Rake it Up

Cleaning up dirt, leaves and gravel with a standard broom can be an exercise in futility. A folding rake with an adjustable handle (pole) and sturdy tines is the way to go — and it doesn’t take up much storage space.

While nicer parks may have concrete or brick patios, most campgrounds are on the rustic side — meaning that you’ll probably be parked on dirt or gravel, which will extend into the patio area along with maybe a little grass. Park operators normally tidy up the space before you get there, but the weather and environment might counter any of these efforts — leaving leaves, dirt and wayward gravel under your chairs and feet. Trying to clean the patio and surrounding areas with a broom has its limitations, but for the most part it’s better than nothing.

Using a rake is better, but a full-size rake isn’t something you’re apt to pack — it would take up too much space and is bulky. Fortunately, I found a take-apart “deciduous rake” that helps make short work of cleaning up any RV site — and its diminutive size understates its functional ability.

The Garden Rake Leaf is made by Ihomepark and is available on Amazon for only $14.99, which is a great buy for such a high-quality tool. You’ll have to do some chasing to find this rake, but Google “Ihomepark Garden Rake Leaf” and you’ll be directed to the Amazon listings, which you’ll probably need to comb through.

This rake has 11 heavy tines that are large, fairly stiff and stout, which adds some weight, but you’ll be impressed with the quality; the extra wide spacing allows for easy cleaning. Four threaded, stainless-steel poles can be connected to make a 6-foot-tall combined tool to mitigate too much back bending (each pole section is 16 ½ inches long). Handling this rake will make you wonder how the company can produce such a good product for the price.

Eleven tines make up the work end. These tines are large and extra heavy, so they will not bend easily. Wide spacing makes it easy to clean between the tines for storage.

Poles have threaded ends and plastic hand grips, which make it easy to connect each section by simply twisting together. The last pole has a loop for hanging on a hook.

As a matter of fact, I was blown away by the service commitment printed on the back of the flier that came with the rake. “We are the best service provider on Amazon. You just need to email me to solve any missing parts, damage or product quality problems within 12 hours. Avoid making you feel bad and the trouble of return and exchange. Just one email, easy to solve.” Of course, the language is a little rough, but you get the message. There’s also an option to register the purchase for a free three-year replacement warranty. Amazing for a low-priced product — the kind of customer service mostly missing today.

I’ve used this rake numerous times to clear fallen leaves off the patio area and “sweep” rocks from concrete pads. It’s a workhorse tool that’s indispensable for keeping any RV space neat and clean.

The rake is used primary to clean the patio and area surrounding the RV, but it also makes short work of clearing large gravel and rocks off concrete patios.

When folded, the rake takes up only a small amount of space in a storage compartment. A hook-and-loop strap can be used to keep the pole sections together, but they still seem a little unwieldly. It may take some experimentation to find a better way to keep the poles contained.