What unique item do you keep in your RV?

[Kirk W]

A current thread that is running on the beginner forum got me to thinking about the things that we carry in our RVs, whether full-time of part-time. Whatever we take along that has a real purpose and which we use is clearly a good thing to have along, but with weight limits most of us only take the more common things, for the most part. Yet many of us do have some hobby or less common purpose that means taking something along that is rarely found in an RV and that is the sort of thing that I am asking about.

 

In our case, Pam traveled with her sewing machine and surger when we were fulltimers and I had a scroll saw as some of the less common items which we both used on a frequent basis. Pam probably had some even less common tools since she is a crafty person, but I'm not so don't really know all of what she takes along. I have a hobby of making things from wood so carry a few less common things in that category, but let's not limit this to hobbies or tools. If you have some item in your RV that you believe is rarely found but which has a purpose that is important to you, please share with us what the unique item is and how you use it!

[chirakawa]

Me.

[SIBERNUT]

I wanted a full sized barbecue surface (but just the bowl & burners) with me. I sat & thought a long time how I could make something light, strong and sturdy to hold it up at comfortable height, yet be compact. In a flash of inspiration, I got a walker from a thrift store & made the barbecue bolt on top quick-disconnect. Perfect!

(And of course, not wanting to leave well enough alone, I made labels for it. Says "Property of God's Waiting Room Nursing Home, Do Not Remove")

[SpaceNorman]

I schlepp a piano ... a Yamaha CP300 ... 88 weighted action keys and onboard speaker system. The Keyboard and case weighs in at a hair under 100 lbs. I also carry a small "T" stand (to set the keyboard on), a folding piano bench and a small "gig bag" with a 25 ft 110V extension cord, the keyboard's power cable and the piano's sustain pedal. I use the piano to hold up my nightly glass of bourbon ... and as a conversation starter when I'm sitting out on the patio playing.

[LindaH]

Me.

LOL!

[Legendsk]

I built my faceting workbench and system into the bedroom closet. When working with rocks that are only a few carats, a small number of pounds will last the rest of my life.

[dartmouth01]

Two snowboards, two pairs of skis, cross country skiing gear, and a couple pairs of snowshoes. Also a Tomos 50cc moped strapped to the front of the truck, and two mtn bikes on top of the cab of the truck! :-)

 

Oh and a sewing machine too, like Kirk. :-)

[nana25k]

A floor stand for my rug hooking frame. Currently a few " mini gym" items such an inflated balance ball and a floor peddler haves been added to our living space.

[spindrift]

Our game of Corn Hole.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Not unique but dive flags/balls and associated equipment, tons of fishing rods and ancillary items (to point of ridiculousness but hubby's passion!), inflatable sturdy dinghys, sometimes the hard kayaks and always our pedal bikes. Several games, jigsaws, dominos, playing cards, movie disks for bad weather days and crochet supplies for as and when the mood takes me.

[Klc]

We haven't had our 1st outing yet, as we just purchased our mh for full-timing next spring and we are busy packing her up. But, when we do go my sewing machine will definitely be packed along with everything else that I use for creating. I will also have a light box, paper cutter, yarn, knitting needles, etc. We also will be taking our bean bag game (we've had it for 50+ years and never heard it called corn hole until recently).

[DuneElliot]

I decorated my entire fifth wheel with a medieval/viking theme, including animal hides and furs all over the walls, floor and furniture, swords and other traditional weapons have become wall decorations. Viking-style drinking horns and pewter mugs are also prevalent. My plates and bowls are all wood, including the drinking cups. The walls are all covered in burlap or leather-inspired fabric to give the feel of a rustic long-house. I carry all my renaissance faire gear with me in the camper, which includes the above mentioned drinking horns and swords, a shield and dagger and armor.

 

I upgraded the suspension and tires on my rig so that I quadrupled my weight carrying capacity so it's now more about finding space for my hobby of ren faires and LARPing than it is about carrying the weight.

[sandsys]

Model railroad uncoupling tools for when we visited operating models. When you have tools that work well for you why fiddle with someone else's tools?

 

Our card pack: two decks of cards, six dice, golf pencil, small tablet, a keychain-sized cribbage board, and a few game rules that all fit in a quart zip-top bag with the top half empty and folded over. We could play a variety of games anytime anywhere.

 

Dave's electronic keyboard and accessories.

 

My Segway--which was replaced with a TravelScoot after I broke my face when I hit a hidden curb on the Segway.

 

Linda Sand

[theeyres]

Southern long leaf pine needles, sewing needles, coiling cord or artificial sinew for making pine needle baskets....anytime we take the trailer out, the stuff goes with. When we full timed, it included a scroll saw and small bandsaw plus one of those four legged canopies with sides that I would set up as my shop.

[hdrider]

2 RC planes and a quad-copter. Not much weight but they do take space.

[DamianF]

I keep a flour mill onboard along with a variety of seed grains. It was originally a hand cranked unit, but I converted it to 12v. On longer trips I bring a couple of other mills and an oat flaker. Toys for the sandbox!

