Small spaces like an RV bathroom can always use more storage. That’s why you need a second shower rod in your RV shower. (If your RV doesn’t have a “first” shower rod, you still need one!)
Our RV’s shower problem
RV showers aren’t big. At least ours isn’t. Newer rigs feature a fold-down teak seat instead of the preformed plastic seat like we have in our rig. Our integrated plastic seat takes up at least one-third of the shower space and the thing is, I can’t even sit on it! Why not? Because all our hair and shower products rest there. We have my shampoo and conditioner plus my husband’s hair products, too. Then there’s the body wash, back brush and loofahs, along with bar soap and washcloths.
If the grandkids come along to camp with us, well … you can imagine the clutter! Note: I’m not a “diva.” When camping for a weekend we do not bring along all these items and products. But if we plan to be RVing for months at a time, we like to have all the comforts of home.
The solution
In order to preserve my sanity and provide better organization to our shower, I purchased a second shower rod. (The first shower rod holds the shower curtain that keeps water inside the shower/tub.) Here are some ways I’ve used my second shower rod:
- Shower products. Hang a shower tension rod inside the shower near the wall. Get plastic storage baskets like these and hang them on the shower rod to corral your shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razor, and more. My husband and I each have our own basket. Each basket is a different color for easy identification—even with shampoo in our eyes.
- Back brush and loofahs. Add “S” hooks to the second shower rod. Hang your back brush and loofahs on the hooks to keep them within easy reach.
- Kids’ bath toys. Use the same kind of basket as mentioned above. Position the shower rod lower so that children can reach the basket and their bath toys.
- Extra drying space. Who doesn’t need more drying room for swimsuits, beach towels, and delicate items that should not be dried in the dryer? By adding a shower rod near the back of the shower, you can hang more items to dry and keep the bathroom neat and uncluttered.
- Even more drying space. Got a big family? Try positioning an additional shower rod right outside of the shower, as well, to serve as an additional towel rack.
- Squeegee. If you use a squeegee to remove water from the shower walls, you’ll reduce the humidity in your RV. (That’s a good thing.) An “S” hook hanging from the shower rod can keep your squeegee off the shower floor and out of your way until you need it.
- Cleaning products. You can use the baskets mentioned earlier to house your bathroom cleaning products, too. Or simply hook the spray nozzle of each product over the shower rod.
Do you use an extra shower rod in your RV? Tell us about it in the comments, please.
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I have two shower rods in the shower area. One has a flower theme shower curtain to provide real privacy for the person in the shower if someone needs to come into the bathroom. The other one is right down the middle of the shower and is to provide extra closet space when we travel for a longer trip. It can also be used for hanging wet items like rain coats.
That’s a great tip, Shop Rat 00! Thanks! Have a good night. 😀 –Diane
A dishwasher basket (for baby bottle parts, pacifiers, etc.) corrals soap & shampoo products. If necessary, I refill smaller containers that fit in it. We also make an effective clothes dryer by running a small electric heater in the shower when we have shore power. Really helps at the beach in the cool Pacific Northwest where things take forever to dry.
Liked the thought for the day.
Why does your hubby have his “own” shampoo? Just use yours. Guys don’t really care what’s in it. It’s shampoo…
I have my own shampoo/body wash from the dollar store because I’m cheap. My wife’s shampoo is liquid gold. I don’t want to deplete her pricey stuff!
Different people have different hair types. What is AWESOME for one person will TRASH the hair and scalp of someone else.
Small bathroom. I put up 2 command soap dishes on shower wall. One holds bar soap, the other holds shampoo and conditioner bars. I did put plastic straps across the little shower shelves that can keep extra things in place but rarely use now that we’re cutting down on plastic. I do have an extra tension rod for wet swimsuits and clothes that can’t go in dryer.
We put a closet rod and brackets above our shower surround to hang clothes for longer trips.
We travel in a B+ with a dry bath, but the shower is sized for fairly skinny people. Our shower has a ledge built in to keep soap and shampoo in place but we use it for storage of other necessary items. We have plenty of storage for folded clothes but very limited areas to hang coats or shirts that fair better on a hanger than in an overhead cabinet. Likewise storage for anything big is limited as well. We do have two tension bars in our shower area, one for hanging shoes and the other for hanging coats or “nice clothes” if we’re heading to a wedding. We also have an ice cooler to store water to limit trips into the refrigerator in the shower. The windshield and side windows’ sunshades are kept in the shower on travel days. Obviously this stuff must be removed when we take showers but this is easy to do. When you travel in a B+, the bathroom/shower cannot be ignored for storage potential.
We dispensed with the cooler and now use a rope basket to store shoes and an occasional bottle of wine. Got rid of the second tension rod for hanging shoes…too hard to move before taking a shower. We still use the main tension rod for hanging coats. It seems like we’re always experimenting with storage but this setup works for us. Our typical trips are 8 weeks long but we have room for everything!
Our shower has the 3 sliding “glass” doors, but the medicine cabinet is beside the end just a few inches away, so I got a spring loaded curtain rod of the proper length and put it up across the back end of the shower from the wall to the medicine cabinet. Now I have a place to hang my towel. We use Command hooks to hang our wash cloths (I put a buttonhole in the corner of them).
A buttonhole is sheer genius, Linda! Thanks for sharing. I plan to “borrow” your idea!
I not only have a second shower rod, but I also have a caddy that hangs over the shower head. I have had it for over 10 years and it’s still in good condition. Here’s where you can find one similar to the one I have: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-Expandable-over-the-Shower-Caddy-4-Shelves-Oil-Rubbed-Bronze/
Use the 3M stick up products to attach hooks to the shower walls. One heavy duty one holds our typical shower basket. Another holds our squeegee to the other wall.
An additional shower rod would add additional and very useful hanging storage.
I have one bar of soap and one razor. I don’t know if they still do, but the products you describe may be filled with plastic. Little micro-beads of the junk. They replaced natural products some years ago. Please therefore make sure the things you use are not filled with plastics, which therefore can not only build up in the environment, but in you.
Airstream showers are designed for Hobbits. I like your ideas.
We have shampoos and body washes in a dispenser mounted on the wall which frees up space. We have a couple of tension rods we put up after showering for drying towels, etc
We don’t even have ONE shower rod. Wifey found a “shower caddie” that hangs off the top of one side of the shower and corrals our stuff quite nicely.
Where did she get it? Sounds like we could use that type.
Wifey is not sure where she got it But it’s called a shower caddy and is designed to hang off the showerhead. Instead, she got a ‘shower caddy hook’ which then allows this caddy to hang over the top of the shower instead of the showerhead – which never would have worked!
Thanks Tommy. Same here. Will need the hook too.