woodworking and RVs

[Dave Sharpe]

So SWMBO and I are considering buying an RV and hitting the road, perhaps eventually going full-time or nearly so. As appealing as this is to me, we both had the same thought - How do I create sawdust on the road?

Anyone else done this? I've thought about limiting my work to small, portable tools such as a scrollsaw or perhaps a mini-lathe, making smaller items to give or sell to those we meet on the road. How would you handle this challenge? (or how have you already solved the dilemma?)

[Josiah Bartlett]

How about towing along an enclosed utility trailer as a shop? Either that or go neanderthal and make yourself a ship's carpenter style tool box. Well packed hand tools don't take up much space or use any power.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

We've got a very small RV -- a Vanagon camper. Invariably when we take it out to the wilds, I always take along some chip carving.. and get lots done. On a few occasions when I've gone somewhere with power, I like to take along a very small lathe I inherited from my Dad-- a Bonnie Klein. I'm in the process of converting it to vs DC and mounting it in a box. Its low enough power I could run it off an inverter even out in the middle of nowhere.
With a few well selected tools you could easily build chairs wherever you go.. you'll be working in the long tradition as a bodger. See the books on green woodworking on amazon or windsor chairmaking. Speaking of chairmaking... you could also just plan your trips to include some really neat classes like Michael Dunbar on windsor chairs in Maine... You should see the crowd I got at a campground in connecticut when I pulled out my tools to shape a chairs worth of spindles.

[Matt Meiser]

One issue you might run into with a lathe is carrying any "turning blanks" which could be viewed by the uneducated as "firewood" which is illegal to transport across some state lines due to emerald ash borer and other wood issues. A lot of campgrounds now have explicit rules against bringing in outside firewood. I doubt you'd have a problem though if you roughed out blanks at home or at some friendly creeker's home along the way.

[Craig McCormick]

I have been thinking about this for a few years. My thoughts are mini lathe, carving, scroll saw.

Craig

[Scott T Smith]

If you'd like to do more than just turning, consider Festool equipment. It's compact, and you could slip a MFT and a bunch of systainers into the underbelly storage on your RV and run it off of your generator. You could set it up underneath the awning that most RV's have. The main question that I'd have is if their smallest vac would be small enough to fit into the storage area.

[Brent Gamble]

My parents wintered in their RV in the Rio Grande Valley for several years. a couple of the resorts they stayed at had pretty well-equipped woodshops as an amenity. Don't know how common that is, but might be worth researching.

[Lee Schierer]

I met a couple at a craft show in Ohio a couple of years ago. They were retired. Bought an RV and were touring the country in the RV, selling woodcrafts at local shows and festivals. They had an enclosed trailer behind their RV with the "woodshop" inside. They would sight see during the week and travel from one location to another and do the craft shows on the weekends. They would make additional crafts at night in the campgrounds in the mobile wood shop. They said that the proceeds from their crafts paid for the fuel, craft amterials and camping costs and some meals.

They found they could do a craft show once a week across the spring, summer and fall and see the places in between.

[Dave Lehnert]

How about a Shopsmith.





Some cut them down to make a Mini Shopsmith.

[Denny Rice]

Take it from a guy who spent a lot of years in the RV industry. It can be done, but a lot of thought needs to go into this project before you pull the trigger. When you talk about buying an RV are we talking about a 150,000.00 5th wheel or a 750,000.00 class A diesel pusher motor home? And are you going to pull another trailer to house the shop? A class A motor home is tricky enough for some people to drive just imange hooking a 20' foot trailer to the back of that......It can be scary.I would suggest you look at a LOT of different RV's, a lot of them. Most people I have seen over the years make a very big purchase after only looking at a handful of them? Just like cars, there is great differences in a motorhome which cost 100,000.00 and one that cost 3/4 of a million. (And I don't care which end of the spectrum you buy from they all have problems...) It amazes me to see someone spend the type of cash to really get a nice motorhome, and 2 weeks after the purchase they are back at the dealer because the thing leaks water in a rainstorm from the slideouts or the ceiling or other minor issues. Just remember when "wood" (particle board) gets wet in a RV it swells and has be replaced. I use to tell customers before you make a purchase go online to the RV manufacturer and get their phone number, find out where the factory is and take a trip to the factory. Most of the factories have days where perspective customers can walk through the factory and watch an RV being built. Its amazing how much silicone and glue it takes to build and hold a RV togeather and they still leak! Just don't expect it to be as sturdy and as nice as your regular home, theres a reason why most home appreciates in value and most RV's lose value the minute its driven off the lot by a new owner.

[Dan Forman]

I would think the new Delta Midilathe with variable speed would be ideal, as you can turn green wood, which is what you would be most likely to find on your travels. You could turn small items and sell to vacationers who might appreciate a souvenir from their "campground". I think any setup to do flatwork would consume too much room and weight.

Dan

[Jeff Willard]

IIRC, The Workshop Book, by Scott Landis, Taunton Press, has a chapter or two concerning mobile workshops. You might glean a few ideas from that.

[Shawn Christ]

Hmmm, I own a travel trailer and do a lot of seasonal weekend camping. Never thought about woodworking on the road, and I was surprised by some very good ideas here. Still, coming from another angle, you will often be in very close quarters and even a utility trailer has very thin walls. Be mindful of your noise or you could have some very upset neighbors and campground hosts/owners.

Just a thought.

[Ben Franz]

I have a couple of friends that live in mobile home parks that have woodshops for resident use. One of these parks also has a short term rental area for RVs, trailers, etc. Don't know how common this would be but an occasional stay in a similar park might let you do any machine work then go 'nander elsewhere. I sympathise with your need - we've done a lot of national parks the last 2-3 years and I think I've seen every rock and tree in North America.

[Richard Wagner]

Take the legs off and that just might fit in one of my RV's storage compartments. Thanks, Dave.

Dusty