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Some days, if you walked into Number One, you’d be shocked.  The floor in half the RV bedroom might be missing.  The heater could be gone.  The water pump might be halfway connected to a mystery box of electronics.  Or maybe I’ve just cut the door to one of the wardrobe cabinets into pieces… on purpose.

Yep. That all happened.

Is there anything wrong with our RV to warrant this devastation?  Nothing.  You see, I’m an RV modder.  This is fun for me.

And I’m not alone.  RV modding has grown into its own trendy little subculture.  Supported by forums and websites like doityourselfRV and RVmodshare, modding has become mainstream.  These days, even RV manufacturers are taking notice, and using RV mods for future design inspiration.

Is it necessary to mod your RV to enjoy RVing?  Absolutely not.  RVs start life fully functional & ready to go. But, if you wish you could change that one thing that really bugs you about your RV, or even just add some personalization, modding is a way you can do just that.

If you haven’t tackled any sort of DIY project before, there’s a mental hurdle to get over before you drive that first screw into your RV’s unblemished cabinets.  And that’s ok. It’s totally normal to be nervous about trying things out of your comfort zone. If that sounds like you, I’m glad you’re here. Let’s dive in and hopefully together we can get you past any intimidation you’re feeling.

Made & mounted a spice rack on our galley wall… Twice… after Stef changed the spice jars.

First and foremost, remember: it’s YOUR rig!  Personalizing it is normal! Nobody buys a house and expects they’ll never put up a shelf or install window coverings.  You should have the same attitude about your home on wheels.

You may worry about damaging something, particularly if you’re not super handy.  I won’t lie and tell you that can’t happen.  It’s a risk, but it’s important to put that risk into perspective.  Depending on the mod you’re contemplating, the cost of repairing any damage you might cause is likely low.  Ask yourself, “what’s the worst that could happen?”  You’ll quickly realize that Chernobyl-scale consequences aren’t at all likely.

Finally, you may be concerned about “Voiding the Warranty.”  If you post your plan to an RV forum, someone will almost certainly warn you of this.  In most cases, you shouldn’t be scared, and manufacturers can’t void your warranty just because you installed an aftermarket part.  If that were the case, window tint would void a new car warranty!  There are limitations to this, though.  If you make a modification, and damage results from that modification, then that damage won’t be covered under a warranty.  And obviously your modifications themselves won’t be covered.  But to think that the warranty on your generator could be voided because you installed a paper towel holder… well that’s just not going to happen.

Cutting a hole for a window in our door. In this case, I’m pretty sure I’ve voided the door warranty.  But not the warranty on the water heater.

Know when to say when.

So you’ve decided you’re open to trying out this whole RV modding thing.  Fantastic!  It’s important to start with a realistic evaluation of what your own skills are, so that you know what you can do, and what you should probably hire out.

RVs are miniature houses.  A project in your RV could potentially require the skills of all the professionals you might have work on your home – and then some.  These skills include:

  • Carpentry
  • General Mechanical
  • Electrical
  • Stitchcraft
  • Plumbing
  • HVAC
  • Propane Safety
  • Automotive

If you find you’re lacking in one of these areas, perhaps it’s time to skill up!  For example, I was surprised at how many RV mods required working with fabric.  Initially I hired any sewing RV projects out.  But eventually, I got tired of that and took evening sewing classes to gain some basic skills. So don’t write yourself off a mod just because you don’t have the skills yet. Get the skills! Even if it means taking Tuesday night sewing classes with a roomful of ladies that remind you of your favorite grandma.

Thermal window coverings I made with my awesome Sailrite sewing machine.

Plan for success.

Regardless of the mod you’re contemplating, careful planning is the key to pulling it off successfully.  You don’t necessarily need blueprints, a detailed project plan, or a bill of materials down to the screw level.  But you do need to have a solid understanding of the skills, tools, materials, and tasks required.

Personally, I don’t tend to write much down, but for each mod I do, I’ve been thinking about it for weeks.  (I’m not sure Stef always believes this…)  I’ve also usually gathered a pile of parts, and maybe a new tool or two before starting.  (RV projects make excellent excuses to buy new tools!)  While you’re planning your own mod, here are some tips to help you build out that plan.

Download Manuals.   Whatever you’re thinking of modifying or installing, there are likely manuals, drawings, and specifications to go along with it.  You want that information, and you should get your hands on it before you make a purchase.  User manuals are fine, but you want the installation manual as well.

The manuals will give you critical information.  For example, if you wanted to swap your traditional microwave for a convection microwave, the install manual will include clearance requirements for the sides and back.  Once you know those, you can decide if you have enough room to install the new oven safely, or if you need to include cabinet modifications as part of your plan.

We love our new fridge, but installing it was a lot harder than I expected.

Follow Others’ Examples.   We live in the age of YouTube.  Unless the mod or product you’re contemplating is brand new, it’s a safe bet that you can find a video online of someone giving it a go.  Watching someone else complete (or attempt to complete) your mod is a great source of information for your own plan – even if you only learn what *not* to do.

Which brings me to a caution about online instruction: be careful whose examples you follow!  You want to be sure that any example you follow has been done by someone who knows what they’re doing and has done it safely.  (And I say this as someone who produces these kinds of online videos!)

Stare at Stuff.    Stef loves to tease me whenever I head to the home center, “have fun going to stare at stuff!”  And I suppose from her point of view, that’s exactly what it looks like.  But in my head, I’m running through “thought experiments”.

Plumbing fittings. My nemesis.

This is probably the most obvious when I’m planning out a plumbing project.  I might know I’ll have “Fitting A” on a new appliance, and “Fitting B” on my RV’s existing plumbing.  But I might not know what options are available to get me from A to B.  So I head to a home center and stare at a giant wall of fittings and adapters and try to puzzle out how to make the transition.

About that timeline:

Once you’ve assessed your skills and have at least a mental plan for how to complete your mod, you’ll need to figure out when you can work on it.  I’ll be honest: I’m terrible at estimating how long a mod will take.  This leads to frustration as I run out of time, can’t get parts delivered, stores close for the weekend, and Stef threatens to skip the looming RV trip and just fly to Europe instead.

The best advice I can give you here is to make an honest estimate of how long you think a mod will take to complete, and then double it. Don’t count any time when stores are closed, and add in however many days UPS takes to deliver to your location.

Because regardless of how carefully you’ve planned, it’s likely that something unexpected will come up, and you’ll need to adapt your plan – and your timeline – to accommodate it.  All of that is much easier to do when you’re not up against a deadline. Which I’ve learned the hard way more times than I’d like to admit.

One of the biggest mods I’ve ever done— The 20k Project.

So there you have it.  If you’re not already an RV modder, I hope you’ll work yourself up to trying your first RV mod soon.  Modding is a chance to tap into your creative side, solve problems, have fun, and when it’s all said & done, you’ll turn your made-for-everyone RV into something made just for you.