We didn't think it would be possible to get a regular house mattress into our small RV and level up the sleeping situation. Yet, we had to try. After a bout of some restless nights and terrible tossing and turning, we knew we needed something different. The RV mattress which came with Maude was a thin, very light piece of wood and maybe (?) some springs, which we layered with both a 3 inch-thick foam mattress pad and a very fluffy topper. But still, we were able to sink into the layers and find the hardness of the mattress below each and every night.

We needed something different. We needed a change. Our poor bones weren't getting enough rest and when you're on the road you totally understand and appreciate what a good night's sleep does for you. So we decided to take the plunge and replace the RV mattress. The RV mattress was connected to a few pieces of metal, which were seemingly attached to a hydraulic-type-mechanism. With just a few bolts to unhinge, we got it out with a celebratory sigh.

That's right, we said it-- new mattress. A Tuft & Needle mattress at that. Never did we think that we could rip out the RV mattress and replace it with a full-size, house-intended mattress, but guess what? We did. And the results were freaking fantastic.

We have officially slept on our Tuft & Needle mattress for over a month now and we have a few exciting things to report:

• Marisa no longer has back problems. She doesn't wake up with pains along her spine, nor does she toss and turn during the night.
• This mattress is easily a life-changer. It is thick and sturdy yet soft on the top. The firmness is what makes it such an incredible RV mattress replacement.
• It fits. Our old RV mattress was specifically designed to fit in the bunk, and we were unsure of whether or not the Tuft & Needle mattress would fit. But, it does. Even with the slide completely in, the mattress stays in place wonderfully.
• The company itself, rules. We were first told about Tuft & Needle from a few friends over at  The Modern Caravan. At the time, we heard about it and thought "wouldn't that be nice?" But we didn't think we would have enough room. We did some research before reaching out to Tuft & Needle because we value companies that are transparent in their goals and message, plus actively want to help consumers while also contributing to an eco-friendly mission. Tuft & Needle does just that.

One of the coolest aspects about our Tuft & Needle mattress was that it came in a box, perfectly packaged. We had heard about mattresses arriving in boxes from other fellow-travelers or through podcast commercials, and really admired how simple receiving a mattress could be. It wasn't until we received our Tuft & Needle mattress in this compact box that we really were impressed. 

We can't say enough good things about Tuft & Needle. Not only has it added a huge layer of comfort to our small RV, but it also provides us with consistent sleep night-after-night no matter where we pull off to doze. We are actually excited to climb into bed and rest.

For those who are interested in checking out a Tuft & Needle mattress, you can try it out for 100 nights to see if it is a good fit. Plus, any mattress that is returned after the 100-night sleep trial is then donated to local charities and non-profits across the county. HOW COOL IS THAT?! Tuft & Needle offers one fair price always which means that there are no sales pitches or gimmicks attached. Transparency at its finest.

Please note: We were not financially compensated for this post. We received a mattress for review purposes. However, the opinions are completely our own based on our personal experiences with the product. We only choose to review products and brands that we love.

Well, we finally bit the bullet and bought a new RV Fantastic Vent Fan for our small RV. Assuming that the old Fantastic Fan came with our RV, that makes it about 10 years old, and quite an eyesore. Not that it hasn’t provided wonderful moments of cool breezes when we needed it the most. But the indoor cover part is seemingly off-white (cream colored) and not at all our jam. Why go to all the trouble of painting your walls white so that you can just have an off-white, yellowy fan smack dab in the middle of your ceiling?! Other than color, our fan also makes a squeaking noise which can get under your skin, plus just normal 10-year-wear-and-tear. So, we decided to upgrade.
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Now, Fantastic Fans aren’t cheap. This is why we left this to one of the projects for later on down the road. 

1. We didn’t see the need to rush because we already had a working fan and 
   
2. There were other ways to spend that money. But, we are leaving Austin shortly, and decided that for the West Coast, a new fan would make all the difference.

We’ve been watching a few videos in regards to installation, and have not been put off by the process. (Not like our water heater, ugh). We decided to go with the newer model (go big or go home right?!) and opted to purchase all the necessary add-ons in one fell swoop. This is everything we bought:

You can click on the images above to take you right to the purchase point. 

1) Turn off power. Now, I get paranoid when I’m working with electrical and while some people might go with the flow, I like to avoid getting electrocuted at all costs. But hey, that might just be me.

