7 Best Outdoor Storage Solutions for RVs Nomads Swear By
Expand your RV’s capacity with 7 nomad-approved outdoor storage solutions. We explore top-rated cargo boxes, bike racks, and more to keep gear secure.
The moment you realize your camp chairs, portable grill, and hiking gear have to share space with your bed is a rite of passage for every new RVer. You quickly learn that the inside of your rig is for living, not for storing everything you own. The key to a sane and organized life on the road isn’t having less stuff—it’s having smarter places to put it.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
Why RV Outdoor Storage is Essential for Nomads
Living in an RV means your living room is also your kitchen, bedroom, and office. The last thing you want to introduce into that clean, controlled environment is a muddy pair of boots, a greasy camp stove, or a wet bundle of firewood. Outdoor storage creates a critical buffer between the wild outdoors and your sanctuary on wheels.
This isn’t just about tidiness; it’s about function. Storing gear externally keeps your interior clear for actual living. It also means you can grab your leveling blocks or sewer hose without having to first excavate them from under your bed. Good outdoor storage makes setting up and breaking down camp faster and less stressful.
But you can’t just bolt things on anywhere. Every pound you add affects your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and your rig’s balance. The best solutions respect your vehicle’s limits, distribute weight intelligently, and keep essential gear accessible without turning your campsite into a yard sale.
Thule Motion XT Rooftop Box for Bulky Gear
Restore your Thule roof box with this genuine replacement lid lifter. Designed for Pulse, Ascent, and Atlantis models, it ensures smooth and secure lid operation.
A rooftop cargo box is the classic solution for a reason: it utilizes a massive, otherwise-unused patch of real estate. For lightweight but bulky items, there’s no better place. Think camp chairs, outdoor rugs, folding tables, or even extra bedding for cold-weather trips.
The Thule Motion XT stands out in a crowded field. Its dual-side opening is a lifesaver on a tall RV, letting you access your gear from whichever side of the rig is more convenient. The "SlideLock" system gives you an audible click and a visual indicator that the box is securely shut, which is crucial peace of mind when you’re barreling down the highway.
The tradeoffs are obvious but manageable. You’re adding height, so you have to be hyper-aware of low bridges and tree branches. It can also create some wind noise and slightly impact your fuel economy. Most importantly, you need a solid, properly installed roof rack system rated for the weight you intend to carry—this is not the place to cut corners.
Let’s Go Aero GearSpace 34 Enclosed Carrier
If a rooftop box is the attic, a hitch-mounted carrier like the GearSpace 34 is the garage. This is where you put the heavy, dirty, or smelly stuff you’d never dream of bringing inside. With 34 cubic feet of space, it can swallow generators, portable grills, toolboxes, and firewood without breaking a sweat.
The main advantage is accessibility. The gear is at waist level, not on the roof, making it far easier to load and unload heavy items. Being fully enclosed and weatherproof, it protects your expensive equipment from road grime and theft far better than an open platform. Many models, including the GearSpace, feature a swing-away design, allowing you to access rear doors or storage compartments on your rig even when the carrier is fully loaded.
The critical factor here is tongue weight and rear axle capacity. A fully loaded GearSpace can add several hundred pounds to the very back of your RV. You must ensure your hitch and your vehicle’s frame are rated to handle that load. Overloading the rear can dangerously affect your steering and braking, so do the math before you buy.
MORryde Sliding Cargo Trays for Basements
Easily access your truck bed cargo with the MORryde sliding tray. This fully assembled, carpeted tray boasts an 800 lb capacity and installs in minutes without measuring or cutting.
Sometimes the best outdoor storage solution isn’t about adding more space, but about making your existing space usable. The pass-through "basement" on most fifth wheels and Class A motorhomes is a cavern of potential, but it’s often a black hole where gear goes to be forgotten. You have to unload the front half of the bay just to reach what’s in the back.
MORryde sliding trays completely change the game. These heavy-duty steel trays are bolted to the floor of your storage bay and slide out, some extending up to 100% of their length. Suddenly, everything is accessible. No more crawling into the bay on your hands and knees.
This is an investment, both in cost and installation time. These trays are heavy and need to be securely mounted to the floor of your rig. But for full-time nomads, the daily convenience is transformative. It’s one of those upgrades that, once you have it, you can’t imagine how you ever lived without it.
Stromberg Carlson Trailer Tray Bumper Rack
Easily transport cargo with the Stromberg Carlson CC250 Trailer Tray. Its durable construction and generous capacity make it ideal for hauling equipment and gear.
