6 Best Collapsible Products for RV Travel That Maximize Every Inch
Maximize your RV space with our guide to the 6 best collapsible products. These clever, fold-flat essentials save crucial room for simpler travel.
Every RVer knows the Tetris-like game of packing a cabinet or storage bay, trying to make a round bucket fit in a square world. The real enemy isn’t a lack of space, but the wasted air trapped inside our bulky, single-shape gear. This is where collapsible products shift from a clever gimmick to an essential strategy for maximizing every single inch of your rig.
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Why Collapsible Gear is an RV Game-Changer
The fundamental challenge of RV storage isn’t just about cubic feet; it’s about awkward shapes. A standard five-gallon bucket consumes a massive, unchangeable cylinder of space whether it’s full of water or empty. This "air tax" is a high price to pay in a small home.
Collapsible gear fundamentally changes this equation. By compressing down to a fraction of their in-use size, these items transform from space hogs into slim, storable discs and rectangles. A colander that flattens to an inch thick can slide next to cutting boards. A bucket that squishes down can fit in a shallow bin with your hoses. This creates storage opportunities where none existed before.
But let’s be realistic: not all collapsible gear is created equal. The biggest tradeoff is often durability at the flex points. Early versions were flimsy and prone to cracking. Today, quality products use high-grade, heat-resistant silicone and reinforced seams. The key is to invest in well-made items that are designed for repeated use, not just as a novelty.
Squish Collapsible Colander: Kitchen Space-Saver
Easily rinse and drain food with this collapsible colander. Its extendable handles fit over the sink, while the space-saving design makes storage simple.
The traditional colander is one of the worst offenders in a small kitchen. It’s a giant bowl full of holes, a perfect container for nothing but air when stored. It takes up the same cabinet real estate as a large mixing bowl but serves a far more limited purpose.
The Squish colander solves this problem elegantly. Made from food-grade silicone with a rigid frame, it performs exactly like a standard colander for draining pasta or washing vegetables. When you’re done, a simple push flattens it to about an inch thick. Suddenly, it can be stored in a shallow drawer or slid vertically into a narrow cabinet slot beside your pans.
This isn’t just about saving space; it’s about reorganizing your entire kitchen workflow. Freeing up the cabinet that once held a bulky colander might create the perfect spot for your small appliances. It’s a small change that has a significant ripple effect on your kitchen’s usability, proving that the best tools are the ones that get out of the way when their job is done.
Camco Collapsible Bucket: A Multi-Use Essential
This durable, collapsible bucket holds 3 gallons of water and features watertight fabric for reliable use. It folds flat for easy storage in the included zippered case, making it ideal for RVing, camping, fishing, and boating.
Every RVer needs a bucket. It’s an indispensable tool for washing your rig, carrying fresh water to top off your tank, dousing a campfire, or even corralling dirty shoes outside the door. The problem is that a rigid bucket is a storage nightmare, demanding a permanent, dedicated spot in an already crowded bay.
The Camco collapsible bucket is the perfect solution for the RVer. It offers the 3-gallon or 5-gallon capacity you need for real work, but collapses to less than three inches tall. This allows it to be tucked away almost anywhere—on a shelf, in a milk crate with other cleaning supplies, or flat against the wall of a pass-through storage compartment.
This is a true utility item. The durable, fabric-like material is waterproof and tough enough for regular campsite chores. While you wouldn’t want to use it for mixing concrete or stand on it like a hard plastic bucket, that’s a minor tradeoff. For the 99% of tasks an RVer needs a bucket for, the space savings are a massive win.
Coghlan’s Pop-Up Trash Can for Campsite Use
Managing trash at the campsite is a constant battle. Using your small indoor can means endless trips to the dumpster, while hanging a plastic bag from your awning is an open invitation for insects and critters. A dedicated outdoor trash can is the answer, but who has room for another bulky container?
The Coghlan’s Pop-Up Trash Can is a classic for a reason. Stored as a flat, zippered disc, it springs open into a full-size receptacle. The zippered lid is its most crucial feature, keeping smells contained and pests out. It’s a simple, effective design that keeps your campsite tidy and sanitary.
Its lightweight construction and included stakes mean it won’t blow away in a gust of wind. Beyond trash, its versatility is a major plus. Many RVers use a second one as a laundry hamper or a storage container for outdoor toys and gear. It’s a cheap, durable, and incredibly space-efficient way to bring order to your outdoor living area.
