52 things I would like to get for my RV, big or small

I thought it would be fun to think about all the things I would like to get for my RV, or have with my RV that I don't currently have. These are NOT rank ordered. But maybe they are in the order I think of them so they ARE rank ordered! Some of these may not even be invented yet...

1. LED light replacement for the wedge style lights over the beds.
2. Convert my 42 inch LCD TV to a touchscreen that works with my Macmini.
3. Make the RV control panel an iPad/iPod app OR even have it have alerts that would pop up on the TV (that I have my MacMini connected)
4. Some really cool outdoor rope lights.
5. Some really cool outdoor decorator lights that go on the awning.
6. Some really cool outdoor statue light (like the palm trees people have).
7. A REALLY REALLY good grass turf mat that lasts a long time (we have found these)
8. A roll down screen in front of the entry door so the entry door could be left open (we have the glass in door style that Open Range uses copiously).
9. Over/Under washer dryer.
10. An LP gas status that has an indoor reader so we don't have to go outside to read the lp tanks.
11. An energy meter that tells us how much electric we're using so we can monitor.
12. A solar panel to charge the battery - and something so that we would keep the electric AC from having to be used as long as the batteries were charged.
13. An extra battery (or two or three).
14. A generator. Maybe Santa would bring a Honda 6500. I could live with a 3000 though.
15.  A bigger refrigerator.
16. Good Clear reception so I can stop using cable modems.
17. A good set of tools. I don't have many tools. You often need to fix things.
18. Ceiling fans (i need to write an article on radiant heating). Our Open Range does not have ceiling fans.
19. Outdoor security cameras so I can see the RV on our computer. Just little ones.
20. A weather station.
21. A remote temperature gauge for the underbelly.
22. A tire air pump that can handle the pressures needed for RV tires.
23. An ice maker
24. LED replacement lights for our little halogen accent lights.
25. A better thermostat than we have currently for the Air V Carrier system we have.
26. Convert ALL of our books to ebooks and get an ereader (not an RV thing, but space matters).
27. An Apple TV so we can watch TV in our bedroom.
28. An outdoor AC plug (we don't have that right now) - Puma has one, but Open Range doesn't.
29. An over-the-toilet organizer for the bathroom.
30. An outdoor grill. We want the little one that is really portable. A weber camping grill.
31. Wheel chocks. We still use 2x4's and bricks. It is embarrassing. Actually, we have some, we just need more.
32. A better surround sound AV system. In particular, one that has direct optical feed from the Mac and has a small footprint. Our Open Range has a cheap Chinese made audio system that leaves a great deal to be desired. It has a DVD player too and we use the MacMini for that too.
33. The long accordion style window shades that are on the windows, except for the front door. For some reason Open Range used standard levelor style blinds but those are not a good choice for a door.
34. Better sealing from the weather. The Open Range is a little drafty. I think with some foam and an afternoon I could seal it up. I don't expect OR to be perfect so I would say this is something most RV's probably need to have after-purchase love added.
35. More plug-ins. Ok. Probably will never happen. But we are a 3 computer and much much more family.
36. A black tank sensor that really works. It appears that no RV has a good 'stock' black tank sensor.
37. A light dimmer for mood lighting.
38. A temperature based - wall mounted thermostat for our electric fireplace. We absolutely love the electric fireplace. They sound corny, but once you have one, you will love it. They have a dial that is a thermostat, but setting it makes no sense. It sort of kind of somewhat works but that is about it.
39. A doorbell. 
40. A Ford F350 Dually - Like a King Ranch version. I know I said you don't need a truck, but once you drive a dually turbo diesel - I promise you - you will be hooked. It is truly a man's machine.
41. Small paired storage ottomans. Really handy, but they don't waste space.
42. A small cheap pantry - you can get these from Target and they give just enough extra space for storage of canned goods.
43. Indoor gray tank valve controls. A really nice convenience. I get tired of going out to open the darned thing.
44. A LCD TV mounting bracket for the RV basement.
45. Hot water heater that automatically switched between gas and electric and picked the best method to save energy based on what type of energy was available. We keep on electric to have water hot all the time, but put on gas when we know we want it extra hot, or we'll be taking several showers in a row.
46. An extra built-in vacuum cleaner duct in the back. The hose just has to reach too far. I met a guy at a home and garden expo that said doing that is very easy. Our current one is a dirt devil central vacuum. I will tell you they are amazing.
47. Little LED puck lights for several nooks and crannies (under bed storage, in several cabinets).
48. Water purifier on the kitchen drinking faucet. We currently use a Pur pitcher, but if we had it on our incoming water it would save space. There is space underneath the sink for it - I just have to install it. I think purifying the whole RV sounds very wasteful - like a complete reverse osmosis system, but maybe it wouldn't be a bad deal. By the way, you can get Pur pitcher refills here.
49. Power strips. These are super handy. We need a couple more.
50. Plastic bag organizer. We have one, but we need another one for the bathroom. You put the plastic shopping bags in from the top, then you pull them out the side. You can mount them on a wall or place where they do not take up space. Very handy.
51. Better mattresses for the kids rooms. We'll get this sooner rather than later. We'll probably get some really good memory foam. RV mattresses just aren't that good.
52. 5 acres so we can build our outdoor house!

