42 Easy RV Storage Ideas To Save Your Precious Space

No matter how large or expensive your RV or motorhome is, space will always be a precious and scarce resource.

And the larger the number of people traveling with you, the more intense it gets.

If you are not careful, things can end up really messy and claustrophobic.

Organization is critical here, and we have some fresh RV storage ideas for you to make the most of the space you have inside your mobile home.

You will have space issues even on the most expensive, 40+ foot trailers and RVs.

But let's solve at least some of those common RV space constraints with these following handy hints and RV storage ideas.

1. Install a plate dispenser under the cabinets.
2. Use trash cans that fit on cabinet doors.
3. Store stuff like hoses inside DIY PVC canisters slung underneath the RV
4. Use magnets to store cutting boards underneath cabinets
5. Buy compact space saving spice drawers
6. Store flat items vertically to save more space
7. Try to add extra drawers under tables
8. Use brackets on walls to store tools
9. Consider getting a hanging shelf
10. Use collapsible objects like insta-hangers
11. Use folder holders inside the pantry to store odds and ends
12. Use reels to organize power cords
13. Attach folders inside cabinet doors for extra storage
14.  Use hanging caddies for books and maps

You have to learn to compartmentalize the indoor space in an RV for best results.

One possible categorization is to divide it into these five basic zones:

1. The Kitchen area
2. The Bathrooms
3. The Bedrooms/Sleeping zones
4. Living/Recreational Area
5. The Basement/Outdoors.

Once you do this, you can classify different objects based on their location and use.

This will go a long way in helping avoid unnecessary clutter.

There is a five-step process to doing this kind of organizing.

Let's take a look at those five steps now.

You have to make a list.

This list has to include everything you plan to bring onboard the RV. 

We know that it sounds boring and tedious, but there is no other way.

To organize well, you need to know what you have on board.

Every RVer has something on board their trailer that they really do not need for.

It could be extra plates and cups, or extra accessories, clothes, pretty much anything in fact.

If you plan to live long term inside the RV, try to find things that you will not use even once, in any plausible circumstance or scenario.

Do not leave anything without a designated zone.

Not even loose change. Assign a spot for everything you have on the RV.

You have to be strict here.

Don't let things accumulate over time.

If you get a new sweater, throw the old one out.

It is not just about clothes either. Anything that becomes a second-hand duplicate has to go.

If you are on the road day in and day out, cleaning is mandatory every day, before you leave your campsite.

If you stay in the same spot for days or weeks, you can do without the daily cleaning though.

But always maintain some kind of routine.

That is all there is to the basics.

Now let's get down to the brass tacks of dealing with those individual zones that we created earlier.

Let's start with the place with the potential for the maximum mess: the kitchen.

If you have cabinets without partitions or drawers, consider adding your own drawers.

This will give you extra storage areas to keep smaller stuff.

Cabinet sized drawer units are available online.

Since they are free-standing, you may have to secure them using cords.

This will prevent them from opening the cabinets when the RV is on the move.

Floor space is very limited inside the RV.

One way to circumvent this limitation is to think vertical.

Visualize using the space above the floor, on walls and cabinet doors, to store stuff like trash cans.

You can easily stick a trash can to the inside of a cabinet door.

That way, it will save space, and your trash will stay out of sight as well!

These are your trump cards when it comes to hacking the RV storage puzzle.

Have as many storage bins as you possibly can.

You can stow them away pretty much anywhere: inside cabinets, drawers, and even outside.

Use some labels to keep them better organized.

Foldable and collapsible objects and are worth their weight in gold in space-starved areas like RV indoors.

Rigid cookware takes up a lot of space in your kitchen.

A collapsible tea kettle, pot, or colander is a great addition to your RV kitchen.

As we already mentioned, always try to go vertical with storage.

Stacking is a fantastic option to save space.

And nesting bowls are the perfect choice for this very reason.

Ordinary bowls can give a significant storage headache inside your kitchen.

Do not use them.

Dish cradles save space and offer extra convenience.

They are part of the overall focus on verticality in RV storage.

Stacked dishes in a cradle take up much less space.

And they are also much easier take out of the cradle.

They don't have anything above them obstructing your hands.

Planning to use a lot of pots and pans?

A ped board on your RV kitchen walls could be your best friend here.

It will look really neat and cool, and you can easily organize many pots and pans as well.

The main advantage of these cups is that they do not cause any structural damage to your RV walls.

Yet they offer all the functionality you get from nailing hooks onto walls.

They basically enable you to hang stuff on walls without drilling any holes in the process.

Fruit hammocks are better than baskets for storage as well as ripening.

Each fruit will ripen evenly if you use these contraptions.

This is due to the superior air circulation the fruits receive in these hammocks.

You will not find too many over-ripe spots on your fruit with these around.

There are two possible options for storing your kitchen spices: inside a cabinet or out on the countertop.

But both take up a lot of space.

So how about using a fold out spice rack?

Such a contraption can be installed in the free space under a cabinet.

You get to save space in two other locations.

Tension rods are often used inside cupboards to keep things securely in place.

This is a remix on that, but instead of storing stuff horizontally, you actually use these rods vertically.

The result is the ability to store more inside the cupboards.

Tupperware is not your friend in an RV kitchen.

They take up too much space and are hard to keep organized.

Instead, look for airtight canisters with a square shape.

They offer more compact footprints and are easier to store and stack.

Here are some more fantastic RV storage ideas we managed to find out from seasoned RVers online.

You can use these steps to further reduce clutter and free up more space.

Many kitchen items are made from metals.

Exploit this fact by using powerful magnets for your organizing and storage.

Attach a magnetic strip to the kitchen walls, and you have a simple vertical storage spot.

You can use this to convert a humble metal tray into a stylish rack for spices.

Jars usually sit on a countertop.

How about those that are securely attached to the underside of upper cabinets?

This is a clever trick.

It involves screwing the lids onto the underside of cabinets.

When you want the contents of the jar, simply twist the jar from the lid.

If you have any woodworking skills, you can build your own space-saving spice rack.

A great idea would be to install the rack to the underside of cupboards, secured with sturdy chains.

You can mount other things to the ceiling or upper cabinets to save more space on your countertops.

Paper plates are incredibly lightweight.

You can safely attach a plate dispenser to the ceiling.

This is an easy DIY sewing project.

These can even work as window coverings on RVs where your bed backs to a window.

You can add multiple pockets to increase the storage capacity.

There is no end the number of ways in which you can optimize and organize your supplies inside an RV.

The internet is your best friend in this endeavor.

You can find hundreds of similar RV storage ideas.

Some involve channeling your inner DIY spirit, while the others involve some easy online shopping.

You can find projects involving different skill levels, and you will also find products available in a wide range of budgets.

The choice is all yours.