RV ENTROPY

More chaos than usual

Some RVs are spic and span, and I suppose their owners’ permanent homes are just as neat and clean. Everything is arranged so well that the spices are probably in alphabetical order, and the towels stacked according to color. Disgusting!

Such perfection seems to violate the law of entropy. Like that in any system, the order in an RV should gradually devolve into chaos. In our Winnebago View, the breakdown tends to happen rather quickly. We may begin the day with everything in its place, but by nightfall the table is littered with pens and pencils, the laptop computer, flash drives, dirty dishes, sketching materials, and perhaps our latest leaf collection. Almost the only thing that moves us to restore order is the prospect of driving, which of course must be done with nothing that can become a flying projectile. 

I would love to have a perfectly clean, organized RV, but it will probably never happen. Even when we have restored order on the surface, and locked the doors on the cluttered cabinets, it is only a temporary fix that can’t last long. What relieves me of guilt is the memory of my favorite book about housework, Nobody Said You Have to Eat off the Floor, by Carol G. Eisen. The author, a psychiatrist’s wife, emphasizes that some tasks are necessary for safety and health, some are important for making it possible to find things and for being considerate of other people, but many can be done minimally or occasionally. Housework can be done according to priorities.

Applying Eisen’s principles  to the RV, we are careful to follow instructions in the owner’s manual about oil changes, tires, and other maintenance; this is a no-brainer, as neglecting the View’s mechanical condition could endanger our lives.  For the same reason, we do make sure that everything is put away in the cabinets and drawers for travel mode. We have a special bag for our prescriptions and other medical supplies, and keep it near the door where it can be picked up in any emergency. 

As we prize being able to take pictures and to keep daily records of our travels, we are usually careful about keeping the camera close at hand; the camper’s log is always replaced where it belongs, next to the entertainment center, when not in use. Being environmentalists, we make sure to leave any campsite at least as clean as we found it. 

To minimize most motorhomework, we start each trip with a clean interior that doesn’t require much work on the road. I am very fond of Murphy’s oil soap, which has an appealing odor. Anything that has been cleaned with it seems to repel dirt.  I use Murphy’s on all surfaces, including the floor. If necessary, a little ammonia can be added for extra cleaning. 

One of the many features of our View that we appreciate is the cabover bed. In the morning we simply spread the Travasak cover to air the inside, then lift the bed to the ceiling. We hardly ever have to actually make the bed. The picture above shows unusual chaos; we don’t ordinarily use the sofa bed!