[acker1]

I have 1 each silhouettes of a woman and child, both in the same frame facing each other. I was told it was of my mom & myself but I'm not too sure of that. They were done by Louise Browning in 1944. I had looked her up and she was very famous for them back in that era. I don't know why I still carry it with us (fulltimers) but it doesn't take much room or weigh much.

 

DICK

[Yarome]

I upgraded the suspension and tires on my rig so that I quadrupled my weight carrying capacity

 

Off topic, but I would be very careful about exceeding the mfg's max cargo capacities and GVWR. Your suspension and tires might handle it fine, but the actual frame might not fair so well.. not to mention that your 5'rs brakes are only designed to handle the GVWR. They can be operated at max in the short term, but excessive braking can lead to burned out conductors and magnets. Just something to consider.

[docj]

 

Off topic, but I would be very careful about exceeding the mfg's max cargo capacities and GVWR. Your suspension and tires might handle it fine, but the actual frame might not fair so well.. not to mention that your 5'rs brakes are only designed to handle the GVWR. They can be operated at max in the short term, but excessive braking can lead to burned out conductors and magnets. Just something to consider.

 

To add to your comment, I doubt that, from a legal perspective, anything you can do will alter the GVWR that the manufacturer posted on the vehicle. In other words, the fact that you know your tires can handle the extra weight doesn't mean that your insurance company will agree if you were to be involved in an accident and your overweight situation were to become known. I'm afraid that you would still be judged as operating a vehicle above its safe weight limit.

[Mainuh]

We haven't had our 1st outing yet, as we just purchased our mh for full-timing next spring and we are busy packing her up. But, when we do go my sewing machine will definitely be packed along with everything else that I use for creating. I will also have a light box, paper cutter, yarn, knitting needles, etc. We also will be taking our bean bag game (we've had it for 50+ years and never heard it called corn hole until recently).

 

+1 On Kathryn's comments. We are just about to pickup our new (to us) rig as well and set it up for full timing. Wife is an avid quilter so we'll have the sewing machine and a couple containers of fabric will certainly find a home onboard as well as my aerial photography drone and a bunch of camera equipment and a small RC plane. Of course I'll bring a decent compliment of tools (electrical and mechanical). We have to be smart about is as our 41' is a tag so although we have tremendous CCC at 9766#, we loose a storage compartment on both sides for the tag (ironic). But, it has great inside storage but we really need to be smart about it all.

 

I may just have to start a sister thread to this, not to hijack this one, but for full timers to discuss "After you were on the road for a year or so... what did you get rid of that you initially thought you just had to have."? And companion to that... after a year or so what did you purge from storage?

[Kirk W]

But no welders yet? That comment in another thread was what inspired me to start this as it has made me wonder what other things we take with us. But there have been some really interesting things so keep them coming.

[Yarome]

I guess I'll play. Most unique in my rig I guess would be my homemade foundry/forge and a 3'x3' fresnel lens (salvaged free from an old projection TV). Outside of normal uses the forge is also a great way to melt down beer c.. I mean... beverage cans and various tins so they don't take up space and get stinky... incinerating trash. The fresnel doesn't take up any room.. it's lightweight and in certain conditions is great for heating dish/wash water outside right in the bin instead of burning LP.

[DuneElliot]

 

Off topic, but I would be very careful about exceeding the mfg's max cargo capacities and GVWR. Your suspension and tires might handle it fine, but the actual frame might not fair so well.. not to mention that your 5'rs brakes are only designed to handle the GVWR. They can be operated at max in the short term, but excessive braking can lead to burned out conductors and magnets. Just something to consider.

 

 

New suspension, new frame, new axles, new brakes/hubs/bearings, new rims, new springs. I replaced the whole shebang.

 

 

To add to your comment, I doubt that, from a legal perspective, anything you can do will alter the GVWR that the manufacturer posted on the vehicle. In other words, the fact that you know your tires can handle the extra weight doesn't mean that your insurance company will agree if you were to be involved in an accident and your overweight situation were to become known. I'm afraid that you would still be judged as operating a vehicle above its safe weight limit.

 

Believe me I'm not going over the GVWR by much, if anything, it just means I don't have to stress every little oz. Ironically my GVRW was above what my actual original axles were capable of handling (2x 3500lb axles with a GVWR of 8500 on the door)

[Yarome]

new frame

 

 

Ironically my GVRW was above what my actual original axles were capable of handling (2x 3500lb axles with a GVWR of 8500 on the door)

 

You replaced the entire trailer frame?? That must have cost a fortune.

 

Actually.. that's pretty consistent axle weight ratings for your GVWR since a good chunk of weight is carried on your tow vehicles hitch rather than all on the axles. It's still never a bad idea to upgrade the suspension and tires.. especially if you're going off pavement... which is what I think you have in mind if I remember your previous posts correctly.

[Ronbo]

Up until next month I have been carrying a wire Fred welder and plasma cutter. I will leave them with MIL this year. Hope we don't need them. Small drill press, portable band saw, reloading press and kayak.