Motorhome Travel Storage Hacks

You’re on the road for days, weeks or even months at a time – so you’re going to need plenty of your things with you. Therefore, storage space in your motorhome has become a critical aspect of your travel, with the vehicle needing to have options including adequate places for items including clothing, kitchenware and outdoor gear. In this edition of our blog we’ll focus on a selection of practical storage ideas for motorhome owners to optimise their on-the-road living space.

1.   Wardrobe

You won’t enjoy quite the same amount of wardrobe space in your motorhome as you would at home, but you can definitely make the most of it with a couple of handy storage tips and ideas. You should only take the clothes you’re sure to wear during your trip. This way, you won’t clutter your containers and floor space in general.

• Plastic containers: Keep them all in one place, to avoid clutter and to remain organised. Try storing shoes, trainers and so on in a plastic container and stowing it under your bed or your seating area if there is the appropriate amount and shape of space. Plastic shoe boxes and containers are easy to clean - and they also keep mud at bay or, at least, contained.
• Door organiser: A second idea for shoes is to put an organiser within the wardrobe (inside the door). This type of storage is often sold in stores to be used for shoes, but it also works for socks, underwear, scarves, gloves, hats and other foldable items of clothing.
• Mesh bags: Mesh bags are a great choice to use for storing underwear and socks. This type of bag will fit into any space available, and is perfect for foldable items (such as socks). You can hang them from the ceiling or door, or fit them inside your wardrobe or drawers.
• Hooks: Installing hooks on the inside of cupboard and wardrobe doors will provide some extra storage options – you could hang belts, ties, jackets or coats off these. If you don’t have the requisite handyman skills or the right tools to put up some hooks yourself, look for the self-adhesive ones. These are easy to install and should do the job without issues.
• Baskets: Using wires baskets on shelves and inside the wardrobe will really make the most of every available square-inch of space. Opting for wire baskets is a great idea if you don’t want to use plastic containers (they give better air circulation to stored items).
• Hangers: Using space-saving hangers in your wardrobe is the perfect way to use space that would otherwise remain unused. This types of hanger offers the option to fit more than one garment per hanger, and therefore you’ll be able to fit more clothes inside the wardrobe.

Keeping a motorhome wardrobe (plus any additional drawers etc) organised and tidy takes time and effort. You may need to do some trial and error living to work out exactly the right combination of wardrobe storage hacks to suit your space and your needs. Once you’ve worked it all out, you need to be dedicated enough to ensuring these things become an integral part of your getting dressed and undressed processes each day.

2.   Bathroom

Your motorhome will feature a bathroom (sometimes called a washroom) whether it is a coachbuilt or an A-class. Every inch of space will count towards making the most of the luxury experience, and so it’s important to use all that is available to you. This includes back of the door, the shower door (if there is one) and the shower space itself. Storage solutions that will help you make the most of the space include: Soap and shampoo dispensers, wall-mounted toothbrush / toothpaste holders, hanging shower caddy, drawer dividers, shelf storage under the sink, towel rack or rail over the door, etc.

An additional idea to maximise the storage space in your motorhome is to use the shower in the washroom as a cupboard when it is not in use for its intended purpose. Bear in mind that each time you need a shower you will have to move a tower of lidded stacking boxes out of the way. You won’t want to use this method for clothes or foodstuffs, necessarily, but can be a great method of storing other non-perishable or easily damaged items. When space in the motorhome is limited, using the shower to store easily manageable boxes is a great method of gaining extra space in the rest of the motorhome interior.

3.   Kitchens

The motorhome kitchen presents many opportunities to save space, and there are many great storage products on the market designed specifically to make life easier for motorhome lifestyles.

• Plate racks: Using these in cupboards will save space, as storing plates vertically (as opposed to in a horizontal pile) frees up room. Also, using nesting bowls means you can store four or five bowls in the space where you would otherwise only have been able to fit a single one.
• Collapsibles: Using foldable or collapsible kitchenware offers a space-saving solution (e.g. foldable drying racks etc).
• Shelving and baskets: Installing under-cupboard shelves will increase your cupboard space. They’re often made of plastic, and you can add them under a cupboard, a sink, a fridge and many other spots where you can find some previously untapped space. There are also wire mesh shelving baskets which clip over the bottom of a cupboard to provide an extra shelf space.
• Hooks: Using the underside of cupboards and installing hooks offers the option of mesh hammocks for produce (fruit and veg) or tinned goods.
• Magnetic strips: Mounted on walls or inside cabinets, magnetic strips are perfect for storing utensils or other metal items, as they will be kept securely in place but remain accessible.

4.   Living

Although there are likely to be less ‘moving parts’ in the social space of your motorhome (ie. a kitchen and bathroom tend to feature many more small items), it’s still important to be smart with your storage options if you want to maximise the space. From compact containers to multifunctional shelving, there are storage strategies you can employ which won’t sacrifice style or comfort.

Many modern motorhomes feature convertible furniture which features built-in storage compartments. Sofas and benches may double as lift-up seats with hidden storage capacity beneath, and fixed beds often feature slide-out drawers – perfect for storing bedding, linens or bulky items that are infrequently used. The motorhome may also feature drawers, shelves or compartments in the social space which offer convenient storage for tableware, games or electronic devices.

• Stackable boxes: Using these containers (which come in various different sizes and shapes) is great for kitchen essentials like pots, pans and utensils as well as clothes, shoes and leisure gear. Although, if you are not storing them in the motorhome’s garage space, you will need to claim some interior floorspace for a stack of these type of boxes, you will be using the vertical axis. In other words you will be using space which would otherwise be ‘empty’. Collapsible boxes also offer efficiency as, when they are not in use, they can be collapsed and stowed away neatly.
• Shelving: Installing shelves above seating areas or along walls provides additional storage without cluttering up the living space. To further increase functionality of this improvement, you could incorporate hooks or racks.
• Hooks and baskets: You will have many smaller items taken with you on trips, and using hooks or baskets (which can easily be mounted on walls or doors to hold items such as keys, phone chargers, sunglasses, paperwork like maps, tickets or receipts etc, or day-to-day toiletries such as tissues or headache tablets) will completely eliminate the accumulation of clutter on worktops and tabletops – which, in a motorhome, can really contribute to a feeling of untidiness.

Used motorhomes may already have solutions in place, but if yours does not, then finding clever storage solutions and using motorhome storage accessories for each individual area of your vehicle is important for travellers who want to make the most of the available space, as well as retain order and tidiness. Being organised and using some of the methods or items we have mentioned in this edition of our blog should offer you a functional, inviting, calm and comfortable living space that truly feels like home on the road. Tidy travel in a new motorhome from Wandahome is terrific travel!

Did you know?

Waudby's, Wandahome's accessory store, boasts a diverse selection of motorhome accessories, ranging from storage cabinets to armrest organisers and hooks, as mentioned in this blog. Whether you prefer shopping in-store or online, Waudby's serves as a convenient one-stop destination for motorhome owners seeking to optimise their storage space and improve their on-the-road living experience. Come find us today at our East Yorkshire store.