Thinking About Fulltiming: In the Galley

If you're considering the switch to fulltime RVing and already have RV experience, you know that the RV galley is a whole lot smaller than the one "back home." But for those jumping into the lifestyle without having experienced the "joys" of the micro-sized RV kitchen here's a tip:

Before you make the switch, determine what you "really" need to cook in your new lifestyle. Now, can you stuff all of it in a single kitchen cabinet in your land-based home? Physically try it! Now maybe your new RV will have more cupboard space than that single "home kitchen" cabinet, but then again, it's often a fair shake to size things up. Seems like a lot of RV manufacturers seem to think that folks who use RVs must "eat out" a lot--they galley cabinets on many new rigs are just plain minuscule.

Fulltimers Candid Comments on Motorhome Fulltiming

Jose and Jill fulfilled their dream: Out the window went the "corporate lifestyle." They sold their townhouse and moved into a 40' motorhome, pursuing the fulltime lifestyle. Now after a few years on the road, they have their own views--based on experience--of the pros and cons of fulltiming in a motorhome.

From the ever-changing scenery, to matters of indoor living--like furniture, the Two Js have set out their likes and dislikes on one of their website pages. While some of their lists of raves and rants are motorhome specific, others touch on the the matter of RV living itself--so don't cut it short if you're planning on fulltiming in a fifth wheel.

Jill and Jose's site is not limited to a short discussion about the pros and cons of motorhomes, they have a fairly wide assortment of RV topics they cover. Check out their website.

Photo your-rv-lifestyle.com

Shopping for the Fulltime Rig: Bathroom or Badroom?

It may be the room where you spend the least amount of time in your RV, but if you're living with a bathroom that doesn't work for you, it'll seem like you spend a lifetime there.

RV bathrooms are a necessary evil, sometimes they can be real evil. How do you sort out the good from the bad? When shopping for that new rig, make it your business to go about your bathroom business. No, we're not suggesting leaving a calling card behind, but work your way through the bathroom area as if you were going to be living with it.

Take off your shoes, step into the shower--is there enough headroom and elbowroom? Are there places to put that necessary "stuff" like shampoo, conditioners, and razors? When you step out, is safety a concern--might you need to add grab bars to enchance mobility?

What about (as the Brits call it) the Loo? Some RV toilets are stuck away in a "closet" for privacy. Sit down on the pot with the door closed. Is there enough room for you feet to rest comfortably, or will your knees be in your chin while you fish for the paper? For that matter, where is the toilet paper--is it in easy reach? When you try to get back up off the throne, will you need help from a strong man?

Now in front of the mirror--how's the lighting? How about the medicine cabinet storage space--enough room for that, and all the other things you "must have" while in the powder room? If there isn't enough room for linens, is there a close and usable place for them? Are there shore power outlets in easy reach--and are they guarded by safety enhanced ground-fault-interrupter circuits?

Heating and ventilation, too, are important in the John. Back to the "toilet closet." Are there air conditioning and heating ducts? If you or your traveling companions spend a lot of time on the throne, it can get might uncomfortable if there is sufficient "environmental regulation." How about ventilation? Ceiling vents? Openable windows?

How about the bathroom layout and doorway arrangements? Is the bathroom sufficiently hidden away from other parts of the living area? When you take a shower, will you emerge "buck nek-ed" into the bedroom? Is that a problem?

By acting like you live there, you'll quickly discover whether the bathroom in your prospective RV will work for you, or whether you'd better take a powder and look for something else.

Shopping the Fulltime Rig: In the Galley

Not everyone already has an RV when the begin their "fulltime career." Well, I guess we did--it was a large truck camper, but it didn't take long to figure out that fulltiming in a slide-in camper just wasn't going to cut it. So we started shopping for a "new" home. Maybe you're in the same position. There are many areas of concern when evaluating an RV for fulltime-ability, and we'll touch on them now and then. To get started, let's talk about the galley:

Weekend RV users don't need to worry much about their galley--after all, it is just a weekend, or an occasional week or two. But when fulltiming, you can't always rely on hitting Burger Doodle, when the cook has had enough of cramped cooking spaces. One of the first things to examine is counter space. If there isn't enough of it, your cook will soon go batty. Where will you put those little appliances? Toaster, coffee maker, (for us, bread maker), et al? And once they're in place, will there be enough space left over to work in the kitchen? Since most fulltimers go without a dishwasher, where will you put the dishes to dry?

Sure, RV builders are clever: "See this neat sink cover? Need more room, just toss the cover on!" Fine, as long as you don't need the other half of the sink. We don't find the need of a "residential" size kitchen sink in our galley, we'd rather have those extra inches of space in counter tops. And speaking of that, what material is best for an RV counter top? Granite and Corian looks great! But my, oh my, consider the weight--it all adds up, and you've got to drag that weight around. Consider those two little big words: fuel economy. We eventually added a "dog leg" counter top extension that folds down beside a kitchen cabinet when not in use. It helped a lot.

When evaluating rigs, end kitchens usually have more counter space by virtue of the design. Some rigs with slide out kitchens have tacked on "islands" in the kitchen. Whenever you evaluate, make sure she (or he) who does the cooking spends a few minutes really looking the place over. Is there sufficient (and handy) cabinet space for what you keep in your kitchen? Getting down on your "prayer bones" to get supplies out gets old in a hurry.

While you're on those bones, consider the galley floor covering. Our "new" old rig came with carpet throughout, living room, bathroom, and kitchen. It didn't take long for us to give most of that carpet the heave-ho, and replace it with something we could really live with: Laminate flooring, light weight, durable, and good looking. Ever broken an egg on carpet?

Finally, consider the galley appliances: Some cooks really want four-burner stoves--and they're hard to find. Some motorhome builders apparently figure you don't need an oven--they give you a microwave oven and a 3-burner stove top (if you're fortunate). Again, is that really going to satisfy the real roving cook? And carefully consider the RV refrigerator--make sure it's big enough and configured to meet your needs.