Vanlife: Our favorite mods and accessories

[@michellestratford9753]

Thank you so much for these mods. I just purchased a 1995 190 Versatile and I need to bring it in to the 21st century, lol.

[@Trekers]

Sometimes it's nice to update, sometimes it's nice to enjoy rigs that are older and don't have all the bells and whistles that can break! 😀 Congrats on your purchase and good luck with your modifications.

[@davidpalecek7261]

Thanks for the advice, I ordered the hanger and 12 volt usb for our recently purchased 2005 190 popular.

[@Trekers]

Glad we could help. Thanks for watching and commenting. Safe travels!

[@MultiRabe]

Wow, this was a great video 👍🏼👍🏼👏🏼

[@Trekers]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@johnnylightning1491]

Thanks guys, I really liked the thin bins, I think I might have to get some. We sold our house Saturday so somewhere around the first of the year we'll be getting a motor home and hitting the road full time. Keep the good stuff coming.

[@Trekers]

We have found them to be very versatile. Congrats on selling the house and moving ahead with travel plans! And thanks for your continuing support!!

[@seanmcmaster]

You guys are awesome! Another amazing video, Thank You guys for taking the time to share!!

[@Trekers]

Thank YOU for watching!

[@GwenRN]

I have an OCD spouse. He wants to place EVERYTHING in a plastic bag- like the water hose. I do NOT want to do this. He will NOT be traveling with me. How do you store stuff in the divers door area? No worries. I travel a lot, as absence makes the heart grow fonder.

[@Trekers]

OCD can be helpful in a small space! LOL As for the drivers door, in this van and our current one, it's a bit of just stacking things in that fit, but we also keep stuff there that we need access to quite regularly, so we try not to overfill it. Thanks for watching!

[@notanomad9320]

Great video! Have a 2005 170 that we love. Thanks for the idea on the cloths hanger, electrical quick connect and the 12 volt battery monitor. We use a 12 volt computer fan to maintain air flow in the fridge along with Sterlite branded vented trays to keep food organized by category and minimize opening the door which in really hot weather warms up the fridge in a hurry. We constantly watch the temperature on the dash with a wireless thermometer like you do. At night we typically lower the setting so food doesn't freeze overnight. Since it's good practice to never drive with propane on, we put a tag on the steering wheel reminding us to shut off the propane before driving off and especially filling with gas. We recently installed a Kenwood stereo with car play and back up cameras, we can monitor our tandem bike on the back while driving and of course having a large GPS is super nice. Take care, maybe we'll see you out there "Roadtrekking"

[@Trekers]

All good ideas, we like sharing and hearing about what others have done. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@danieletkim]

I am very interested in purchasing a roadtrek like you have, Chevrolet chassis. Any particular mechanical or maintenance advice i should be aware of

[@Trekers]

Hopefully without jinxing ourselves, we'd say probably not. The Roadtrek and the Chevy have both proven themselves to be quite reliable. From a maintenance standpoint for the Chevy, finding a dealer that has a truck lift (that can handle the weight) may be the only stumbling block, but otherwise the van side is just like servicing any Chevrolet van. From the Roadtrek/RV side, I would pay attention to the generator, making sure it has been maintained and used or exercised enough. I've seen ads for RVs where they tout how few hours a generator has on it, but that's actually a bad thing. It's especially important in the Roadtreks since getting to the generator for anything other than routine maintenance means having to drop it out of the rig, which means your labor charges go up. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have here or send us a note at [e-mail]. We're always happy to help if we can. -Ari

[@n2know]

Are you still RVing in your roadtrek? I am looking at a 2006 210 versatile widebody with very low mileage. Should I buy it? Is it roadworthy and it’s several years old now and I would have to do a lot of mods, which I would want to. What are your thoughts?

[@Trekers]

There's something to be said for mods that make it feel like your own. But if you have to do too much work, maybe it's better to wait for something closer to what you want and need. Always a tough call to make! As for the age of the rig, those were solid years for Roadtrek, so quality should be good overall. -Ari

[@nageur520]

Great info for a future full timer.

[@Trekers]

Good to hear. Thanks for watching and commenting. Good luck with your plans!

[@michaelwas8549]

Any idea where you would look to find a used rig like yours? Hate to have to go to a dealer. Best of luck!

[@Trekers]

Yes, if you visit the Roadtrek International group, they have a For Sale section: roadtrekchapter.org/. Good luck with your search!