2) Remove the old putty/sealant/glue/chewing gum that is holding your old fan down. You can use a knife, putty knife, spatula, magic wand—whatever floats your boat and does the job. Make sure not to cut into your actual roof while doing so. 

3) Unscrew everything holding your old fan in place. Pull the screen off, get the screws out.

4) Get that old fan outta there! This may take some extra elbow grease, especially if it’s been sealed down with glue. I definitely misjudged how tightly our fan was in place. 

5) Once that puppy is loose, disconnect the wires. Normally, white is negative and black is positive. Ours were yellow and white, so in that case the yellow was positive. We just snipped with wire cutters closer to the wires coming from the RV.

6) Clean the area well. Not only was there a lot of dirt, but also a lot of old sealant and just plain gunk. We cleaned around the area in order to get the new fan in place.

7) Put the putty all the way around the base of the new fan. This putty is clay putty that we bought from Amazon, and adhered very well.

8) Connect the new wiring on the new fan with the RV wiring. Crimp the connector in place and seal with electrical tape. TEST! Test it out before sealing it down! You want to make sure it works, right?

9) Take the putty wrapper off all pieces of putty and put the fan in place. (Note: if your fan requires new holes to be drilled in the roof, then so be it. We were lucky enough that all the holes that were previously in the roof for the old fan lined up perfectly with the new fan. Thank goodness).

10) Press the fan into place with the putty. 

11) Use the screws to screw the new fan into place within your roof.

12) Use the Dicor Lap Sealant around every screw, as well as along the base of the new fan. This is what will prevent any leakage or water issues down the road, so make sure you’re generous with your lap sealant. We decided to smooth it out a bit, despite being self-leveling, just to ensure that everything was properly covered.

13) Wash your hands because lap sealant is gross.

14) Head inside and add the vent fan phalange on the inside of the base. You may need to cut it down a bit to fit—we did. We used our circular saw to cut it down. Measurements from our old phalange were used to make the cuts.

15) Screw the phalange into place.

16) Click that bad boy on and get ready to enjoy a breeze.

​Everyone loves a good before and after shot, right?!

Feel free to shoot us any questions you have about the process. We aren’t professionals by any means, but we've done a lot in our small RV that took a lot of time, research, and good old fashioned learning! Truth be told, we knew nothing about RV Fantastic Fan Installation, but you find a few videos, read a few instruction manuals and then cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Happy Trails!

Bill & Kayla of The Wandering RV put together a pretty phenomenal resource for must-have RV accessories as told by full-time RVers. Not only is the guide completely thorough, but it covers all bases, from WiFi to RV kitchen gadgets, and of course those RV essentials. 
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We were asked to add some of our essential items and one of the top on out list was our Chemex. This isn't an exaggeration either, we genuinely use our Chemex every single day. Many mornings wouldn't be completely without freshly grinding and freshly roasting our coffee. It's a glorious thing.

For those of you who are starting out RVing, check out this thorough guide from The Wandering RV and find your own inspiration. Or even those who have been on the road for a while now can cross-reference their own must-have items. For us, full-time RVing means continuously learning, especially in areas we aren't familiar with or from other people who are kind enough to share their experiences and knowledge.. For example, we're still trying to sort out our RV internet as we hit the road again, and the above-mentioned guide provides some pretty stellar insight.

To read the article in entirety, click: 30+ Must-Have RV Accessories By The Wandering RV

Thank you to Bill & Kayla for providing such a great resource, and also letting us add our two cents. :)

As many of you know already, coffee is an integral part of our day. Not only does it give us that extra boost when we need some energy for long hauls on the road (we're talking 6-8 hours), but morning coffee has also become something of a ritual in our small RV. There is something about waking up, the silence of the nighttime fading away, grinding our beans, and putting on the water to boil. Our mornings just aren't complete without our coffee ritual.
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But lately, we've been busy. Super busy. Which means that our 15-20 minute coffee making process has taken a backseat to what we have going on for that day. Sometimes our forearms can't take the continued grinding of the beans, you know? Thus brings me to our new favorite coffee obsession: Caveman Coffee Cold Brew Concentrate.

