Shopping List: Comfortable RV Living

If you, like us, have reached a certain age where you value your back and want a comfortable night’s rest, you’ll probably consider switching your RV mattress for a new one. We have a standard size Queen, so we could really find a mattress anywhere, but it is harder if you have a specialty RV size. We went with a Casper, and while it’s a little heavier, we knew we could get it in the RV easily and sleep comfortably.

In addition to a new mattress, we added a gel mattress topper, which we also use on our guest-room bed. It makes the bed quite comfortable (possibly more so than our bed at home). It adds a little weight, making it harder to get to the storage under the bed, but it’s worth it.

Like most things, pillows are a personal preference. We bought a set of pillows for all the beds, but we try to remember to get our favorite pillow from home before we go on a long trip.

If you have an old set of sheets that fit your RV bed, you might just want to use those, but we did not have enough sets of queen-size sheets (all 3 of our beds are queen size), so I bought some Amazon basics brand sheets and was pleasantly surprised. They’re soft and fit nicely on all the beds.

We purchased three small mats, one for each doorway, and one at the kitchen sink. They do give an area to wipe your feet, remove your shoes, or catch some spills. In such a small space, we still always track in dirt and sand, but any little bit helps.

No matter whether it’s cold outside or cold inside due to air conditioning, we all fight over our throw blankets. We also use some from home, but this sherpa blanket is a family favorite.

You might also want to add a little color and comfort with throw pillows.

If you are working from your RV or regularly on a computer, we recommend you invest in a laptop stand like this so you aren’t hunched over looking at your screen. This one folds down flat and is extremely light weight. We have used it at the dinette, standing at the counter, and outside.

We cannot recommend this product enough, because replacing our door lock mechanism allows us all to enter and exit the RV without needing keys. It also prevents us from losing keys, which is huge for us because of the kids. You should check that your door and lock would fit this new latch, but it was a fairly easy install.

This isn’t exactly a luxury item, but having this collapsable broom and dust pan was very convenient to store in a small area inside the RV rather than always needing a vacuum or the long broom we kept outside in storage.

Laundry piles up whether you’re at home or on the road. We had a thin laundry bag that tore and wasn’t strong enough to be dragged to the laundry room and back. I look forward to using these bags to store dirty laundry, and bring it to and from the laundry facilities.

Don’t forget your quarters!

Whether you’re working or enjoy listening to music or podcasts, you’ll want the peace and quiet to block out noise, but also keep your noise to a minimum when there are others in the RV you may disturb. We each have our own headphones and ear buds, so remember to bring what you regularly use or pick up a new set.

Try to make your RV feel like home. Accent with throw pillows, decorative towels, signs, welcome mats, or pictures from home. There is a lot you can do based on your style, particularly if you aren’t looking for permanent changes.