Is your camper due for an update inside and out? Whether you’re looking for more storage space, convenient solutions for common camping woes, or simply a little more modern style inside your RV, you don’t have to tear up the flooring or break out the paint.
Upgrading your RV’s interior can be as easy as adding the right camping accessories or making small but impactful changes. A thorough upgrade can even be done on a budget of any size, if you know which tweaks will make the biggest visual or convenience payoff for minimal effort and investment.
Refresh your RV’s interior with these quick and easy upgrades that deliver an impressive number of benefits – and a whole lot of efficiency, convenience, and style!
Swap Incandescent Bulbs for LEDs
If you’re tired of dim lighting and poorly-lit interior spaces throughout your RV, here’s a super simple upgrade: Switch from incandescent bulbs to LEDs!
While newer RV models likely already use LED bulbs in their light fixtures, older models are typically still using the less efficient and outdated incandescent bulbs of years’ past. As a result, switching to LEDs can offer you more brightness and improved energy efficiency – not to mention, a longer lifespan of about 10 years. You can customize the wattage to some degree, and choose the exact shade of white light plus the brightness you’d like as you make the swap.
While you’re switching out those old incandescent bulbs for brighter LEDs, you can also add easy lighting solutions to illuminate areas of your RV interior that aren’t the most conveniently lit.
For example, you can add strip lighting under cabinets for better countertop illumination (or a softer lighting solution if you don’t want to use overhead lights constantly). Or, you can install peel-and-stick motion light bars that automatically turn on with movement. These are especially handy for dark closets, cabinets, and storage areas. And why not dress up the outside while you’re at it? There are plenty of available patio and decorative lights that add an element of fun to your RV’s exterior.
Switch to a Digital Thermostat
If you’ve been relying on an old analog thermostat to control your RV’s heater and interior temperature, it’s time to upgrade to a digital one. Analog thermostats are cheap and typically come as-is on RVs; but with a digital model, you’ll have considerably more control over your comfort.
Analog thermostats are notoriously inaccurate, which means they don’t tell the true picture of how hot or cold your RV’s interior actually is. Plus, they can leave you frustrated with no ability to accurately gauge whether you need to run the heat (or AC, if you’re getting especially fancy).
Switch to a more modern digital thermostat, and you’ll have far more accuracy, control, and comfort. You don’t have to go uber-complicated and opt for a WiFi-enabled model, either. Just look for a digital RV thermostat that gives you an accurate temperature reading and works for your heating and cooling setup.
If, however, you do want to get fancy there are plenty of options available with a variety of features. For example, some digital thermostats include RV monitoring for total control of fans, gas, air conditioners, and more. Others go so far as to offer wireless pet monitoring to ensure your furry friends are lounging in comfort while you’re away.
Upgrade Your Mattress
When it comes to comfort, your RV mattress is essential. As the prime place where you rest and relax, it plays a huge role in the quality of your sleep – which affects everything from your mood to how safely you can operate that RV.
Luckily, you can easily replace your existing lumpy monstrosity for a mattress that’s more comfortable. Whether you’re looking for something that’s simply supportive or downright plush, there are plenty of different mattress types to choose from these days. You can opt for a traditional inner spring or upgrade to a body-contouring memory foam, or enjoy the best of both worlds with a hybrid design. It’s just a matter of finding the right fit for your RV’s bed.
If a new mattress isn’t in the budget, consider investing in some new pillows. Just that small switch can make a massive difference on your neck and back alignment while sleeping.
Change Your Cabinet Hardware
Whether your RV’s interior is feeling dated or the cabinetry simply isn’t to your liking, you don’t have to tear down the kitchen for a more modern upgrade.
You’d be amazed at the difference some new hardware makes. From cabinet handles to drawer pulls, swapping out the hardware takes just a short amount of time, a small investment, and very little expertise. Yet it leaves a massive impact behind!
You can customize your RV’s cabinets with any drawer pulls or handles that suit your personal style and preferences. With a screwdriver, you can change the entire look and feel of your kitchen – or your bathroom, or any hardware-equipped cabinets throughout the camper – to make it feel more modern, more farmhouse, more classic, or any other aesthetic you enjoy.
