Most RVs are designed with plenty of storage space: cabinets in the kitchen, dressers in the bedrooms, and even storage underneath furniture. Still, it doesn’t hurt to maximize your organizational capacity; you’ll be surprised how much space you’ll have! I’m obsessed with organization, so here are some great RV storage tips- some that are common, but others that will blow your mind!
I have tables under each category to use as a quick guide for any products I mention (so you don’t have to go hunting for links), as well as the prices they’re currently selling for. These links lead to the product on Amazon.
General Organizers
| Product | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Woven Basket Bins | $10 to $50 |
| Cereal Storage Containers | $20 to $25 |
These are some storage tips that can be useful for most places in an RV.
Tip #1: Baskets
Let’s get over the most basic. Baskets are a great way to reduce clutter.
If used in the kitchen, you don’t have to worry about something getting lost in the back of the cabinet. I’d recommend getting storage baskets that have a handle on the end. Pulling them out and putting them back away will be a lot easier for you to do.
Even just getting a classic wicker basket to store underneath the couch or the table, and they can be used for all niches. I got this collection of baskets, and they’re incredibly useful!
Tip #2: Cereal Containers
The name is deceiving; these tall, slim containers have more uses than holding your Cap’n Crunch.
For cabinets that are narrow and small, you can store food in these containers. They won’t seem clunky or take up all the space.
If the space between your toilet and the wall isn’t wide enough for a normal bathroom trash can, then you can use one of these slim containers as one!
Tip #3: Dedicate a Special Tote for Camping Essentials
Whether you like to take your RV to go camping one time or several times a year, I recommend having a plastic tote packed for appliances or essentials that you will need while you’re in the great outdoors.
After you’re done with one camping trip, or while you’re prepping for a future one, go through this tote and restock on anything that’s running low so you have everything already packed. That way, you won’t have to run around your house and borrow all the things you’ll need; it’ll all be in there!
Some items you might consider adding to this tote are:
- Batteries
- First-aid supplies
- Toilet paper
- Hand towels
- Utensils
- Soap
- Trash bags
- Sunscreen
- Paper/Plastic plates
Utilizing The Storage You Already Have
Like I said earlier, you have a lot of space already given to you. But here are some tips to help you get even MORE space from what you already have.
Tip #4: Divide your Drawers
If you want to keep your clothing nicely separated, consider adding in dividers. You can use it to separate graphic tees and plain-color shirts, undergarments and socks, or even books and personal items.
Dividers can also be a HUGE help with keeping measuring cups or baking utensils in their designated places. Sometimes, I feel like just opening one of my kitchen drawers throws everything inside into a new place. With dividers, items won’t get so easily cluttered.
You can opt to buy dividers online, they can get a bit expensive. If you want a cheaper option, you can make your own dividers for a couple of bucks and a few minutes of your time. There are dozens of tutorials online that you can find with a quick Google search. For one example, check out this DIY Drawer Divider video by YouTuber “Do it on a Dime”.
Tip #5: Add Shelves to Cabinets
A great way to create more space in your cabinets is by adding them yourselves. You can put a board or a wire shelf in and utilize the upper half of space in your cabinets that go unused.
Tip #6: Use Plywood Dividers for your Storage Bay
Folding chairs and tables can take up a lot of space if you don’t have a plan for how to store them. The same divider idea you did to your dresser drawers can be done with your storage basement! With a couple of pieces of plywood, you can turn your basement storage into a convenient place to hold your table, chairs, and other camping equipment.
Do it Yourself RV has a quick DIY on how you can get this up.
Tip #7: Hack your Furniture to Create Storage
You can take it one step further and open up your furniture to create storage. Underneath stairs, benches, couches, desks, or cabinets hold more opportunities for that. It’ll be a bit of a project to remodel the undercarriage of your furniture, but it will be worth it to have more places to store your stuff!
Bedroom
| Product | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Over-the-door Shoe Organizer (with 24 pockets) Over-the-door Shoe Organizer (with 8 cubbies) | $10 to $15 $12 to $20 |
| Bedside Caddy | $5 to $15 |
| Ultra-Slim Hangers (50-pack) | $20 to $25 |
| Desk Lamp with Power Outlet and USB ports | $25 to $100 |
Tip #8: Over-the-door Shoe Organizer
This is an organization tip that I’ve seen both in homes and in RVs. These shoe organizers are incredibly easy to install. The greatest thing about these organizers is how versatile they are; they’re not just for shoes! You can also store toiletries, personal items, accessories- gloves and scarves in the winter and sunglasses and sunscreen in the summer- toys, and pet supplies. I’ve got an example of one of these shoe organizers available on Amazon.