Sea to Summit X-Pot Kettle for Stovetop Brewing
This 3-piece Sea to Summit X-Pot set includes a 1.3L collapsible kettle and two 16oz mugs, perfect for backcountry coffee and tea. Made from durable, heat-resistant silicone with an aluminum base, the set nests compactly for easy packing.
For many travelers, the morning ritual of a hot cup of coffee or tea is non-negotiable. A stovetop kettle, however, is yet another air-filled object taking up precious cabinet space. It’s a single-purpose item that’s frustratingly difficult to store efficiently.
The Sea to Summit X-Pot Kettle is a brilliant piece of engineering that addresses this head-on. It features a hard-anodized aluminum base that conducts heat efficiently on a camp stove, paired with flexible, food-grade silicone walls that collapse accordion-style. When flattened, it’s no taller than a small saucer, easily nesting with your plates or pans.
This is a premium product with a few considerations. You must keep the flame smaller than the aluminum base to avoid damaging the silicone walls. It also carries a higher price tag than a simple metal kettle. However, for those who value both a quality brew and hyper-efficient storage, the X-Pot is an investment that pays for itself in reclaimed cabinet space.
SAMMART Collapsible Laundry Basket for Easy Storage
This collapsible laundry basket saves space by folding flat when not in use. It features comfort grip handles for easy carrying and is perfect for organizing laundry, toys, or car essentials.
Laundry is a fact of life on the road, and so is the bulky basket used to haul it. A traditional laundry basket can easily consume the entire floor of an RV shower or a significant chunk of a closet. It’s one of the largest, most awkward items to find a home for.
The SAMMART collapsible laundry basket provides a full-size solution that shrinks for storage. With a rigid top rim and base, it maintains its shape when open, but the perforated silicone body allows it to flatten to just a few inches thick. This slim profile lets you slide it into the tightest of spaces—between a wall and a dresser, under the bed, or in the back of a storage bay.
Unlike flimsy pop-up mesh hampers, the SAMMART is robust. The sturdy plastic frame means you can carry a heavy load of wet towels without it buckling. This durability also makes it a multi-tasker, perfect for carrying in groceries, packing for a beach day, or organizing gear in your tow vehicle.
LuminAID PackLite Solar Lantern: Compact Lighting
This inflatable solar lantern provides up to 24 hours of bright LED light, perfect for camping or emergencies. It's lightweight, waterproof, and easily rechargeable by solar or USB.
Good lighting is essential for safety and comfort at the campsite, but traditional battery-powered lanterns are bulky and heavy. You need something for the picnic table, for late-night walks to the restroom, and for inside the rig during a power failure. Storing multiple lanterns and spare batteries eats up valuable drawer space.
The LuminAID PackLite is a game-changer in portable lighting. It’s an inflatable vinyl cube with a small solar panel on one side and a cluster of LEDs on the other. When you need it, you inflate it, which turns the cube into a soft, diffused lantern. When you’re done, you deflate it and it packs down to the size of a deck of cards.
Its design is perfectly suited for RV life. You can leave it on your dashboard during the day to charge for free. It’s waterproof and it floats, so you don’t have to worry about leaving it out in the rain. Because it’s so compact, you can store three or four of them in the same space a single traditional lantern would occupy, ensuring you always have light exactly where you need it.
Choosing the Right Collapsible Gear for Your Rig
There is no universal "best" list of collapsible products. The right gear for a solo traveler in a Class B van is different from what a family of four needs in a 40-foot fifth wheel. The goal is to make strategic upgrades that solve your specific storage problems, not to replace everything you own.
To decide what’s right for you, start by identifying your biggest "air hogs."
- Identify the Problem: Which items in your cabinets and bays are taking up the most space with the least substance? Kettles, colanders, buckets, and bowls are common culprits.
- Prioritize by Pain: Don’t just buy something because it’s collapsible. Replace the bulky item that annoys you the most. If you’re constantly shuffling a giant salad bowl, start there.
- Invest in Quality: The weak point of any collapsible item is its moving parts. Pay for quality materials like BPA-free silicone and durable plastics. A cheap product that fails after one season isn’t a good value, no matter how much space it saves.
Ultimately, adopting collapsible gear is about shifting your mindset. It’s about recognizing that in a small space, an item’s stored size is just as important as its function. A few smart, high-quality collapsible items can have a greater impact on your rig’s livability than a major cabinet modification, freeing up space and reducing the daily friction of life on the road.
Collapsible gear isn’t a novelty; it’s a core component of a smart RV storage strategy. By consciously choosing items that minimize their footprint when not in use, you’re not just saving space—you’re buying back convenience and calm. The best-designed small spaces feel bigger than they are, and these tools are a key part of achieving that.
