Are you looking for RV storage ideas? Maybe you have a new RV and you’re trying to figure out the best way to organize it. Or maybe you’re planning to go full time and you can’t imagine where you’re going to store everything you need to take with you. Join the club! This is one topic that every RVer is constantly struggling with. Just remember that Huey Lewis said, “it’s hip to be square!”
New here? If you’re interested in more RV related information, we’ve got you covered!
- Our Life Outside the Box
- The Perfect RV
- RV Mistakes We Made with Our New Home on Wheels
- Top RV Storage Ideas: Hip to be Square (Part 1)
- Top RV Storage Ideas: Hip to be Square (Part 2)
- Top RV Storage Ideas: Hip to be Square (Part 3)
- Year-Round Gift Ideas for RV Families
- Up & Away at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Part 1)
- Up & Away at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Part 2)
- Up & Away at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Part 3)
- A Fun RV Story We’ll Remember Forever
- The Crunchy RV Medicine Cabinet
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In part 1 of this series, I focused on square storage ideas for CDs, DVDs, video games, homeschooling supplies, toys, and games. In part 2, I focused on square storage ideas for clothes, shoes, and jewelry. For this final post of the series, I’m going to give you some square storage ideas for food, health care supplies, and body care products.
Table of Contents
RV Storage Ideas for Food
RV kitchens are small, Y’all! With a lack of cabinet space and a tiny fridge (unless you have a residential fridge like us), you have to be a serious Tetris player to have functional food storage spaces. So let’s dive in and look at a few solutions for our tiny kitchens.
Baskets/bins
Grabbing a basket or bin is probably the easiest and most inexpensive way to get your pantry and/or fridge organized. You can find them in many different sizes for a wide range of prices.
One of the best and most recommended types of bins is the bin with a handle. Place your items in the bin, stick it up in the cabinet with the handle facing outward, and then you have easy access the next time you open the cabinet to grab something you need. These bins are usually made from clear plastic so it’s easy to see what items are in the bin. If they are colored bins, slap a label on the outside and you’ll know exactly what contents are in that bin.
The baskets that we started out with and still utilize for some of our food storage are Sterilite baskets. They are sturdy, they are just the right sizes for our cabinets and shelves, and they have lips around the edges that are perfect when children are helping load/unload food in the camper.
The downside to baskets or bins? It might take a lot of searching for just the right ones for your space, and if you decide later that you want more, well, good luck finding them again. It seems like the same baskets and bins are never on the store shelves longer than a few months.
Magazine holders/book bins
While we don’t exactly use these for food storage, we do use them for plate storage. Magazine holders or book bins can also be used for things like foil wrap, plastic wrap, wax paper, and even snacks for the kids. They’re so versatile, come in lots of different colors and styles, and because they are square (or rectangle) they fit nicely in RV cabinets.
The downside to magazine holders and book bins? They don’t hold much, and some types are flimsy and can fall apart or break easily.
Storage drawers
These things are amazing. Again, Sterilite wins in my book.
I utilize the small three drawer storage units for many areas in our RV, but I just recently started using them in my tiny RV kitchen. They are perfect to put in the cabinets for snack bars, however, we don’t use them for that purpose. We actually use them in the refrigerator. We stock them with individual packets of ketchup, mustard, and other condiments for easy access.
The downside to storage drawers? The drawers wiggle open fairly easily during travel and the contents can fall out all over the shelf in the refrigerator.
Storage containers
So, I am in LOVE with the storage containers we have. I have tried many different types from Ikea, Walmart, and Tupperware and by far Rubbermaid and Better Homes and Gardens storage containers have proved to be the best for my purpose.
Let’s start with the Rubbermaid containers. These Freshworks containers are specifically designed for storing produce in the fridge. I love that I don’t have to wash my produce first. I just bring my produce home from the store, transfer them to the containers, and then place in the fridge. They help keep the produce fresher longer, they’re BPA-free, and they stack!!! Perfect!
Now onto my Better Homes and Gardens containers. Just look at how amazing these containers are!
So what do I love about them?
- They are SQUARE so they fit perfectly in the cabinet and side by side without leaving any wasted space.
- They have flip-tite lids that secure the contents and keep things fresh.
- They’re stackable. And even with constant vibration when traveling down the road, I have yet to have a top one come off of a bottom one.
- They’re BPA-free.
- They come in a variety of sizes. You can purchase a set of 3 which are all different sizes or you can purchase them individually to suit your needs.
- They’re clear, so I can easily see what’s in each container without having to label them or take them out of the cabinet.
They can be purchased individually for a personalized fit in your cabinets, or you can buy them in a variety package with 3 containers. I’ve done both to get my set up just right for our needs.
The downside to storage containers? NONE! Well, maybe a tiny one. If you happen to grab the container by the lid, the lid may come off and spill the contents everywhere. Ask me how I know this. =)
I’m sure there are many more options. You just have to get creative. Hopefully, some of these will be suitable for your food items and cabinet space.