Hope this gives you some ideas. It sure has me. Time to go out buying.

RV Lighting - There is more to an RV than you think!

In an RV (recreational vehicle) the lighting system is a 12V DC lighting system. That is really awesome because it means that you can take advantage of the automotive market for lighting and innovation for RV's.

In my first article about an RV porch light I really have started to appreciate the idea of lighting in an RV.

LED lights make sense for RV's (and boats, motorcycles, and cars)

First, without being technical, LED's (which stands for light emitting diode) are a low voltage device. That means they don't fit well (yet) for houses which are 120V. They have them, but the bulbs have to have extra circuitry to lower the voltage to the LED's. But for car, auto, truck, motorcycle or RV's which are 12 Volt systems, LED's are a much better fit.

Also, LED's are a DC (direct current) type of device while homes are an AC type of device. While this is a gross oversimplification, you can think of something running on a battery as DC (again cars, RV's) and the home as something different. LED's work best with DC systems. So again, another great fit.

While the green revolution is important for homes, mobile devices like cars, trucks, motorcycles and RV's car about fuel conservation so green is even more important. In fact in an RV, when you are camping on a generator or WORSE, on a battery, you care very, very much how long you can operate. That means that lighting that takes less energy is much more important. A reasonable ESTIMATE of the efficiency of LED lighting is that it is roughly 2-4 times more efficient than incandescent (this is changing) lighting and the numbers are all over the map. I'll try to decode in this article and later articles. By efficiency I mean "how much light you get" in exchange for "how much power you consume".

LED's operate much cooler than regular lights (called incandescent lights) so you'll get less heat which is pretty handy in the summers - particularly in the south.

Lighting Types for RV's

I'd like to list all the different areas that lighting is used in an RV and I think it will surprise you how many different lighting applications exist with an RV. Specifically, I'm going to focus on towable RV's like fifth wheels or travel trailers, but much of what I'm listing can also apply to Class A Motorhomes or Class B and Class C as well.

Here is the list for RV lighting and what I believe are the best types of lights for each system :