For travel trailers and fifth wheels, a simple bumper-mounted rack seems like a no-brainer for carrying things like a generator or extra coolers. The Stromberg Carlson Trailer Tray is a popular, affordable option that mounts directly onto a 4-inch square RV bumper. It provides a simple platform for lashing down gear.
However, this solution comes with a massive warning. Most factory-installed RV bumpers are incredibly flimsy. They are typically thin-walled steel tubes tack-welded to the frame, designed to hold little more than the spare tire. Loading one with a 100-pound generator and bouncing it down the highway is a recipe for catastrophic failure.
To use a rack like this safely for anything heavy, you must reinforce the bumper or, better yet, use frame-mounted brackets. Some kits, like Mount-n-Lock’s, sell brackets that bolt directly to the I-beam frame, completely bypassing the weak bumper. Used for light items like an empty cooler or a small firewood bin, the bumper mount is fine. For anything substantial, secure it to the frame.
The Trasharoo Spare Tire Bag for Utility
Haul trash and keep trails clean with this durable, weather-resistant spare tire trash bag. Made from heavy-duty 900 denier canvas, it securely attaches to your spare tire and holds up to 50 lbs, fitting a standard 30-gallon bag.
The Trasharoo is one of the most versatile, low-cost, high-impact storage solutions you can buy. Originally designed for the off-road crowd to pack out their trash, it’s a perfect fit for the RV lifestyle. It’s essentially a rugged, oversized backpack that straps onto your rear-mounted spare tire.
Its genius lies in its simplicity. It creates a dedicated spot for all the stuff you don’t want inside your rig or even in your clean storage bays. Use it for:
- Trash and recycling, keeping odors outside.
- Coils of muddy water hoses or power cords.
- Wet beach towels and sandy toys.
- Firewood collected at your campsite.
Because it’s made from heavy-duty canvas with drainage holes, you can toss wet and dirty gear in without a second thought. It’s an incredibly simple way to solve a dozen annoying little storage problems, freeing up your main compartments for more important gear.
Mount-n-Lock GennyGo Bumper Generator Kit
Securely transport your generator and cargo on your RV bumper with the Mount-n-Lock GennyGo RevX2. This durable steel carrier features a 24x24 inch folding tray for easy access and storage.
Storing a portable generator is a universal challenge for RVers. It’s heavy, it smells like gasoline, and you need it to be both secure and accessible. A generic bumper rack is too risky, and lifting it into a storage bay is a back-breaker. The GennyGo kit from Mount-n-Lock is a purpose-built solution to this exact problem.
Unlike a simple tray that clamps to the bumper, the GennyGo is a complete system with heavy-gauge steel support arms that bolt directly to your RV’s frame. This is the key difference. It transfers the entire load—up to 200 pounds—to the strongest part of your rig, completely bypassing the weak bumper.
The platform is sized for common portable generators and provides multiple anchor points for securely strapping it down. While it requires a more involved installation, this is the only way to safely carry a heavy generator on the back of a travel trailer. For anyone who relies on a generator for boondocking, this provides a secure, convenient, and safe transport method.
RoofBag Explorer: A Weatherproof Soft Carrier
If the commitment and expense of a hard-shell rooftop box feel like overkill, a soft carrier like the RoofBag Explorer is an excellent alternative. It offers a significant amount of storage in a package that is lightweight, more affordable, and can be removed and rolled up for compact storage when not in use.
The biggest advantage of a soft bag is flexibility. It can more easily accommodate oddly shaped items that might not fit in a rigid box. The key is to choose a high-quality one. The RoofBag Explorer is made from a heavy-duty, waterproof vinyl material with welded seams, not stitched ones that can leak. Cheaper alternatives often fail in the first real rainstorm, leaving you with a bag full of soaked gear.
Properly securing a soft carrier is critical. You need to pull the integrated straps tight to prevent the material from flapping in the wind, which can be noisy and damaging over time. While less aerodynamic than a hard shell, for the RVer who only needs extra roof storage for a few big trips a year, it’s a practical and cost-effective solution.
Ultimately, the right outdoor storage is a personalized equation that balances your gear, your rig’s capabilities, and your travel style. Before you buy anything, get to a CAT scale and weigh your RV to understand your real-world weight limits. The best solution is always the one that carries your gear safely, keeps it accessible, and makes your life on the road just a little bit easier.
