Drum Roll, Please

If you’re an RV owner, chances are good you’ve spent too much time lying on your back under the rig. Since crawling around on a mechanic’s creeper is usually not an option, a more practical solution is to spread out a drum mat, which will cushion concrete, gravel and dirt, keeping you clean(er) and dry.

Working on RVs will likely have you laying on your back more often than not. It’s the nature of the beast — getting to service points lurking under the belly pan requires crawling around under the RV.

I think I’ve laid on everything known to mankind trying to keep from getting dirty and poked in the back by gravel and rocks while working under RVs. If you’re lucky, the RV will be parked on concrete, but unless you wash off the pad, you’ll still get dirty — and concrete is hard. Auto mechanics typically use creepers when working under vehicles, but that’s not always an option — especially when maneuvering under RVs with lower ground clearance. Besides, who really has storage space for a creeper while traveling?

Over the years I have relied on cardboard, ground cloths and even a yoga mat. The challenge has always been keeping the makeshift ground cover from shifting and bunching up when trying to move around. And as I got older, the thin materials became more uncomfortable — and often unwieldy when trying to store or reuse. Yoga mats were the most useful, but too small for most jobs.

That’s when an RV mechanic friend suggested that I consider using a drum kit mat and gave me one to try. Bingo.

The On-Stage DrumFire drum kit mat is made of a material similar to that used for yoga mats and it lies flat under an RV or tow vehicle. At 4 x 6 feet, the big mat insulates the hard, bumpy and wet ground while working on your back. It’s light years better than using cardboard or anything else I’ve tried over the years.

The 4 x 6-foot drum mat was big enough to move around under the RV and stayed in place until physically moved — and it offered a good amount of cushioning for my previously abused body parts. The one my mechanic friend gave me has a DrumFire logo on the end of the mat, and since it’s been around for quite some time, I checked on Amazon for current availability. It’s listed as “On-Stage DMA6450 DrumFire Non Slip Drum Mat with Bag, 6’ x 4’” and sells for $59.95. These mats are designed to prevent drum kit components from sliding around while playing—and it is designed to also control noise and vibration. The material is similar to that used to make yoga mats and it lies flat even after unrolling — and the edges also remain flat.

Having two of these mats would be ideal, but harder to store and more expensive. They are not really designed for outdoor use, but can take more abuse than I would have suspected. The one I have is showing some wear after a few years of use, with a few pieces of material chunked off. It’s not a big deal because the DrumFire mat is thicker than most yoga mats and, of course, the nature of its use as a ground mat suggests it’s going to get ratty over time.

I found it best to fold the DrumFire mat in half first and then roll it tightly before strapping in place. Surprisingly, the material remains flat after unrolling and even the edges resist lifting.

Once rolled up, the mat takes up very little space inside exterior storage compartments. As you can see, space inside my pass-through compartment is at a premium — but there’s always room for the rolled-up mat.

I also use the mat under my truck when it’s time to change the oil and filters. Heck, I even roll it out when it’s time to do sit-ups. It’s the most versatile mat I’ve ever used and I can’t imagine being without it. It can be rolled up and stored easily without taking up too much valuable space.

The mat conforms to any outside surface and provides plenty of protection from hard concrete and rocks that poke into your side and back. It even works as an exercise mat for doing sit-ups.

Yes, the mat can get dirty — especially when used on wet, muddy soil — but it cleans up easily with a little Dawn dishwashing liquid and water; just scrub it gently with a brush, like the ones used to wash RVs. Make sure the brush is cleaned thoroughly before using it again on the RV.

If you’re going to lie on your back to make repairs, you might as well be comfortable.