RVs As Spare Rooms

There are at least two RV and camping related applications for "spare rooms".   First of all, your RV or tent might serve as a spare room when you have visitors.  Secondly,  you might  need a "spare room" for your tent or RV.


Your  RV can serve as a convenient"spare room" when you have visitors.  For this to work, you must keep your RV clean and well organized.  Don't use it as a storage area. Keep the beds fresh, or make them up fresh just before your guests arrive.   If your RV has been locked up and stored for weeks or months, you'll need to air it out and freshen the bedding.  Make sure any needed appliances, such as furnaces or air conditioners are in good working order.  And, unless you RV has been winterized, make sure the fresh water tank is full or it is connected to city water.  If your RV has been winterized, make sure you tell your guests not to use any of the plumbing.   In moderate weather, your RV can serve as a complete personal suite for your guests.   In cold (freezing) weather, it should only be used as bedroom and sitting room.  You don't want to put water into the holding tanks that may freeze and damage the valves or tanks.  Of course, if you happen to have an RV with heated holding tanks and plumbing it could be fully utilized.

Tents aren't quite as convenient or as comfortable for visiting guests, but they may sometimes serve as a viable option, so don't rule them out.   They will be more appealing in moderate weather, but we have even had some of our adult kids pitch their tent at our place in Utah at Christmas when six kids plus spouses and grandkids overwhelmed our small retirement home.  Unless your guests are bringing their own, you'll want to make sure your tent is accessible, clean, complete, and in good repair.  Same with sleeping bags, cots, sleeping pads, etc.  You may want to set things up in advance so you can make sure everything is "ship shape" and ready to go before your guests arrive.  One winter they set up a tent in our large barn so it was out of the wind and weather.

Spare rooms on your spare room.  Weather permitting, you can expand your RV using an "add-a-room" -- privacy panels under your awning to create extra living space.  I had a tent that attached to my Smuggler toy hauler, giving us a lot of extra room for dressing and for gathering 8 people out of the weather. These are quite comfortable in moderate climates, but you won't want to rely on them in cold or snowy weather.  The thin fabric walls don't provide much insulation and the awning won't support much of a snow load.  If for any strange reason you need to have your awning open when it snows, keep the snow brushed off to avoid damage to the awning fabric and hardware. 

Screen rooms are another awning variation that can be useful.   Instead of solid "privacy panels", they have screen panels all around that can keep out insects and sometimes reduce sunlight a little bit to keep it cooler under the awning without shutting out the view.

Visitors welcome!