7 Compact RV Storage Accessories That Maximize Every Inch

That moment you open an overhead cabinet and a cascade of coffee mugs, spice jars, and mismatched Tupperware greets you is an RV rite of passage. Living in a small space isn’t about having less; it’s about being smarter with what you have. The right accessories don’t just add storage, they fundamentally change how you interact with your rig, turning frustration into function.

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Unlocking Space: Essential RV Storage Hacks

Before you buy a single container, you need a shift in mindset. In a sticks-and-bricks house, space is defined by floors and walls. In an RV, every surface is a potential storage opportunity—the underside of a cabinet, the side of a fridge, the back of a door. The goal is to conquer the two biggest enemies of RV organization: unclaimed vertical space and deep, inaccessible cabinets.

Think in three dimensions. That tall pantry cabinet isn’t one big shelf; it’s three or four potential layers of storage waiting to be created. That empty wall next to the entry door isn’t just a wall; it’s a future home for your keys, leashes, and headlamps. This isn’t about cramming more stuff in. It’s about making the essentials so easy to access that you forget you’re living in a compact footprint.

The best RV storage solutions are often simple, lightweight, and multi-functional. A heavy, rigid organizer might be great at home, but in a rig, it’s just dead weight that can rattle and break. We’re looking for flexible, adaptable tools that solve a specific problem without creating a new one. Remember, every item you bring aboard has to earn its keep.

Gneiss Spice Jars: Magnetic Kitchen Storage

Your RV kitchen counter is prime real estate, and traditional spice racks are space hogs. Gneiss Spice Jars solve this by moving your spices off the counter and onto an unused magnetic surface. These small, hexagonal glass jars have strong magnets in their lids, allowing them to stick securely to your range hood, refrigerator door, or a wall-mounted steel plate.

The beauty of this system is its use of vertical and often-ignored space. The side of my fridge went from a blank surface to a fully functional spice rack, freeing up an entire cabinet shelf. The hexagonal shape means they fit together without wasted gaps, and being ableto see all your spices at once is a genuine time-saver when you’re cooking in a tight galley. The main tradeoff is cost—they are an investment. But for reclaiming that much valuable space, many full-timers find it’s worth it.

OXO Stronghold Caddy for Clutter-Free Showers

An RV shower is a constant battle against gravity. Standard tension rods and cheap suction cups are notorious for failing mid-journey, leaving a mess of shampoo bottles on the shower floor. The OXO Stronghold Caddy is different because its suction mechanism is robust, using a lever-activated system that creates a powerful, lasting vacuum.

This isn’t your average suction cup. It’s designed to hold fast to smooth, non-porous surfaces like the fiberglass or acrylic found in most RV shower surrounds. The key is a perfectly clean, dry surface upon installation. I’ve seen these hold multiple full-sized bottles through bumpy travel days without budging. It keeps your shower floor clear, which is crucial in a wet bath, and prevents the clutter that makes a small bathroom feel even smaller.

Whitmor Wonder Hangers Maximize Closet Space

RV closets are often deceptively shallow and narrow. The Whitmor Wonder Hanger is a simple but brilliant tool that lets you store clothes vertically, effectively tripling or quadrupling the number of garments you can fit on a single rod. Each "wonder hanger" holds several standard hangers, then one end unhooks and cascades downward.

This is a fantastic solution for shirts, pants, and other lighter items. However, there’s a tradeoff. While you gain a massive amount of rod space, your clothes will be more compressed, leading to more wrinkles. I wouldn’t use them for a suit or easily creased linen, but for everyday t-shirts, jeans, and hoodies, they are a game-changer. Always check the weight rating of your closet rod; these hangers make it easy to overload a flimsy one.

mDesign Stackable Shelves for RV Pantries

The deep, dark RV pantry cabinet is where food goes to be forgotten. Items get pushed to the back, and you end up buying duplicates because you can’t see what you have. mDesign’s simple, free-standing stackable shelves are the perfect antidote. They instantly create a second or even third level within a single tall cabinet space.

By creating distinct layers, you stop stacking cans on top of boxes. You can dedicate one level to canned goods, another to pasta and grains, and the space underneath for larger items. This simple act of dividing the vertical space makes everything visible and accessible. Before buying, measure your cabinet’s height, width, and depth. These shelves come in various sizes, and finding the right fit is key to maximizing every inch without creating awkward, unusable gaps.

SimpleHouseware Baskets: Under-Shelf Storage

Look inside any RV cabinet. See all that empty air between the top of your stored items and the bottom of the shelf above? That is wasted space. The SimpleHouseware Under-Shelf Basket is designed specifically to reclaim it. These wire baskets have two flat arms that simply slide onto your existing shelf, creating a new, drawer-like storage space beneath it.

These are perfect for lightweight, bulky items that tend to create clutter.

• Bags of chips or pretzels
• Loaves of bread
• Kitchen towels and sponges
• Paper plates and napkins

This is one of the easiest and most effective storage hacks you can implement. There’s no installation, no drilling, just instant organization. Just be sure to measure the thickness of your shelves to ensure the basket’s arms will fit, and check that you have enough clearance to slide items in and out.

Camco Pop-A-Plate: Vertical Wall Organization

Stacking paper plates in a cabinet seems logical until you hit a bumpy road and they become a disorganized mess. The Camco Pop-A-Plate is a classic RV accessory for a reason: it takes a bulky item and stores it vertically on a wall or the inside of a cabinet door. This dispenser keeps plates clean, contained, and accessible with a simple pull from the bottom.

This product embodies the RV storage philosophy: get things off the horizontal surfaces. By mounting it on the inside of a pantry door, you use space that is almost always empty. Camco makes similar dispensers for paper towels (Pop-A-Towel) and napkins (Pop-A-Napkin), allowing you to create a fully integrated paper goods station that consumes zero shelf space. It’s a simple, inexpensive, and incredibly practical solution to a common annoyance.

Prepworks Collapsible Bowls for Compact Kitchens

Kitchenware is one of the biggest challenges in an RV galley. A standard set of mixing bowls, a colander, and measuring cups can eat up an entire drawer. Prepworks by Progressive offers a line of collapsible kitchen tools that solve this problem by squishing down to a fraction of their usable size.

Made from a combination of rigid plastic and flexible silicone, a large mixing bowl can flatten into a disc just over an inch thick. A full-size colander can do the same. This means you can store an entire set of prep bowls in the space a single traditional bowl would occupy. This is not a gimmick; it’s a fundamental shift in how to approach kitchen storage.

The space savings are immense, allowing you to carry more functional tools without the storage penalty. While some people worry about the long-term durability of the flexible silicone, a quality set will last for years of regular use. For anyone struggling with a tiny RV kitchen, collapsible-ware isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential.

Ultimately, mastering RV storage isn’t about finding one magic product. It’s about layering these small, intelligent solutions to create a system where everything has a logical, secure, and accessible home. Stop fighting your space and start making it work for you, one clever accessory at a time.