The first thing one must consider when organizing travel with their motorhome is essentials. What will you need to survive the treacherous road? The number one and most imperative of all essentials is simple; food. Always make sure to carry enough water with you, which can be used to quench thirst, cook or incase your stopped without a water hookup. Stocking up on an array of dry and canned foods will work out well in the event that your on-board icebox malfunctioning. Still, the camping traditionals such as burgers, beans and franks can never be ignored. If you have kids, marshmallows are a must for any expedition. Remember, buying in bulk is a great way to get the best bang for your buck, but the storage space in your stronghold is limited. Don’t overdo it.
With that idea in mind, consolidation is the key to keeping fully equipped in a motorhome. The kitchen should be the biggest area for stockpiling things. This is due largely to the fact that while you may have all this food, you need the right utensils to cook them. Taking consolidation into account, which most camping stores and shopping sites do, there is a variety of camper friendly equipment designed specifically to save space. Things like collapsible dish drainers and adjustable cutlery treys work to maintain the minimal amount of space consumption possible. There is also a series of over-the-cabinet contraptions that hook onto a cupboard so as not to take up space within them. Examples of these would be for hanging paper towel, hooks for oven mitts and small baskets for spices or sprays. Along with that, a knife safe that sticks to the wall would be ideal to hold your cutlery in place securely while in motion.
Now onto the actual dinnerware. You can be crafty and buy a bunch of collapsible bowls. Let’s face it, bowls take up a good portion of empty air. You can also get a device that holds your plates either inside the cupboard or sticks to the underside of them and hangs down. These make sure your dishes are secure and give you the option to buy actual bowls. Just remember, porcelain and glass dishes have no place in the palace. Stainless steel camping dishes or BPA-Free plastics are ideal in this circumstance. Certain types of plastic plates, such as melamine or polycarbonates, have proven to be questionable in terms of leaching toxins into heated and acidic foods placed on them. While melamine has been deemed to have safe levels of toxicity in this transfer, it might be best to avoid the risk either way. Paper plates, though entirely un-environmental, are always a quick and painless solution. As for silverware, anything from silver to gold will work since silverware doesn’t break when it hits the floor.
You have your food and your dishes, but don’t forget something to cook on. Camping stores have special pans and skillets developed specifically for the motorhome. Remember, in a motorhome, the kitchen is a fraction of the size of a regular house kitchen. The oven and stove are both smaller than the non-traveler is used to. RV special sized bake ware will fit snug in the small oven and a miniature sized frying pan will work on that tiny coil burner on the stove. If it’s gas, have a utility lighter handy. You can keep these in the oven when in transit. Anything else, like stew or soup pots, are the chef’s choice. Don’t forget, what you use you have to clean, so dish soap and sponges are a must.
The kitchen of a motorhome may be miniature, but all the amenities are there. What you do with the space provided is really up to you. Remember to practice safe cooking and turn off the burners and oven after each use. Just because your motorhome is a castle doesn’t mean it can’t go up in flames. Also, be sure to secure the contents of the kitchen before driving. There is never a need for silly accidents because someone left a knife out on the counter. Be sure to check in with us soon when we bring you Part Two of our Motorhome Survival Guide. Until then, we’ll see you on the road.
Tyler Baker; OSM Writer
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