• exterior rv lighting applications

• running lights - I think of these as the lights that are on during the day. This only applies to Class A, B, or C as this the same as daytime running lights and really is the same as headlights.
• clearance lights - These would be the lights at the top rear of the RV and along the tops of the RV along the sides. The idea behind these is to give an idea of the extents of your RV so that people understand it is a large vehicle and know its boundaries. Clearance lights are a good candidate for replacement with rv led lights. You will save energy, and have a more rugged light you can probably replace once and never again for the life of the vehicle.
• brake lights - These are the lights that turn on when the brakes are applied. Typically these are in the same housing as the tail lights, but are additionally applied so the drivers behind you know when you are reducing your speed, maybe even rapidly.
• tail lights - These are the standard lights on the rear of the vehicle that let people know you are there. This is another great candidate for replacement with an LED. One thing that makes this application great is that you want all the light to be aimed at the vehicle straight behind you and LED's are great for that.
• turn signal lights - These are the lights that you see that blink yellow (generally) when you are making a corner. A great candidate for replacement with an led turn signal - even more so since LED's can be used to make an "arrow" shape and actually animate to help notify the vehicles behind you.
• reverse or backup lights - My RV (a towable has these). They don't make a great deal of sense on an RV because you are so far away from the rear of the vehicle. But they would be a great indicator so that people know you are backing up.
• porch lights - This is the first light on my list that is not typically part of the "automative" lights package. You car does not have a porch. In the home, porch lights have typically been 120VAC lights that were incandescent or compact fluorescent. But the RV porch lights are 12V. Typically they are incandescent and utilize an automotive light bulb that uses a bayonet base. There are lots of these and you can get them at most auto parts stores (and Walmart, Target). A typical bayonet bulb that uses LED's is pretty easy to find. I've found that the porch lights use a yellow diffuser cover which is supposed to not attract bugs.
• flood lights - Basically a porch light with a white diffuser. Or at least that is how my RV is arranged.
• storage bay lights - These are lights that are in the RV storage bays so you can get your stuff at night.
• rope lights and other decorative area lights - you can't really have an RV without making the outside look festive. This is a common lighting application and it deserves an article all by itself!

• interior RV lighting applications

• recessed lighting - RV's have almost all of the lighting you would find in a home, except it is DC. Our RV has small recessed bulbs that are DC. These are GREAT candidates for replacement with LED lights because they are more accent lights and they are meant to illuminate an area. This is one of the best applications.
• standard wedge style rv lighting - This is the most common form of interior RV lighting. By my estimate we have around 40 of these in our RV. If you have a light fixture that has a BROAD lighting requirement, you might leave it incandescent. But we have these over our beds and in those applications, you could have a GREAT LED wedge style light replacement. Pay attention to the idea of having LED lights all the way around ( 360 degree lighting ) or just 1/2 way - which is the most common method.
• Here is an article on led lighting application for replacement of 921 wedge bulbs.
• reading lights (like above the bed) - a particularly good application for LED replacements. RV's tend to have these built in.
• In this article, I changed the RV Reading light fixture to accommodate an LED bulb.
• accent lights - These are the lights above the entertainment cabinet. One added advantage of using LED lighting here is that you can vary the colors and really add color and timing accents to your accent lights. Typically, these are halogen bulbs and I write about replacing halogen with led's with a G4 base (I explain G4 in the article)
• under cabinet lights - Really an extension of the reading light theme but RV's tend to have these installed already.
• night lights - We plug these into the AC outlets. These are not typically built into an RV. I don't think these are a good or bad candidate for LED's because night lights are already fairly low power consumption.
• flash light - You probably ought to have an LED flashlight sitting right by your door. I've noticed that for flashlights, the LED's beat the old D-Cell flashlights hands down.

What is a Wedge style light for an rv light?

What is a bayonet style light for an rv light?

 

What is a G4 style light for an RV light?

List of Insurance Companies You Know that Carry RV Insurance

[ This is a list we'll update from time to time, but hopefully it helps you save time and comparison shop. Please leave comments that help people find the best deals or best coverage. ]

The links should take you to their RV insurance pages. Good luck!

It is worth mentioning that Geico and Progressive both are PAYING for the top spot on Google when you search for "RV insurance".

Geico - Mr. Buffets company. I insure with them. I always have to CALL to get better insurance rates - they never lower the rates without me asking. Grrr. Also, they were not too smart and if you are not careful you'll get the wrong trailer (like a storage trailer - or work trailer) insurance. We were looking at a 'travel trailer'. People who are not IN the RV world do not understand the difference. I repeat - most people do not know that the word travel trailer MEANS if they are not in the RV world!!!!

[ update on Geico ] : I've since found out that they have their own rv insurance division that specializes in RV insurance. Make sure you ask for the RV division. It is located in North Carolina. Since I've found that division, I've had very good luck obtaining rv insurance quotes for my fifth wheel and for our puma travel trailer. They are also very familiar with rv usage modes and I've found them pleasant. I've also filed an rv insurance claim with them very successfully and was impressed with their adjusting and claim process.

