Camping and RV Life - Details and many photos!

Been camping a fair bit this summer. We went to Sunny Daze for a night in the woods, with a river flowing below us. It was pretty hot that weekend so we were grateful for cooling waters! I took two friends with me this trip. They blew up their rainbow unicorns and floated on the river. 

Even Nash found it hot so stuck close to the floor.

Then I spent a few days at Goldstream Provincial Park with the candle police. Apparently a big propane fire ring is okay but three tea lights in enclosed holders are a big risk for the fire ban...jerks. This was the first time I used a cloth on the table. We crowded around the table instead of the fire pit as the ban was on. It was cozy and looked cool. I took a family of five camping with me this time. 

Then it was time to return to the city. I found a nice space to park in at the lot that gives me some much needed shade for the upcoming heat wave. I was going to go back to Sunny Daze but their forecast was about ten degrees hotter than here, and with it being so enclosed by trees, I worried it would be just too hot. So Royal Parking Lot is is. 

Nash on the dash

The space is directly opposite the ball field so there is a chance I might catch a ball with my roof...it has happened before!

They had some lovely fireworks last night too. I just hauled out a chair and sat down behind my RV to watch. 

RV life is often very different than living life in a static environment. While we usually strive for the same comforts - running water, toilet, fridge and stove, and a comfy place to sleep, just how those things work and what is involved in maintaining those comforts is very different so I thought I would jot down a few things here:

Sleeping quarters - While I do not have a dedicated bedroom like some RVs I do have a dedicated bunk room. That is, I can pull a curtain across to separate me from the rest of the RV cabin. The bunk room has storage underneath where I lay my foam mattress. The storage space cabinetry does not fully support the mattress so I have two Rubbermaid bins and my propane tank under the remainder of the mattress. I'm not sure why it was designed this way, but I was happy to see that Rubbermaid contains are exactly the right height. In the storage compartments below my bed I have stored several gallons of bottled water, my suitcases with extra bags and clothes in them, and my two deep cycle marine batters in battery boxes. In the storage that is accessible from outside (where the gasoline generator used to be stored) I have an empty gas can, my water hoses, and my barbecue. In the Rubbermaid bins I have some sentimental stuff like photos, books, etc that came out of my parents house and my grandmother's old hand crank sewing machine. In the second bin I have all of my boots, my hand saw, silicone for repairs and the gun to squeeze it out, frisbees, Nash's flexible cat carrier and other odds and ends. For sleeping I have a 3inch camping foam on the bottom (it used to be in the Karma van so was cut that size) and on top of that I have a proper foam mattress, about 8 inches I think. It is a single bed size, but the space could accommodate about another 6-8 inches if I wanted to spend $300 for a custom mattress and have no sheets that fit...I also installed a shelf next to the bed to put things like tissues, books, my phone, an LED USB charged lamp, and a bottle of water. Above me are two big cabinets where I store mostly off season clothing. There is a long cabinet at the end by my feet where I store all my vinyl records, sketchbook, shopping bags, iron, purses, and a few other things.  On my bed I have only handmade quilts and one fuzzy blanket that Nash loves to knead, and five pillows. Love my pillows. One is to keep my bed from sliding around too much, and the others are for comfort and support. I have two big windows in my bedroom, and one of them opens wide, right beside my head which is pure bliss when I am out in the country and breathing the earthy air all night. Nash likes to sleep on the bed with me most days, especially in the winter as he loves the body heat I think. In the summer he spends less time but still manages a few hours of cuddling down near my legs. I have a curtain that I can pull across the end of the bed where I climb in, but I usually don't bother with it. It is usually only pulled when I am having company and want to hide my unmade bed!

 On a hook on the wall I have my bag holder, my silk robe (in a cloth bag to avoid damage) and my waterproof cell phone carrier.  The decor is a big painting from a woman who I met in Alice Springs from Utopia. It is a bush medicine painting. I have several other prints from other artists in Canada a black and white photo of Amber standing by the Eiffel Tower, my father's showshoes, a hand woven belt from the Aran Islands (Ireland) and a sombrero Amber gave me. I also have a baseball bat beside my bed for any intruders. 

