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RV Gadgets: Frustrate Insects with a Lightweight and Easy RV Screen Room

| Updated Aug 18, 2015

We seem to be mosquito magnets wherever we travel. We've been places you didn't dare set a foot outside your door after dark. And some places where the mosquitoes were just as thick during the day. So when we got our Roadtrek we bought a screen room. We put it in the underfloor storage trunk so it was always available. The problem was that although not hard to set up it was still a pain.  Mostly we only used it if we spent four or five days in one place and wanted something to help “claim” our campsite when we were out.

Screen Room FoldedWe admired the panels that convert your awning into a screen room, but that is impractical for a camper that moves nearly every day. Then one day we spotted a Roadtrek with a popup screen room that they fit under the awning. It was only big enough for a couple of chairs, but it looked like a perfect solution.  It was very low storage volume and takes literally seconds to set up (more if you stake it down) and seconds to put away.  And fitting under the awning means that you have good shade.

Screen Room under AwningSo we kept looking for something similar and never found one. We eventually tried Googling on it and all the places selling them were in Canada. Why not U.S. stores? We finally ordered one from a Canadian eBay seller with free shipping to the U.S. They come in various sizes and with and without floors. We got the 6x6x6-ft. version with no floor – about $55.   It arrived in about a week (from Canada). It will just fit two zero gravity chairs side by side, or easily fit  a couple of regular chairs. There is an 8x8x7-ft. version (with a floor) that should fit as well and provide a bit more space. It is perhaps 1.5 inches thick and a circle about the diameter of a tire when folded up.  The problem was, our Roadtrek doesn't have any storage that seemed compatible with something of that diameter. It was too big for the Stowaway2 cargo box, but then we realized, since it was the diameter of a tire, fastening it behind the tire on the continental kit on the back of the Roadtrek was the perfect place to carry it.

Now we can have a mosquito-free shady spot outside outside our camper in just minutes instead of a major setup with many parts and pieces in a half hour.  This simplification from what we had before is typical of what we learn as we go.

Mike Wendland

Published on 2015-08-18

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

2 Responses to “RV Gadgets: Frustrate Insects with a Lightweight and Easy RV Screen Room”

May 27, 2016at12:25 am, Elaine Cundiff said:

We just bought a Roadtrek 190 and are looking for screens that make a tight bug free room using our awning. Do you have any suggestions? Elaine ercundiff@gmail.com

August 18, 2015at8:39 am, Homer Darrell Callicutt said:

Great information.

Comments are closed.

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