RV Storage Ideas for Health Care Supplies
Am I the only one that travels with more essential oils, nutritional supplements, and homeopathic remedies than clothes? No? Ok, good. Seriously though, where are we supposed to keep all of those items when our tiny medicine cabinet needs to be utilized for other things?
Over the sink shelf
While shelves are more rectangle than square, this can be a great option for nutritional supplements. They are typically wider than a rack that gets hung on the wall and sometimes comes with multi-levels. They also usually have lips on the edges to prevent the bottles from falling off if bumped. And they can easily be found made from a lightweight material like plastic or plexiglass.
The downside to shelves? Plastic can be flimsy and break easily. And It may be a bit difficult to find just the right piece to work in your space.
Spice/nail polish rack
Spice racks and nail polish racks are great ideas for storing health and wellness products. I’m highly considering a spice rack for our nutritional supplements and a nail polish rack for our homeopathic medicines and essential oils. Though I’m also considering having my hubby make me one based on my specifications.
Spice racks are generally larger than nail polish racks which make them perfect for nutritional supplements. They can be mounted to the wall and can accommodate standard bottle sizes. They could also hold prescription medications as well.
Nail polish racks are a great way to store more slender items such as essential oils and homeopathic medicines. What draws me to this option is the fact that I like to be able to read the label on my homeopathic medicines and essential oils to quickly grab what I need. Other storage options only allow you to see the tops of the bottles which are not labeled.
Nail polish racks also come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Here are a few great options to choose from that won’t break the bank.
The downside to spice or nail polish racks? Because I’m not currently using these racks, I’m making assumptions here. If the racks are not full, items may shift and fall within the rack itself. Also, some can be bulky and large and can get in the way in an already small bathroom.
Carrying case
We use an amazing soft-sided carrying case for our essential oils. My friends at Hitched and Haulin’ actually sell these on Amazon. They are not only soft on the outside, but they have soft dividers on the inside. And they’re so pretty, too! You could use these for more than just essential oils, but that’s what they were designed to hold. And the carrying strap makes it easy to grab and go.
The downside to carrying cases? Unless you have labels on the tops of your bottles, you’ll have a hard time finding the essential oil you need until you memorize the order. Also, if you have a large supply of oils, you will need more than one carrying case.
These are a few wonderful ways to store your nutritional supplements, essential oils, and homeopathic remedies. You can use other things like baskets or drawers or even just put them up in the medicine cabinet, but I find those methods to be even less organized for my taste.
RV Storage Ideas for Body Care Products
Have you ever gone on a trip in your RV only to get there and open up your medicine cabinet to everything falling out? This is why you may want to consider having additional storage for items you’ll put in the medicine cabinet.
And what about the shampoo, conditioner, razors and body wash in the bathtub? You don’t want to leave those on the shelf during travel or they won’t be there when you stop.
There are a variety of SQUARE storage containers you can use to organize your body care products.
Basket/caddy
We use a caddy in the shower for storing our bath items during travel. It’s lightweight, easy to find in a store, and once filled with your items can be set in the bottom of the shower or placed in the cabinet under the sink.
I know many people who buy a shower curtain/tension rod, hooks, and small baskets to organize shower items inside the shower. You can put loofas, razors, and soap in individual baskets for each person. The baskets are also lightweight and convenient to grab when you want to go to the campground shower.
The downside to baskets or caddies? Because they are usually made from plastic, they can get broken fairly easily.
Vanity organizers
If you want to prevent toothpaste, cosmetics, and other things from falling out of the medicine cabinet after you’ve traveled a full day, consider getting stackable, customizable vanity organizers to put in the cabinet. Check out these small organizers that would fit perfectly in an RV medicine cabinet:
Or this small vanity organizer that can sit on the bathroom cabinet to hold things like brushes, combs, makeup, or hair accessories:
The downside to vanity organizers? If you get one that sits on the countertop, you’ll have to find a place to store it during travel. If you get organizers for the medicine cabinet, it may be hard to find one that fits perfectly in your cabinet.
Storage drawers
I’m sure you have figured out by reading part 1 and part 2 of this series that I love storage drawers. And what brand are my faves?
That’s right…STERILITE! Large drawers, small drawers, medium sized drawers…Sterilite has them all.
We use their drawers both under our bathroom sink as well as in the area between our sink and shower. The small one under our sink I talked about in part 2 of the series for jewelry organization. The larger one between our shower and sink houses our brushes, combs, hair dryer, curling irons, hair accessories, and nail supplies.
The downside to storage drawers? It may be hard to find just the right size for your space. They also tend to wiggle open during travel unless you turn them to face a wall.
There are so many ways to get organized in your bathroom. Just get those creative juices flowing and you’ll have a functional bathroom space that you’ll love in no time.
I hope you have found this series helpful. When organizing your tiny space, there are so many options available to you. Just remember that it’s “hip to be square.”
I love the idea of a magazine bin for foil, plastic wrap, and other items. You could easily screw or nail the bin in place so that it didn’t fall over during travel.