While mods typically involve making somewhat permanent change to a camper van (see Usain’s Mods), an add-on is simply something added to to improve the van lifestyle. An add-on is an item that can usually be easily removed and taken into a house, say, while a mod may require tools to remove an item. Here are some of the add-ons for Usain, our 2022 Winnebago Boldt KL.
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Portable Dehumidfier Add-on
We’ve been to some pretty humid spots in the country over the past 18 months of traveling. The 2 months down in southern Texas were likely the worst. Since we’re planning on wintering on South Padre Island again this year, we’ve decided to give a portable dehumidifier a try. I’ll provide an update on its…
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Chair Rack Add-on
We were afraid we wouldn’t be able to take our favorite zero-gravity lounge chairs with us when we bought Usain until I found this chair rack on Amazon. It hangs on the ladder and then we use bungee cords to keep the chairs and rack from flying off while traveling.
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Camping Rugs Add-on
Outside conditions vary depending upon our camp site. Fortunately, we haven’t had to put down an outside rug very often but we carry one in times where one is needed to keep a lot of dirt out of Usain. The one we purchased came with a nice bag to store it in and it fits…
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Wheel Chocks Add-on
We have had times where we have parked on pretty good slopes (not overnight, thankfully). Usain’s a pretty heavy guy and I just feel better knowing that more than just the parking brake is between him and gravity so we keep a couple of these in the van’s “garage”.
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Sewer Hose Storage Add-on
The Boldt came with a stock sewer hose in an storage tube located under the van. I was afraid, however, that the stock hose was going to be too short after reading about other RV owners’ experiences. To ease my fears I purchased a longer hose and an expandable storage tube, which I attached to…
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Leveling Blocks Add-on
Having a level camper van isn’t nearly as important as other types of RVs since Usain’s refrigerator doesn’t run on propane. As long as our heads are higher than our feet when sleeping then it isn’t that big of deal so most sites are level enough. There have been a couple of times when a…
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Bike and Trike Rack Add-on
We enjoy both kayaking and cycling, but had to choose one of the other for our van life travels. We chose to take our cycles along — Lisa’s bike and my trike — and rent kayaks when the opportunity arises. My internet search for a rack to accommodate both a bike and a trike resulted…
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Cabin Thermometer Add-on
We wanted a thermometer in Usain to keep an eye on the temps, which is now more important than ever since we’re traveling with our cats. A van life YouTuber recommended the Govee brand so I purchased a larger display with backlight as well as one for the fridge (see Refrigerator Thermometer Add-on). While I…
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Refrigerator Thermometer Add-on
When researching RVs I found that RV refrigerators can be fickle. While typical RV refrigerators run off of propane, the Boldt’s is totally electric — runs from AC power when the inverter is on and DC power when the inverter is off. We have found it very dependable and haven’t had an issue but a…
