By Cheri Sicard
Small RV problems can eat up more time than the big ones. A loose fender skirt, a towel with nowhere to dry, or a hose that won’t stay put can turn into daily annoyances fast.
In the video at the end of this post, Jared Gillis from All About RVs put several low-cost fixes to the test to see which ones were worth keeping. Some were smart, some were only okay, and one failed by the next morning.
Pop rivets made the fender skirt fix better
Fender skirts often lose screws over time, and the plastic around those screw holes can crack when it gets brittle or gets pulled too tight. Jared tested pop rivets as a replacement, and this one landed in the win column.
The big plus is simple. Rivets don’t back themselves out as screws can. That solves one of the most common problems right away. He also liked the look of using rivets that match the skirt color, such as black pop rivets, instead of bright metal ones.
Still, rivets don’t fix over-tightening on their own. A washer or spacer may still help keep the plastic from being pulled too close to the metal.
The outdoor towel ideas were decent, but the power cord trick fell short
For drying towels outside, a pair of suction cups and a broom handle worked well enough. The better setup kept the handle slightly away from the wall, helping avoid scratching the RV. The downside was size, because it only held a couple of towels. Jared also liked a simpler backup idea, clipping towels to the rear ladder so they don’t blow into the dirt.
That same suction-cup approach did not work for power-cord strain relief. The idea was to support the cord’s weight and reduce stress on the inlet. It looked promising at first, but the suction cup was on the ground by morning. A 90-degree power adapter still sounds like the safer fix.
Two cheap interior DIY RV hacks stood out
A piece of black foam board cut to fit behind the smoked cabinet glass did a nice job of hiding clutter. It kept the glossy look from the outside, cost very little, and didn’t need glue because the board fit snugly in place.
Under-bed airflow was harder to test, since Jared hadn’t seen mold under his own mattress. Even so, the idea made sense. Mattress air pads or vent tiles can help air move between the mattress and the plywood, which may matter more in cold or damp places.
The freshwater fill hack was ugly, but it worked
The last trick solved a problem many RV owners know well. The hose slips out of the fresh water fill, so someone ends up standing there holding it.
Jared tried using a simple pressure regulator on the hose end and sliding that into the fill port. It looked rough, but it worked. If the part is already in the toolbox, it’s a smart save. If not, the Camco tank fill adapter is the cleaner option.
RELATED
- Real RVers share their 20 most useful RV hacks in 20 minutes
- Quick tips and RV hacks from fellow RVers
- Three easy DIY RV tips from smart RVers
- Even more easy DIY RV tips from smart RVers, part two
- RVers share a few handy DIY tips
- Our top 10, most-read tips for RVers in 2025
- Five more fantastic tips from RVers
RVDT2880
My problem wasn’t the plastic tire fender skirt coming loose. But rather the aluminum skirt around the bottom of TT. I had two of the self tapping screws holding the two different arms screwed to the frame snap. I think Outdoors RV Tightened them too tight, they stretched or cracked and the vibration eventually broke them.
Strain relief for side wall power or water connections: What does work (if properly placed) are Command Hook broom holders. Although after using the Command tape, I added a screw through the holder and the side wall. The supplied Command tape for this device is rated for indoor use.
The hose or cord just ‘snaps’ into the broom holder. Place about foot to 18 inches below the connection point and offset 2-3 inches. Do a dry run. This creates a gentle ‘S’ with the weight on the broom holder rather than the connection point. It also keeps the hose/cord closer to the sidewall to reduce ‘walk-by’ snags.
All that fuss to dry a towel? Doesn’t everyone just drape them over a rearview mirror?
That tank fill adapter might be too short to prevent backup in many fill tubes. I just use a 2′ piece of cut off hose with the threaded end. The best deal is a pressure fed fill though- very fast.