Three weeks from now, I begin my move back to Mexico with a 3-week girls trip. Initially, mom had booked the trip to see progress on the dome, in person. However, THE EGG is now on an indefinite pause while I search for land, review my building plans, and wait to see if America will get its poo together. We could have just canceled the trip, but we chose to repurpose it and head to Mexico together instead.
This is not my first time RVing with my mom. In fact, it’s the second time this year and the third time overall. It also won’t be our first time sharing a small space in Mexico. But, it will be the first time we share my tiny home on wheels for THREE WEEKS. Am I nervous? Not at all. I’m sure all hell will break loose at some point, but I look forward to terrorizing my mother ― sadly, she also looks forward to terrorizing me!
As an only child and a solo adventuress, most of my hobbies are single-player activities. I don’t even have a TV inside the camper. Naturally, there are tonnes of things to do in Mexico when you’re a block from the beach, walking distance from bars, sniffing distance from restaurants, and there’s a pool on-site. But, I still have to keep the missy entertained, so here’s what I’m taking with me on the trip.
I’ve added links for anyone also looking for ways to keep the peace in small spaces! Some are affiliate links and some are not.
1. Roof Top Tent
My GFC Superlite RTT is permanently mounted to the FJ Cruiser, but it doesn’t need to be. It is light enough to get on and off with ease. However, because it’s so light, there’s no reason to remove it. It hasn’t had a noticeable impact on my MPG and the truck doesn’t feel top-heavy with it up there. I mentally prepared myself to have both those problems, so I’m happy that wasn’t the case.
When my grandma and mom visited in March of this year, I slept in the rooftop tent. It gave us space and made it possible for me to stay up until ungodly hours while grandma went to bed early. This time, I booked my parents for a cruise and mom is flying here, so the rooftop tent will also give us some social distancing space. Finally, it means I have somewhere to escape to when I just want some me-time!
2. Hot Tub
The single best thing about having my former lot was being able to use my hot tub. I soaked in that thing four nights per week and I was looking forward to sharing it with mom when she arrived. When I gave up the lot, I put the hot tub in storage. However, it occurred to me that I could set it up on my other lot in Mexico. That lot does have some wickedly sharp thorns, so I have to get creative with how I plan to protect the tub and decorate the bland space.
You’re probably wondering how on Earth I managed to fit a 120 lb hot tub inside a tiny travel trailer. Bringing it meant I had to leave a lot of other things that would fit inside a specific part of the RV: the basement storage. Once I emptied out that space, the hot tub slid right in. I chose not to bring the padded, thermal cover because it’s summer, but I may come back to get it from storage when I drop mom off at the airport.
I also bought a set of string lights for ambiance and a bamboo rug to protect the hot tub from the thorns. Mom and I are looking forward to soaking at sunset in Mexico.
3. Games
My family and I play a lot of games together. We mostly play board games, card games, and dominoes. Our favorite board game is TROUBLE, so I ordered one from Amazon. I thought I was being a responsible consumer by buying the second-hand game, but Amazon did me dirty. It sent me the board game with no players!! If you know TROUBLE, you know you need the exact players to fit in those tiny round slots. So, I sent it back. I wish I had gotten a new one because a replacement won’t come in time. If you buy one, don’t buy used, like I did!
I did, however, get this beautiful pack of cards. They are waterproof, so we can play poolside, at the beach, or even while soaking in the tub. The dominoes are on the way! It is a beautiful, black wooden set that weighs a lot less than the regular type of dominoes. If you’ve ever been RVing, you know weight is always a concern, so I check the weight of everything I buy for the road.
4. Outdoor Seating
When you have a small interior space, the trick to expanding your living area is to take it outside. I am usually traveling solo, so my interior space is plenty as-is. Sharing it with mom, however, will mean that exterior space will come in handy. We can eat, play games outside, and also reduce transmission rates if she picks anything up at sea or in the tin box in the sky!
I usually bring this picnic table with me (pictured above!). I’ve had it since I first started RVing and it has held up surprisingly well. However, when reducing weight and space to make room for the hot tub, it’s one of the things I chose to leave behind. Instead, I’m bringing my lightweight aluminum camping table and my foldable chair. There’s just one problem. I only have one chair! So, I’ve bought this padded seat cover for my 5-gallon bucket. Voila!
5. Arts & Crafts Projects
I’ve planned two sewing projects and one spray-painting task for us. The sewing task is simple enough. I just need some velcro attached to the back of two new tapestries to replace the one I currently have up (check the YouTube thumbnail, below!). I hang a tapestry in my RV for two main reasons: to tone down the brown and because I removed the heavy, decorative wood that came with the RV.
Here’s the little sewing machine I use in the RV! It has a foot pedal and everything. My family thought it was hilarious when I bought this in November 2020, but it works like a charm and is holding up well! That’s my grandma on my phone instructing me. She was a self-employed seamstress for most of my childhood and teen years.
The second project involves spray painting my white garbage can. I bought Rustoleum matte black paint at Walmart and had originally planned on spraying it before leaving Silver City, NM. But, I think it will be a fun project for mom and me to tackle with so much time on our hands. I’ve also bought some watercolors and paintbrushes for us to do some artsy dabbling.
As you can probably tell, I’m in the process of redecorating the RV. I won’t be getting the tiny house I planned on, so I figured it was time to make a few changes to the one I already have and love. The entire project cost me $178. I’m still waiting on a few things, but I’ll share the finished results when it’s all done. In the meantime, you can check out my renovation video from last summer:
I can imagine having a sewing machine would be very helpful. Enjoy your visit. My mom and l loved to play Sequence. It’s a great game.
Thank you!
I’ve never heard of Sequence! I’ll look that up. Having the sewing machine is very helpful for doing little DIY projects around the RV for sure. 🙂
It’s a great game.
What a great little sewing machine. That looks real handy!
It really is a handy little thing. It had one little maintenance problem once and grandma walked me through the process of getting the lube in. That’s all it needed and then it was good to go again!
Don’t forget to lightly sand your bucket before you paint it so the paint will stick to it better.
It’s metal and shiny, so we may have to! Thanks for the reminder. ☺️
👍👍