Another style of shoe organizer hangs from the closet like a hanger, and they’re cubbies instead of pockets. I love the one I have; I can use it to store bigger items, like clothes and towels.
Tip #9: Bedside Caddy
You have the option of storing things under your bed, but do you want to have to crawl under or lift up your mattress whenever you need something? Instead, a bedside caddy gives you a convenient place to store books, magazines, medicine, or electronics. This caddy here is really cheap, and it does the job! All you have to do is slip the flap between the mattress and box spring, and it’s ready to use!
Tip #10: Ultra-Slim Hangers
Your closet can hold so much more clothing than you realize; all you need to do is switch out your large, plastic hangers!
Velvet hangers are not only slim, their material and shoulder grooves will also make it a lot harder for your clothing to slip off.
Tip #11: Vacuum-Sealed Bags
I remember first seeing vacuum-sealed bags on TV years ago, and I’m still amazed at how useful they are for organizing. If you have too much extra clothing for your closet to handle, blankets, towels, or other big and flexible items, get some vacuum-sealed bags to shrink them up and store them away easily!
Tip #12: Get a Desk Lamp with a Power Outlet
Power outlets can get annoying if you need to plug or unplug something, especially if you have to go through a furniture obstacle course just to reach it.
There are lamps that come with power outlets and USB ports. The plugs are easily accessible, and you’ll have a place close by to charge your phone or tablet.
This desk lamp comes with two plugs and three USB ports!
Bathroom
| Product | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Shower Dispenser | $20 to $30 |
| Round 3-Tier Tray | $10 to $45 |
| Plastic Shower Caddy Tote Hanging Shower Caddy | $15 to $20 $20 to $30 |
| Magnetic Adhesive Tape MagnaPod Cosmetic Organizer | $8 to $15 $10 to $20 |
Tip #13: Shampoo Dispenser
I love the thrill of that heart wretching sensation when my shampoo bottle falls off the side and crashes onto the floor while I’m showering (in case you can’t tell, that was sarcasm). This shampoo dispenser on Amazon has different options depending on what you use in the shower, for up to four chambers. You’ll be able to save a lot of space from not having the original bottles cluttered on the edges. They’re labeled, so you don’t have to worry about washing your hair with body soap.
Tip #14: Tiered Tray Tabulation
If you have any odds and ends laying around (accessories/jewelry, containers, cologne/perfume bottles, etc.) that take up space on your bathroom counter, getting a round tier tray is a great way to keep all them all in one place.
Tip #15: Shower Caddy
A pretty common organization tip, but it works! If you want to keep all your items in one neat place, but the shampoo dispenser doesn’t quite appeal to use, then a simple shower caddy is a great accessory to use. They can be set somewhere on the shower edge or counter, but their handles also make them hangable on the wall.
You can choose whether to have a plastic caddy tote or a caddy that hangs from your shower nozzle.
Tip #16: Use Magnetic Strips or Storage Pods in Your Medicine Cabinet
The walls of your cabinets should be your best friend. They hold so much potential extra storage.
For your medicine cabinet, a magnetic strip can be used to hold smaller items, such as scissors, nail clippers, hair pins, and tweezers. It will help that area stay uncluttered.
Another thing you can use is storage pods. There are many different styles for different toiletries. You can get storage pods for toothbrushes, makeup, nail polish, or small beauty tools.
Tip #17: Use Coat Hangers and Binder Clips to Keep Things in Place
To prevent items from shifting or falling during transit, get some coat hangers and binder clips to keep countertop products in place.
Kitchen
| Product | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Spice Rack Drawer Spice Gripper Clips | $15 to $30 $10 to $15 |
| Paper/Plastic Plate Dispenser | $5 to $20 |
| Dry Food Dispensers | $25 to $50 |
| Hanging Wire Fruit Basket Fruit and Vegetable Hammock (with stand) Under-the-Cabinet Hanging Fruit and Vegetable Hammock | $15 to $20 $20 to $25 $10 to $15 |
Tip #18: Collapsible EVERYTHING
If you want to maximize your kitchen space, find objects that can minimize themselves! There are a bunch of kitchen utensils that are foldable, such as bowls, tea kettles, dry racks, measuring cups, and funnels. There is a whole slew of these kinds of products available online.
Tip #19: Spice Organization
If you cook food, then you probably have your own collection of spices in the kitchen. There are a lot of ways that you can organize your spices.