Kitchen - I have been able to adapt very well with my compact kitchen. It is in the centre of the RV, forward of the bedroom and bathroom, and behind the living quarters. The kitchen is equipped with a four burner stove and oven, an apartment sized fridge and freezer, a double sink, a row of drawers and several cabinets. I have a small hot water tank, I think maybe 5 gallons max. It is more than enough for what I do in the kitchen. I have a little bit of counter space, and increase that by simply putting my big bamboo cutting board over one of the sinks.  I have the table if I need even more space, but that is rare. The stove is propane and I LOVE COOKING WITH GAS! It is instant heat, no waiting for burners to heat up. I have a breadbox that I store my breads/wraps, bagels in, and on top is my dish drainer. Must utilize all spaces! I have a spice rack on the wall to keep them accessible and secure. I used some stick on tiles as a backsplash around the stove. I have a full kitchen with me in here, minus a few appliances. I have two frying pans, three pot sizes, three mixing bowl sizes, loaf pans, cookie sheet, cake rack, muffin pan, pizza pan, cheese grater, two sizes of colanders, a kettle, and square and rectangle cake pans. I have a set of dishes, extra bowls and plastic plates, cups, mugs, coffee bodum, food choppers (two sizes - hand pulley from Tupperware), full set of cutlery, sharp knives, cooking utensils, three cutting boards, water bottles, and a toaster. I only get to use the toaster when I am plugged in so otherwise toast is made over the burner on the stove. I have a full pantry of baking and cooking supplies, spices, oils, sauces, etc. I have all the condiments I need in the fridge, and space for boxes of crackers, chips, snacks, canned goods, etc. Also in the kitchen is a small closet that I converted to a pantry to carry both food and toiletries. I also store all my crushable hats, necklaces, propane bottles, tapes, towels, staple gun, extra wires, paint, nail polish, boot polishes (saddle soap and dubbin) and such. It is amazing what I have crammed in there. Under the sink I keep all my cleaners and garbage bags, parchment paper, sponges etc. In the drawers I keep the cutlery, dishcloths and towels, measuring cups and spoons, more cooking utensils, ziplock bags, foil wrap, Saran wrap on, and so on. The double sinks come in handy as I keep Nash's waterbowl in one of them, freshened several times a day, and he loves to play in his water so it does not go on the floor beside his food. The other sink is used for piling dirty dishes, as it doesn't take long to feel crowded in the kitchen when there are dirty dishes in the way. I have cooked full chickens, steak, casseroles, cookies, muffins, beef and pork roasts, etc in my little oven. The only thing I cannot fit is a turkey. 

The lounge room: This is where I spend most of my time. In here I have a pull out couch. I like to use the whole couch pulled down to lay around on but it takes up so much room in that state and I have to squeeze by to the table and benches, so I usually only have it down out of necessity - someone is camping inside with me or I cannot sleep in my bunk room - either for medical reasons when I had hand surgery, or when I was dealing with too much moisture. It is comfortable enough for now as a couch, but narrow and I really want to get a new cushion for it in dense enough foam that it feels like a proper couch. Nash loves the couch as the back of the couch sits under a window where he sits for hours at a time. He also likes to curl up on the couch when I'm in the room. Because the couch is not that plush on its own, I have a layer or camping foam and then meditation cushions over top of that for comfort. The table has two bench seats on either side, seating two on each side but I have stuff stored next to the window so it only really seats one on each side. I have a piece of foam for Nash in that window so he doesn't have to sit on my table to look out, and on my side I have a few baskets of things I like to keep handy. One is full of my notebooks and other reading materials. The other has mail, keyboards, small papers, etc. The last one has odds and ends like manicure kit, tooth flosses, my reading glasses, napkins, mirror, etc. On the table when I'm parked, I have a teak tray of my cannabis related items and a few trinkets, candles, etc. I also have a bottle of lotion, pen cup, pill case, notepads, earring tin, box of caramels and shells, and two plants. Nash has his oat grass on the perch. I built a long shelf for my more valuable trinkets, collectables, and blue glass. It has a lip on it and non-skid pads to keep it from sliding around. I do have to take down much of the blue glass and other glass when I travel as it can bounce around a bit. Several pieces have bounced off over the past few years and mostly never broken. I also have a button tin, a tin for my rings, and my VW bus collection. I also have what was once a small square cart stand. The wheels are no longer on it as it would move about the cabin. It has a drawer filled with odds and ends, and has two shelves, on which I have two baskets. The bottom one stores things like my kite, USB fans, extension cords, headphones, and other bulky stuff. The middle one has all my stationary/office type stuff in it and another littler basket with my over the counter meds like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, tums, etc. I also have a bison leather bag with my current writing projects in it, and my laptop bag. On top I have my sweet grass smudge stick, bluetooth speakers, tissues, and a few trinkets. On the shelf next to the stove, I have my television (I can only use it when plugged in) and my inverter for the solar panel charged batteries under my bed. I have a shelf on top of that for my laptop when I watch downloaded items on my tv. For decor in the lounge room, I have many original and printed arts, licence plates from Canada and Australia, photos of my parents and my daughter, nephews, friends. A few tin signs including my cherished "Hippies Use Back Door" sign from the Karma van. I have several things on the ceiling as well such as original artwork and embroidery, posters, a world map (always a staple anywhere I live), a glass mosaic guitar, several types of "J"s, a slice of BC jade in the window, other dangly things, and a poster about Nash in the van on my window facing outside. I have a magazine rack on the wall with many Australian items in it. I also have a boomerang and a bark painting form Austrlaia on the wall. In the cabinets above the couch I have a bunch of books, notebooks, cribbage board, scrabble and dominoes, my Beatles box set, any photo CDs and DVDs I have (nothing to play them on though), my sewing kit, candle, souvenir box, batteries, photo albums, my daugher's baby book, and a few other bits and pieces. In the cupboards over the table I have my craft supplies, laminator, colouring books, bin of markers, big container of Lego blocks, other large books, and bits and pieces. Under the table I store my sewing machine, a cube of shoes, and Nash's cubby hole that is carpeted and doubles as my footstool. Tucked beside the stand is also a bamboo lap desk and my cordless drill, and behind it is my tool bag. Under the seat by the sink is my water tank and the seat belts for the two seats. Under where I sit is all of my fabric for sewing, and my yarn supplies. Under the couch is a cabinet I blocked access from the inside and only access from outside. In there I store my shovel, axe, beach umbrella, marshmallow sticks, two cafe chairs and a small table, two camping chairs, a small rug, my extension cord, and perhaps a few other things. 

