Organizing your RV and/or Camping Gear

First of all, organizing is not a one time task -- it is an ongoing exercise.   Initial organization is a critical part of getting started, but you will soon discover there are always improvements that can be made.  If you don't see anything that needs to change, just ask your spouse!  Some of your organizational changes will evolve naturally as you discover what things you use frequently and need to have close at hand.  Other developments may arise from observing fellow campers.  You can often learn useful tips from experienced campers.  I like the "Quick Tips" column in Motorhome Magazine.   These are reader supplied tips that are usually easy and inexpensive to apply.   You will naturally acquire new gadgets and tools as your gain experience and that alone will often necessitate reorganization to make room to keep your conveniences convenient!

If you have an RV, you can organize a lot of stuff more or less permanently.  Think about the things you use most and how you can make them accessible.  Put items that are similar in design or purpose in close proximity.  It will help you remember where they are and make them more convenient to use. Unfortunately, we only get to use our RVs occasionally, so it may be hard to remember where things are.  You probably already have a pattern that works for organizing your kitchen  at home.   You may find a modified or scaled down version that works well for your RV galley.   Remember that the vehicle will be moving -- turning corners, bouncing on on even roads, etc.  You may need to anchor some items in place to prevent them from knocking cabinet doors open and falling out while traveling.  Spring-loaded bars are available to fit most refrigerators and can often be adjusted to fit cabinets as well.  Bungee cords can be installed in almost any cabinet to hold items in place.  Load light weight items in the upper cabinets and canned goods and other heavy items down low.  This helps keep the center of gravity low and reduces the probability of things flying out of the cabinets while traveling -- and minimizes the chances of injury if things do turn into projectiles during particularly violent maneuvers.  I'd a lot rather be hit in the head by a bag of potato chips or a package of marshmallows than by a can of stew or chili!

Organizing provisions inside your RV is much like organizing them at home.  There are somethings that naturally belong in the galley, some in the bathroom, some in the bedroom.  The biggest difference is going to be that the space available in these locations is usually much smaller than you have at home.  Most RVs have storage in the main lounge or living area too, which you can take advantage of, but exercise caution so you don't overload overhead cabinets.

Major tools, spare parts, and automotive supplies like motor oil and antifreeze should be stored in outside compartments.  This is also a good place for portable BBQs and other items typically used outdoors.  Try to put the most frequently used items in the front or top of cabinets where than can be easily accessed.  Emergency supplies that are seldom used are candidates for the back or bottom of cabinets.  I keep my main tool boxes in outside compartments but also set up a small toolbox containing frequently used hand tools that I store behind one of the chairs inside my RV so  it is easily accessible as needed for simple repairs in camp or on the road.

Organizing for tent camping can be more challenging since you lack permanent cabinets.  The use of plastic tubs or trunks can help give a little sense of permanence to your organization.  Put like things or things that are used together in the same place.  Once you've established a place for things, don't move them around unless there is a REALLY good reason to do so.   For example, if you put all of your cooking utensils in a certain plastic tub, return them to the same tub each time you use them. If, out of convenience or rush, you dump them in a different tub, finding them the next time is going to be a problem.  When you transfer your camping stuff from your car back into your garage or other storage location, create a logical pattern for where you put things and stick to it.   That way, you'll know just what to grab and from where for the next trip.  With your gear well-organized in tubs it will be easy to load up your vehicle for an outing, carry your stuff from your vehicle to your camp site, and keep your stuff clean and organized throughout your stay.

Re-organizing your stuff periodically gives you an opportunity to refresh your memory of what you have and and where it is.  It is all too easy to accumulate lots of neat "stuff" and squirrel it away and forget you even have it if you don't use it.   Take advantage of reorganizing to inventory what you have and perhaps eliminate items you seldom use or no longer need.  It is always a good thing to lighten the load.  Refreshing your memory of what you have will let you take better advantage of some of those fun gadgets you've accumulated.

