If you’ve lived in an RV for any length of time, you’ve probably bought at least one thing that made you wonder why nobody stopped you.

Maybe it was expensive.

Maybe it was supposedly made just for RVs.

Maybe it worked perfectly for somebody else and made absolutely no sense in your rig.

RV life has a way of teaching you that price does not always equal value, and “RV-specific” does not always mean “better.”

We’ve been living full-time in our motorhome for five years now, and in that time we’ve replaced things because they broke, upgraded things because we wanted something better, and occasionally spent money because we thought something would make life easier.

Sometimes it did.

Sometimes it absolutely did not.

So I thought it would be fun to start a series about the things I would buy again, think twice about, or skip completely.

Not because I think everyone should make the same choices we did. RVs are too different for that.

But if you’re standing in a store holding something with a camper printed on the package and wondering whether it’s worth the money, maybe I can help.

Buy It: The Things That Earn Their Space

Space is precious in an RV.

So is money.

If something is going to take up either one, I want it to earn its keep.

One of the best examples for us was replacing our old RV refrigerator.

When it died, we had a decision to make.

We could buy another RV refrigerator and spend several thousand dollars, or we could put in an apartment-size residential refrigerator for around $700.

We went with the apartment refrigerator.

I have never regretted it.

Not once.

It gave us more usable space, worked well for the way we live, and saved us a substantial amount of money.

Would I tell every RVer to do exactly what we did?

No.

If you boondock constantly, travel differently, or depend heavily on propane refrigeration, your answer might be different.

But for us?

Buy it again.

That is really what this series is going to be about.

Not “this is the best product for everyone.”

More like, “Here’s what happened when we spent our own money on it.”

Think About It: Just Because It’s Nice Doesn’t Mean You Need It

This is the category where RV shopping gets dangerous.

Because sometimes something really is better.

It just may not be better enough to justify the price.

Our couch is a good example.

The couch that was already in our motorhome was perfectly usable for several years.

We eventually replaced it with one we liked better and spent around $2,000.

Do I like the newer couch?

Absolutely.

Would I buy it again?

Probably.

Did we need it?

Nope.

And that is where I have to be honest with myself.

There is nothing wrong with changing something because you want to.

People repaint kitchens, replace couches, and remodel bathrooms in houses all the time.

Living in an RV does not mean you are required to spend the rest of your life surrounded by whatever fabric, wallpaper, or furniture somebody chose in 1992.

But there is a difference between replacing something because it is broken and replacing something because you simply want something nicer.

Both are valid.

They are just different decisions.

Our couch was a think about it purchase.

Not because it was a bad purchase, but because $2,000 is still $2,000.

Buy It: A Good Mattress

I am not sleeping badly for the sake of RV authenticity.

Our mattress cost around $350.

Worth it.

This is your home.

You sleep there every night.

If your RV mattress feels like somebody upholstered a park bench, replace it.

There are plenty of RV expenses where I will tell you to slow down and think.

This is not one of them.

Buy the mattress.

You spend too many hours of your life in that bed to be waking up every morning mad at it.

Think About It: Cosmetic Renovations

We have changed quite a bit inside our motorhome over the years.

I removed wallpaper.

I painted.

We removed the old window boxes and replaced them with curtain rods, thermal curtains, and shades.

We changed some furniture.

We built storage.

None of those things were necessary for the motorhome to function.

We did them because this is our home and we wanted it to feel like ours.

Not every change has to pay you back later.

It’s yours. You live there. You should enjoy it.

If painting the walls, changing the curtains, replacing a mattress, or reworking a space makes the RV feel more comfortable and more like home, that has value too.

You should be able to walk into your own space and feel good there. Maybe even a little refreshed.

Not everything has to be about resale.

Sometimes you are paying for comfort.

Sometimes you are paying for function.

Sometimes you are paying because you are tired of looking at wallpaper that has been offending you every morning for four years.

That counts too.

The question I would ask is not:

“Will I get this money back?”

I would ask:

“Will this make living here better enough that I am comfortable spending the money?”

Very different question.

Don’t Do It: Buying Something Just Because It Says RV

Sometimes the RV-specific version really is necessary.

Size matters.

Weight matters.

Electrical requirements matter.

And sometimes somebody put the letters “RV” on the package and added $87.

That is when I start asking questions.

We have plenty of things in our motorhome that were never designed specifically for RVs, and they work just fine.

Before I pay extra, I want to know what I’m getting for the extra money.

If there’s a good reason, fine.

If the reason appears to be a picture of a camper on the box, my wallet is going back in my purse.

Buy It: Things That Solve a Real Problem

Some of our best purchases have been the least exciting ones.

They fixed something that was driving us crazy.

Honestly, that is probably one of the best rules I’ve learned from living in an RV: buy things that solve your actual problems.

Not somebody else’s.

Not something you saw in a “27 Things Every RVer Must Own” article.

Your problem.

We live full-time in an older motorhome. What makes our lives easier may make absolutely no sense for someone who takes a travel trailer out six weekends a year.

That is why I get a little twitchy around the phrase RV must-have.

There are very few universal must-haves.

Except toilet paper.

I’m willing to stand behind toilet paper.

Think About It: The Upgrade That Creates Another Problem

One thing I wish more people talked about with RV upgrades is how often one project turns into three.

You change one thing, then realize it affects the wiring.

Or the weight.

Or the storage.

Or whether the new thing will even fit through the door.

You start out changing one little thing and three hours later someone is holding a flashlight with their teeth.

We finally got smart and bought a couple of small headlamps, and now we use them all the time.

Repairs, checking something outside after dark, digging around in a storage bay, anything where you need both hands.

Sometimes the best RV purchase is the little thing that solves an annoying problem over and over again.

That doesn’t mean don’t do the upgrade.

It just means know what you’re getting into before you start taking things apart.

Don’t Do It: Upgrading Because Everybody Else Is

RV renovations are fun to look at online.

Some of them are gorgeous.

And if you genuinely love that look, go for it.

But you do not need white cabinets, butcher-block counters, matching storage bins, and twelve little labels telling you where the spoons live just because that is what everybody else seems to be doing.

Your RV does not have to look like a Pinterest board to be a good home.

We have changed plenty in ours over the years, but we have also left plenty alone.

If something bothers you, fix it.

If something makes daily life easier, improve it.

If it works perfectly well and you do not actually care about changing it, leave it alone and spend the money somewhere else.

There is no prize for renovating your RV into somebody else’s taste.

What Five Years of RV Living Has Taught Me About Spending Money

I wish I could give you one perfect formula.

I can’t.

Sometimes the expensive thing really is worth it.

Sometimes the cheaper option works beautifully.

Sometimes you buy something because it makes everyday life easier.

And sometimes you buy something because you just plain like it.

You are allowed to do that too.

The biggest thing I have learned is to stop asking whether something is considered a “must-have” and start asking whether it makes sense for the way we actually live.

That question has saved us money.

It has also helped me feel better about the things we have chosen to spend money on.

Because this is not just our RV.

It is our home.

And after five years of living in it, I have opinions.

Quite a few of them.

So this is the beginning of a new Buy It, Think About It, or Don’t Do It series here on Life Made Simple.

I’ll be sharing more of the things we have bought, replaced, changed, and occasionally questioned over the years, including what they cost us and whether I would spend the money again.

If you’d like to follow along, subscribe to Life Made Simple so you’ll get a notification when the next one is published.

I have a feeling we are going to have plenty to talk about.