Before we moved into our fifth wheel I obsessed over how I would organize everything we owned into such a tiny space. As I've stated before, we are not traveling and have a little extra leeway here.
First of all, we have our shed on the property with us. In here we store most of our tools, dog food, bikes, and other "garage" items. Our lawnmower and other large yard equipment are in the workshop, another building on the property we recently re-roofed. Our washer and dryer are in the adjacent laundry room, which also houses the items we need to sift through (again) to reduce and get rid of.
Here is a view of the backside of our RV. You are looking at the power pole and water line that we installed and use.
Here is a more detailed look at the RV. From right to left: 50amp power plug, the white door houses our instant water heater, the next cabinet is the main water and satellite control center, the large door is the basement storage, which also houses the automatic leveling jacks controls, and the far door is the propane tank that services the water heater. On this side of the basement we keep gallons of drinking water, paper towels, Korbin's footlocker with his scout camping stuff, and Korbin's keyboard which he gets out when he feels like playing.
Do you see that slide sticking out over the basement? That's the master bedroom slide. I have lost count how many times I've opened up the grey tank only to stand up while already walking back only to smack my forehead right into the CORNER of that slide. I can walk under the slide and my head barely touches it, but the corner is low and gets me every time I'm not ready for it. When Jeff was out of town for a weekend I actually got a concussion from that particular corner. It was dark and I was in a hurry and BAM! I crossed my hands over the injury (right under left) which stops bruising and bleeding very quickly. (check out the King Institute) I did not have a bruise at all. I held my crossed hands over my forehead for about 30 minutes. However, I still had a concussion. (That was before I knew about Arnica. Now, I keep a vial of Arnica 200 with me at all times for head injuries.) The entire next day was spent sleeping and resting, as I was monstrously grumpy and tired. I had Arnica gel, which my friend Heather told me about a few months ago, but too bad I didn't have the pellets!! The gel helped the pain, but I needed the pellets to help my mood and fatigue.
This is the water/satellite control center. From top left to bottom: Satellite cord inlet, the black rectangle is a covered electrical outlet, the red/blue/black knobs control whether your water comes from the outside spigot or the holding tank, I have no idea what the black spigot is for. (Jeff is the primary user here.) The "faucet controls" attach to a water hose and are useful for an outdoor shower, the incoming hose is coming from the spigot, the white covers are for rinsing out the grey and black tanks, and the black handles are for emptying the grey and black tanks. Behind the wall adjacent to the basement there is also a water filter.
Under the nose there is a pretty good sized storage area we keep all our camping gear in. Korbin camps nearly every month and as a family we go a few times each year. In this spot we have 6 cots, 6 camp chairs, a massive Coleman instant tent, a backpacking backpack, and even a target for Jeff's bow. As you can see, I also keep a backup propane tank nearby. (It's not fun to run out of hot water mid-shower. Kailyn can tell you all about that.)
This is our front "porch" area. I bought step carpets which help the dog keep her footing (and her humans, too!) I found it's best to keep them on one side of the step so that when you walk down with socks on after a good rain, your socks don't get soaked on the way. There is a small black rug at the bottom and inside there is another rug as you walk in, both designed to trap dirt and mud. I think they work pretty well. I've had years of concrete sidewalks and driveways, so now that everything's dirt, we need the extra help. The area rug is made for RV's and I found it at Wal-Mart. Did you know that every Wal-Mart has an RV section? I did not. I don't like the rug, but it is functional and I wouldn't be without it. The patio furniture we brought from home and recently purchased new cushions for. I keep rain boots handy, as there is plenty of need for them. We keep the awning out unless the wind picks up. When it rains, I move the chairs and set them between the steps and the basement opening to keep them dry.
The propane storage on this side holds 2 tanks, which power the heater and stove. As long as I remember to turn off the oven when I'm done, they last a long time! Inside the basement we store our shoes. You can see an old yellow extension cord hanging on the shoe rack. That is plugged into the ceiling outlet in the basement and there is a hole in the floor to run a cord to power anything you like. (I keep a fan nearby, which works well to dry the stair carpets when they get wet.) It's a little harder to see the mounting hardware behind that cord on the wall, but that is made for the TV in our bedroom. The mounting arm is made so that we can just pop it off the wall in the room and pop it on the wall in the basement, in case we want to watch something outside. (Good for sports!)
In this picture you can see the outdoor kitchen, the kitchen slide, and the patio.
The outdoor kitchen is my favorite space outside. It is really more Jeff's space, but it's so functional and orderly that I really like it! On the countertop, we store a compost canister (for coffee grounds), a mini Keurig, coffee pods (I usually buy compostable/recyclable ones from Bed Bath and Beyond or use my refillable K-cup), distilled water for the coffee maker, a sink, and some paper towels. I am on the hunt for these paper towel boxes. I used to be able to find them, but the box size at the store has increased. If you see some, please tell me!!
We will have to get rid of a LOT of glass if we ever travel. Here I am storing growlers, which we use to purchase beer on tap or to make kombucha. Currently, my friend Chris is brewing some green tea ginger kombucha for us!! The cabinet on the other side has coffee mugs, wine glasses, beer glasses, and wine aerators.
The mini fridge holds drinks. Cokes, waters, beer, cider, drink mix ingredients, and coffee. To the left here, you can see a handy bottle opener attached to the cabinet I found at Cost Plus.
The drawer on the left houses an outdoor stove.
The drawer on the right contains outdoor utensils. (My basting brush and meat thermometer were being washed.)
The grill is only a few steps away. It has a propane burner, gas grill, charcoal grill, and smoker.
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