If you want something simple that you can purchase and be done with, you can get a spice drawer. You just slide out the drawer, get your spice, and put it back in when you’re done! I recommend labeling the drawer with what spice is sitting where so you don’t rummage through all drawers before you find the spice you’re looking for.
For a step further, you can consider installing your spice rack underneath your cabinet.
If you want something that makes grabbing the spices a little easier, then you can consider getting some spice gripper clips. You can stick them on the inside of your cabinet wall.
Another option you can consider is a magnetic spice rack. There are different options for magnetic:
- a magnetic board that sticks to the fridge or you place on the wall, then you stick the spice tins on the board
- magnetic spice tins that you can stick on the fridge
Whichever tip you decide to go with, you’ll be able to free up a lot of space and find a little nook for your spice bottles to rest.
Tip #20: Paper Plate Dispenser
If you’re on vacation, then you probably don’t want to have to worry about doing dishes. Paper and plastic products are essential. But if your cabinets are already full of other supplies, there’s still a place you can store your disposable plates.
You can set it up underneath your cabinets, fill it up with your favorite paper or plastic, and whenever you need a plate or a bowl, you just pop one out from the dispenser. It’s so cool!
You can check out this plate dispenser!
Tip #21: Save Space with Food Dispensers
Stores like WinCo or Safeway have aisles with dispensers containing nuts, croutons, coffee beans, etc. You can get your own dispensers to mount in your kitchen. If you have any dry foods that you like to eat (pasta, coffee, granola, etc.), you can fill up these dispensers and save some pantry space.
Tip #22: Hang Fruit from a Basket or a Hammock
Tiered hanging fruit baskets can help you free a lot of space in your fridge taken up by fruits and veggies. Installation is super easy, and it makes the fruits easy to reach for and snack on.
If you don’t have enough space for a hanging basket, a cozier option can be a fruit hammock. It’s another great place to store apples, oranges, bananas, or whatever fruit or vegetable you like to use. Fruit hammocks come with stands or they can be hung underneath cabinets.
Tip #23: Use Organizer Bins for your Freezer
Most RVs, especially 5th wheels, don’t have a lot of space in the fridge or freezer. I’m someone who likes to try and neatly organize my food, but I’m not very successful most of the time. More often my freezer is… “neatly cluttered”.
If you can get ahold of some plastic organizer bins (even better if they’re transparent), you can label them accordingly (ice, meat, breakfast foods, ice cream, whatever!) and slide them into the freezer.
Living Room Area
Tip #24: Velcro Your Remotes
The mystery of the lost remote has been solved! Put some velcro squares on the sides of your coffee table and the back of your remotes so they’ll always be in a place you remember.
Tip #25: The “Quick Drop Zone”
Keys, sunglasses, or other small items can have a place. This DIY project is really easy to make, and The Shabby Creek Cottage has instructions on how to make one.
Tip #26: Command the HOOK out of your Living Room
Command hooks are awesome. With different sizes, you’re able to fit bigger or smaller items on your walls. In your RV, you’ll have a place to hang hats, coats, scarves, pictures, routers… the sky is endless with these hooks. I am HOOKED on these Command Hooks.
Tip #27: Use Magazine Racks for Odds and Ends
I’ve seen a lot of organization tips on Pinterest that involve using magazine racks, and I can see why. They’re a great place to store any books, magazines, coloring books, art or office supplies, etc. They’re pretty inexpensive, too.
Outdoors / Camping
Tip #28: Hose Reels for Hoses and Cords
Hose reels are convenient for storing hoses, but they are also convenient for storing extension cords or long power cords.
Tip #29: Broom Holders Can Also Hold Flashlights
Broom holders aren’t just for brooms! Flashlights can fit in them. You can keep them by the door, and they’ll be easily accessible. Make sure that your flashlight has the right diameter.
Tip #30: Mount Supplies on the Ceiling
There’s plenty of space on your ceiling that goes unused… until now! With some brackets, you can hang any big cleaning or camping tools on your ceiling!
Tip #31: Hang Tools on a Pegboard
I’ve seen pegboards being used in sheds to hold hand tools, but what about tools for camping or outdoor activities? You can hang helmets, ropes, first aid kits, headlamps, tarps, pocket knives… whatever! They will be easy to grab, and you’ll always remember where you put them.
Extra RV Tip!
Tip #32: Use Gorilla Tape to Keep Bugs Out
Not necessarily an organization tip, but it’s super helpful and I wanted to share! Gorilla tape is strong enough to literally stop ants or crawling bugs in their tracks. Just put some around openings or areas where you think they may enter and it’ll help keep your RV bug free!
