Traveling in your motorhome can be a joy. You get to decide where you want to be and go where you want at the drop of a hat and take everything you need with you. It can be difficult to find what you need when you get to your destination, however, if your RV isn’t organized. Living in a small space also means organization is key to keeping things neat and tidy. A cluttered motorhome can feel claustrophobic while a neatly organized one feels like home and is a pleasure to live in. Here are some quick tips for organizing your motorhome to make RV life a pleasure:
- Measure your outside storage lockers and buy plastic containers that will fit inside and stack to maximize storage. Label each container on the side that faces out with a waterproof marker.
2. Keep items you use regularly in containers toward the front. Seasonal items (holiday decorations, winter clothes, etc.) can be stored toward the back since you won’t need them as often. - Take only kitchen gadgets, pots and pans you absolutely need. Anything serving double duty is a good idea.
4. Measure your kitchen cabinets and invest in cabinet organizers. Wire mesh or plastic are lightweight and can be easily rearranged when necessary. For small items you seldom use, small baskets on the top shelves are nice. You can take the basket down and quickly find what you need instead of rooting around.
5. Invest in some small tension rods and small, hanging clips for storing pouches such as noodle side-dish mixes and muffin mixes. You can hang all these in a cabinet and still leave the shelf space free for canned goods.
6. Mount a stainless steel panel on a kitchen wall and buy small, magnetic containers for spices. Stick the spice containers on the wall. This also avoids spills from jars of spices tipping over. There are also magnetic strips you can mount to hold knives and keep them from sliding around in a drawer.
7. For under the sink storage, rectangular, wire containers are best. Be sure to account for the space taken by the trap and pipes. Taller containers to the sides and a lower container in the middle will maximize storage.
8. Use either plastic containers or gallon zip-lock bags to store cereals and other boxed items that you’ve opened. If you opt for plastic, use square or rectangular to maximize space. Round containers waste space.
9. Put small racks in the corners of your kitchen counter to store small appliances such as a toaster and give you freer counter space.
10. Plastic shower caddies with suction cups are a great place to stow shampoo, soap and loofahs.
11. Stick a small shower caddy to your side window to keep things like your cell phone close at hand.
12. Utilize the insides of doors for storage by hanging mesh organizers on them. You can stow anything from your favorite pair of shoes to flashlights in these for quick access.
13. Invest in hanging jewelry organizers with multiple pockets to hang in bedroom closets to free up drawer space and eliminate the need for a jewelry box.
14. Use Velcro to mount remote controls on the side of a cabinet or the wall so you don’t misplace them.
15. Mount overhead hooks in the kitchen to keep cooking utensils out of the way but easy to reach.
16. Nesting bowls and measuring cups maximize space.
17. Mount a hanging basket or mesh produce hammock in the kitchen area to keep fresh fruits and vegetables off the counter. Bonus – fruits stay fresh longer with air circulating around them.
18. Look for shoe or small item organizers designed to tuck under the mattress and hang down. These are great for remote controls, water bottles, shoes, glasses…virtually anything you might want to easily reach when you’re in bed.
19. Replace plastic hangers with flat hangers to maximize wardrobe storage. If you primarily have pants and tops, mounting a second hanging rod halfway down in the closets will give you double the hanging space.
20. Command strips are great for mounting small containers inside the bathroom medicine cabinet door and cabinet door. You can store nail polish, toothbrushes and makeup in them.
21. Mount hooks on the back of the bathroom door to hang extra towels or bathrobes.
22. A magazine rack mounted to the end of the kitchen cabinets is a great place to stow books, magazines, iPads and laptops.
23. Organizers that mount under overhead cabinets can store and dispense paper towels and paper plates.
24. An over-the-cabinet-door mounted trash can prevent spills.
25. Use a dish cradle to store plates upright instead of stacking them. More space and no more sliding plates.
26. Store long items like brooms and golf umbrellas in outside storage lockers by mounting brackets in the top of the locker and snapping them in place.
27. Mount slide-out drawers under the table to store everything from napkins and silverware to playing cards, tablets and pens.
28. Use tension rods for spacers in cabinets for more efficient storage of cookie sheets, cutting boards and other large, flat items.
The key to well organized motorhome is to find ways to maximize the storage you have. Using hanging hooks and organizers to use every available space. Look at spaces like under bed storage with fresh eyes – can you use this to store off-season clothes? Your hiking gear? What about areas like the back of the driver’s and co-pilot’s chairs? Can you hang organizers from the back for maps, books and tissues? Creativity and the right organization tools will help you organize your RV so you have everything you need in easy reach without cluttering up your on-the-go home.
