6 Best Organizing Solutions for Hunting Gear in RVs to Maximize Space
Maximize your RV’s space with 6 smart solutions for hunting gear. Our guide covers secure storage, vertical racks, and how to keep your rig clutter-free.
Packing an RV for a hunting trip feels like a game of Tetris with the worst possible pieces. Bulky, oddly-shaped gear, scent-sensitive clothing, and secure firearms all have to fit into a space already packed with living essentials. The right storage solutions don’t just create more room; they create a functional system that makes your RV a true mobile basecamp.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
The Challenge of Storing Hunting Gear in an RV
Storing hunting equipment in an RV isn’t just a matter of finding an empty cabinet. You’re dealing with a unique collision of needs: security, scent control, moisture management, and sheer bulk, all within a few hundred square feet. A bow is a delicate, awkward shape that doesn’t fit in a square locker, and a rifle demands secure, responsible storage that can’t be an afterthought.
The real problem is that hunting gear is active, not static. Boots come back wet and muddy, clothes are covered in outdoor scents, and everything needs to be accessed easily in the dark, early hours of the morning. Simply piling it all in a pass-through storage bay creates a chaotic mess that compromises your gear’s condition and your own sanity.
Forget finding one magic container for everything. The key is to think in terms of a system with dedicated solutions for specific problems. You need a plan for your firearm, a separate one for your bow, a strategy for scent-laden clothes, and a way to manage the inevitable moisture. Without this approach, your RV quickly becomes a cluttered, damp, and smelly liability instead of an asset.
Hornady RAPiD Safe for Secure Firearm Storage
Secure your handgun with the Hornady Rapid Safe Night Guard. It offers quick, touch-free access via RFID technology and features a tamper-proof 14-gauge steel construction with a security cable.
Firearm security in a mobile environment is non-negotiable. A standard gun case slid under the bed is not enough. The Hornady RAPiD Safe offers a compact, robust solution that can be permanently mounted inside your RV, providing both security and rapid access when needed.
What makes these safes ideal for an RV is their blend of size and accessibility. They are small enough to be bolted down inside a cabinet, under a dinette bench, or within a pass-through compartment, securing them to the vehicle’s frame. The RFID access—using a wristband, key fob, or sticker—means you can open it quickly and quietly in tight, dark quarters without fumbling for keys or a combination. This is a huge advantage over traditional safes in a cramped space.
Of course, this isn’t a 24-gun vault for your entire collection. The RAPiD Safe is designed to secure one or two primary hunting firearms. Its purpose is to provide top-tier, trip-specific security, ensuring your rifle or shotgun is both safe from theft and inaccessible to unauthorized users while you travel. It solves the immediate problem of having a firearm in a shared, mobile living space with practicality and responsibility.
Rush Creek Creations Wall-Mounted Bow Racks
Display your crossbow and 10 arrows with this sturdy, handcrafted rack made from durable New Zealand pine. Featuring extra-large pegs and 1" thick staging components, it securely holds your hunting and archery gear.
Bows and crossbows are among the most difficult items to store in an RV. They are too long for most cabinets and too delicate to be tossed in a storage bay. The most underutilized storage area in any RV is vertical wall space, and that’s precisely where a good bow rack shines.
Rush Creek Creations makes simple, effective wall-mounted racks that turn an awkward storage problem into a functional display. By mounting a rack vertically in a dead corner or horizontally high on a wall—perhaps over a window or slide-out—you get your bow off the floor and out of the way. It keeps the cams, strings, and sights protected from being bumped and damaged.
A critical note for installation: RV walls are not like the walls in your house. You can’t just drive a screw anywhere and expect it to hold. You must locate an aluminum or wood stud for a secure mount. If a stud isn’t available, use heavy-duty hollow-wall anchors specifically designed for thin paneling. Taking the time to mount it correctly ensures your expensive bow stays on the wall, even on rough forest service roads.
ScentLok OZ Hardline Totes for Scent Control
Eliminate odors from hunting gear and more with the ScentLok OZ 8K Rolling Bag & Radial IQ Combo. This system uses ozone technology to refresh your equipment, featuring a spacious, durable bag with ample storage and a portable ozone generator for versatile use.
Nothing will permeate the small space of an RV faster than the smell of pine, dirt, and sweat on your hunting clothes. A standard laundry hamper is a declaration of defeat. You need an airtight solution that contains odors completely, and this is where specialized gear like the ScentLok OZ Hardline Totes becomes essential.
These aren’t just glorified plastic bins. They are built with gasket-sealed lids that create an airtight environment, trapping every last scent molecule inside. This allows you to keep your post-hunt clothes isolated from everything else in the RV. Many are also designed to be paired with small ozone generators, which actively destroy odor-causing bacteria, helping you manage scent and keep your gear ready for the next hunt.
The best practice is to use a two-tote system.
- One tote for clean, scent-free gear. This tote is only opened outside the RV when you’re getting dressed.
