Small RV’s are notorious for their pint-sized cupboards, skinny closets, and extremely limited storage space. Yet we often travel comfortably in our tiny travel trailer for weeks at a time.
How do we do it?
We Carried Too Much Stuff at First
When we first bought our small rig, we thought that we had to take a little bit of everything in the house with us. We dragged along all the pots and pans, dishes and silverware that we thought we might need. All the clothes that might be necessary for any occasion that we might encounter. Full size bottles of lotions and shampoos, sunscreen and bug repellent, along with toenail polish and face wax. We took way too much of everything!
But that packing approach created unmanageable clutter in the camper. There was no place to put everything away, so boxes of stuff were always in sight. They had to be moved from bed to table to counter and back each time we wanted to prepare a meal, make the bed, or even just find a place to sit. We got irritated at the clutter, and sometimes irritated at each other, simply because we felt crowded.
Think Like a Backpacker
I started thinking back to my backpacking days. I could carry my bedroom, my living room and my kitchen all in one 25 pound pack. I had everything that was essential, and nothing that was non-essential. To keep extra weight off my back, I used one small titanium cookpot to cook in, to eat out of, and as a dishpan. I also used it to heat water for sponge baths. Instead of carrying several articles of heavy clothing, I carried pants, shirts, a warm vest, thermal underwear, a fleece shirt and a windproof shell. I layered the items as needed for varying weather conditions, which eliminated the need for bulky single-use garments. I had a tiny first aid kit that didn’t contain everything I might need in a medical emergency. But it held the bare essentials to treat myself until I could get help if I needed it.
So I decided to apply that same less-is-more thinking to managing the space inside my tiny trailer. I would still carry everything that we needed for comfort, but be a lot more discriminating about which items truly deserved precious space in my RV.
I started in the kitchen. How many knives, forks and spoons do two people need? Two. Just two — along with two plates, two cups, two bowls and two coffee cups. To keep down dish washing chores, I did elect to add disposable glasses. I also decided to store a pack of disposable plates and a bag of plastic silverware in the microwave for on-the-go meals where dish washing would be inconvenient. And I squeezed one large plastic bowl under the paper plates to use as a mixing bowl or for microwaving items that wouldn’t fit onto a plate or into one of our small cereal/soup bowls.
Next on the list was pots and pans. I selected one 10″ high sided saucepan that could be used as a frying pan, stir-fry pan, or to cook stews and one pot meals in. Then I added a set of one quart and two quart stainless steel camping pots with lids — and folding handles. With the handles folded, the one quart pot nests inside the two quart pot, and both fit neatly inside the saucepan. Now I had room for all my pots, my silverware, dish cloths and towels in one kitchen drawer. There was plenty of space left over for a paring knife, butcher knife, vegetable chopping knife, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, spatula, two serving spoons, a French whisk, a pair of tongs, a can opener, a bag clip and a lighter. Taking advantage of all of my newly created space, I added a set of skewers and a couple of small plastic storage containers — all in that one modest sized drawer!
Fitting Clothes and Toiletries into Your Available Space
Next on my list was clothing. That was a lot more difficult than any other category. But when I considered the available space, the answers became obvious. There were two large drawers and three small drawers to pack all of our clothing and toiletries into.
A maximum of 5 pairs of jeans, 4 long sleeved shirts and 5 short sleeved shirts fit into each large drawer, so that’s what we could take. That means that we must do laundry every 5 days. But it’s really not a problem as most campgrounds have washers and dryers. We just throw a load in whenever we have a break in our activities during the day. In summer, we can substitute shorts for the jeans, which take up less space and allow us to go a little longer before having to find a laundromat.
The small drawers are for underwear and toiletries. We soon learned to take only small bottles of the toiletries that we use every day. No exceptions.
Sometimes we do find it necessary to take along dress clothes and shoes. In that case, we squeeze them into our tow vehicle.
Cold Weather Clothing Packing Solutions
Cold weather brings a new set of packing challenges. The clothes you need are bulkier and take up a lot more storage space. Again, the backpacking layering principle offers a solution. Long johns, a thermal vest, and a long sleeved shirt can replace heavier garments.
One brilliant solution that we discovered was to ditch the sweaters, sweat shirts, raincoats, windbreakers and heavy jackets and replace them with three-in-one jackets. One compact garment can become a raincoat, windbreaker, fleece jacket, or heavy jacket, depending on the weather.
Minimalist Thinking is the Secret
These minimalist principles have worked well to make our tiny camper a comfortable, livable home on the road for weeks at a time. Your small RV may be a lot larger than the tiny 12 foot cabin in our camper. In that case, you have much more flexibility in what you can carry.
But if you train yourself to think like a backpacker, your rig will stay clutter-free. It will feel a lot larger inside. And you will stay well under your cargo carrying capacity, which means safer handling and better fuel mileage.
