This Budget Hack Upgrades Your RV Camping Experience While Keeping Dirt Outside

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RV travel is one of the best ways to explore without completely surrendering yourself to the elements. A mobile camper can make you feel like you're at home even when you're thousands of miles away. A fun family RV vacation is the perfect way to explore with young kids and pets while still making sure you can keep them safe. However, sometimes that still doesn't prevent the inevitable muddy boots and dirty paws from making their way into your RV.

With most RVs and mobile homes, you don't have the luxury of a front porch to put a doormat on. With people, pets, and kids coming in and out all day, your steps and flooring can end up covered in mud and dirt tracked in from the outside. Metal stairs can also tend to get slippery, making them dangerous for anyone in a hurry. Luckily, there is an affordable solution to this sneaky danger to RV living. Stair carpet mats are the perfect way to wipe the little ones' shoes at the door and stop your mobile home from turning into a dirt road. With tons of options around $15-45, they're a budget-friendly upgrade that keeps your RV clean while you're on the go.

You can find these functional mats online or at your local hardware store. While most mats come in colors like black or grey, like the LATCH.IT RV Step Covers on Amazon, you can also find a variety of colors and patterns to customize your stairs. Whether you're traveling in a retro camper with old-school charm or a modern luxury RV, you can find a carpet stair pattern to fit the vibe. When using them on your RV stairs, make sure you buy outdoor mats to ensure the carpet can withstand heavy dirt buildup and shoe treads. Some options are even designed to act as hiking boot scrubbers, like the RV Step Covers Boot Brush Cleaners on Amazon — perfect if your RV adventures sometimes lead you down muddy side quests.

Depending on what kind of stair mat you buy, it may come with either an adhesive or a rubber tread to make sure the mat sticks to the stairs. For frequent outdoor use, a sticky back will work best for long-term wear and tear, plus you won't have to bring the mats inside every time you need to move the RV. For best results, follow the directions that come with your mats to apply them to your stairs.