By Nanci Dixon
No matter how much or how little cabinet storage there is in an RV it just never feels like enough. When we upgraded our motorhome with more cabinets, I just seemed to fill them up faster. The kitchen cabinets are the worst. I have them packed full and I hardly even cook! Here are five tips I use to increase RV kitchen storage space.
Page Contents
1. BE SQUARE
There is so much wasted space between items. Rectangular or square containers save so much space in RV kitchen cabinets. I found affordable rectangular food containers that can stack and snug up to each other. I can also put items together in the containers that I normally would not. Anything that has been opened or might spill out, I put in Ziploc bags and force the air out. You can also buy collapsible storage containers that will store flat when you’re not using them.
2. THROW AWAY BULKY PACKAGING
Packaging takes up a lot of room. Another way to condense is to remove unnecessary packaging. For example, I don’t use the Bisquick mix very often and it was taking up a fair amount of room in my cabinet. I kept having to move it out of the way to get to other things. I removed the inner bag with the mix, sealed it in a plastic storage bag, cut out the instructions and added to an existing square container. The same goes for oatmeal in the big round container. I put it in a plastic storage bag, labeled and dated it and included cooking directions. And then, as I mentioned above, you can keep two of these, or more, in one storage container (if you need to).
3. NEST ITEMS
Use wasted space to store other items. I keep a pitcher my sons gave me years ago mostly for sentimental reasons. I can justify keeping it by using it to store other essentials, right?
4. DIVIDE AND CONQUER IN YOUR RV KITCHEN STORAGE
Someone that had just bought the same motorhome we have stopped me yesterday to ask how I handle the long drawers. I ran inside and took a photo to show her my drawers. Dollar store to the rescue! I laid out everything then measured what I needed to make the compartments.
5. STACK, STACK, STACK – USE THAT SINK SPACE
Although I had always used under-the-sink space for cleaning products, buckets and rags, when we got our motorhome I was in a fry pan quandary. I considered the space under the sink rather dirty and a catch-all, but quickly realized that I now had one BIG open box to store stuff. I took advantage! Pans can stack and the wastebasket can fit alongside my beloved Instant Pot™ – and there’s still room for a small basket of cleaning/dishwashing stuff. I even added an upside down Command hook to hold the sink cover. Moral of the story? To increase your RV kitchen storage, make use of every space.
##RVDT1511
Dollar Tree plastic shoeboxes work great in our cabinet. I label the content “categories” with a marker: baking, seasoning, etc. I even store our canned goods in them since it is hard to see in the back, I can just pull out the shoebox, check contents and slide back in…so much easier!
We also have a small “craft cart” that we store under the table while travelling and pull out to slide behind the dinette seat once the slide is out. Most frequently used items, snacks, items too large or odd shaped for the cabinets can go there (our Winnebago Aspect shelves are narrow ceiling cabinets — think airline overhead bins — so height of items are an issue.
Tupperware is better
Great tips but you forgot the inside of the doors! I have a lot of “stuff” hanging on the inside of my kitchen doors…measuring spoons, one of my colanders, bottle brushes, grates for slicing and dicing foods, inserts for my Ready Set Go Express thing, a little strainer and my whisks. I also had my son build me some sliding shelves and spice drawers but I can’t post pictures in the comments section.
These are expensive but we’re using these rectangular containers in our RV freezer. They stack and it’s easy to see what we have. We make & freeze meals at home so it’s ok to tightly pack them in the RV freezer–don’t need airflow between them.
Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage 4.7 Cup
https://amazon.com/dp/B079MMSZ4Z/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_hRh.FbX32FNS7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
We’ve been using them at home for over a year, from freezer to microwave & they’re indestructible.
Great tips! Some of these I have learned the hard way and some I never even thought of! I laugh at some of the things I load my storage space up with…things I don’t use at home but suddenly think I might need on the road (ie a huge meat tenderizer mallet). Your article is very helpful and thought provoking. That mallet is going to be tossed today. Thank you for sharing.
We have double sinks, so 2 covers. Have just enough space between couch and slide wall behind drivers seat or next to kitchen cabinet wall & couch to store them there. Can’t even see them. We opted for a convection/microwave oven instead of standard microwave and gas oven. We have 3 drawers in place of oven. Top is for cutlery and kitchen tools. Have standard storage trays to hold everything. Second, which is deeper, for assorted kitchen items & kitchen towels/hot pads which I place to prevent things banging together. Bottom drawer is really deep. Pots and pans layered with non adhesive/nonslip drawer liner, cut to fit.
I particularly liked your suggestion of removing contents from boxy packaging. TY for that!
I started doing that with freezer boxed foods some time ago in our sticks n brick home. Saves a lot of room there too.
I don’t know why an RVers needs 5 fry pans. No wonder they run out of space.
I tried so hard to give up my huge, space sucking wok- two years stored at sister’s and now happily have it back even though it is still too big!
Now I know what to do with the sink cover!
Great tips! I already do some of these and now have some new options. Thanks!
Great storage suggestions. We reuse the Costco ‘cashew’ jars for rice, flours, and other dry goods in our pantries in our TT and at home. They are stackable on their sides and, using a Sharpie, we write the contents on the lids (you can erase it with a Scotchbrite pad and a little Ajax and write new contents).
Good tip. I use the containers at home, too.
Wayne, great suggestion!! TY
I have a puppy, so we put plastic bags in our Costco cashew jars. It’s amazing how many bags you can put in that container. Great tips today, thanks.