Odds and Ends or Endless Mods?
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The more time we spend in the RV, the more we learn how we want to organize our space. While we were delayed from hitting the road, we took advantage of our stationary time to live in the RV and take note of its functionality on a day-to-day basis. We bought/built lots of storage solutions to make living tiny more convenient. We continued our organization process even after we hit the road, making small changes to help us live with ease.
You may recognize the above checklist from our outfitting blog series. We have officially completed it! That X though, is due to giving up on wallpapering the cabinet doors. The vinyl wallpaper wasn't sticking, and it just ended up not being worth our time. However, the interior water filter was definitely worth our time!
Frizzlife Under Sink Water Filter System
Now you may be asking, "Is a water filter actually needed?" The short answer to that is yes. However, we have 3 water filters, and the answer to needing all 3 is no. It's good to have something to catch sediment outdoors so it doesn't block your hose line coming in, plus it's just healthier. Beyond that, the filter set-up will be your choice. Here's ours.
On the outside of our rig, we have a Dirt Guard that filters the larger sediment that comes out of the water spigot (20 microns). Then we have a Clear2o filter that filters the smaller particles (1 micron). We thought we'd be happy with just those, but one campground on our maiden voyage changed our minds. Some campground water is just terrible tasting, and we want to be able to use refillable water bottles as much as possible to reduce our plastic waste. So, we bought an interior water filter that would go under our kitchen sink. This filtrates .5 microns, and any sediment that was picked up through the fresh water hose would be taken care of.
We had the filter in our possession for months but needed to wait until de-winterizing, and then replacing our water pump, before we could install it. Anthony installed it while we were in Philadelphia, and man, that water tastes AMAZING now! Granted the Philly water might just taste really good. We know that DC area water tends to. But the more places we try it, the better sense we'll get at how the filter is working its magic. We can say with confidence, though, that DC water tends to taste chlorinated, and with the filter, it does not. Anthony bought this filter because it was less expensive and lasts longer than its competitors. The installation was easy, but Anthony warns that the instructions were reversed from how the filter actually gets installed, so keep that in mind!
Sanno Powerful Vacuum "Suction Cup" Shower Caddy Basket
We've also been continuing our RV organization. We discovered that suction cups actually work wonders on our aluminum walls, and so we purchased a couple of hanging baskets that could serve as fruit and bread baskets, therefore clearing up fridge and cabinet space. We hung them on the wall that corners with our fridge.
Finding the right size baskets with suction hooks, though, is surprisingly difficult. Besides a few ugly shower caddies, we were out of luck. Nicole did find these baskets and we thought they came with suction hooks, but turns out they are just some sort of suction cup-looking adhesive. We don't want adhesives; we just want a classic suction cup like the old days! After one too many plants fell and spilled soil everywhere, we do not trust adhesives on that wall. But we were able to salvage the baskets by buying our own heavy duty suction hooks, and so far the baskets are holding up great. The black wire makes for a nice contrast against the white, and the size is good for holding produce and small loaves of bread, while still giving us plenty of room to wash dishes in the sink below.
Yocice Wall Mounted Shoe Racks and LeleCAT Basket with Hook
We also added baskets to our entry area. We spent a long time looking for adequate shoe storage, and while Anthony's shoes are too big, Nicole's have found nice homes with adhesive shoe racks and wire hanging baskets. Because our toy hauler has tracks for tying down toys, we utilize the tracks any way we can. In this case, D rings and hanging baskets were our solution. They even stay secure during travel!
Unlike the larger repairs on our rig (and there are a lot of those), small modifications to increase the ease of living are actually pretty fun. We're beginning to notice, though, that tiny living necessitates a constant focus on organization. Everything needs to be picked up and put away immediately, or else this small space can get messy very quickly. Having a spot for all our stuff helps make our daily living much more manageable, leaving more time for fun adventures on the road.