This is what our brand new Winnebago EKKO “Number One” looks like at the moment.

“Honey, let’s go camping this weekend! Oh wait…“

Did you catch that “brand new” bit? There’s nothing wrong with Number One. It being torn apart like this certainly wasn’t necessary. James, a born tinkerer, couldn’t wait to get our new RV and start ripping it apart. RV modding is a fun hobby for him. I’m quite sure he enjoys modding our RV more than he likes RVing itself.

Weighing seats he removed. Just because it’s fun.  And before you ask: 114lbs.

Since sharing some of James’ recent RV mods, we’ve gotten quite a few comments from people who just don’t get the modder mindset. “Why would you buy an RV that needs so much work done to it?!” With the RVing DIY trend so prevalent right now, the comments surprised me. I’m so engulfed in both the RV community as a whole as well as the RVer DIY subculture, that it never dawned on me others might be perplexed by James’ weird compulsion to tear apart a perfectly good RV.

James’ happy place.

People have been DIYing since forever really—homes, cars, personal things—it’s nothing new. Even though the DIY scene has likely always been around in the RV world, it wasn’t noticed as much until recent years. Social media, and especially the #vanlife movement, has accelerated its popularity. Vans have so little space, owners are forced to get creative… so they mod, share their mods on social media, and that inspires others to do their own mods, and the movement grows. As long as you’ve got willpower, and internet connection, you can learn to do almost anything. Or if you’re like James, you don’t even need to learn it ahead. Just hacksaw the top of the fridge door off and see what happens. It’s fun!

 

Fifty years ago people DIYed out of necessity. Renovate or fix something yourself and you save the expense of hiring a pro, and you ensure it gets done right.  Today’s resurgence of the DIY culture shares that motivation, but there’s another component: the hobby aspect. That’s what we’re seeing here in the RV community– modding as a hobby, not a necessity.

There’s a whole subculture of RVers out there (including James!) who enjoy doing their own RV enhancements, even if there’s nothing wrong with their RVs. Modding allows RVers to tap into their creative sides. They get to solve problems, tackle challenges… making the seemingly impossible, possible. The final reward is an improved RV and a sense of accomplishment.

It makes modding highly addictive. You may start out innocently mounting a paper towel holder, but then the next thing you know, you’re mounting shelves, moving lights, ripping down walls, or taking sewing classes every Tuesday night so you can DIY your own divider curtains. It’s like the cycling world’s n+1. With modding, it’s m+1.

Warning: Mounting paper towel holders can lead to dropping your generator.

RV manufacturers not only know about the prevalence of the RV DIY culture, they encourage it. When Winnebago announced the EKKO launch, Winnebago’s Product Director Russ Garfin was proud to let people know they had used construction strategies to make modding the EKKO easier for owners. He also said he couldn’t wait to see what sorts of creative enhancements people would do. So, the manufacturers aren’t offended by the mod movement. Quite the opposite; they’re a captive audience. In fact, there have been plenty of clever mods individuals do that eventually find their way into mass-marketed RVs. Like when Greg Schultz added an exterior light over the dump service area on his Travato– which the Travato community lovingly refers to as the GSDL. Now GSDL’s are on all of Winnebago’s campervans!

So, yes. If you missed it, modding – the way James has always done – has morphed into a trendy, RVing subculture. And whether you’re a modder yourself or you’re a mod enthusiast who enjoys watching modders like James work their magic, the RV DIY movement continues to grow, and fast. James, who’s never been ‘trendy’ before, couldn’t be happier about it.  Though even if it wasn’t a trend, James would continue to mod. It’s part of his nature. We all have a basic human desire to want to create, enhance, improve, and challenge our limits. This is one of the ways James satiates that desire within himself.

 

And the best part?!? I get to kick back, throw out the occasional “good job honey”, and ultimately get rewarded with a totally badass RV. Color me lucky. And grateful for James’ DIY gene! He’s a keeper for sure. That is, if I can ever get him to come out from under the RV…

Is he napping down there???

Keep the conversation going below! Be well, all!

xo, Stef