What started with a slight fixation with Juiceland's Percolator drink, soon turned into our need to recreate this delicious morning elixir. This is where Caveman Coffee comes into play. We had tried a few cold brew concentrates prior to Caveman Coffee and were unimpressed. They weren't offering the kind of kick, nor the flavor that we were looking for. But Caveman Cold Brew was different. It came in a large 22 oz bottle, sleek and slim, with only one set of directions: mix with water. Now, you have to know that this is music to our ears--the girls who grind beans, boil water, and wait for the Chemex to do it's thing every morning. All we needed to do was add water and voila.

​The perfect way to drink our coffee on the road.

We genuinely loved this cold brew concentrate so much that we started to play around with a few recipes. Most mornings for us include a vegan protein shake and a cup of coffee--quick and easy, while also providing necessary nutrients and amino acids. So we started thinking, what if we combined our two morning drinks into one?! Introducing...

Ingredients

1.5-2 ounces Caveman Cold Brew Concentrate
Half a Banana
2-3 Pitted Dates
1 tsp Cacao Powder
Dash of Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp MCT Coconut Oil
1-2 TBSP Califia Farms Better Half Coconut Cream & Almond Milk
6-8 ounces Water
Add Ice (for desired thickness)
**Optional Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder Chocolate

The instructions for this one are quite simple: add everything together and blend. We use a NutriBullet to get everything blended just right, but you could also use a blender, too. Whatever works in your kitchen.

​The MCT Coconut Oil is an added bonus (also made by Caveman Coffee), which  provides an unbelievable all-natural energy kick. MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides, which when added to your diet regularly may increase energy, stamina, improve digestion, boost metabolism and more. Adding it to our morning shakes has made a huge difference in how we feel throughout the day.

Besides the morning shake routine, we've also been using Caveman Cold Brew Concentrate as an easy way to make vegan iced coffee before taking Spike and Penny on their walk. Within 5 minutes, both of us have an iced coffee ready to go, no waiting, no brewing. It's pretty darn glorious. Just follow the Caveman Cold Brew instructions on the bottle, add your desired MCT oil amount (1 TBSP recommended) and splash with your favorite vegan creamer. 

If there is one thing I have missed about being on the road, it's not having constant access to a grill. I used to LOVE grilling outdoors. There is something so relaxing about putting on some music, lighting up the grill, and having a couple beers with friends and enjoying the great outdoors. While Vanessa and I still utilize cooking outside whenever we can, especially in campsites with grills built in-ground, we haven't done much grilling in Austin since being here...

​Until now...

It all started on Memorial Day, when we wanted to step outside the culinary box and fulfill our holiday obligations of BBQing by grilling up some goods. The only problem was that where we are staying there isn't a grill. So, we hit up the local Whole Foods and found...
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A disposable eco-grill that burns coshell coconut charcoal. Not only was this disposable grill less than $4, BUT it was also eco-friendly with less carbon emissions, so easy to light, and burned continuously for two+ hours. This little thing was darn glorious and we couldn't have been happier. But what made this disposable grill even cooler was the fact that we had the easiest way to keep this puppy burning and red hot. Another trick of the trade...
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The HomeRight ElectroLight Fire Starter is hands-down one of the coolest travel gadgets we've ever used in the great outdoors.  By just plugging this baby into our small RV Maude, we were able to produce 1300 degree F air to keep our charcoals red hot throughout the entire cooking process. This is how easy it was...

Let me just say, the Electro-Light Fire Starter was so darn cool, we decided to adventure further into culinary creation. Now, this isn't to negate the ACTUAL point of this fire starter which is obviously to light fires. Vanessa and I have had many a'difficulty lighting campfires and charcoal grills, continuously burning through paper, matches and the like, just trying to get a flame. (It's worth noting that neither of us were Girl Scouts for too long and if there was a fire starter badge, then we clearly didn't earn it). But, with the ElectroLight, there is no waste. There is no frustration. The fire starter burns and it lights things up quick. Just make sure you're extra careful with how hot it gets!

So, we decided to keep going with our ElectroLight and used it to char more eggplant as well as char a plate of campfire vegan nachos....

All in all, our tiny eco-friendly grill worked wonders and we can certain vouch it as a success. We roasted two whole eggplants to peel and make into a cold aubergine salad, plus a few SmartLink veggie dogs and a red onion. The ElectroLight is one of our new RV must-have items and we can't wait to make lighting fires a snap once we get back on the road.