Whether you’re new to the RV lifestyle or you’ve been on the road for years, knowing how to travel comfortably in an RV rental is a must. More people than ever are jumping into the RV life, but they don't always know how to make their RV rental feel like a second home on the road.
It's actually easier than anyone might think to maximize time and comfort in an RV rental, and people don't need years of experience to learn how.
So, from storage ideas to RV lifestyle tips and tricks, here are some pretty awesome RV camping hacks that are sure to make your next road trip a great one!
RV Camping Hacks for the Kitchen
RVs are great homes away from home, but unfortunately, you don't have as much space to work with in an RV as you do in your main abode.
1. Use Nesting Pots, Bowls, Cups, and Utensils
Back home, you can spread things around, but in an RV, you quickly realize how space is at such a premium. What's a motorhome chef to do? You do have options!
Make the most of your space by using stackable mixing bowls, pots, and cups. Nesting/stackable items like these are a must-have if you truly want to hack your RV kitchen space; keep an eye out for stackable utensils, too!
2. Repurpose Your Tic Tac Containers
Just because you’re camping far from home doesn’t mean you have to eat bland food! While bringing along your spice rack simply isn't an option - it isn't much of a space-saver — you do have options, especially if you like Tic Tac breath mints.
It turns out that empty Tic Tac containers make great spice containers. Think about it: They're easy to seal, water-resistant, super packable, and easy to pour. Even better, once filled with spices, you can refill them as needed and use them on all your future RV road trips!
3. Ease Your Tension with Tension Rods
If you tense up at the idea of things falling out of cabinets when you're on the go, you're not alone. Luckily, there's no need to worry, as tension is the solution to your dilemma — tension rods, that is!
Tension rods are easy to place, don't take up much space, and are also quite easy to remove when you've returned home. You might be surprised at how well tension rods work at keeping things in place, whether in the pantry or the fridge; just be sure to find the right size!
4. Utilize Magnetic Strip Knife Bars
Sometimes, you're going to want to use a good knife while camping (unless you've prepped all your food back home). A knife block is a bad idea (one speed bump and those sharp tools go flying!), and it's not advisable to have your knives rattling freely around your drawers.
You can keep your chef's knives within easy reach through the use of magnetic strips/bars that you can attach to your RV rental's kitchen walls with 3M adhesive strips. Your knives will be more secure and accessible, and you can also use the magnetic bar to store other metal utensils!
Pro-tip: If you don't want to place the magnetic strip on a wall, simply place it in a drawer — it'll keep your metal things from moving around!
RV Camping Hacks for Food and Drink
Camping and food go together like campfires and wood; here are some food and drink camping hacks to have a great time!
5. Travel Lids for Cups
Enjoying a delicious drink with an outdoor meal is one of the great things about camping in your RV, but when it's time to hit the road again, the drinks must be put away to avoid messy spills during the drive...right?
Well, thankfully, there’s a way for you to turn just about any cup into a travel cup, so your tasty thirst quencher doesn't go to waste! If you have some cling wrap for food, you can make a lid without much hassle.
Simply peel off a section of that cling wrap slightly larger than the size of your cup’s top, place it on the top of that cup, and wrap the excess film around the rim to ensure it is firmly sealed.
Finally, gently make a hole in the film, and insert a straw. Done!
6. Campfire Tin Can Bread
Warm bread, fresh off the campfire? Yes, please! This most delicious of RV camping hacks works great for camping, so long as you have ready access to a table for the mixing and rising of the dough.
You'll need warm water, instant dry yeast, one teaspoon of sugar, four cups of unbleached flour, a half teaspoon of salt, and two tablespoons of butter or olive oil — and, of course, a large enough tin can!
For full details and instructions, check out this article from The Dyrt on how to become a campsite baker!
RV Camping Hacks for Enjoying the Great Outdoors
At some point, you're going to spend time outside while camping. Here are some hacks to make the most of it!
7. Make an Instant Headlamp Lantern
Headlamps are awesome: You don’t have to hold them, and they don't cost an arm and a leg, making headlamps convenient and cost-effective for everyone on your trip! If headlamps have a downside, it's that while they're quite bright, it's very focused brightness; it’s hard to light up a bigger area with a headlamp without swiveling your head around.