- One tote for worn, "dirty" gear. As soon as you get back, your clothes go directly into this tote, and it’s sealed shut.This simple system prevents cross-contamination and keeps the interior of your RV from smelling like the forest floor. They stack neatly in an exterior compartment, keeping the entire scent-control operation outside your living space.
PEET Dryer for Managing Wet Hunting Boots
Dry footwear overnight with the PEET Original Dryer. This silent and energy-efficient dryer gently warms air to remove moisture, odor, and sweat from shoes and gear, while being safe for all materials.
Wet boots are a fact of life on a hunt, but in an RV, they’re a recipe for disaster. Tossing them in a corner leads to mildew, rot, and a perpetually damp smell that you can’t escape. A simple boot tray helps with mud, but it does nothing for the moisture soaked into the leather and insulation.
Protect your floors with this 15" x 30" waterproof tray. The 1.2" raised edge contains spills, making it ideal for shoes, pet areas, or messy projects.
The PEET Dryer is a brilliantly simple device that solves this problem perfectly. It uses silent, gentle thermal convection to slowly circulate warm air inside your boots, drying them from the inside out overnight. This process is safe for expensive leather, synthetic materials, and glued seams, unlike high-heat blowers that can cause damage. Waking up to completely dry, warm boots is a small luxury that makes a huge difference on a cold morning.
Because of its small footprint and low power draw, a PEET Dryer is easy to integrate into your RV. You can set it up by the entry door, place it in the shower stall overnight, or even run it in a ventilated storage bay. This isn’t just about comfort; it’s about gear preservation. Consistently drying your boots prevents the breakdown of materials and stops the growth of odor-causing bacteria at the source.
Plano Sportsman’s Trunks for Bulk Gear
While specialized solutions are great, you still need a workhorse for all the miscellaneous gear: ammo boxes, calls, binoculars, rattling antlers, field dressing kits, and extra layers. This is where the humble but incredibly effective Plano Sportsman’s Trunk comes in. These trunks are the backbone of any good RV gear organization system.
These heavy-duty plastic trunks are durable, stackable, and relatively inexpensive. Their molded construction includes integrated wheels on larger models and multiple tie-down points, making them perfect for securing in an RV’s "garage" or the bed of a tow vehicle. Unlike clear bins that can weaken in the sun, these opaque, weather-resistant trunks protect your gear from the elements and prying eyes.
The key is to use them to create "kits." Designate one trunk for treestand equipment (harness, ropes, hoist), another for decoys and calls, and a third for processing and pack-out supplies. By compartmentalizing your gear this way, you can grab the one or two trunks you need for a specific hunt without digging through a mountain of loose equipment. They bring predictable order to the inherent chaos of small, essential items.
StowAway2 Hitch Cargo Box for Exterior Hauling
Expand your vehicle's cargo space with the StowAway Max. This hitch-mounted storage box features a SwingAway frame for easy access and holds up to 16 cubic feet of gear, with included locking latch and tail lights.
At some point, you simply run out of interior space. The single most effective way to expand your RV’s storage capacity is to add it to the outside. A hitch-mounted cargo box is the ultimate solution for hauling bulky, dirty, or smelly gear that has no business being inside your living quarters.
The StowAway2 Hitch Cargo Box is a standout because of its swing-away frame. This is a critical feature for RVs, as it allows the entire box to pivot out of the way, giving you full access to your rear storage compartments, ladder, or doors without having to unload the carrier. A fixed carrier can render your RV’s most useful storage bay completely inaccessible.
This exterior "closet" is the perfect home for the messiest parts of hunting. Use it for muddy waders, game bags, coolers, climbing sticks, or even a small generator. By moving these items outside, you free up a massive amount of interior and pass-through space for cleaner, more sensitive equipment. It effectively creates a functional mudroom and utility shed on the back of your rig.
Integrating Your RV Hunting Storage System
The products listed above aren’t just individual items; they are components of a larger, integrated system designed to make your RV a highly efficient hunting base. The goal is to create a logical flow for your gear that minimizes clutter, manages scent, and protects your equipment. Think of your RV in zones: a secure zone for your firearm, a vertical zone for your bow, a scent-free zone for clothing, and an exterior zone for dirty items.
A typical day might look like this: In the morning, you grab your clothes from the "clean" ScentLok tote stored outside, put on your warm, dry boots from the PEET dryer, and retrieve your rifle from the Hornady safe. When you return, the process is reversed. Dirty clothes immediately go into the "dirty" tote, muddy boots go on the dryer, and your firearm is secured. Everything has a place, and every place has a purpose.
This level of organization does more than just keep your RV tidy. It reduces the friction of getting out the door, protects your investment in expensive gear, and contains the mess, moisture, and scent that can make RV living stressful. When your system works, the RV stops feeling like a compromise and starts feeling like a strategic advantage. It allows you to focus your energy on the hunt itself, not on finding a lost glove or dealing with a smelly camper.
Ultimately, maximizing space in an RV is about smart, dedicated systems, not just about finding more places to cram things. By choosing the right solutions for security, scent control, and bulk storage, you transform your camper from a simple vehicle into a formidable and comfortable mobile hunting lodge.
