The summer camping season is drawing to a close. For the past several months, I’ve compiled a list of hacks and tricks to make RVing easier than ever. Where did I discover these hacks and tips? In RV campgrounds we visited this season, of course. I figure that if actual RVers employ these ideas, they are well worth further investigation. I sincerely hope that you’ll find a useful tip or two from the following list.
Tricks that will make RVing easier
Get it there
When first arriving at a campground, we sometimes struggle to get everything unloaded from our truck and packed into our RV. My husband and I make countless trips back and forth, back and forth, to unload. Then, when it’s time to leave, we have to do it all over again. Back and forth. Back and forth!
I saw a clever trick one RVer used with great success. He piled his cooler, suitcase, food box, beer, and other bags and boxes on a sled. (Yes, this was in the summertime.) He used a kid’s toboggan or flat, plastic sled with a rope tied to one end. This arrangement enabled the guy to make just one trip from his truck to his RV. One and done! He stored the sled under his rig while at the park and used it in reverse when packing up to move on to his next adventure. That certainly will make RVing easier!
Keep it soot-free
I was curious as I watched our RV neighbor prepare to cook over her campfire. Before placing any food into her cast iron pot, she rubbed bar soap all over the bottom and sides of the pot. Bar soap? She explained that the soap prevents soot from sticking to the exterior of the pot, keeping it clean(er). Good to know!
Non-stick grill grates
At one campground, we befriended guys who planned to enter the upcoming local fishing tournament. My husband was surprised to learn that when grilling, these fishermen simply rubbed their grill grates with (wait for it) onion! “You cut an onion in half and rub the cut side all over the grill grates. It makes the grill non-stick,” they explained. Who knew?
Watermelon Jell-O mold
I discovered this trick at a campground potluck dinner. After scooping out most of the watermelon fruit, a gal filled the resulting half-watermelon rind with red Jello. When the gelatin was set, she sliced it! What a great idea and quite a fun surprise, too!
Clothes clips
At one campground, I watched a gal use bread clips to hang up her children’s swimsuits so they could dry. (Bread clips are those tiny, little plastic squares that keep a bread wrapper secure.) She likes using the bread clips because they take up very little space, are free (when you buy bread), and add minuscule weight to the RV. I plan to save my bread clips from now on.
Breakfast on a stick!
An enterprising, young guy demonstrated how to make cinnamon rolls on a stick. (Yes, I said stick, as in the small, kindling you use to start a fire.) He opened a can of cinnamon roll dough and grabbed a (clean?) stick. Then he wound the dough in a single layer halfway up the stick. He held the stick over the campfire and soon was enjoying breakfast—on a stick! Yes, I ate one. Yum!
Flashlight holder
We never seem to have a flashlight when we need one. My husband noticed another RVer’s solution for this. This fellow camper attached a 3M Command broom holder in his RV’s basement, right inside the door on the wall. A flashlight fits perfectly!
Duct tape
I was amazed at how many hiking folks had what appeared to be broken water bottles. Why broken? Because I saw many, many hikers carrying water bottles that appeared to be patched with duct tape. Turns out, as you may have already guessed, the bottles weren’t broken at all. Hikers wound duct tape around their water bottles for emergency use (taping over a blister, patching a tent rip, etc.) By winding duct tape around any cylindrical bottle, you’ll always have the tape within reach when you need it.
Storage ottoman
When RV neighbors needed more seating for a game night, they unfolded this storage ottoman. It was the perfect seat. A collapsible storage ottoman could be a great addition to our RV living area. The top is cushy and comfortable as a footrest while watching TV. The inside of the ottoman can hold travel books, maps, games, and more. It would be the perfect place for grandkids or other visitors to stash their clothes or personal items while RVing with us. Best of all, it stores almost flat!
Not just for s’mores
We always have marshmallows in our RV. (You never know when you’ll crave s’mores, right?) Well, my husband’s new fishing buddy taught us a new trick using marshmallows. If you push a marshmallow up onto the eye of the fishhook, the marshmallow acts like a bobber and floats. Our new fishing friend even claims that some fish are attracted to the sweetness of the marshmallow. I can’t vouch for that, but I do know that this trick prevents the hook from sinking and snagging on the riverbed, much like a bobber. However, the marshmallow keeps the bait at the top of the current, so I’m hooked. (Groan.)
Stop the ant invasions!
At one campground, it seemed that almost every RVer battled against ants. One family wrapped Gorilla Tape around any and all of the openings where ants could enter their rig. The tape stopped the ant invasion!
Put a lid on it!
A camping neighbor introduced us to the Gamma Seal Lid. It’s made to fit a 3.5 – 7-gallon bucket. Our neighbor used it to store her dog’s food and says it works great! The lid is air and watertight, keeping out moisture, bugs, and mice. While we don’t currently own a dog, we do have many 5-gallon buckets and we can think of several uses for these lids (store bird seed, use for fishing, hold wires/hoses/tools, etc.)
Do you have additional hacks and tricks to make RVing easier? Please tell us about them in the comments below.
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We have a square collapsible storage ottoman and we found that the cardboard divider from a wine box fits perfectly inside. We use the ottoman as our wine cellar.
Genius, Tom! Thanks for sharing your great idea! Happy travels!
Many years ago I was given several of the brown plastic bread shelf inserts that bread is delivered on and create shelves in bread racks. They had small defects that made them unusable for their intended purpose but they work great for storing coiled water hose, 30- 50 amp extension cord and small odds and ends in the center of the coils and I stack them 2 deep In the tv basement and they easily lift out of the way to access larger items stored underneath.
Soaping pots and skillets and wrapping dough on a stick brought back memories. Knowing these things are/were some of the many requirements for Scouting ranks and merit badges. If you’re looking for a treasure trove of camping tips obtain a copy of a Boy Scouts of America handbook. I don’t know what the current issue contains but eBay and used bookstores have older copies.
We have two RV’s, a semi-stationary seasonal home and a single-axle camper to both migrate to/from the bigger RV and take mini-vacations. We tow the camper with a mid-size SUV. We added a rear bumper cargo rack to the camper and carry a lighter-weight plastic pickup truck cargo box for things like bulky suitcases with extra clothing
When we get to the RV we offload the cargo box and add a patio cushion to the box to make a comfy bench next to the RV. It securely stores our now empty suitcases.
Some good ideas. Liquid soap works equally well on pots and is easier to apply.
“Breakfast on a stick” sorta sounds like the stuff we made in the boy scouts back in the 50’s. I think it was called bannock. It took very few ingredients and we all got sticks to wrap up with the “bannock” and stand around the campfire cooking our ‘stick bread’.
We rubbed soap on the bottom of pans 50 years ago on girl scout campouts!
Same here, Kathleen, but for me it was about 65 years ago.😲 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thank you, Gail!
I’m sure everyone already does this but I use cheap laundry baskets to hold all the miscellaneous R/V items. Clean items go in one basket, dirty stuff goes in a different one etc. It makes getting things out of the basement much easier as you just slide the baskets out to get the one you want.