Modifications We Made – And LOVE

Turning a house into a home is no small feat, especially in a tiny living situation like our RV. While manufacturers incorporate many great ideas, each family is different. We’ve lived in our Keystone Arcadia since March 2023, so going on 2 years now. I’m really big on everything having a home, and things we need all the time being fixed in place, especially for overnight stops.

As with any house you buy already built, our rig has things we love and things we don’t. From the moment we moved in, we started making modifications to fit our living and travel style. We also found ways to strip weight since this RV has only a 1,500 pound cargo capacity–which includes water in the tanks and the solar and batteries we planned to add AND whatever we carry with us.

We plan to keep this RV until our youngest no longer lives at home and we transition to something for just BJ and I.

Some were due to the rolling earthquake of RV travel, and some were changes based on preference. Some were just to make travel days easier, both during travel and for pack up–the military trained us with the N+1 rule to be ready to roll out within an hour, and we still follow it for travel. So, let’s dive into the modifications we’ve made, and what is still on our wish list.

IN THE ENTRYWAY/HALLWAY 5th wheel entries leave a lot to be desired since they are always in the middle of the rig, so a major thoroughfare between living spaces.
We added a keyless entry since we don’t like to carry keys, and had one on the house so were already used to it.
We added a door window shade for privacy and blocking sunlight.
We added a wall shoe storage by cutting an over the door rack and fixing it to the wall.
We flipped the step rail to avoid toe stubs and mop/vacuum hang ups on the screws.
We added labels on control box so they contrast and are larger print.
We removed the valance box over the window for shoulder space, but also for weight–removing them from all the windows took 30 POUNDS out of the rig–that’s nearly 4 gallons of water!

IN THE KITCHEN We cook a lot at home, for financial and health reasons, so our kitchen was important in our choice. It’s compact, but it needs to function well, especially since all 3 of us end up in there at the same time way too often!
We got dry erase markers since our fridge wasn’t magnetic, but did let us write on it.
We swapped the tilted trash bin for drawer sliders so we can fill it a bit more.
We built in the dish soap dispenser into the counter so we have it for hand washing or overnights without something on the counter.
We bolted down the pantry shelves and added another one, and added rechargeable lights on each shelf.
We removed the divider walls under the island that blocked the pipes and taped the holes or wires so things didn’t fall down or tangle–this doubled the space under the island!
We modified spice rack from a slider to a door since everything liked to jump.
We added fabric shades to the island lamp and wine rack, which looked prettier than the plain metal. For the wine rack, it allowed us to put insulation behind it, and for the light it focused it down on the island and filtered it so it wasn’t so bright in the loft when one of us is up before the kiddo.
The window behind the stove was bare, and we didn’t want to add blinds since it gets splattered, so we added a spring rod curtains, making it easy to toss them in the wash.
We removed the valance box from the window over the rear counter, as well.

IN THE LIVING/DINING ROOM Since we work from home, we use these areas most of the day, but we also needed it to be flexible for family time.
We removed the window valance boxes, again weight, but also the Roman shades also have a fabric valance, so it was redundant.
We added chair cushions to make them more comfortable. I had wanted the dinette option, but none were available and this was a one year run, so not an option to wait (we tried). We plan to change it, but more on that later.
We modified the media cabinets by cutting the solid face and adding decorative metal, allowing the electronic equipment in there to stay cooler and not require them to be left open all the time.
We swapped the 2-seat reclining sofa for a sleeper sofa so we could all sit on it, and so we had room for our oldest…and because sometimes we just want to stretch out on movie night. We also added a storage bench foot rest for blankets and beanbag chair.
We swapped to reusable AC filters both here and in the bedroom, so they are easy to clean and cuts down on trash. We thought they’d be expensive, but turns out they weren’t–they paid for themselves within 3 swaps!
We added a soft start to the main AC unit, but only so it was less strain on the generator when we boondock and need to run it for a bit.
We added LED lights around the slide trim that are color changing and on a remote. These are great for red lights at night when star gazing, or just for mood lighting when we don’t want all the lights on. Many other rigs we looked at had them, and it was surprisingly easy to install them, although BJ’s soldering skills got a workout!

IN THE BUNKROOM/LOFT This is our son’s space and he has grown a lot in the time since we bought it. Originally, the loft was storage and he was sleeping on the fold out sofa bed, but it just didn’t give him space during the day, so he now sleeps in the loft space and the bunkroom is for working and tinkering, or when we just need to spread out.
We removed bunkroom door and replaced it with a rod/curtain. Doors in an RV are always in the way and really don’t give privacy anyway, and this one swung into the entry way. It also blocked airflow, so it would get hot and stuffy in there. We did a 3/4 curtain so air can still flow, even if it’s blocked for privacy.
We removed valance boxes in these spaces, as well, for weight, and to be out of the way, especially in the loft.
We changed the wall-mounted half cabinet with just shelves and added a clothes rack, so it’s a wardrobe for our son’s clothing now.
Below the cabinet, we added wire baskets to give him storage for toys and electronics.
We added a wall-mounted TV and velcro’d down his DVD player to the desk.
In the loft, we added string lights on remote plug and put the switch by the ladder. It’s also a great hallway mood light.
We also put a mattress topper over the cushion so he has a “bed” and then space around it, feeling less like sleeping on the floor.