Allstate - Oddly, they call it Motorhome insurance, so I don't know if they won't insure travel trailers or fifth wheels. I wouldn't want anyone to waste their time - and I have to ASSUME that they don't or they would have said something different. I'm finding that if you go outside of the SCRIPT to the call centers their heads explode!

Nationwide - If you DIG deep, you'll find RV insurance on this site. When we moved my wife's Honda from Nationwide to Geico, we HALVED our insurance, so it would be interesting to see the difference.

Farmers Motorhome and Farmers Travel Trailer. I think the fact that they view these separately might be a really good omen that as a company they've at least thought out the real differences. I think we'll definitely get a quote from these guys. I do think it is important to note that a Motorhome is an entirely different set of risks for an insurance underwriter providing rv insurance. This is very sensible for them to be in different divisions.

Progressive - These guys will insure yo mamma! They have snowmobile insurance and Segway insurance. How cool is that?

USAA - I've noticed that many RV'ers seem to be retired military. So it is really great that USAA offers this insurance. They called it Motorhome only, so I don't know about the pull types of rv insurance, but click the link to look them up.

Safeco - To be fair, this company is owned by Liberty Mutual. But I don't know if you would get a discount for multiple vehicles if you insured with both.

American Family Insurance - I couldn't get an RV link but they have RV insurance. It looks easy to get a quote too.

Maybe some noteworthy mentions next because they are companies you've heard of as well, but not so much around insurance...

GMAC - Yep. They seem to insure RV's!

Good Sam - Many of you are Good Sam members, so I can't help but think this would be an important mention to the RV community. It looks like GMAC and Good Sam are affiliated for offering insurance so having both of these here might not make sense.

MetLife - How cool is it that the life insurance company has some really good RV insurance pages?!

AARP / The Hartford - No real comments here.

The following companies did not seem to even think about RV's...

• State Farm - Mentioned boats, but nothing else, even under the "other" category.
• Liberty Mutual - Did a search on their site, and found one little tiny comment, but nothing else.
• Travelers - Ironically, the name 'Traveler' indicates they ought to do this but they don't. If you search for RV on their site, you'll find that they HAVE an RV for driving to areas that need lots of adjusting!

Cheers, M

RV Basics : List of Component Suppliers

This list of RV component suppliers is specific to our RV Puma, but I think people would find it very helpful for their own fifth wheel or travel trailer.

RV Antennas	Winegard
RV Awnings	Carefree of Colorado
Awnings	Dometic
Axle Assembly	Alko-Kober
Axle Assembly	Lippert
RV Fireplace	National Supply  / Dimplex
RV Frames	Lippert
RV Furnace	Atwood
Furnace	Suburban
Furniture	Mastercraft
RV Generator	Generac
Generator	Onan  / Honda Generator
Goodyear Tires and Rims	Tredit Tire and Wheel
Hitch Pin Box	Trail Air
RV Landing Gear and or Leveling Jacks	Lippert
RV Microwave	amana / dometic  / GE Appliances
Microwave
Microwave	Magic Chef
Power Converter	Parallax
Ranges	MayTag Whirlpool
RV Refrigerator	Dometic
RV Refrigerator	Norcold
RV Roof A/C Air Conditioner	Dometic / Carrier
Roof Vent	Fantastic Vent
Rubber Roof and Sealant	Alpha Systems
Rubber Roof and Sealant	Dicor
Satellite	King Dome
Satellite	KVH
RV Slide Out Assemblies	Lippert
Slide Out Assemblies	Power Gear
Slide Out Toppers	Dometic
RV Stabilizing Jacks	Lippert
Tires and Rims	Carlisle
RV Toilet	Sealand
RV Toilet	Thetford
Washer Dryer	Majestic
RV Water Heater	Suburban / Atwood
RV Water Pump	Shurflo
Windows	Kinro

RV Basics : Towing and Weight Terminology

When it comes to RV's most people seem to assume that most terms are understood. One area that is ripe for misunderstanding is the simple terms around weight. I thought I would write a short article with a list about the different terms.

