D.I.Y. Projects

If you find water on the floor by the fridge, the first place to look is the fridge condensation drain line. Dometic, the maker of the fridge, uses a white corrugated plastic line…

Window awnings add a touch of class and are effective at blocking sunlight and offering some extra privacy. To deploy, pull the strap to unroll the awning and hook the end to…

A popular modification is to do away with the “security” of keyed hatches and replacing them with thumb latches. Every Casita hatch as well as most other RV’s use the CH751 key.…

Bug Screens keep critters out of the openings of the Casita’s appliances.  Mud Dauber Wasps are a particularly nasty bug that love to camp in Casitas too.  One time I opened the…

The water tank access door falls down while wrestling hoses and other gear in and out of the compartment.  There’s a brilliant little device that will solve this problem.  They are called…

Little House Customs sells a double entry step for our Casitas.  Having an extra step is great for people with mobility issues or if you have a lifted Casita. The steps are…

We needed to pet-proof the screened door. I didn’t like the commercially available RV pet grates because they had poor reviews and appeared flimsy. I settled on aluminum flattened expanded mesh. None of the…

We don’t like carrying keys. Our house and garage have keypad locks. Our kids can use keypads too. Bauer makes an electronic keypad lock for RV’s. At the time I couldn’t find…

Casita’s have a design flaw in that if the door opens too far, it will hit the aluminum “belly band”.  Our door already came broken courtesy of the previous owner.  It doesn’t…

For 2017 and older Casitas with the Fan-tastic vent fan, this is a “mandatory” upgrade. The cover allowed us to run the fan in any weather.  We could also leave the roof…

Since our Casita lives outside at a Coast Guard station air field in the Florida weather, I wanted the best protection I could find. Calmark makes their covers with “Sunbrella” which is…

The old style kitchen vent had turned yellow and looked dated.  Newer Casitas use the JR Endura vent which looks better, and has better latches to keep it closed while trailering. Upgrade…

This LED chandelier adds lots of needed light in a Casita. This made in-the-USA light by Heng’s is available in 4 versions: clear or frosted lens and “cool” or “warm” light.  The warm…

Replace the shallow kitchen sink with this restaurant quality deep sink and high rise faucet.  The Krowne HS-1419 includes a heavy duty metal faucet and a drain basket. The installation requires cutting…

The metal stove cover was rattling and wearing through the fiberglass counter top. Delicia asked what I could do to fix it. An idea immediately popped into my head. Automotive door edging!…

We mostly cook outside, but here are some small improvements that make our Casita kitchen a better place to work.  The vent range and sink light were upgraded to LED.  By adding…

The Dometic fridge in the 17′ Casita has a weak plastic hinge.  It can break if it pops open in transit, is overloaded, or by leaning on it while open.  Replacing the…

While the Casita bathroom is tiny, there is a lot of room for improvement.  Flooring Nobody liked stepping onto the wet floor in the bathroom, and any tracked in dirt turned into…

Our Casita thankfully came with the optional vinyl sheet flooring, but it was showing its age and had mystery rust stains.  After some research, we settled on Traffic Master stick down 12×24″…

Even though our Casita is a 2009, the interior was stuck in 1990.  Tamara Armstrong at Clifton Upholstery in Waco, Texas (she doesn’t have a website, but you can email or call her:…

We (and by “we” I mean Delicia) didn’t like the oak-look laminate doors in our Casita so it was time for a makeover.  We also had a new dinette table and bulkhead…

Works for Curb Side kitchens (Spirit and Freedom layouts) We usually tow our Casita with empty tanks to minimize weight because it’s easier to tow.  An exception is when traveling to destinations…

If you’re new to RV’ing, you might not know about the “colors” of water.   Clear is the drinking water.  Supplied by either the onboard tank or a “city connection”, which is…

Another LHC modification is the shut-off valve.  It’s cheap insurance against a failed toilet flush valve.  If the valve fails, water will continuously run into the toilet which can result in a…

An outside shower is an option on Casitas.  If your Casita didn’t come with one, it can be added!  The factory installs the shower box on the non-curb side of the Casita.…

Every year you should flush the water heater and check the condition of the anode.  Anodes are made out of either magnesium or aluminum and are “sacrificial”, meaning that the water eats…

The Fast Gray Modification The Casita’s 32 gallon gray water tank is notorious for slow draining and leaving gallons of water trapped after dumping.   Emptying can take up to 10 minutes,…

Why start off simple?   Our first project was also the most difficult. When we purchased our Casita, the water heater was disconnected by the prior owner due to a leak. The…

A flush mounted solar port makes a Casita “solar ready”. A portable solar panel can be plugged in to help charge the battery when camping “off the grid”. Because the plug is…

It was time to upgrade the battery and I wanted more capacity without jumping to a group 31 which requires modifying the hold down (they’re really big and heavy). Trojan batteries are…

Upgrading to a detachable power cord has a few advantages. The connection is weather and bug proof. The cord can be coiled up and kept elsewhere or stuffed back in the original…

I was a Cub Scout as a kid and now Scout Leader. I always like to be prepared, and having a pair of electrical adapters is a great idea. The 15 amp…

We installed a 100 watt solar panel on the roof of our Casita. The panel will give us enough electricity to keep the battery charged while camping and traveling. Solar alone won’t…

Having a 12 volt USB port gives us more charging options.  We can charge devices on battery (no hookups or AC power).   The lone 12v outlet for the TV wasn’t enough…

On 2018 and older Casitas, the battery is wired directly to the electrical system.  Because of this, the propane detector draws constant power and will kill the battery in a matter of…

This LED chandelier adds lots of needed light in a Casita. This made in-the-USA light by Heng’s is available in 4 versions: clear or frosted lens and “cool” or “warm” light.  The warm…

I previously wrote how to do the “A/C mod” to have a digital thermostat control the air conditioning and heat through a relay. It works well and is doable for the average…

The “A/C Mod” is one of the most popular upgrades for 2018 and older Casitas. From the factory, the roof mounted air conditioner fan runs constantly and the compressor cycles on and…

Our Honda EU2000 generator didn’t have the oomph to reliability start our 2009-era Coleman Polar-Cub air conditioner. It would trip the overload protection about half the time. After doing some research, I…

The first time I camped in the winter I didn’t get much sleep.  I was awake and adjusting the furnace thermostat every 30 minutes trying to get a comfortable temperature.   Bleary…

July Update- Little Home on the Road is now selling shock kits from their webpage: https://littlehomeontheroad.com What are shocks, and why use them? Every car and truck on the road is equipped…

Wheel bearings can be a mystery, but they’re quite simple.  The greased roller bearings carry the load and reduce friction so your wheels can turn going down the road.  According to Dexter,…

Adding BAL scissor jacks greatly increases the stability of the Casita. Prior to 2019, Casitas came with single leg rear stabilizers and relied on the single front jack to hold up the…

Essential for our Casita is ground tackle (nautical term from my Navy days). Solid rubber chocks are the best and won’t blow away. On the road we use the Tri-lynx chocks that…