Top bunk over the cab: There is a large bed up there but I cannot stand to climb up and feel so claustrophobic as my face is just a few inches under the roof, so instead I use it for storage. I have four Rubbermaid bins with my clothes in them - one for socks/underwear/bras; one for tops; one for jeans and pyjama pants, and the last one has all my leggings and shorts in it. I have another Rubbermaid bin for sheets, blankets, tablecloths, saris, etc. I have a file box of all my important papers, laminating sheets, envelopes, etc. I have a wooden box that came from my Dad (he made it) and store my Christmas tree in there with the mittens, hats, gloves, etc. I also have a bin of purses and other stuff, and a full size cooler with my blow up toys for summer water fun in it. I pull the cooler out when someone comes camping so they can put their cold drinks in there. I also have a box of leather scraps, my yoga mat, extra pillows and blankets, my portable record player, and a basket of stuffed animals. Nash also have several things up there such as two cat beds, a cardboard wave to scratch, a round ball toy with a scratching pad in the centre, and a proper post and platform scratching post. 

Front Cab - There are just two seats that are quite comfy, and a nice dash table below the radio and climate controls. It's made of wood and has a couple of cubbies and two cup holders. I keep my dad's ashes in one of the cubbies as he is my trusty co-pilot. I have my escape tool, tissues, pens, paper, and a mat for my water bottle (doesn't fit in cup holders). Behind my seat are my gloves for the pump and dump, rags for checking the oil, a jug of oil, flip flops for when I don't want to wear my leather sandals to dump and pump, brake fluid, some cardboard and paper to use for funnels when needed. Behind the other seat is a bunch of stuff Nash has stashed or chased there. Under the seat is a locked compartment where I have my firebox and some important papers - nothing of value really to anyone but me. 

Bathroom - Has the usual RV toilet, sink and bathtub/shower. I only really use the toilet as I use wet wipes and the kitchen sink more often. The tub/shower has a clothing rack in it so it has been serving as my closet since I moved in here. I have my seasonal clothes that needs hanging in there like coats, sweaters, cardigans, scarves, skirts, dresses, etc. In the tub is my laundry basket for dirty clothes, a Rubbermaid bin with my paper products like toilet paper, paper towel and Kleenex in it. I also have my compost bin (mostly unused as Fort Vic does not have a compost bin to dump in), my propane heater when not in use, a cube of plastic storage containers, and my towels. The decor in there is limited to a few pieces of art and a photo I took of the Grotto in Austrlia. On the back of the bathroom door inside is a rack for hats, scarves, purses, backpacks, and two holders - one for my broom, one for my mop. The dustpan sits in the bathtub, On the outside of the bathroom door is a long mirror (came with the RV) a photo of my daughter in Rome, and a string of silk flowers from Cambodia. 

Outside compartments mentioned earlier: 

And that's it! That is my whole RV tour, complete with photos.