies, this is the one I’m considering.
How about you?
What hobby or hobbies do you enjoy while RVing? What accommodations do you make to your RV in order to easily pursue your hobby while on the road? Please share your ideas in the comments or over on my forum.
##RVT1047
My grandparents fulltimed starting in the 60’s and they spent their summers at a campground on Kootenay lake BC; she had her vegetable garden (behind the trailer) knitted and crochet, he had a nice Chris-Craft boat (kept in the boathouse) for fishing.
We’re not yet retired, but close. When camping reading and walking are our hobbies, along with tending to our dachshunds.
I want it all and I want it now.
I have lots of hobbies. I travel, which is one of those hobbies. I have finally learned that I do not have to do all simultaneously!
Rather hard to have a model railroad layout in an RV, but I found the perfect snowbird park to scratch that itch. Rincon Country West in Tucson has a model railroad club with a huge garden railway layout in a corner of the landscaped area in front of the auditorium building. The club owns the model buildings and a small number of G-scale freight and passenger cars. But the layout is so important as a selling point for the park owner that he donated several fairly expensive locomotives to the club.
Now I just need to take a few modeling tools and paint when we head to Arizona and I will have plenty of building and rolling stock repairs to keep me busy all winter. At least when I can spare time from the birding club, hiking club, biking club, video club, shopping the world’s largest gem and mineral show (gotta scratch my geologist itch too!), going to the local British car club breakfasts, visiting museums, etc., etc.
I used to do jigsaw puzzles when I was younger and started again during COVID. Took awhile to figure out how without a table but eventually found a board that I move around from table to bed and stackable pads. Completed puzzles though have to be put back in the box and eventually donated as I run out of storage for the boxes.
Like Marian (comment below), I bring my smaller Cricut cutting machine, Joy, with us. All my vinyl, paper and earring material I might need fit in easy to organize 12′ x 12′ containers that fit under the bed.
Wife quilts. Had sofa removed and sewing table/dinette installed. Sewing machine is very portable.
Ham radio for me.
My hobby is cutting using Silhouette cutting machine. On the road I take my smaller machine(a Portrait) and a Circuit EasyPress ( as opposed to my big heat press at home). All my supplies(vinyl rolls and sheets, card stock and tools) fit in an underbed plastic container that fits in the bottom of closet in the rear of our coach. I make cards for all occasions to send to friends, make signs and decorate tee shirts. I also decorated many many masks for fellow campers. I use our dinenett as my work space.
I’m a quilter and a cross stitcher. The closet which would normally house a washer and dryer is my craft closet. When situated for the winter here in our campground, I quilt to my hearts content. I use the dinette for cutting and sewing and the ping pong table in the rec room to sandwich the quilt. When it’s spring, everything but the sewing machine, sewing basket and a few odds and ends go into storage. I keep my cross stitch with me year round.