• GVWR - (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) - maximum permissible weight of the fully loaded RV.
• GAWR - (Gross Axle Weight Rating) - the allowable weight that can be safely supported by each axle.
• Tongue Weight - The weight of the tongue as it bears down on the hitch of the towing vehicle.
• UVW - (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) the weight of the trailer as manufactured at the factory. It includes all weight at the trailer axless and the tongue. It also included generator fuels.
• CCC - (Cargo Carrying Capacity) - the maximum allowable weight less water weight and the weight of the vehicle. 
• Water weight - weight of water in fresh, grey and black water tanks. One gallon of water weighs around 8 pounds.

Formulas :

• GVWR = GAWR + Tongue Weight
• CCC = GVWR - UVW - Water Weight

Tip(s):

• It is good practice to empty your water tanks prior to travel. We will probably fill our black water tank about 1/3 full though to "slosh-clean" the tank a little when we move Puma.

RV Tax Information : Checklist of items for your Accountant and the IRS

As we near the end of the 2009 tax season (April 2010), and you are heading to your accountant with your "life in a shoebox" or pile of receipts, here is a list of questions or a checklist of topics you can cover with your accountant to make sure that you are getting full credit for the allowances that are provided to RV owners. This list isn't intended to ANSWER the questions, but it is intended to make sure you discover the answers with someone who is highly trained in tax law.

Remember, as you read this, that the IRS defines a home as something that has a bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen and an RV qualifies.

• Is my RV eligible for any first time homeowners credit?
• Is my RV eligible for any repeat home buyers credit?
• Is my interest on my RV note deductable (either primary or secondary residence)?
• UPDATE 2011 Feb : I did deduct RV loan interest on my taxes. Wasn't much, but I did beat the standard deduction for a number of reasons.
• Is my sales tax deductible?
• UPDATE 2011 Feb : In the state of Texas we get special sales tax treatment on our taxes so you can deduct your sales tax off of your federal taxes. I can't speak for other states. You have to meet your standard deduction.
• Is my sales tax deductible (or have a credit) under any special rules (like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009).
• Are my AAA or Good Sam dues deductible?
• Are my solar panels or other environment friendly improvements deductible or have credits.
• UPDATE 2011 Feb : The tax forms clearly provide credits for GREEN additions. I think you can make a pretty reasonable argument to deduct solar panels from your taxes even if used in an RV.
• If I'm in a state where I pay property tax on my RV can I deduct it?
• I certainly would give it a try.
• In Texas you don't pay property tax on cars, trucks, RV's and such. I'm glad for it.

Wherever I say deductible you can exchange the word credit. Credits are better than deductions as they come right off the taxes, but you should always check with both. Make sure you ask the question to your accountant or tax preparer in multiple ways so that you can discover savings that might be masked by not using the correct language. Many times professionals are not very good at 'bridging the lingo gap'.

Good luck and make sure you ask all the questions! Let me know if you discover anything that was not on this list.

RV Lifestyle Article : The economics of living in an RV

In an another RV living affordability article, I had performed an analysis in Excel asking the question "Is an RV a good investment".  I had approached that analysis with the STARTING POINT that I would be paying $1400/month already in rent and utilities. I also made an assumption that you had some nominal savings. I picked a number for the analysis of $75K.

My results were a bit surprising. But if you see the analysis, you'll see than living in an RV can be just as good of a 'total asset value' at the end of the analysis period as purchasing a house. Of course Rent isn't even close.

But the mechanisms for value-capture are VERY different. For the RV scenario, the MAJOR value-capture mechanism is saving the difference between the old rent and the cost of the RV site. This is a key behavioral concept. Can you do it?

But I'm not sure how to do the analysis if you can neither afford rent @ $1400 (just a number that is reasonable for many urban areas) or a house.

In some ways an RV would be a spectacular way to live cheaply, live greenly (a new word), and also be prepared in case you need to move. Something so simple as moving from one end of town to the other could mean that you just move your RV to  the other side of town. That one move alone could save $20-100/month in gas. While the MOVE of the RV was not a 'low carbon' event, the savings from driving less every day month after month IS green and cannot be discounted.

Sheri and I thought about this a great deal.

While the RV itself would be expensive - we want a nice one - the rest of the package would not be expensive. For the folks that don't have a great deal of money, I'm convinced that with $5K you could get a pretty decent used RV.

