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Living in an RV is an awesome lifestyle, but RV nomads have to give up space to get the adventure. Finding space for four seasons worth of clothing is difficult when you live in a tiny home on wheels. Here are 18 brilliant RV clothing storage ideas to maximize your RV’s closet space.
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Buy Specialty Hangers
Most campers have very limited wardrobe space for hanging clothes. Use these nifty RV closet storage ideas to maximize your RV’s hanging space.
Layered Hangers
One of our favorite RV clothing storage ideas is layered hangers, which allow you to hang multiple pieces of clothing on one hanger while still having easy access to every piece of clothing.
These non-slip layered hangers have five tiers, so a camper can hanger 5 pairs of pants on a single hanger. Layered hangers also work well for skirts and t-shirts.
Hanger Hooks
Hanger hooks allow campers to connect multiple hangers to use more vertical, and less horizontal closet space.
The hook simply slides over one hanger to create a rod for the next hanger. These hooks are similar to layered hangers, but work better for button down shirts and blouses that should not be folded.
Hanging Storage Shelves
If your RV lacks dresser space, consider using a hanging storage bag to add more shelves to your closet. These hanging closet organizers include three shelves with tons of room for storing folded clothes.
At under 3-feet tall, this hanging organizer will fit in most RV closets even if they are not full height.
Hanging Shoe Organizer
For shoe hounds who happen to live in an RV, hanging shoe organizers are a great solution. This double-sided shoe hanging shoe organizer has 30 pockets to hold up to 15 pairs of shoes, which is more than anyone needs in a tiny home.
The shoe organizer can also hold socks, undies or sports bras. Check out our article on RV shoe storage ideas for more ways to store kicks in a camper.
Utilize Under the Bed Storage
Most RVs that have a separate bedroom with a queen or kind bed, have beds that lift up to provide extra storage space. There are a few ways RVers can utilize this space to more efficiently store their clothes.
Perform Seasonal Swap-Outs
While many full time RVers chase summer weather, most of us still have winter clothing for family holidays or Florida cold spells. Under the bed is the perfect place to store seasonal clothing, such as coats, boots and scarves.
When the winter clothing needs to come out, bathing suits and other summer items can go under the bed to free up space in the closet.
Store Clothes in Front Zipper Bins
Under the bed is a great place to use larger storage bins to store clothing. These soft-sided bins have a front zipper to make accessing clothing easier.
RVers can simply unzip the front of the bin and pull out the sweater or pants they want to wear without pulling out all the other clothes.
RV Dirty Clothes Storage Ideas
RVers don’t just need storage solutions for clean clothes, they also need storage ideas for dirty clothes. Here are some easy ways to store dirty clothes that don’t require a lot of space.
Use the Washing Machine
More and more RV models are coming equipped with washer and dryer hookups. However, the washer and dryer are usually placed in a closet resulting in less storage space for clothes.
If you decide to install a washing machine in your RV, save space by also using the machine as your hamper. Simply throw dirty clothes in the washer until laundry day.
Find a Slim Hamper
If your RV does not have a washing machine, you will need to find a compact laundry bag or hamper to store dirty clothes in. This slim laundry hamper is tall, but only 8 inches wide.
With its small width, it is easy to store the hamper beside the bed, in a closet or even in the bathroom.
Use a Hanging Laundry Bag
Hanging laundry bags are another great space-saving solution for campers’ dirty clothes. This hanging hamper comes with two different hook options.
Hang the bag on a door using the included over-door hooks or hang it from any wall using the included damage-free utility hooks. The bag has straps at the top, so it is easily taken off the hooks on laundry day.
Throw Clothes in the Basement
We removed the back of a step to create easy access from the inside of our RV to the underbelly basement storage. We created this access for our cat to reach his litter box, but the same concept could easily be used for a laundry hamper.
For more ideas, check out these ideas options for cat litter box storage solutions and just replace the litter box with a laundry hamper.
Fold Clothing to Save Space
One of the easiest ways to create more clothing space in your RV or camper is to fold your clothes more efficiently. Use these genius folding techniques to create more space in your drawers and on your shelves.
Use the KonMari Fold
Marie Kondo’s signature fold makes your basic clothes take up significantly less room in a drawer. Basic items, such as t-shirts, tank tops and shorts can be compressed using the KonMari fold.
After folding, each item stands upright in the drawer, so folded items are also easier to locate and remove without rearranging the drawer. Check out Marie’s YouTube video to learn the folding technique.
Fold Undies Flat
When you live in an RV, you can’t afford to devote an entire drawer just to underwear. Instead, use a three-fold method to fold women’s underwear or men’s briefs into small, flat rectangles (watch the folding technique here).
Then, use the extra space in your underwear drawer to store socks, scarves and other accessories.
Roll Socks Efficiently
Speaking of socks, there is also a great space-saving method for folding socks. Instead of folding one sock into another, simply lay one sock on top of the other. Then, starting at the toe, tightly roll the socks up.
Do not tuck the socks into each other as they may get stretched out. Instead, just place the loose ankle end of the socks in the bottom of the drawer.
Fold Sweaters in Half
Sweaters are one of the bulkiest items in most RVers’ closets, so folding them neatly is a great way to create extra storage space.
To most efficiently fold a sweater, first fold the sleeves in. Then, bring the bottom of the hem up to fold the sweater in half. Click here to see a diagram of this efficient sweater fold.
Other RV Clothing Storage Ideas
Put Boxes in Drawers
If your folding skills are not up to snuff, use in-drawer bins to better organize clothes in your RV dresser or wardrobe. These foldable, cloth storage boxes are great for holding socks, underwear or t-shirts.
Devote each box to one type of clothing, so you can easily store multiple items in a single drawer.
Install a Drawer Divider
Instead of using boxes, RVers can install a drawer divider that splits each drawer into two sections. The dividers make it easier to store pants and shirts in one drawer without creating a mess.
These bamboo drawer dividers are adjustable so they can fit a variety of dresser sizes. These dividers can also be used to help organize your RV kitchen drawers.
Turn Clothes Into Décor
If your RV living wardrobe includes a few fancy hats or fabulous purses that you don’t want scrunched in a drawer, consider displaying these items instead.
Simply buy some decorative Command Hooks and hang your nicer accessories on the walls of your RV bedroom or hang frequently used items by the front door.
Think Outside the Bedroom
The final item on our list of RV clothing storage ideas is storing clothes outside of the bedroom. In an RV, your living room is only a few steps away, so there is no reason your closet needs to be limited to the bedroom.
Many RVs have extra overhead or side table storage cabinets in the living area. These are great places to store jackets, shoes, sweaters and other bulky clothing items.
Thanks for reading our guide to RV clothing storage ideas. If you are still having trouble fitting all your clothes in an RV, you may need less clothes. Read my guide on creating a capsule wardrobe for RV living for more tips and tricks.
Do you have other brilliant RV clothing storage ideas? Share them in the comments section below.
Happy Camping!
Christina Pate is a seasoned full-time RVer who, along with her husband Justin, has journeyed across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Drawing from her extensive travels, RV repairs and RV renovations, she founded Travels with Ted to guide and inspire fellow RV enthusiasts. Christina is also the co-author of The Owner’s Guide to RV Maintenance and the creator of My RV Log Book.