Add a Kitchen or Bathroom Backsplash
For another quick infusion of style, you can easily add a backsplash to the walls of your RV kitchen or bathroom.
No, you don’t have to install ceramic tile (and all of the weight it can introduce to your camper). Instead, simply opt for easy-to-use peel-and-stick tiles, which look like the real thing on a budget.
Peel-and-stick tiles come in a wide array of different colors, patterns, and styles. They apply like stickers, and you can simply smooth them onto the walls and surfaces of your RV interior for a realistic and visually-appealing upgrade. It’s a great way to add a backsplash at a fraction of the cost behind your sink or under your cabinets. But the applications don’t stop there! You can also use these “tiles” elsewhere – for example, you can opt for a rustic wood grain and apply them to your fridge, or use a more intricate tile pattern for flooring, an accent wall in the bedroom or dining area, or even on under-seat storage.
Best of all, peel-and-stick tiles are as easy to remove as they are to apply. You can remove them whenever you’re ready for another upgrade, or reapply, if necessary, over time.
Swap Out Old Linens for Fresh Ones
Increase your camper’s home comforts and add a little touch of personal style by upgrading your linens. Whether it’s a set of luxuriously comfy new sheets or some stylishly patterned kitchen towels, swapping out your old camping linens for seasonal, colorful, or simply refreshed versions can make your RV feel more like a home away from home.
Plus, these linens can double as stylish accents throughout your interior.
Eye-catching kitchen towels look great while hanging; so too do pops of color in the form of placemats or table runners. In the bathroom, you can also add a little style with a fresh set of hand and bath towels, or some coordinated rugs and a shower curtain. You can even use throw blankets and accent pillows to pull together the interior and make it feel wholly fresh.
Mount Baskets and Holders on the Wall
Here’s an upgrade that’ll give you more critical storage space and look great! You can mount attractive baskets right on the walls of your RV’s interior and use them to stash your everyday essentials.
Whether you opt for wicker or another natural material, metal or matte, or even lightweight plastic that looks elevated and sleek, these baskets can look stylish and hold a surprising amount.
You can use wall baskets to store everything from spare kitchen towels to your most-used spices, to remotes and tech accessories. If you have specific items that you’d like to get off the counters for more working space, you can even find paper towel holders, napkin holders, and paper plate holders that are designed to be mounted to walls or underneath cabinets.
Don’t want to drill into your walls? There are plenty of baskets and holders that don’t require anything beyond adhesive strips. You can also try Command Hooks or Velcro strips for a less permanent solution.
And if you don’t want to opt for baskets, remember you can always try shelves instead. Any bare wall space inside your RV can become storage space with a set of attractive floating shelves. You can stash baskets and bins atop these shelves (just remember you’ll need to secure them while you’re in motion!) or use them to display accents and decor.
Upgrade Your Shower Head
It’s a small change that doesn’t do much for your camper’s style, but it does an awful lot for your comfort on the road and at campsites: Replace your existing shower head with one that offers more pressure and keeps water usage in check.
Too many RV shower heads disappoint with trickles of water, leaks, or other problems, especially as they get older. But just because you want to be conscientious about your water usage doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a good shower and decent water pressure.
For example, new Oxygenic shower heads have become beloved by RVers because they offer significantly better pressure without wasting a ton of water. You can look for shower head models that work similarly to enjoy every shower you take on the road.
Use Technology to Monitor Your Holding Tanks
Lastly, while it’s not so much about your interior as what’s under your RV, you do want to think about your holding tanks.
It can be frustrating to try to assess how full – or empty – your fresh water and gray or black holding tanks are while you’re camping. And no camper enjoys running out of water in the middle of a shower or discovering the unpleasant scent of waste backing up in the toilet.
Make it a breeze to monitor exactly what’s happening inside both holding tanks with a digital tank monitoring system. These easy-to-use systems keep track of levels and send alerts when you’re running too low or too full. They can vary a bit in accuracy, but it all depends on the sensors included in the system. The more accurate the sensors, the easier time you’ll have figuring out just how much is left in either holding tank (and the more enjoyable every trip will be).