RV Modifications / Our RPod Mods / A Few Favs!

RV Modifications! We all do them, but what end up being our favorite mods on our Rpod? Our solar power system with two solar panels mounted on our roof and two portable panels that can be moved to the sunny spots allows us to be off grid. Our composting toilet saves fresh water and extends the time between having to find dump stations. And as any owner of a smaller RV or Rpod knows, storage is limited. The "shelf above the bed" solves that! We love our Rpod 177 and have spent a lot of nights in this trailer. By doing a few favorite modifications, it has made off the grid camping & boondocking more comfortable and the need for dump stations less frequent, no need for hook-up sites and be able to keep a few more things in the trailer instead of the tow vehicle.
Solar Power "In Depth": • Solar Panel System on ...
Solar Power Quick Overview: • Our Solar Panel Set Up...
The Shelf Above The Bed: • "The Shelf Above the B...
Composting Toilet: • Composting Toilet Inst...
23 Night Composting Toilet Test: • 23 Night Composting To...
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[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

Thanks for stopping by! We are now full-time in our Grand Design Imagine XLS 17MKE and have traveled through over 35 states. For something a bit newer, check out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3aZkoijq7ubd5Y

[@markreynolds3850]

Interesting video, thanks for sharing.

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

Always room for improvements in any RV! Being able to be off the grid was important to us ~ really opens our horizons. Thanks for watching Mark!

[@ArbitraryExploration]

Awesome ideas! I like the shelf above the bed. Thank you for sharing!

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

That is a Rpod "thing"! A lot of Rpod owners have done that ~ it really makes a difference in storing lightweight items. Thanks for watching :)

[@ruthtorkildson7882]

Thanks for the idea about the storage above the bed!

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

We "stole" the idea from other Rpodders ;) We keep towels and light items up there and it really helps for storage. I thought it would make the bunk claustrophobic but there is plenty of room. Here is the slightly more in depth video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epyTd4dtha6il5o Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@rvingitup]

Love the shelf. Great idea.

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

There is so little storage in the Rpod... the shelf is a must!

[@HappyTrailsHiking]

Great tips and ideas here! I can see why they are favs! Thanks!

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

They make life so much easier! We love not having to find hook up sites so the solar & toilet make a huge difference :)

[@AmericasParks]

Great suggestions, Heather. Must be nice to have the free power when the sun is out. Incredible sunset picture at the end!

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

The solar is amazing ~ we even get power on a cloudy day ~ we have two large panels on the back of the boat as well. The end was our Salton Sea sunrise ~ just incredible!

[@carlos1000rr]

Any in-depth details on anything you showed on your video? It’s great you have all those things working for you, but can you give us details?

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

Hi! Yes - I’m the description below the video there are several links to more detailed videos on each of these items - check out each of the individual videos and that will help you out. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@carlos1000rr]

👍🏼

[@Neadmo1]

Did you attach screws for rods above the wind with hollow wall anchors or were you able to find "studs"?

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

Jim used anchors - the supports just touched the tops of the window valances so that helped distribute the weight. We do not put heavy items up there! I have more info on this in another video ~ it's been awhile since he installed the shelf ~ had to think back ~ ha ha!

[@rikmiles6531]

I am not sure about a toilet not being emptied for a month whether it is composted or not. Having to deal with dumping pee every day sounds like a hassle. I can’t think of why you wouldn’t use a sink in the bathroom...this is where you wash up. I think I will stick with using the dump station because we are not spending more than a week at a campsite because it gets boring. This solar is only good for low voltage because I don’t see batteries or a inverter. This is really roughing it.

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

We have had composting toilets on our catamaran for several years and yes we can go a month easily! If you watch some of the other RV & boat channels there are several who have loved having their composting toilet: Gone With The Wynns, Drivin & Vibin and some others. The dumping of the pee daily isn't that big of a deal - I just walk over to the campground restroom. We tend to move from campsite to campsite every few or several days, but do a 3 week trip every summer (except the summer from H**L - 2020...) and we can go for a very long time without having our gray / black tanks getting full. RV heads use an insane amount of water to flush. If you just go for a week, by all means stick with what you have and what works for you! The sink just took up far too much room in that little bathroom and the galley sink is about 3' away. We have batteries, an inverter and a charge controller - my husband is a marine electrician so wired this all up to run what we need. Unless it's raining, we can go for weeks without having to plug in. We cruised Mexico on our boat for several years, so have the solar, water usage and being off the grid down. We are totally comfortable on our 49' catamaran and in our little 19' Rpod. I thank you for taking the time to comment and bring up interesting points. Safe travels Rik!

[@WanderlandTravelers]

Great tips! Have you guys ever considered removing the microwave and putting in a bigger fridge? We've seen one example of that being done, but no detail on the process involved. www.rpodnation.com/our-175-mods_topic2804.html

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

I totally missed this comment until now for some weird reason! We rarely use the microwave, but can use it to quickly heat something. It ends up being storage... the fridge amazingly holds a ton! If I pack it right I can fit loads of food in there. We use a small cig lighter style cooler / fridge / freezer for drinks or we start out with it as a freezer on a long trip, then turn it into a fridge as we eat. Before we go on a trip, we pre-cook and seal-a-meal a lot of dinners (we are lazy and we are on vacation...!), but that will all change when we don't work anymore!