Keep Your RV Basement Tidy and Secure
04-30-2018
Author: in Education
Sometimes, it's a dirty little secret. Your living room and bedroom are nearly always tidy and your kitchen is immaculate. You might even pride yourself in your closet-organizing ability. What about your basement storage area? Often, shoving things in your cargo space is what allows you to keep the living space in your RV clean and tidy. Periodically, it's a good idea to do a thorough cleaning and maintaining of the sections underneath. This allows you to make sure that the belongings you placed there are intact, that you know where everything is if you need it, that you haven't become infested with any unwelcome visitors, and that your doors and seals are functioning properly. With a bit of time and effort, your basement will be something you'll be proud to show off.
Use Bins to Keep Possessions Safe
Put your possession and tools in bins to keep them organized and protected. Measure the cargo space (including the doorway) to determine what size bins will fit. Wrap any breakable items before placing them in the bins. Use additional padding to keep things within the bin from shifting. Make sure that the lids fit correctly, and depending on your RV's basement interior, your bins might be further secured by using ratchets and tie-downs. If you store pet food in the basement, make sure to do so in a secure container to avoid attracting and providing a free meal to rodents.
Clean Interior Regularly
Left unattended, dust and grit in your basement is bound to eventually make its way into your bins. This can be avoided by regularly vacuuming out the area. After major trips and at least twice a year regardless, you should remove everything from the basement and do a thorough cleaning. This also allows you to assess the condition of your possessions and check for signs of rodents. Placing a Botanical Mouse Repellent like those from Fresh Cab in the basement can help reduce problems.
Protect Door Seals
Use soap and water to clean the rubber seals around the doors. Then, moisturize and protect them with a product like ArmorAll. Make sure they're properly seated to ensure a good seal. This not only reduces the amount of dust that enters the basement, but eliminates precipitation leaking in, as well.
Check Latches and Hinges
Your rig experiences a lot of shaking while it's being driven down the road. This can cause the laches and hinges—which are usually screwed to the doors and body of the RV—to loosen over time resulting in doors that are less than secure. It's not uncommon for basement doors to pop open while driving, especially if you hit a bump. Your possessions may end up dumping out on the road, which is a hassle for you and potentially dangerous for those behind you.
While you're cleaning and maintaining your basement, check all of the door latches and hinges to see if they're easy to move. If there is any play, just use a screwdriver and tighten them. A little effort at the time can save you a ton of trouble later.
Regular cleaning and maintenance of your RV's basement cargo bays keeps the task small and manageable. Your possessions will be safe from dust and rodents. Plus, with all of your doors checked, tightened sealed, and secured you won't run the risk of them popping open while you're traveling. Although it can be a dirty job, it's relatively simple, and besides, someone has to do it.
Use Bins to Keep Possessions Safe
Put your possession and tools in bins to keep them organized and protected. Measure the cargo space (including the doorway) to determine what size bins will fit. Wrap any breakable items before placing them in the bins. Use additional padding to keep things within the bin from shifting. Make sure that the lids fit correctly, and depending on your RV's basement interior, your bins might be further secured by using ratchets and tie-downs. If you store pet food in the basement, make sure to do so in a secure container to avoid attracting and providing a free meal to rodents.
Related Read: RV Space: What to Keep, Toss, and What to Stick in Storage
Clean Interior Regularly
Left unattended, dust and grit in your basement is bound to eventually make its way into your bins. This can be avoided by regularly vacuuming out the area. After major trips and at least twice a year regardless, you should remove everything from the basement and do a thorough cleaning. This also allows you to assess the condition of your possessions and check for signs of rodents. Placing a Botanical Mouse Repellent like those from Fresh Cab in the basement can help reduce problems.
Protect Door Seals
Use soap and water to clean the rubber seals around the doors. Then, moisturize and protect them with a product like ArmorAll. Make sure they're properly seated to ensure a good seal. This not only reduces the amount of dust that enters the basement, but eliminates precipitation leaking in, as well.
Check Latches and Hinges
Your rig experiences a lot of shaking while it's being driven down the road. This can cause the laches and hinges—which are usually screwed to the doors and body of the RV—to loosen over time resulting in doors that are less than secure. It's not uncommon for basement doors to pop open while driving, especially if you hit a bump. Your possessions may end up dumping out on the road, which is a hassle for you and potentially dangerous for those behind you.
While you're cleaning and maintaining your basement, check all of the door latches and hinges to see if they're easy to move. If there is any play, just use a screwdriver and tighten them. A little effort at the time can save you a ton of trouble later.
Related Read: RV Bathroom Storage Tips and Tricks
In ConclusionRegular cleaning and maintenance of your RV's basement cargo bays keeps the task small and manageable. Your possessions will be safe from dust and rodents. Plus, with all of your doors checked, tightened sealed, and secured you won't run the risk of them popping open while you're traveling. Although it can be a dirty job, it's relatively simple, and besides, someone has to do it.
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Author: Carrie Todd