[@joanneleiser1044]

Magnetic usb led closet lights, also motion sensor, for inside cabinets or closets. Also great as work light or outside for cooking and safety. Usb pocket warmers, usb tent fans. OXO pour over drip coffee maker. Reflectix chair shade/windbreak. Keeps you warmer or cooler sitting outside.

[@Trekers]

Lots of good ideas here. Thanks for watching and for commenting to share these!

[@Jerry-kl8ul]

Thanks

[@JUSTINANDCHRISTINA]

We have a much older unit 1999 Dodge Versatile and are renovating it wayyy more than we should.. We use everything you recommend except the clothes rod and electrical adapter- will have to see if it could work on our unit..

[@Trekers]

The old Dodge units were tanks. We know people who have them and won't give them up! Good luck with the renovations. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@michaelmcmahon9136]

Just bought a roadtrek is it hard on put on a winter cover??)

[@Trekers]

It shouldn't be as long as you can up above it somehow (like on a ladder) to be sure you can pull it carefully over whatever devices are on the roof. Many manufacturers will tell you not to cover rigs though, because it can lead to more issues in the long run. We kept ours uncovered in Michigan's winters for years with no big effects, plus it allows us to easily get into it for maintenance, running the engine and generator, etc. We also tended to drive it periodically throughout the winter to keep things running smoothly. -Ari

[@michaelmcmahon9136]

I really appreciate your input. I did not realize that manufactures recommend not to cover them. I will not cover mine. Thank you, Michael McMahon Minnesota

[@SadlyKaren]

Awesome accessories! Thank for letting us know where to get them! And as always a good vlog. Hope you have been camping a lot this summer! I have a trip coming up at the end of the week.

[@Trekers]

We're out camping right now! Found a great state forest campground that we will review in a video soon. Safe travels and thanks for the support!

[@queentatonka]

How about a link for the fridge light please

[@Trekers]

That refrigerator light was a gift so we don't know where it came from. But the company name on it is "Autolight."

[@queentatonka]

@@Trekers Thank you

[@Silverado62]

Thanks for the tips. I'm in a 12C190P. I like your power cord conversion and the rod ideas. Gonna do those. I envy your 4x4. Do you ever use it? Does the driver seat swivel?

[@Trekers]

Glad to help -- if you make the power cord conversion, leave plenty of cord from the van side when you cut it so you can pull some through to make the plug end easier to work on. I cut ours just a little short and it created a pain to finish off the installation. The 4-wheel drive has come in handy, but mostly for peace of mind. The vehicle isn't made to "off-road," so we use the 4WD more for traction than truly going off-road. I did a blog post about that specifically: trekers.org/roadtrek-4x4-off-road/ As for the driver's seat, it does swivel, but you have to unscrew the 4WD stick to get it out of the way. It's not that big of a deal, but we tend to use the driver's seat more for storage while parked anyway. Thanks for watching and commenting! Let us know if you have any other questions.

[@Silverado62]

@@Trekers Thanks. I ordered the crossbar and the power cord conversion.

[@barclayej]

Thank you

[@Trekers]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@SteveMikre44]

The dishpan looks like it would be good to soak items like clothes as well...

[@Trekers]

Absolutely, if you buy the sturdier ones, that would be another good use!

[@savagethepirate1766]

Great video. I’ve been thinking of how to build In a clothes rack. But the one you have will be perfect for my set up.

[@Trekers]

Glad this video helped. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@bosshog1062]

Where did you get the BRUSH BAR FROM?

[@Trekers]

It was installed by the previous owner so we got lucky with that. It's a Go Rhino and seems to be holding up very well.

[@byronbrasher8118]

Composting toilet vs RV black tank. The only thing I, as a wanna be full-timer can think of, is to be able to boondock for longer periods of time with no black tank overflow worries? Your videos are getting watched

[@Trekers]

That seems to be an ongoing debate. Many people with composting toilets say they are a better alternative than a black tank. We see more cassette toilets in smaller rigs now, which seem terrible in terms of capacity, especially for boondocking. Thanks for watching!

[@jkoncz]

Love your shows and watch them often!

[@Trekers]

That's great to hear. Thanks for letting us know!

[@matthewsbelinda]

loved all your ideas, I have started a wishlist on Amazon!!

[@Trekers]

We're glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for watching and letting us know!

[@gypsyrvsue2530]

you mentioned that motion sensor refrigerator light. What's the name of it?

[@Trekers]

It says Autolight on it. We received it as a gift so not sure where it was purchased.

[@gypsyrvsue2530]

@@Trekers ... ty safe travels

[@Trekers]

You're welcome. Safe travels to you, too!