Getting and Staying Organized – Part 1 – Bernice’s Tips

An RV is like a playhouse. Although getting and staying organized seems like work at home, that’s not so in an RV; however, some discipline is still necessary. Lots of fellow RVers have discovered ways to make it even easier to enjoy your playhouse on the road.

• On your computer, make a checklist of items to always take on trips and print out a new one for each trip. – Pete Jones, Westminster, MD

• When making checklists, be sure to include “one for the road”: windows, vents, refrigerator, water pump-everything that should be closed, stowed, turned off, or locked. Keep it in a handy place or posted by the door. Don’t forget to include a television antenna. – Herb and Mary-Lou Pletcher, Taneytown, MD

• Make “reverse lists” to help with stocking perishable food for consecutive weekend trips. For the first trip of the season, plan your menus, make a shopping list, and stock the kitchen. As items are used up, list them on a shopping list in the RV. When you arrive home after a trip, move perishable items from the RV to the house and list the items as you unpack them. That makes a stocking for the subsequent weekend easy: you won’t have to remember what you left in the RV, just replace the used items and restock the items on your “unpacking” list. – Connie Burke Davis, Westminster, MD

• Always have a checklist of procedures to follow when moving or parking your vehicle. Follow the procedures in a systematic way and check off each item as you go. – Anne Carney-Brown, Finskburg, MD

• Use a separate set of towels and sheets of a different color from what you use at home. When you do laundry, you’ll know exactly what goes back to the RV. – Luther and Averta Showalter, Edgewood, MD

• Take along a receptacle for receipts, campground maps, and other printed material that you want to keep after the trip. Keep these items in chronological order.

• When you take photos, take the time at that moment to write down in a small spiral tablet the time, date, place, and any other comment you want to remember about it. You’ll be glad you have this information when you get your film developed and photos printed after the trip is over or when you download your digital camera.

In part two of the series next week, I’ll detail tips to help you streamline chores, remember tasks, keep up with children’s toys, and store items in your RV.

Enjoy RVing!
Bernice