5 RV Bathroom Renovation Tips for Small Spaces
If you’re planning to upgrade your bathroom, chances are you’re wondering what you can do in that tiny space.
However, if my years of full-time RVing have taught me anything, small spaces can be as stylish and functional as the big spaces in residential homes.
In fact, space limitations in an RV often lead to creative solutions. Your small bathroom can be as chic, as much as your household bathroom.
Take a look at some RV bathroom upgrades that will transform your space into a Pinterest-worthy space.
Replace your Showerhead
Replacing a bathroom showerhead is easy and relatively cheap. Installing a new one can also change your entire shower experience.
When changing an RV bathroom showerhead, you must have two wrenches- one to twist off the head nut and the other to hold the pipe in place, so it doesn’t twist or cause torque to the plumbing connection behind the wall.
A single wrench can exert pressure on the connecting pipe, and breaking that joint is expensive.
Use the same technique when tightening the showerhead.
Two important things to keep in mind when replacing an RV showerhead is you shouldn’t overtighten. Secondly, not all showerheads require Teflon.
Regarding the choice of RV bathroom showerheads, I suggest you avoid the plastic options. Plastic showerheads are ultra-light, flimsy, and tend to clog more.
Instead, I would suggest something efficient such as a low-flow showerhead.
A low-flow showerhead reduces the amount of water wastage. It’s a pleasant option, especially when boondocking because it helps to reduce water consumption.
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Switch Glass Doors to Shower Curtains
I understand glass doors have a unique allure, but for me, you couldn’t pay me to have a glass door in my RV bathroom unless it comes with a maid.
See, nothing is more difficult than keeping the glass doors clean. And believe me, I’m not a slob-far from it. I mostly RV alone, and I’m pretty tidy, but some things are just naturally hard to keep clean. Glass doors in RV bathrooms are one of them.
The modern RV glass doors are usually nice looking when spotless but a nightmare to clean.
With the shower curtains, however, you simply need to throw them into the washing machine when you get home. Shower curtains for RVs are also cheap and easy to install.
The RV shower curtains will also “do the trick” and not take away the space when they’re put on the side.
I love to pair my RV shower curtains with a curved shower rod to give more “elbow” space. We know the extra 5-6 inches are important in a shower.
If I had young kids, I would also prefer the curtains as they add more softness to a room with plenty of hard surfaces.
Finally, curtains can look stylish and easily add a changeable design to the bathroom.
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Replace your RV Toilet
A toilet replacement isn’t a thing I would rush to do unless it’s for a good reason, such as leakage or something. It’s important to replace your RV toilet if it leaks to avoid shit water leaks in your entire space.
Pro tip: When replacing the RV toilet, keep it level so as not to spill dirty water.
Also, consider the water valve during the replacement. Most of the toilet lines are rigid, and if the placement of the new toilet is higher or lower, you must run a new line to reach the new valve.
You can avoid this by taking a photo of the original valve when looking for a replacement.
If you’re considering replacing an RV toilet, I suggest you go with a composting toilet.
I know composting toilets usually get a bad rap, but I’ve lived two years full-time with a composting toilet and can tell you it’s vastly better than a black tank.
The smell is usually a non-issue with a genuine composting toilet. The installation itself isn’t a big deal either, provided you’ve the space.
There’s also virtually zero maintenance with the composting toilets. You only have to do it a couple of times a month. Plus, it saves you time spent dumping a giant tank of crap.
Urine is probably the only issue because it has to be dumped after three days or so, but it’s fast, easy, and sterile. You shouldn’t have a problem dumping the urine on the ground. A few times, we’ve dumped ours in the shower drain.
Blank tanks can also fill you with no bathroom, whereas the composting toilet is never “full” and can always take some more.
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Add a Clothesline
Installing an indoor retractable clothesline in your bathroom is extremely convenient. This nifty addition helps hold your towel or change clothes while in the shower.
The ideal clothesline shouldn’t sag under a few pounds of wet laundry
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Custom Storage and Organization
If there’s one extra detail in my bathroom I can’t live without is a storage and organization facility.
Storage is often overlooked in a bathroom, but nothing makes your bathroom worse than clutter everywhere.
When creating a storage solution for your bathroom, the first thing is trashing anything you hardly use or the expired stuff. Be ruthless about what you really need and what is just not necessary. Only keep the essentials and throw away anything you’ve not used in months.
The next step before the actual organization is cleaning the bathroom and all surfaces. I prefer to start with a clean slate.
The third step is categorizing the “keep” items. Store the related products in a bin or shelf of their own.
Photo boxes and clear plastic bags are also brilliant ideas for packing similar items together. The idea is to store similar bathroom stuff in a single box so each box holds a different category.
I’m a huge fan of caddy shelf storage racks. These adhesives are worth their weight in gold. They stick to the RV bathroom wall nicely and allow me to see all my products in one place.
You could also invest in a command hook. Set it on one of the walls to hold your robe and towels.
Organizing an RV bathroom might seem like a daunting task, especially with such as small space to move around. But if you can find a playlist to keep you busy during the organization, you’ll find the process much easier.
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