You may have seen the toy hauler RVs that have rear or side swing-down doors for access to the “garage” area and that double as an RV deck or outside entertainment area. These raised spaces keep the expanded outdoor living area up off the ground, leaving mud, sand, and dirt where it belongs. But what if your RV isn’t a toy hauler? Can you still have a deck? The answer is yes, but there are a few caveats.
In this post, we’re taking a closer look at the concept of the RV deck, which can be very different from one RV to the next.
What’s an RV Deck?
An RV deck is an area built off of your RV, usually (but not always) extending out from the main entry door. It may be very small with stairs that access the ground level. This type of deck isn’t really made for relaxing or entertaining. It’s more of an entry/exit deck with the stairs serving the main function. These can be portable/collapsible, so they can travel with you wherever you go.
Other types and sizes of decks can be relatively expansive and have the appearance of those you might see on sticks & bricks homes. These decks serve many functions, with the most common being a place to relax and entertain off the ground. This type of deck is most often seen outside stationary RVs. For example, people who own an RV that’s used as a vacation home, remaining on the same piece of land, may want to install a deck alongside the RV to help expand the living and entertaining area.
We’re going to take a look at a couple of different types of RV decks. However, it’s essential to note that not all campgrounds and RV parks permit decks to be constructed or installed alongside the RV. So that needs to be confirmed prior to setting up any type of deck.
What Are the Most Common Types of RV Decks?
Again, the most common decks can be either portable or permanent. Let’s examine both types.
Portable Decks
Portable RV decks are capable of folding (for storage and travel) and expanding (for setup outside your RV), and have stairs that bring you into and out of your RV. Some portable decks have adjustable legs to accommodate variations in terrain. As we noted above, most portable decks don’t offer a substantial deck surface area. Some allow for expansion, meaning that you could buy two to have a larger area.
But these aren’t really meant to be large entertaining spaces. In fact, many portable deck surfaces are only large enough to accommodate a person walking up or down from the RV, with their primary function being the stairs. Others offer enough room for a person (or maybe two in some cases) to sit in a chair.
Let’s take a look at a few examples of portable decks that can travel with you for setup at each destination.
Port-A-Deck from RV-CO
The Port-A-Deck from RV-CO offers a standard portable model that has a deck surface area of 36″ x 48″. A larger 48″ x 48″ model is also available. These decks collapse for storage and transport.
This photo shows a Port-A-Deck set up for use and collapsed for storage/transport. (Photo courtesy of RV-CO.)
This standard deck shown here can adjust from 24″ to 40″ height above ground level, providing stairs for your RV entry and exit. Port-A-Deck allows for significant surface area expansion with the joining of several deck surfaces.
These photos give you an idea of the size and expandability of Port-A-Deck models. (Photos courtesy of RV-CO.)
Travel Easy Decks
These portable decks from JnK Innovations are the brainchild of Jody and Kristy Rowell, avid campers who saw a need for RV decking and came up with a great solution.
Four Travel Easy Deck sections combined with legs to form an outdoor deck. (Photo courtesy of Travel Easy Decks)
Travel Easy Decks are lightweight and height-adjustable, offering limitless expandability based on your decking needs. No tools are required for set-up, and they can be stored and transported from destination to destination in optional Travel Easy carry bags. These portable decks are designed to elevate users above the ground and off the dirt, providing a clean area to relax outside your RV with a simple setup. While they don’t incorporate stairs, sections can be placed at the bottom of your RV’s integrated stairs, as shown in one of the photos below.
As of this writing, individual sections run about $45 each, and roughly $7 per leg. But Travel Easy Decks are available in packages that likely make much better sense from a cost perspective. After all, you’ll want quite a number of them to create a deck that’s a large enough area anyway, so check out the available packages to see what meets your needs.
Here we’ve put together several photos of Travel Easy Decks in use. (All photos courtesy of Travel Easy Decks)
Permanent Decks
Permanent decks are great for expanding the living space of a stationary RV. Many people have RVs that are parked for a season or permanently on a piece of land they use as a campsite or vacation home. If they own the land or the landowner gives permission, a permanent deck (like the one in our cover photo for this post) can be built either by a professional builder or as a DIY project.
Building a permanent deck outside a stationary RV is a great DIY project.
If you’ve got ample space, the sky’s the limit on permanent decks. In fact, you’re only limited by the amount of land you have to work with outside your RV and any restrictions that may be set by the landowner or local building laws/regulations.
From simple to elaborate, here are some examples of permanent decks that could be built outside an RV depending on land availability, permissions, and budget.
Permanent decks are limited only by space, budget, local laws/regulations, and permission from the landowner (if it’s someone other than yourself).
Note that there are also interlocking deck tiles available for purchase that might serve the needs of some stationary RVers. Here are a couple of examples:
- Durable Acacia Hardwood Construction: Made from acacia wood, these interlocking deck tiles offer dependable strength and a naturally warm finish that...
- Tool-Free Interlocking Setup: Interlocking patio tiles connect with a peg-and-hook system for quick installation. These snap-together deck tiles...
- Size: 12" length x 12" width x 0.75" height. Perfect are as interlocking patio tiles, balcony tiles, bathroom and any indoor or outdoor setting, and...
- Easy to Install:They easily click together like a puzzle, rigid and won’t slide about no matter the surface you put them on.
If you’re planning to build or assemble a deck on a property that has no services available, you’ll effectively be boondocking. Before you decide where to position and orient your RV, you might want to check out our video below for all the reasons we try to face East when we’re boondocking.
Do You Have a Portable or Permanent RV Deck?
We’d love to know if you have a portable or permanent deck and how it’s worked out for you. Drop us a comment below to share your experience, and let us know how it’s worked out for you.
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Randy Heasley
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
When we started workamping we decided to add a deck to our 5th wheel. Previously we had built a deck to use in our winter spot with our motor coach. The ability to walk out onto a deck and then down steps with a hand rail are very nice and safer. We now have a portable deck from Sunrisedecks.com that can travel with us year round.