Having a functional RV kitchen space is essential. Not only because RVs have limited space but also because your tiny kitchen is likely the heart of your tiny home.
This post will share five simple things you can do to make your RV kitchen more functional. So let’s jump into it!
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Add extra shelves in tall kitchen cabinets
One of the best things we did in our RV kitchen was when we added extra shelves. RVs are notorious for random wasted spaces; this is a great way to use them!
We added extra shelves to almost all of our kitchen cabinets and our pantry. It wasn’t the most straightforward task, but the outcome was worth it!
Our pantry originally came with only three shelves. So we added three more shelves at various heights and doubled our storage space!
Remember, they can be different sizes, and varying heights can help maximize your storage potential. For example, one of the shelves we added is the perfect height for cans, leaving the shelf below for taller items.
Travel trailer living is about adapting your spaces to fit your needs best. You don’t have to do an entire RV kitchen remodel; sometimes, making just a few small changes can make a huge difference.
Use command hooks in your RV kitchen
Command hooks are another great way to utilize your space. Also, they are an excellent solution for RVers since they don’t leave any permanent damage.
There are multiple things we utilize command hooks for in our RV kitchen:
- Hand towels (on the side of the cabinet)
- Fly swatters (inside the pantry door)
- Apron (inside the pantry door)
- Shopping bag holder (under our kitchen sink)
- Cleaning items (under our kitchen sink)
- Cooking utensils (inside cabinet doors)
Command hooks are an RVers best friend, haha! They come in all shapes and sizes, so you can use more than just a few options!
Organize your RV kitchen by order of use
RV Kitchen Cabinets
One of the best ways to make your RV kitchen more efficient is to organize the cabinets and drawers by order of use.
For example, keep your pots and pans as close to the stovetop as possible. This would also make sense for spices, cooking utensils, plates and bowls, and eating utensils.
Items you don’t use often can be kept in the cabinets further from your main cooking space. For example, we keep our large kitchen appliances like an instant pot and air fryer in a cabinet above our TV.
We also use spaces like that for other less often used items like our lodge cast iron skillet and dutch oven.
The cabinet above our stainless steel convection microwave is hard for me to reach. I keep extra items that we rarely use at all in that cabinet.
RV Kitchen Drawers
The same principle can be applied to drawers. Our RV kitchen island has 4 drawers right on top of each other.
We use the top drawer for silverware and knives as those are our most used drawer items. The second drawer holds misc kitchen gadgets and kitchen accessories. In the third drawer, you will find wash rags and hand towels, and in the bottom drawer, you will find tin foil and plastic baggies.
RV Kitchen Countertops
Countertop space in an RV kitchen is extremely precious. Some RVs barely have any at all! Prioritize what you keep on your countertops by what you use most often.
For me, that is a paper towel holder and a kitchen utensil holder. For you, that might be a coffee maker, toaster, or your favorite mason jars to decorate.
Organizing the items you use most within an arm’s reach can be a huge time saver while utilizing your RV kitchen!
Use collapsible RV kitchen items to save space
First, just because an item is collapsible doesn’t mean you need it for RV life, haha! Getting all the collapsible things you find can be tempting, but make sure you need each item before bringing it into your space.
That being said, quite a few items will save you space if they are collapsible. Here are a few options:
- Colander and/or strainer
- Mixing bowls
- Leftover food containers
- Storage containers
- Organization baskets
- Dish drainer
We also have a collapsible sink to wash dishes outdoors when camping or boondocking. These items will fit in a small space and give you way more room than traditional full-sized items.
Use covers to enlarge countertop space.
Placing a butcher block cutting board over the sink or stovetop can make your countertop surface area larger when needed. Some RVers even choose to custom-make covers for these areas.
Our RV came with custom sink covers that match our countertops and a glass stovetop cover. You can purchase covers or use a cutting board or something similar if you need to.
And there you have it! Five simple things you can do to make your RV kitchen more functional. Have you tried any of these?
What would you add to my list? Comment below and let me know!
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