Enter the Mobile Comfort Zone: 5 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Camper or RV

Written by: The Foam Factory

When the open road beckons, owning a camper or recreational vehicle is the best way to maximize the vacation experience. Although you can’t take all of the comforts of home with you, the convenience that campers and RVs afford are worth the compromise. If you’d like to kick things up a notch for a reasonable price, the following upgrades are worth considering.

Maximize Storage Space

Despite the fact that campers and RVs are designed to do more with less by default, there’s always room for improvement in the storage department. Your own mobile machine no doubt features plenty of opportunities for adding extra storage space. Consider shelf racks affixed to doors, recessed drawers underneath kitchenette tables and ceiling-mounted hanging baskets to start.

Upgrade Your Mattress

Stock cushions and mattresses often leave something to be desired, even in relatively upscale recreational vehicles. Upgrading your mattresses is hands down the easiest way to make your camper more comfortable and livable in the long run. Whatever your preferences may be, there are dozens if not hundreds of high-quality custom cushion options available on the market.

Get Wired with Wireless

No matter how hard you try to get away from it all on vacation, web access is sometimes a must. While cable or satellite connectivity is often out of the question, free public Wi-Fi is quite common. A few simple gadgets like a wireless repeater and a Roku box can provide your RV with communication and entertainment capabilities.

Add Solar to the Equation

Whether you’re trying to decrease your carbon footprint or merely save a few bucks on energy costs, adding solar panels to your camper or RV is the way to go. Thanks to the dramatic drop in price we’ve seen in recent years, a few 200W solar panels can add considerable juice for a minimal price.

Invest in All-Weather Cushions

A few pieces of collapsible outdoor furniture are vital if you want to really get the full RV experience. If you’d like to take a patio with you anywhere you go, specialty outdoor cushions should be considered. Look for Dryfast foam cushions that can take a beating and withstand the moisture that comes with life on the road.

No More Hell on Wheels

Everyone’s definition of comfort is a bit different. As such, customizing your RV or camper is a no-brainer. The tips outlined here are certainly a good start. With just a few outdoor foam cushions and some additional interior storage options, your home away from home is well on its way to becoming a virtual palace.

Essential Tools for Car Maintenance

A mechanics toolset will have several tools that a home set probably won’t have, but there are a variety of basics you can and should keep close at hand. Car owners should also keep a well-stocked tool box for basic maintenance on your vehicle. You’ll save money when you do work out of your garage, and you might end up better prepared for emergency situations.

Basic Hand Tools

It’s helpful to have some basic hand tools, like pliers and an impact socket set, so you can do basic maintenance at home. A tire pressure gauge can be kept in your glove compartment, and it’s a very useful tool before going on road trips. You would also benefit from a pocket knife with many attachments (like a screwdriver or a small pair of scissors).

Fluids

It’s also important to stock your trunk with the fluids your car needs to continue running. Keep a fuel cleaner close by to add when you gas up. Anti-freeze is also helpful, especially if you mix the water into it ahead of time. Brake fluids, oil and transmission fluids are also handy but you should stock a funnel to avoid spillage.

Other Supplies

Say that a problem occurs on the roadway. If you pack a set of cones and some flares, you can signal for help and keep your car and yourself safe from oncoming traffic. Some people also find it handy to keep an emergency cell phone battery or a charger too. Bottles of water and snacks are also good for times when you are stranded. You hope these things never happen to you, but it’s difficult to predict when disaster will strike.

Bio: Toolsmith Direct sells automotive tools to mechanics and car owners. To purchase tools for home or car maintenance, visit Toolsmith Direct online.

Fuel-efficiency of SUVs

SUV and fuel-efficiency is normally does not belong in the same sentence. Traditionally they are designed to transport people and cargo and not necessarily fuel-efficiency in mind. However, new breed of SUVs are now coming out with great gas mileage while giving you the room and comfort you expect from a SUV. Some even say they are comparable to sedans in comfort and mileage. They come in gasoline, hybrid and diesel to cater to your preference. Since many models uses regular gasoline, you no longer need to worry about gas mileage.

Using the fuel economy as the criteria, Consumer Reports and others have developed tables showing SUVs that are mpg friendly. Many evaluations identify more than 35 most fuel efficient SUVs in the market. Among them Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited, Lexus RX 450h, Subaru XV Crosstrek Premium, Mini Countryman S and Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium delivers 27 and 26 overall miles per gallon with highway mileage ranging from 29 to 35 mpg. Then there are well known luxury models such as Mercedes Benz, BMW and Acura to choose from too. Before choosing a SUV, pay attention to other factors such as safety features and try few of the popular models.