patio mats

[Russell]

What is it like packing up the patio mat during or after it rains when leaving camp? I'm interested in buying one but I don't have a great place to store a 9x12 mat that's wet and muddy when leaving camp. Do the storage bags accommodate this or should I just get something like a Rubbermaid bin to store it in the back of my Ford Explorer and then lay it out to clean and dry when I get home? Is it a lot to maintain one of these? Any recommendations? Again thanks in advance for your advice

[Jayco 228]

Originally Posted by Russell

What is it like packing up the patio mat during or after it rains when leaving camp? I'm interested in buying one but I don't have a great place to store a 9x12 mat that's wet and muddy when leaving camp. Do the storage bags accommodate this or should I just get something like a Rubbermaid bin to store it in the back of my Ford Explorer and then lay it out to clean and dry when I get home? Is it a lot to maintain one of these? Any recommendations? Again thanks in advance for your advice

The RV Mats are awesome. If you can find one that has a bag get that one. We have had ours for over 6 years and it is still going strong. They did not have bags for them when we bought it, so we just fold it up and put it in one of the compartments or the back of the truck. Even when they get all muddy once it dries a little you can just sweep them off. Very good investment in my opinion.

[RedHorse1]

Mine is made of PVC I believe. It will pick up some dirt/mud but putting away wet shouldn't be a problem as long at you clean and dry it out before storing for an extended period. Having something to bag it with would probably be a good idea but I don't recall seeing a bag for these things. Mine folds up and fits in the storage bin.

[jim44646]

If ours it muddy or wet I just put it in a large garbage bag and dry it out at home. Usually all that's needed is to lay it over a picnic table to dry while packing up. They make life nice.

[clutch]

We use a lawn and leaf bag and fold it up.

[tlhdoc]

I have had several. They dry quick, hose off and help keep the trailer cleaner. They sell mesh bags for them. If dirty I would bungy cord it to the propane tank, kind of wedge it behind the tank.

[MrKong]

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...arry-bag/58063

I bought this and it works really well. There is plenty of room in the bag for many different sizes.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...ond-mats/12100

That is the mat I have have, and it does a great job. It drys really fast, and is easy to sweep clean. Also its very thick. I can put it out on gravel, and still walk barefoot comfortably on it.

[Crewmaniacs]

We bought one with our trailer this year on a friends recomendation and we like it a lot. It came with a carry bag. When we are about to break camp I lean it up against something to drain off any rain water and it seems to work pretty well. It cleans up easy too. hth.

[blkcorvair]

Ive been carrying an 18v Ryobi Leaf blower lately. Makes for a pretty quick clean up of the pad and Mat, plus I use it to blow off the top of the slide before I close it. And its very quiet. Plus Im already carrying the 18v battery for the cordless drill to do my stabilizers.

[3'senough]

I have one of the mesh RV mats and storage bag. They are very easy to maintain with sweeping, hosing or beating. The dirt falls right out of them. One thing to consider is the color though. They are all mostly 2 sided so if it's black remember it will get hot in the sun.

The bags are vinyl lined so you could stuff it in there and pull it out later for cleaning should you need to. A quick hosing would do it. Worth every penny in my opinion.

[Russell]

Thanks everybody. I went with this one http://www.amazon.com/Reversible-159...atio+mats+9x12
Altogether it had great reviews. We got a little better deal on ebay and free shipping. Haven't used it camping yet but threw it out in the yard to check it over. It feels very comfortable under your bare feet, looks and feels like good quality and the bag that comes with it is huge... so no fuss getting it in and out. The bag is a little flimsy so we'll see how long it lasts. I'll post more when we get some use out of it

[PugMom]

Love the color! Nice choice!

[The Way Life Should Be]

We have used the reversible type for the last several years and love it. Much to our surprise on our last camp out the squirrels loved it also and had it for dinner. For dessert they used our BBQ hose. Each trip seems to bring a new event.

Dwight

[malaglot]

The patio mat is one of the best things we ever bought. What a difference it makes in keeping the interior of the RV clean. If it is dirty and wet after a camp-out we usually just fold it up and wrap a bungee around the thing and toss it in the bed of our tow vehicle. When we get home we can hose it off, dry it out, fold it and then stow it in the trailer for the next trip.

[RoyBraddy]

If mine is muddy etc I hose it down laying over the picnic table or laying out in the gravel roadway... Drys real quick. I have no idea what mine is made of - got it from Camping world in Myrtle Beach while on a trip.

I wish I had a second one...

[McMonk]

They're great mats - brush them off before you travel to get the dirt off - when you get home hose 'em off and they dry quick. Well worth the investment!

[drfife]

I bought my 9X18' awning mat from RV Awning Mats many years ago. It is still in great shape.

When it gets dirty , I hose it off and let it dry. If it gets very dirty I open it in my driveway, spray Chlorox Clean-up on it, scrub with a push broom, rinse and let dry.

My first mat was the astro turf stuff from a harware store. It was heavy, was hard to clean and smelled bad after a couple of seasons. I'll never use that stuff again.

I also carry a Ryobi 18V leaf blower in the camper. It is quiet and quickly blows leaves and dirt off the awning mat.

[Chakara]

When i bought my last trailer - the owner gave me a good sized chunk of astro turf as a front mat. Eventually the grommet ripped out so i bought a grommet kit cheap @ Harbor Freight and just put new ones. We have a nice "lawn" in front of the trailer and are happy.

Oh, to the OP - we store in one of the tubs kept in the front storage of the trailer. One one side of the trailer we have 2 of the type designed to fit under the bed (also from the prior trailer). They work great.

-Chak

[Ladywendolyn]

We bought two big mats from costco this years. They are the best ones we have had, best price and they fold easily into their original shape because the fold lines are marked with thread