IN THE BATHROOM Our last rig had 2 bathrooms, so we had to adjust!
We added a built in soap dispenser by the sink so we can wash hands on travel day, and it’s one less thing on the counter.
We mounted a swinging 3 bar towel rack so we can extend it when they need to dry and tuck it away when they don’t.
We swapped the shower glass doors for curtain–they were 60 pounds of weight and we heard horror stories of the glass popping and making a mess. Plus the door latch stopped holding after about a year, so they were sliding on travel days anyway.
We mounted shampoo/soap dispensers in the shower, again, so they are in place and nothing to have to move in and out on travel days.
We installed a retractable clothes line for drying when it might not be conducive to drying outside.
The storage closet was awkward to get to, tall and deep, so we added a shelf to the top one for items, as well as baskets, to make it easier to move things around for layered access.
We added wall-mounted toothbrush holders so they are easy to find on travel days (our son has braces, so they get used often).
We upgraded the vent fan to one with varying speeds and better air flow. It’s made a difference in drying things out after showers, or creating flow on those beautiful days when windows are open.

IN THE BEDROOM This area is not only our room, but also the laundry room and extra storage space, so it needed to be functional, but still peaceful.
We removed the valance boxes on these windows, as well.
We removed the bedroom door since it never stayed open or closed, and this allows for privacy or for the dog to come and go.
We removed the wall-mounted headboard that was a dust catcher and heavy. Currently it is just a bare wall, but I am working on some art work for it. We talked about a replacement, but didn’t want something extra to clean.
We replaced the standard mattress with an RV mattress that is so much more comfortable, but still lightweight for the RV.
We swapped the closet door handles to some that fold flat since it’s a tight space and a door handle in the middle of the night hurts!
In the closet, the hanging rod had too large a span, even with our small wardrobe, so we added a center support beam. This gave us a hat rack mount, and a divider that keeps everything from sliding too far on travel days.
We recently installed our vented washer/dryer combo and wonder why we took so long. It takes up lots of space, but makes life a lot easier eliminating laundromat runs.
We also have a reusable AC filter in this unit.

ON THE OUTSIDE We spend a lot of time outdoors and have lots of gear, for both work and play. So it needed to work for us without moving everything every time we got in.
This may be an inside thing, but we custom cut Reflectix inserts for every window/skylight to help with both cold and heat.
We removed the propane burner and cube fridge from the outdoor kitchen, and swapped it to a slide out for our Blackstone grill, and made a storage spot for our propane fire pit. BJ also swapped it to a quick connect, so both the fire pit and Blackstone can run off the house propane.
In the pass through garage, we added two rails to make 3 storage lines for gear, keeping boxes in place without sliding everywhere, and allowing us to find things easily since it all has a home. We did have PVC pipe pieces cut to hold our fishing poles, but took them down when we gave up fishing (time and didn’t want to get a license in every state)
We added additional solar panels to the roof (it came with a couple) and upgraded our batteries for when the spot we want to camp in doesn’t have electric hook ups–which is what we try for! While we don’t have the weight for a ton of solar and batteries, this system does what we need and we have a generator for AC or recharging on cloudy days. BJ’s got more on our solar set up coming out in the next blog. He’s the mobile installer for Great Outdoors Solar, so you can also reach out to them to plan a system and have us come to you for an install.
We recently added and inline 3 stage water filter system, beyond the basic filter we had used. We drink a lot of water and use reusable bottles, and this works better than the filtered pitcher at the rate we use them.
We upgraded our trailer tires after a blowout educated us that the ones they came with weren’t the best for our size rig. Now we feel safer with a sturdier tire.
We added a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) to our trailer tires, and our truck has them built in. This allows us to monitor the pressure, but also the temperature on really hot days or mountain roads so we can prevent catastrophic failures, at least from the tire itself.

FUTURE PROJECTS As with any home, there is always something on the wish list, and there are some things currently in progress, as of this writing.
We plan to add a second tire mount and spare tire before traveling this year. With a dual axle, if one tire goes out, the other probably will too.
We are in progress adding a Starlink access port so we aren’t running the wire through a slide every time we move (an expensive lesson we learned the hard way). We’ve been back and forth on fixed mounting it (opted no due to obstruction variations at different spots), how we wanted to do it, and where (metal framing is in the best spots!), but are honing in on getting it done. Once BJ has it in, we will update you on what we did and how.
We want to swap to day/night roller blinds, but will do that as blinds break. They are expensive and what we have works fine, but with a dust allergy, I avoid fabric whenever possible.
We’re considering adding dimmer switches to some of our lights, especially the slide lights. Still undecided, so if you have them, let us know your thoughts.
We may add a retractable shower door instead of shower curtain, but it hasn’t been a high priority item. At some point we will swap from a TV to a projector.
We love the new chill cube and would like a quieter AC system. That will be something we worry about when it breaks, though.
Refinishing the dining table and adding at least one bench for seating and storage is on the wish list, but working out the what and how isn’t something we are fast on. The table top finish is wearing away, so that may happen sooner rather than later.
At some point, we will do a bunk room renovation since our kiddo is now a teenager and as tall as we are. We expect he’ll outgrow the loft space. The slide that the couch is in is a few inches shy of a twin mattress, so we will have to get creative.

I’m sure there are more things we will do, as we watch YouTube, tour RV shows, and see the great new ideas from the industry, but we try to keep focused on what works, and doesn’t, for our family, and what realistically fits our budget.

If you want to know more about any of the items we used, ask away and we will find links. If you have modifications and ideas from your rig, share them with us! BJ would love for me to add new ideas to his honey-do list!