Handy Hints, Gadgets, Products & Gizmos

[GizmosMom]

Another member suggested a new forum section with new products but it doesn't look like it will be feasible. So I thought I would post this here under General RVing Issues. If enough people post (even if you have mentioned it before in another post) we can keep it near the top?

Do you have a handy hint, a new product or an old product that makes your RVing or Camping much better?

(Sorry, no commercial advertising allowed)

I'll start:

Someone in the Camping Van posted a reference to using a Super-Chamois to wipe down their shower. I have been using an icky old thick sponge and I like the chamois idea so much more.

Now I want to hear what works for you

[ak_traveler]

bakerws wrote:
I just finished ready all the posts, took me all day, great ideas, thanks.
I have a problem I haven't been able to solve. I have a rope light that I like to hang on my awning. I recently bought a California screen room that slides into the groove where I used to hang the awning light. I have seen clasps to hang lights from the awning flap but it is outside my screen room and I want the light to be inside. I haven't been able to come up with another way to hang the light. any suggestions?
Thanks

Yep...here you go:
Twin Trak
That'll solve it!

[bakerws]

I just finished ready all the posts, took me all day, great ideas, thanks.
I have a problem I haven't been able to solve. I have a rope light that I like to hang on my awning. I recently bought a California screen room that slides into the groove where I used to hang the awning light. I have seen clasps to hang lights from the awning flap but it is outside my screen room and I want the light to be inside. I haven't been able to come up with another way to hang the light. any suggestions?
Thanks

[reg1948]

One of the neatest ideas I have heard of comes from a couple we met camping in Oregon last year. He and his wife have a cat and he fixed a pet door on the side of his entry step and so the cat could visit the litter box set up in the BAY any time she wanted. We just think that was one smart idea. As for us, we replaced our J-couch with a swivel rocker/recliner and love it!

Merry Christmas (Happy Holidays) everyone!

[MsSharonK]

The newest item I'm putting in my motorhome is the Ziplok vacuum pump. This is a cute little device that acts like the electric vacuum bag sealers but is all done by you with very little effort. You do have to purchase special bags ($2.35/approx. for 12 quart-size at Walmart) and the vacuum pump was $1.50 and comes with 3 bags. Now I can use that sweet little device to put away those small items I want to freeze without hauling out my Vacuum Sealer and not have any freezer burn.

[Denise_in_Ark]

We're part timers, so far 6 mos working as a nurse in a town 2 hours from home. But the camper stayed in an RV park the whole time and I don't like to cook inside. I rigged an outdoor kitchen under the awning. Set a folding table up to countertop height and used a king size sheet to cover it. Under the table is a whole storage system, a set of cheap plastic bookshelves on one side and plastic drawers on the other. The bookshelves hold small appliances like the Foreman grill, electric skillet,and toaster oven. The drawers hold cooking and eating utensils and food prep tools. A power strip is velcroed to the underside of the front of the table. You can put a lot of stuff under 36" of height.

I pinned the sheet to fit, folding pleats at the corners. While we're back home with my sewing machine, I may make a "cozy" out of it, with the flaps velcroed to each other to make easier access. If I find some of that really heavy tablecloth material that matches my outdoor decorating motif, I may fuse two lengths together and use it instead of a sheet. That way it will be wipeable and hold back wind better. As it is, with the protection of the awning and the sheet over it, things stayed clean enough that I seldom had to wash anything before cooking. I cooked outdoors almost every night and it was so nice to have my kitchen set up.

When we broke camp, all we had to do was take down the table, bring in the appliances, and set the drawers and shelves inside. It wasn't 10 minutes of extra work.

Denise in Ark

[Denise_in_Ark]

Thanks for this thread. It is among my favorite type of things to read.

Our hint is about adapting. We bought a 27' Salem BH in 2000 when we still had children that we took camping with us. No more kids going along with us, and my husband is now a travel nurse, so we are part timing.

When we no longer needed two bunks, we put its mattress on the lower bunk. Any guests we do have sleep on a more comfortable mattress.

The upper bunk is now a long deep shelf. I bought plastic drawer bins and use them to take advantage of vertical space. There is some dead space behind the drawers and that is where items that get little use (extra pillows, sleeping bags, etc) get stored.

Denise in Ark

[Hitch_Itch]

Nothing I enjoy more(other then camping itself of course)then to get great ideas for the camper, truck or anything related to camping

tx for the tips

Ken

[wny_pat1]

GizmosMom wrote:
During the months of November and December, I save cereal and cracker boxes. I use them to wrap gifts in. I enjoy trying to disguise my gifts. These boxes are a good size for books, DVD movies and music CD's, etc. After Christmas we fold them flat and put them in the recycling bin.

