One of the challenges in full-time RV’ing is storage.
Once we pared down what we’d be bringing, and then pared down again, it was time to play Tetris! How and where would we store the chosen items? How can we use our space most efficiently (and find things later)??
Some items that had NEVER co-habitated in our sticks-and-bricks home had to make new friends — and hopefully, play well together! Knives that always had their own apartment at home now had to share their digs with the small whisk,—big brother couldn’t come—the apple slicer, a single pie server, and others.
Items in the kitchen cabinets are packed in tightly (never the same way twice it seems!) to use up every last morsel of available space. Glass banging against glass? Put unbreakable items between those that could break. Some food staples in bags? Think walnuts or flour. Transfer the contents into plastic containers that stack. Cereal boxes too tall to wrestle into the top shelf easily? Cut them down so they will fit easily in a cabinet. And it’s plastic ‘glassware’ for the win!
And…probably the most helpful tool of all — the TENSION ROD.
They’re ubiquitous. They hold things in place while we travel in just about every cabinet we have. We wedge them tightly either top to bottom or across to keep things in their place. Well, they’re supposed to . . .
Sometimes you also need to think out of the box—see what I did there? Look at this great place to store toilet paper and the huge ziploc bag of laundry detergent! (Yes, we have a washer/dryer.)
All of this said, it can make it a challenge to find something you know (or think) you brought along. We’re still having to empty most of an entire shelf to find that one thing we are pretty sure is in there…at the back, of course. Hiding.
Many experienced RV’ers told us that towing your rig down the road is equivalent to an earthquake. We plan for that and wedge things so that they won’t tip over. I even got creative with some leftover rubbery shelf liner strips to protect the Corelle. Score!
And then, before we depart for the next campground on our itinerary, there are a few things we need to do. We try to remember to check that:
- All cabinet doors are securely closed;
- Waste baskets are emptied and placed in bedroom closet;
- Bedroom closet doors are latched;
- Shower head and shower doors are tightly velcro-ed in place;
- Electric toothbrush is unplugged and stowed;
- Counters are clear — silverware tote and the teapot are in the sink, etc.;
- The microwave glass is wrapped up in dish drain pad and secured;
- TV has been lowered into its cabinet;
- Bathroom door is snapped open with its handy traveling strap;
- No loose items are on the floor except under the dinette in a plastic tub; and
- Both rugs are rolled, each secured in a bungie cord, and placed next to the dinette.
“Be careful when opening overhead compartments as contents may have shifted during flight.” Yup.
Even with the precautions we’ve taken, we’re still getting an occasional surprise when we open Rhett up after a long drive. We can be pretty sure that, if we were traveling on an interstate in really rough condition (thank you, Indiana!), we’ll find at least one cabinet open. With a few escapees who wanted a better view traveling down the road.
Looks like it might be time to install those really cool magnetic cabinet closures that we bought a few months ago. You lock them with a ‘key’ — and they’re guaranteed to keep the cabinets closed.
But I wonder where they are.
Haha!!such trials! 😀
O.K. Here’s an idea. You know that men can never find their socks…well, you can use Al’s clean socks to cover drinking glasses so they won’t break and he will always know where to find his socks!
Hahahaha I love it!
I really love how you pack things up so safely!! Good job! I bet it was kinda fun too! And don’t worry……as you travel from place to place you will remember where everything is! 😉 And how cool you have a washer & dryer!! I also love all the things you have!! A REAL home on wheels! I’m really enjoying traveling with you too so much!! I always look forward to your blog entrees!!
So glad you’re having fun travelin’a long, Anne!
Hi Kathe!
A couple of tricks I have discovered that you may or may not know. 1- I use a pool noodle cut the inside height of my microwave to wedge my glass tray in place. It doesn’t move a stitch! 2- it looks like your shower Velcro is similar to the Velcro lettuce wraps that come from the grocery store…I use one around my toilet paper roll as we’re driving down the road so it doesn’t unroll. That was a funny sight the first time it happened, especially on those bumpy roads! Good luck😁 it looks like your off to a great trip ahead! I’ll be following you😊
Thanks,Judy! Wouldn’t it fun if we landed in the same place sometime?!
During our first few months in our RV, there was rarely a day when something didn’t go wrong. Dishes flying out, refrigerator opening while on the road, leaving the gasoline cap on the bumper and driving off. Once we couldn’t get the bed closed over the storage department and Ed had to take it apart only to learn that we hadn’t pushed hard enough. The worst was storing a cutting board on the floor in the bedroom and it somehow got stuck behind the door and the door wouldn’t open. We were elated when we had strung 3 days in a row without a mishap. You are doing really well!!
Thanks, Ellen! I appreciate your encouragement. I’m sure we’ll continue to accrue more oopsies!
Just keep track of those eye glasses Al !!
You know this seems fun! You two are Freshmen..in your travels..Seems to me you have many Upperclassmen out there helping you along your Journey. I’m really getting into this…hopefully Rhett will smooth out…once parked..your Castle..Sweet Wishes…
where in the world is Rhett and Scarlett?
You know where you can Always find what your looking for… in the last place you look. 🤓