Do you need all those RV goodies?

This time I'm writing about RV goodies that some of us want, some of us need, and some of us simply can't live without. Just like a home, owners can define and personalize their living space and lifestyle by the add-ons. And RV add-ons can be just as expensive as home accessories and improvements.

Our neighbors next door just added a new screen room to their motorhome today. Now they can sit outside, bug free. Only thing is, there are no bugs where we’re parked in Arizona. This is the most bug-free place I’ve ever been. Screen rooms are nice in places where the air is thick with mosquitoes, flies, and other airborne nuisances, but these screened porches are also nice for creating a private space outdoors. And they're only one type of goody that RVers can add to their homes on wheels.

Some items are required for comfort and safety, but some are "gotta have its," and not necessities. Still, they add a lot to the RVing experience. Some other goodies are "over-the tops" that simply make life more pleasurable.

We’ve added a few gotta have-its to our RV, too. We have an outdoor rug that matches the coach so that as little dirt as possible is tracked indoors onto our carpets. We have awnings all around, which not only shade the windows, but also allow us to leave windows and the door open when it rains for air circulation. Awnings are definitely requirements for us.

Tire-covers are required items. They protect the tires from ultraviolet rays and help them last longer. Most RV tires never get enough mileage on them to wear out. Instead, the sun cracks the sidewalls and the tires usually fail long before the tread wears down. That’s why it’s recommended to replace tires at least every seven years, even if the tread looks fine. Tire covers help extend the life of tires.

A screen covers our front windshield and side driving compartment windows while we’re parked to help filter the sun and for the extra privacy they provide during daytime hours. It does little at night with lights on in the motorhome, so would fall under the heading of a gotta have-it.

We also installed a folding shade on the inside of the windshield that can block the sun on bright days, or can provide complete privacy. We discovered these shades after leaving the car parked in the hot sun while at shopping centers during our first season in Arizona. The driver can simply grab each side of the shade and fasten it together with the snap and loop fastener attachment. Then when we got ready to drive, it’s simple to unfasten the shade in the center and let it snap back into position on each side. When it’s folded back, it takes less than an inch of storage space, so it definitely doesn’t cause a hazard by blocking the view. In fact, it isn’t even noticeable.

We finally bought one for the motorhome, and have had one installed on the three cars we’ve owned since first spending our first winter in Arizona. They’re definitely requirements for anyone who lives or spends time in hot, sunny climates.

We can see a motorhome from our site right now that has screens attached to the outside of all its windows. These are custom made and help cut the glare on windows while providing privacy during the daytime. To us, these would definitely fall under the heading of over-the-top extravagances.

Then there are the lawn chairs. Every season it seems, a new, more comfortable model comes out, and some RVers rush out to purchase the latest thing. It’s the same with barbeque grills. Some RV Parks furnish them, but after we saw someone put his sewer hose on top of a grill, we realized having our own was a requirement. But some RVers rush out to buy the newest model every year. We found one small enough to haul around in its own carrying case, and we’re sticking with it.

There are so many other items RVers can spend extra cash on, like a cover for the stovetop that keeps it from rattling while driving down the road. It also provides a little extra work space when the stove isn’t in use. However, the times when I’m cooking are the times when I need extra countertop space. Then I have to find a place somewhere out of the way to store the heavy wooden cover so it doesn’t crack somebody’s ankle if it falls over as they walk by. I guess when we bought it, it was one of those gotta have-its. It does do a good job of hiding a dirty stovetop when company drops by unexpectedly!

Other accessories are mostly decorative. But to most women, those are requirements simply because they make the RV more homelike. Consider cookware and dishes. You gotta have them, so why not buy pretty ones? I bought expensive dinnerware similar to the old Melmac of the ‘50s, but thin like china, while we were in Canada. Next I purchased placemats, napkins, and cute decorative napkin rings that coordinated. I still use the dishes, but I couldn’t locate the rest of those other little gotta have-its if my life depended on it. Guests get paper napkins if they’re lucky. If I’m out of those, they’re offered a paper towel to dab their mouths and protect their laps. And napkin rings? Anyone out there need some cute, colorful parrot napkin rings when I find them?

All semblance of “class” disappeared from view in this RV after only a few months on the road!

Next on the RVer’s list are the various vehicles to get around an RV Park like bicycles, over-sized tricycles, Segways, scooters, 4-wheelers, etc. Prices on these things can set you back a few thousand dollars. Hoofing it is a lot cheaper, even with the price of new walking shoes every so often, and walking helps keep weight under control (the RV's and yours). Or so I'm told!

If you’re buying a new RV, realize that your first trip to a camping store will probably set you back some big bucks after you spot items you can’t live or travel without. You’ll quickly create your own list of requirements, gotta-have its, and over-the-tops to outfit your home on the road.

Next you’ll be renting a storage locker to store all the stuff you bought for your new lifestyle, but soon realized was taking up too much space. It’s a lesson all RVers learn sooner or later, some much later than sooner. Travel in your RV for awhile and observe what other RVers have and use. Ask them how important various items are, and why. You’ll save lots of money if you determine what you can’t live without before loading your RV down with a lot of gotta have-its and over-the-tops that will add weight to your RV and that you’ll never use.