5 Ways To Keep Your RV Storage Organized
Many of us don’t use our RVs as often during the winter months as we do the rest of the year. It makes this a good time to go through your RV storage and organize it for the upcoming camping season.
The first thing to do is sort through everything that has accumulated in your RV and ask yourself, “Am I likely to need this on the next trip, next year, or ever again?” and act accordingly.
The next step is to organize what’s left. This can easily be done via one of the following ideas:
1. Purchase some plastic underbed storage containers with wheels.
These containers work great in long deep storage compartments that extend the entire width of the RV. They easily roll in and out allowing access to your items, plus many compartment doors are tall enough to accommodate one on top of another maximizing the use of the space.
If stacking two deep, make sure you buy the ones with indents designed to nestle the wheels of the unit above. This will keep them locked together during travel.
Use wheeled containers to keep your RV storage organized. Photos via Amazon
2. Wall space is always underutilized in RVs. Take advantage of it by installing coat hooks near the entry door.
Now coats that would normally take up closet space are out and available for use, allowing you to place other items in the closet.
Be sure to purchase one with multiple hooks on one crossbar (as shown) rather than individual hooks. It is much easier to find one or two studs to attach a bar to rather than individual hooks that might not have any backing.
Use coat hooks to maximize your RV storage space
3. Use a drawer organizer.
Just like a home, an RV has to have silverware for the entire family along with all the kitchen cooking utensils. The only problem is RVs have a lot less drawer space to house them.
If you haven’t already, consider installing drawer organizers to keep silverware separated by type and in its place as you travel. Camco makes a handy, adjustable organizer specifically sized to fit RV drawers.
Drawer organizers are very useful for kitchen RV storage.
4. Double your cabinet space with wire shelving.
Cabinetry is one of the most expensive parts of an RV, therefore manufacturers tend to underutilize interior cabinet space to its full potential. Many overhead cabinets feature 14” to 16” of interior height.
While this is nice to store a box of cereal or two in an upright position, how many other items does an RVer take with them that need that kind of height?
Head down to your local home improvement store and pick up some of that white wire shelving. It is the ideal depth for overhead cabinets and if you install the vertical edge that is normally turned down in household applications, turned up instead, it acts as a lip keeping items from sliding off the shelf during transit.
Make the most out of your RV storage space in your cabinets.
5. Use curtain rods to keep items from moving.
The thought process used while designing most RV medicine cabinets is questionable at best. Shelves that are a just few inches deep are made of plastic or another slick material that are supposed to keep items in place while an RV bounces down the road.
As most RVers quickly learn, the only thing keeping the items on the shelf is the cabinet door. Once opened the items quickly exit the cabinet.
After you have taken the time to clean out the items you don’t need next season, you can keep the balance of the items organized and upright by installing some spring loaded curtain rods.
They are inexpensive, easy to install, and you can adjust them to the height and depth needed to keep your items in place.
Now when spring arrives, your RV storage will be prepared for your next adventure! For more RV storage ideas, check out these 10 RV Kitchen Ideas That Cost $50 Or Less.
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
I use spring loaded curtain rods in my refrigerator to keep items in the fridge. instead of on the floor when on the road
I used spring rods in frig as well as in the bathroom to keep large items flush to wall behind my toilet. My upper cabinet is set in the corner and I use 2 inch wide strips of plexiglass cut to length to hold items in cabinet. It keeps them from tipping over and out when I open door.
In my experience, see-through storage containers tend to be fragile in cold weather and will crack if dropped or bumped hard enough. Solid colors usually are more rugged and less susceptible to breakage.
Love the curtain rods idea to help secure items in cabinets, I use those too! And, I agree wall space is underutilized.
The problem with using plastic storage boxes is that you can never fill them and there is a lot of cubic inches of space wasted as you stack them. I’ve used the curtain rods to hold cutting boards, cookie sheets, etc in our cabinet space to hold them in place. I’ve also used them, along with thin peg board, to partition off storage areas where fragile heater vents are placed. That allows additional storage without damaging the thin heater vent tubes.
Also, think of using plastic magazine folder holders (available on Amazon) to store paper plates, baggie boxes, tin foil boxes, plastic wrap boxes, etc as they stand well in the folder holders and take up less space standing as they would laying flat.
We bought hanging organizer pockets designed for holding horse equipment from Jeffers or Schneiders. These organizers are much sturdier than shoe pocket organizers, have larger pockets & better mounting options. They don’t rip or tear easily. Cost was reasonable. ….under $30.
We mounted the 8 pocket organizer under the window by the bed. Holds my husband’s slippers, flip flops, socks, hairbrush, paperback book, notebook and pen, etc.
We mounted the 12 pocket organizer on the divider wall in the the bedroom area of our camper. I can stash my hand lotion or sunscreen in the pockets, as well as hair barrettes & my slippers.
We attached our organizers at the top & bottom of each one. Keeps them from swinging around during travel. Will be purchasing a couple more to expand storage in newly remodeled bunkroom/ dog crate room.
My RV came with 4 cabinets for hanging cloths, What a waste. My husband and I designed a way to put shelves in 3 of the 4 closets, using thinner wood for top shelves for light weight items (socks, under ware ect) Blue jeans and heavy weighted items go on the bottom with thicker wood. Now I can pack a lot more clothes and never have to worry about them falling off the hangers or digging under all the hanging cloths, this was worth its weight in gold.