However, a cool workaround — a headlamp lantern — can help you make the most of your headlamp and brighten everyone's surroundings! The next time you go camping, simply take a headlamp, strap it to an empty milk jug (instead of your forehead) or place it on the top of an upside-down bottle of water — and VOILA!
You've achieved en-lighten-ment!
8. Sage Advice for Keeping Mosquitos at Bay
You know what might be the best thing ever? Sitting around a campfire. But you know what the worst thing ever is? Getting eaten alive by mosquitos while you sit around that campfire!
Most people opt for expensive, less-than-effective sprays or creams to defend against mosquitoes...but why?
Honestly, there's no need to spray or slather yourself with chemicals to keep the little suckers at bay; instead, nature has a way! Place a bundle of sage and/or rosemary in your campfire to keep you and your party bite- and itch-free (and smelling wonderful)!
RV Camping Bathroom Hacks
Even if you don't plan on spending much time in your RV bathroom while camping, you can take action to better enjoy whatever time you spend in there!
9. Peel Off Some Single-Use Soap
One of the perks of RV camping is that many RV rentals come with built-in showers which you can clean up after your daily adventures. But do you really want to use up a perfectly good, full bar of soap on a single trip? Leery of sharing that bar of soap with everyone in the vehicle?
Well, luckily, there's no need to do either! Before heading out, simply take a potato peeler to a new bar of your favorite soap to create thin single-use slices — and leave the main bar of soap back home!
10. Self-Adhesive Toilet Paper Holder
A sad fact of life is that, sometimes, the placement of RV toilet paper holders just doesn't make any sense at all. You'll really wonder who chose to place it in such an inconvenient spot!
You don't have to live with that madness, though; invest in a self-adhesive toilet paper holder!
With a self-adhesive toilet paper holder, you can choose where to mount it — preferably in the most convenient and accessible spot for you to easily reach your TP when needed!
11. Shower Caddies are Your Friend
The great thing about shower caddies is that many are made with suction cups that attach to your bathroom wall. These are a great way to store toiletries and accessories without worrying they’ll move around when the RV does.
Pro-tip: You can also use shower caddies in other parts of the RV as well! For instance, smaller ones can attach to a kitchen wall with their suction cups, creating an instant mini spice rack (perfect for those aforementioned spiced-up Tic-Tac containers)!
RV Camping Hacks with Kids
Finally, RV trips can be a lot of fun for the kids you bring along, and knowing some camping hacks can be quite helpful for parents!
12. Bed Guard Rail
Young children rolling out of their RV beds happens, but you can take action to prevent it from happening to your kid and keep them snug in their bed! One of the best RV camping hacks to help out with this is a bed guard rail.
Essentially, a bed guard rail is an adjustable mesh barrier attached to stabilizer bars that you slide under your child's bed cushion. This prevents sleepers from rolling too close and tumbling over the edge.
Sleep tight, young ones!
13. Motion-Sensor Nightlights
When your kids get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, they might be scared or disoriented. Plus, turning on a main light can disturb others (you!). A win-win solution is to set out motion-sensor nightlights in your child's sleeping space and the bathroom.
Motion-sensor nightlights are bright enough to let your kids easily find their way around a dark RV, but also dim enough to not wake everyone else.
14. Collapsible Fabric Storage Cubes
Your kids are likely going to want to bring along toys, books, and other items to stay busy while on the road or at the campsite. One of the best RV camping hacks with kids is using collapsible fabric storage cubes to keep your child's belongings organized and out of the way.
They're light, cheap, and fold up when not in use.
Hack Your RV Rental Experience with Cruise!
Whether it’s ways to bring the comforts of home along with you or genius ways to reuse common items, these RV camping hacks make you wish you had read this list ages ago! But there's one more way to hack RV camping — finding the best RV rental for you and your family!
Cruise America has the perfect rental RV for your road trip (and also has pre-owned RVs for sale as well). Plus, Cruise America's RV Destinations page can also be a valuable resource when you're trying to figure out just where exactly to travel to.
Get a head start on your next RV travel adventure by visiting Cruise America today!