Here are some thoughts and considerations in bullet form that Sheri and I have considered that are important in the RV purchase and living consideration. We'd love to hear from other people. This is in no particular order.

• When you think RV, you have to think about how you will tow it. You can OWN a truck OR you can rent a truck. I priced truck rentals and they are $100-200/day for short term. That is a very economical way to move your RV and keeps you out of having to own a truck.
• Sheri and will probably get a truck though. We LOVE Mr Big, but he is a gas truck and we are 100% convinced that diesel is the way to go.
• We believe that a fifth wheel is the best RV to live in full time. Also we're pretty convinced that we'll be OK driving it. No matter how much we look at the BIG daddy Class A's, the front part seems to use up the square footage. Plus we are simple people!
• Forgetting about trucks or RV costs, we can live at one of the BEST RV PARKS in Austin for $550 per month, utilities included. It is only a 1/2 mile from the lake, it has all sorts of amenities. So we would save almost $900/month by doing this. Do you know what kind of big rig we could buy with that kind of free cash?
• Insurance is a wash. Renters insurance versus homeowners insurance versus RV insurance.
• We are prepared to live in a small space. Puma is too small to live in for two people in my opinion.
• You have to have a slide-out in the master bedroom. Why? Because if you have a slide, you generally get enough space to walk around the bed and have a reasonable closet space.
• You probably would want one more slide to make the living area much bigger.

Anyway, these are some thoughts. We'll update this article and repost it to the top every now and then.

Cheers,

RV Basics : Types of RV

I originally found the RV classifications a bit confusing so I thought I would write a small article to help my non-RV friends understand the differences.


Recreational Vehicles are divided between ones with a motor and ones without - called towable.


Motorized RV's are categorized as Class A Motorhome, Class B Motorhome or Class C Motorhomes. If you think good, better, best, that little mnemonic won't work. Most people 'think' of Class A Motorhomes when they think of the word RV, but something like 85% of all RV's sold are Towables. People like these because you don't have to fool with hooking up to a tow vehicle but they seem to have less living space than the fifth wheels (in my opinion) and if you want to have a car you still have to tow a car.


Towables are classified as either fifth ( 5th ) wheel or travel trailers. Our RV, which we call Puma, is a travel trailer. 


There are other classes like pop-up campers or tent campers, but I'll just stick with these main types.


Motorized RV 


Class A - This is the classic RV. It is specially constructed to be a true RV from the ground up. Sometimes you'll hear them called Diesel pushers or Gas Pushers based on the type of engine they use. These are the big daddy machines. 


Class B - This is a VAN, like a GMC or Ford, that is converted to an RV. I think of a student criss crossing the country and having a little pad like this as the mini-home. This is the smallest type of motorized RV or motorhome.


Class C - This is a cross between a Class A motorhome and a Class B motorhome. It has a the cab, cabin, or drivers area usually in a separate area, making this look like a pickup with a topper or drop in the bed camper, but these are designed to be TRUE RV's.


Towable RV 


Fifth Wheel - This RV is named after the hitch (which looks similar to the hitch on a tractor trailer), but it is more easily identified by its distinctive shape which is meant to allow the hitch to connect to a receptacle IN THE BED of a pickup truck (or larger). You might use terms like gooseneck trailer to describe the shape. Believe it or not, the newer RV's (since approximately 2005 or so) allow you to completely STAND up in the section that goes over the truck bed. To me, this looks like the most livable and PRACTICAL RV for full time living or even traveling across the country. The NEAT thing is you can just disconnect your tow vehicle and use it to get around town. Being a fifth wheel in shape makes it easier to handle than a travel trailer, both while towing in regards to safety, and while backing too.


Travel Trailer - I actually don't known the numbers, but this RV ought to be the most plentiful. They range from small car towable designs to very large models that rival, well almost rival, fifth wheels. Puma is a travel trailer. These have a straight design - they look like a loaf of bread with a hitch that comes out directly to connect to a hitch on the bumper ( or thereabouts ) on a pickup.


I've attached pictures of the different types of RV's here.

Class B Motorhome RV 

Fifth Wheel RV (pictured : Toy Hauler, a cool fifth wheel)

Class A Motorhome RV

Travel Trailer RV 

Class C Motorohome RV