Please Be Seated

Chairs are great to have around camp, but in some situations, it’s better to have a stool without arms that get in the way when working on certain projects. Unfortunately, storing a stool takes up some room; my Fender guitar stool, for example, always seems to get in the way, but it’s a necessary evil if you want to annoy (I mean entertain) others inside or outside. I’ve used folding stools in the past, but most are cheesy and fall apart — especially when used outside. Then I ran into a telescoping stool online.

There are dozens of telescoping stools online, especially on Amazon, and I was skeptical whether a plastic mechanism could really hold up to the advertised 550-pound weight limit. When RV Enthusiast Technical Director Bill Gehr pulled one of these stools out of his compartment while we were working on a project, I initially laughed — until he told me that the telescoping feature works well and has never failed. So, I ordered an Alevmoom 20.4” Telescoping Stool with Cushion on Amazon for $27.89.

And the darn thing has not only worked as advertised, but it also quickly became an indispensable piece of equipment around the RV park.

This stool comes with a seat pad and a soft case, which are nice but not that robust — especially the seat pad, which is thin and offers little cushioning for the ole’ behind. The seat also had a tendency to fall off when transporting the stool via its provided carabiner or shoulder strap. Of course, I had to make a modification, so hook-and-loop tabs were added to keep the seat in place.

The seat adjusts from 3.5 inches high to 20.4 inches; to expand the seat, you simply pull it open, which requires very little effort. To close, you place your fingers in the holes in both ends and twist until the tabs on each section of the telescoping mechanism are released from their respective detents. It takes a little acclimation, but after a couple of sessions with expanding and retracting the stool, you’ll get into the rhythm.

I found having an extra seat comes in handy when working close to the ground, like when checking tire air pressure and cleaning wheels. It’s also great for taking to the park, events where seats are limited, or when attending a potluck get-together.

The only caveat so far: Don’t lean back on the seat or you’ll likely lose your balance and hit the ground. You’ll hopefully only do that once.