Space is a precious commodity in an RV. And while your RV may never look as perfect as the ones on Pinterest (seriously, it’s impossible and I challenge any real-life RVer to prove me wrong!), that doesn’t mean you should give up on a cleverly organized rig! Here are some simple tricks to help you get organized:

1.Think Like A Square

Consider swapping out the plates and bowls in your RV for square ones like these

RVs are full of 90-degree angles. The cupboards, the refrigerator, the slides — everything is very square! Don’t fight it. Use square storage containers to maximize space in your RV. You can even go a step further and avoid round shapes in your rig altogether: Ditch canned goods and switch to boxed soups, beans, etc.; buy square pans (they exist!); and swap out your dishes for square plates, bowls and so on. It may seem extreme, but you’ll be amazed at how much more efficiently things fit in the cupboards.

2. Look Up

Use the wall space in your RV. We hung these shelves for storing fruit and vegetables in our kitchen, which saves valuable counter space.

Again, space is precious in a rig. That means you need to get creative about how and where you organize your things. A lot of RVs have dead space near the slide-outs and above cabinets and doors. If you’re looking for a place to store kitchen utensils, cutting boards and other lightweight stuff, consider putting them up high in these areas. Use command hooks to store drying racks, white boards and even your broom up high and out of the way.

3. Nest And Stack

A collapsable colander is a game changer in a small space like an RV.

I’m a natural-born minimalist and will always use what I have instead of buying new. I make an exception in my RV. It’s really important to carry things that nest, stack or collapse to keep your RV organized — so important, in fact, that you should replace anything that doesn’t fit well with your other supplies. We’ve replaced mismatched bowls, storage containers, and even pans with nesting ware. It has saved me so much sanity in organizing my RV kitchen!

I use crates like these to store my daughter’s clothes.

For the bedroom, we bought lightweight, stackable crates to store my daughter’s clothing in the cupboard. This has been amazing since we own a Class C motorhome with no extra closet for her. Being able to stack her clothes in a more organized way makes laundry day so much easier. It also helps keep things perfectly organized while traveling. When using bins, stack them based on usage. The most frequently accessed items should go in the top bin. If you really need to save space or just like the idea of having as much room as possible, check out collapsible products. They make bowls, pots, pans and even tea kettles that collapse within themselves to give you more space!

4. Ditch Unnecessary Packaging

We live in a world where boxes come within boxes. When you’re trying to organize your RV, this can be maddening.

Use stacking dry goods containers like these to keep your pantry organized.

When grocery shopping, look for products with minimal packaging. When you get back to your RV, you might consider taking things out of their packaging for a better fit. For example, if I buy graham crackers (s’mores anyone?), once I use one small package from the box, I’ll take the other out, store it in my pantry and get rid of the large box, which is no longer necessary. It’s also a good idea to reorganize pasta and rice. Instead of storing them in boxes that are only half full, empty dry goods into smaller airtight containers that better fit your pantry.

5.Get Things Off The Floor

I live in an RV full-time and I’ve made a lot of rookie RV mistakes along the way — storing things on the floor is one of them. It may sound silly, but leave a tub on the floor long enough and you’ll see what I mean.

Your RV shower can double as storage. We use ours as both a closet and a place to store things we need close at hand.

When we first moved into our motorhome, there was no place for my husband’s toolbox. I told him it was no big deal. We could keep it on the floor of my side of the bed. I thought it would be “out of sight, out of mind.” Boy was I wrong! Within a week, I was going crazy trying to find a new place for the box. It was completely in the way of my walking path and a huge eyesore. By the end of our first month in the rig, my husband had built a storage box just for the toolbox to save my sanity. If you’re having the same issue, try rearranging things in the storage bays outside to fit your belongings. If it’s something you need on hand and inside the RV, I suggest using your shower as a way of keeping it close but out of sight. We keep our toddler’s reading books, vacuum and broom in the shower for that reason.

This information is for educational purposes. VIARV shall not be responsible nor retain liability for RVer’s use of the provided information. Prior to making any RV service decision, you are advised to consult with an RV professional.