Go figure - I got balled out for trying to recycle cereal boxes. They told me only newspaper and brown paper bags, but no cereal or other food boxes. Must depend on where you live.

[GizmosMom]

This isn't really a hint for the RV--just a general hint that I wanted to share this Christmas.

I try to recyle every item that I can.

During the months of November and December, I save cereal and cracker boxes. I use them to wrap gifts in. I enjoy trying to disguise my gifts. These boxes are a good size for books, DVD movies and music CD's, etc. After Christmas we fold them flat and put them in the recycling bin.

Merry Christmas everyone!

[Bofus]

This is a Great site, and I hope YOU will share your Handy Hints, Gadgets, Products & Gizmos with us!!

The stairs in our 5er are not carpeted, and at times we (especially in our socks) and even our dogs would find those 2 steps to be slippery and hard to safely go up or down.

So, we went to WalMart and purchased an inexpensive foam kitchen mat, brought it back to the 5er, cut 2 pieces to perfectly fit the steps. Our slipping and sliding on those steps is over! And the padding of the foam step covers is more comfortable than the bare wood - even for the pups.

These foam kitchen mats are available in quite a variety of colors and designs. We hope someone else can benefit from our idea.

Happy Holidays to all from Bofus!

[adventureseeker]

95 pages and some great hints.

A couple of ours for the Truck Camper where space is very limited.

I have a funky trianglulated cabinet that is about 8" tall, 4" wide and 13" deep. It was worthless until I found some dense foam at the shop, cut to fit and it became a knife block (just stick the knives in the foam).

I hated opening cabinets after driving; I always had something bouncing off of my head as it fell out. To solve this, we purchased the Rubbermaid drawers that are stackable and put them in all cabinets and labeled them. Canned goods in one, coffee and tea in another, snack food, hardware, games etc. Haven't had a bump on the head since.

Stick up LED lights. Velcro'd them in all of my outside compartments and many of my oft used inside ones. Makes finding things at night a breeze (like the BBQ or fire starter) and also put some in the dinette so that coming in to use the head from campfire you don't have to turn on lights.

Put hooks near the rear door. One for Jeep keys, one for camper keys and one for truck keys. Now we know were all of the keys are if we need anything from the truck, jeep etc. Before it was.. where did I put those keys again?

Hooks in cabinets to hang kitchen towels.

Basket with non-skid on the bottom on the kitchen counter keeps garlic, onions and fresh fruit in it and it only takes up unused counter space beyond the sink near the window.

Made a shower grate out of leftover 2x4 for the outside shower so your feet don't get muddy. Doubles as a boot scraper for the step when in an actual campground (we primarily boondock).

[lasparrot]

I used the Ikea bygel wire baskets inside my "kitchen" cupboards. They are hung using basic cup hooks so are easily removable if I wish to use them elsewhere.

[Okie_in_Wyoming]

For a simple and cheaper way to have a awning shade, I use a cloth shower curtain! Slide the awning hooks in the slide of the awning tube, and hang the curtain. Shower curtains already have the holes in the top for the hooks so it is very easy! They come in many great colors and patterns so you can pick and chose your favorites. Another plus - they are rather light weight.

Have a wide awning? Use 2 or more! Need rain protection? Use a plastic curtain instead of the cloth kind.

The one I have has just a slightly looser weave so the air will still float through but provides wonderful shade even in direct sunlight. We really enjoy our "patio" time now.

Happy Trails, Okie

[JimBollman]

This is a simple one. I have a slide in camper. I have alway carried all the assorted adapters, cranks, etc in the LP compartment. Last year in one of those slap the forehead moments I put several large cup hooks and those snap in clamp things that they hang up brooms and such with, around in side the compartment to hang everything that would hang. Makes it much easier to find things when you need them and makes a much neater storage compartment.

Jim...

[Anthony21403]

I wanted some kind of light to let me see to get in my TT at night. Leaving the bug light on all the time was a no-go as the bulbs burn out very quickly. I was looking online one time and found these online Motion Activated LED Light. I got two of these, one for each of my doors. I mounted the flat bracket to my TT, then hung the lights. When it is time to move, the lights just unhook from the brackets (which only stick out about an eighth of an inch) and I can press on. They are not super bright, but are more then adequate to show you where tripping hazards are and where the steps/handles are at.

Also, can't find them at Autozone right now, but picked up a small LED light that has a cabinet door switch on short segment of wire. There is a small magnetic piece that mounts to the door to operate the switch when you open it. I put one of these in the under-bed storage area. Again not super bright but give you enough light to find what you are looking for.