Plans Optional

An artful, traveling retirement.

Our RV

An initial, pictorial overview as we start our full time adventures

Floor Plan – 2022 Grand Design Solitude 280RK
Floor plan of a Solitude 5th wheel RV trailer
Our floor plan is pretty typical for a 5th wheel…but we really like it, especially the large bathroom that has an entrance from both the hall and the bedroom
Living Room & Kitchen Overview
The interior living area and kitchen of a 5th wheel RV trailer
Stepping in from the door, to the left is the main living space. The birch decals on the fridge have been a fun personalization. One of our dog beds is under the dinette.
The interior of the living area of a 5th wheel RV trailer
…and the same living space from the far corner. Millie appreciates that the dog leashes are in easy reach on hooks by the door. Hue “Go” lights give a soft glow.
Kitchen Customizations
An open RV cabinet showing a partially-constructed spice rack
Making a spice rack in the cabinet above the microwave from plexiglass, foam core, egg crate & zip ties.
The finished product has been a joy to use so far. We left empty bottles to allow for new spices..
Wire wine rack of hexagon shapes inside an RV cabinet with one bottle of wine
An essential item – a wine rack. The 3-bottle hexagon racks were from the “dollar” bins at Target.
A rectangular white planter with basil and thyme plants
This herb planter will hopefully be enough for occasional pesto and will also provide some zing to our mocktail creations.
A shelf inside an RV pantry with clear containers for food storage
We’re lucky to have a big pantry, but if we’re not careful we won’t be able to find anything. A shelf on the left and a lot of OXO containers help make sense of everything.
An RV pantry shelf with a panel clipped in place to prevent storage containers from moving during travel
On travel days we position a sheet of foam core on the side of the shelf and clip it in place so that items can’t move during transit. Been working well.
Decor
A pile of wooden slats that were removed from an RV window
We decided to remove the original wooden window valences
Captain’s chairs and curtains in an RV slide-out
We replaced them with curtains and the whole room looks move cozy and residential now.
We wanted a travel map, but didn’t like most of the ones available online, so I cut out state shapes from matte black contact paper (traced from a printout on several sheets of 8.5” x 11”) and stuck them to the tile wall.
A map made of black shapes of US states, stuck to a white tile wall
We’re really happy with the finished product. If you look closely, you can see a little green dot in Wisconsin approximately in the location of Madison. We’ll keep adding to the green travel dots for 2024.
On the shelf above the map we have three ceramic sculptures created by a dear friend in Madison who is starting a pottery business. The electric candles are on a 5-hour timer.
Bedroom & Bathroom Overview
The bath is spacious by RV standards, with a large shower.
Artwork to the right of the sink from Mike Bass of Zip-Dang depicts the season of the harvest, which seems suitable for retirement.
One of our first improvements was adding a Sleep Number mattress. Usually the bed is made with just our light-colored twin duvets, but when the dogs are going to be left alone inside, the dark blue bedspread is added so the bedding stays clean. Our second dog bed is nestled between the bed and the wall.
My nightstand has art from our son, art from a college friend, journaling supplies, a charging station and a tray of meaningful objects for a mindfulness exercise. Below on a hook is my Matador Refraction backpack, which has become my go-to bag. You can also see some elements of our security system.
Outdoor setup
  • In most campgrounds we extend both awnings during the day and add a zip-on awning extension for extra shade and privacy.
  • We have 3 outdoor rugs in a neutral gray pattern from Target that have done a good job for us thus far.
  • We’ve loved the blue picnic table cover from REI.
  • Sometimes we’ve had the space to add a tarp in front of the back awning so that our outdoor space is in an “L” shape. When we’re able to do this, we put our lounge chairs in the front area and the picnic table under the tarp, with a cooking area under the back awning.
  • It feels like we’re still dialing in this space to fit the variety of sites we’re encountering, so there’s likely to be some adjustment in the coming months.
Miscellaneous Storage & Organization
A storage bench with the lid open, revealing craft and art materials
We replaced the original chairs with storage benches and all of my art/hobby supplies are inside. It was a real trick trimming them down but so far I’ve had everything I need.
Inside a RV bedroom cabinet, showing rolled clothing stored on shelves
We built shelves in one of the bedroom closets and rolled our clothes. Other than outerwear and one sock/underwear drawer each, this is all of our clothing.
Interior of an white RV shower, with clothes hanging and drying on hooks
We added hooks in the shower and it has been a huge help to have a place to hang wet gear or sweaty clothes from working out.
In the overhead cabinets above what’s labeled as “hutch” on the floor plan we are storing a myriad of items, grouped as logically as we could. The small IKEA SAMLA storage units fit perfectly with six per shelf. On the right we installed an extra shelf and a “junk drawer” bin (scissors, tape, post-its, pens, etc.) and laundry supplies are in that slot without lids for easy access.
We transformed the coat closet just inside the door with shelves for shoes, hooks for caps/keys/sunglasses and sleeves for large bottles of sunscreen & bug spray. A dog brush is also at the ready! We added four large command hooks in the hallway at the stairs and those have been plenty to keep our most-used outerwear.

That’s the main gist. The space has suited us extremely well so far and the customizations have made it feel like home.

One thing I’ve realized, especially given that I had wanted a somewhat smaller trailer to start, is that when you’re feeling great and the weather is beautiful, it is easy to imagine having a much smaller RV. But when it is storming all day or when you feel sick, it is an incredible comfort to have such a cozy, apartment-like space.

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