Be creative in making places to store your stuff.  Always be looking for ways to make things easier to store and retrieve and better ways to keep things clean.  I found that the wire coat hangers we used for cooking hot dogs and marshmallows over the campfire made a sticky mess in my RV cabinets and were constantly getting tangled in with other items sharing the same space.  I solved the problem by keeping the wires in a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe.  Now they stay together, don't get sticky or greasy stuff on other items, and are easy to locate, retrieve, and put back.  You might even fasten the pipe to the top or side of a a cabinet for additional security.   Convenience and accessibility should always be guiding factors in where and how your store your stuff.  A neat idea I saw in the Quick Tips column in Motorhome Magazine for storing cutting boards was cutting vertical slots between the doors in the front of under-sink cabinets.  Make sure there is plenty of clearance for the boards inside the cabinets and for any supporting structure you might need to install before you start cutting!

A primary goal of reorganizing should be to improve access and convenience for frequently used items.  You may find you have some useful gadgets that you seldom or never use because they are buried in some cabinet or drawer.  You will want to put them where you can get to them.  You may find stuff you never use, don't need and can get rid of to make room for better organizing what you do use.  Just putting things in logical places so you will know where to look for them will make future outings more pleasant and convenient.   However, moving things around too often just make them harder to find.   Sometimes it is better to leave something "where its always been" rather than putting it "where it belongs".  Being able to use some of that neat stuff you've accumulated will be fun.   If you're not using it nor likely to, leave it at home or get rid of it.   Make a pile of stuff for your next garage sale and perhaps you can turn unused stuff into cash to get things you want.

While RVers tend to accumulate more stuff than tent campers, tent campers can still benefit from going through their camping gear regularly.   Go through each of your bins, back packs, or duffle bags.  Check all pieces of equipment for proper operation, clean and inspect each piece of gear and make any needed repairs.   Evaluate the usefulness and frequency of use of each item and remove things you don't need or seldom use.   It will give you more room for necessary items and make it easier to find what you need when you need it.  Organize your equipment using a pattern that is logical to you.  A possible suggestion is to keep all cooking and kitchen items together, bathroom accessories and toiletries together, likewise for cleaning supplies, bedding, games, tools, etc.  The main thing is to use a pattern or structure that is meaningful and useful TO YOU.   Observe how other campers organize things and then pick and choose the techniques that you find helpful.  You might want to consider separate bins for warm and cold weather camping.  The clothes, tools, and supplies you need will be different for different climates and seasons.   No sense carrying around your snow suit and mittens when its bikini weather!   On the flip side, bikinis don't take  up much room and you might get a chance to warm up in a heated spa during a winter outing.

Regular organizing of your OHV gear or equipment for other activities is also a good thing to do.  OHV and watercraft tools, gear, and spare parts can accumulate into an unusable mess if not kept well organized.  Hunting, fishing, and hiking equipment each requires its own special technique for proper, safe, and convenient storage.  Your organizational skills will be especially challenged if you participate in more than one type of activity.  In my family, our primary hobby is dirt biking but we also enjoy horseback riding, shooting, hiking, and fishing.  Each activity has its own organizational and storage requirements to ensure safety and convenient access.

Organization for daily chores may be one of the best time savers.  Proper organization of your galley or cooking facilities will simplify meal preparation and cleanup.   Items needed for daily cleaning tasks should be easily accessible.   It is way too easy to adopt the "I'm on vacation!" attitude and skip daily chores.  However, you will soon discover adopting a good daily routine will actually give you more time for fun activities and make your outings more pleasurable.  Sometimes having unique gadgets for specific tasks will make routine chores more fun.  And having everything neat and clean will definitely contribute to a pleasant trip.

We recently had an unplanned and unexpected opportunity to reorganize our RV.  We found summer jobs at a resort and lived in our motorhome for several months.   My wife's schedule left her with many free afternoons and she thoroughly went through  every cabinet and cupboard.  She rediscovered things we had forgotten we even had, cleaned out obsolete supplies, and put things back where we could find them.  Its almost like Christmas finding fun things you've forgotten you have. Outdated provisions and medical supplies were discarded and replaced with up to date items.  Rainy days may provide similar opportunities on weekend outings.  Take advantage of "found time" to clean and organize your stuff to improve your camping experience.

A word of caution when reorganizing.  Make sure your reorganization makes sense and that you'll be able to find things in their new places.  Sometimes it is better to leave things where they are just because you are used to finding them there.  It will be easier to remember the new location for things if you have an opportunity to use them soon after you've moved them so you get used to seeing them in their new location.  If you do move something, make sure its new location is logical and appropriate.   Sometimes its better to keep something "where its always been" rather than moving it to a new "logical" location.  Make sure your changes make sense!

Stay organized!