Having the freedom to choose where you go and how you camp when you get there is the best part of traveling in an RV.
Regardless of the kind of RV you have, the best way to upgrade your trip is to hack your packing. Avoid the gear explosion and a chaotic camp kitchen by packing well before you hit the road.
1. Meal Prep Before Leaving
Have you ever finished up a long day of playing outside and thought, “Wow, I’d love to chop veggies for dinner!” Exactly.
The point of travel is to maximize your time doing what you love and enjoying the people you’re with. Give yourself more of that by doing some meal prep before you hit the road.
The best way to plan your meals on the road is to plan the exact recipe for each meal and then meal prep what you can ahead of time. Many class A motorhomes, class C motorhomes, 5th wheels, and large travel trailers have a full-size fridge and freezer, which makes food storage simple.
Camper vans and small travel trailers, like teardrop or truck campers, will have more compact fridges. But that just means you need to be a bit more clever and might have to do some food prep while on the road.
Since almost all RVs have a fridge and freezer, you can cook all your meat and veggies ahead of time (or go super-simple with easy one-pot style meals). Then, store the meals you’ll be eating first in the fridge and freeze the rest, pulling out the freezer meals at least 24 hours ahead of time and thawing them in the fridge.
2. Utilize the Trailer Hitch for Your Toys
Not everyone wants to drive a sport utility RV to haul their whole garage. If you’re interested in being a bit more nimble and having more options for camping, camper vans and truck campers can get you and your gear to your next destination.
Both camper vans and slide-in truck campers free up the trailer hitch so you can add a rack or small trailer to haul your bikes, kayaks, boat, or gear bins.
You can maximize your fun while keeping your rig minimal enough to allow access to more backcountry locations, depending on your truck or camper van.
3. Utilize Collapsible and Nesting Items
There’s a certain magic trick that happens when you think you have tons of room and then somehow end up overpacking or bringing things that don’t function well on the road.
But when you use collapsible or nesting gear — like tableware, camp chairs, travel carts, and water jugs — you free up valuable space in every area of your RV.
Gear can get bumped around on the road, but in general, items that collapse or nest together travel a bit better. Plus, big items that collapse down (like gear carts) or nest together (like laundry baskets) can easily be stored in your RV’s exterior storage or in the “basement” storage that larger motorhomes and travel trailers often have.
4. Use Packing Bins for Clothes
Your suitcase shouldn’t get all the organization glory — grab some packing cubes or clear bins for your RV closet.
Make the most of minimal clothing storage by keeping all your clothes organized into packing cubes or clear plastic bins. You can color-code packing cubes to make it easy to figure out whose socks are whose, and then easily stack them in smaller storage areas while keeping your intimates separate from your outdoor gear.
Soft packing cubes are easy for less space because they pack down small, while clear storage bins are great for deep closets or storage areas where you might need more structure.
This is a great option for teardrop trailers or camper vans with minimal storage options. In larger travel trailers, you’ll have the blessing of full drawers or closets, and packing cubes can keep you even more organized on the road — because, let’s face it, even with a full wardrobe, your closet can get chaotic.
5. Take Advantage of Vertical Storage Space
When you travel in an RV, storage can be lean and organization is king — especially in living zones that generally have a lot of small items. The best way to hack your kitchen or bathroom is to take advantage of wall space for storage.
Make the whole crew say, “Yes, chef!” by adding magnetic strips to your kitchen wall to hang knives (after you’ve parked for the day, obviously), spices, and metal storage containers for tea and small snacks. Hang your spice rack behind your stove if you can, and take full advantage of a full-sized stove to whip up a meal for hungry campers in a class A motorhome or 5th wheel.
Keep your bathroom odds-and-ends organized with hanging toiletry bags that can go behind the door or hang in the shower in smaller RVs.
If your crew has a lot of smaller gear for hiking or different kinds of shoes for all kinds of adventures, a bonus hack is to utilize hanging closet bins or shoe racks. That way, you won’t misplace a headlamp or collapsible water bottle in the corner of a storage bin.
Adventure on the Road
With an RV, you have the option to bring more gear, food, and clothes for your adventures. While mishaps are bound to happen, with a little planning and some specialized gear to fit your RV, you can enjoy a smoother trip.
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