7 Best RV Specific Dishware Storage Solutions That Nomads Swear By

There’s a sound every RVer knows and dreads: the sharp clatter-crash from the kitchen cabinets after a sudden stop or a tight turn. That sound is the anthem of broken dishes and a jumbled mess waiting for you at your next destination. Securing your dishware isn’t just about preventing breakage; it’s about reducing travel-day stress and making your mobile home feel stable and serene. The best solutions aren’t complicated or expensive, but they are intentional, often combining a few simple tools to create a rock-solid system.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Securing Cabinets with Camco RV Cabinet Bars

The first line of defense in any RV kitchen is stopping items from tumbling out when you open the door. This is exactly what Camco’s spring-loaded cabinet bars are designed for. Think of them as miniature tension rods that fit snugly inside your cabinet, creating a physical barrier that holds everything back. Installation is tool-free; you just compress the spring and wedge the bar between the cabinet walls.

These bars are most effective against the forward lurch. They excel at keeping a stack of plates or a row of glasses from toppling onto the floor. For this one job, they are simple, cheap, and incredibly effective. I’ve seen them hold back everything from canned goods to stacks of heavy ceramic bowls.

However, they are not a complete solution on their own. A cabinet bar does nothing to prevent items from sliding side-to-side or rattling against each other. It stops the avalanche, but not the earthquake. That’s why you’ll almost always see these used in combination with another method, like a non-slip liner, to create a more comprehensive system.

Camco Stack-A-Plate for Vertical Organization

Stacking plates directly on top of each other is a recipe for chipped edges and constant rattling on bumpy roads. The Camco Stack-A-Plate is a brilliantly simple fix for this. These plastic organizers create individual cradles for each plate or bowl, keeping them separated and cushioned.

The real magic here is noise and vibration dampening. By preventing direct dish-to-dish contact, you eliminate a major source of travel noise. The non-skid base on most models also helps keep the entire stack from shifting. This is particularly crucial if you insist on bringing your heavier, more fragile ceramic or stoneware dishes from home.

The main tradeoff is space. These organizers add a little height and bulk compared to a raw stack of plates. Before buying, measure your cabinet’s vertical clearance to ensure a good fit. They are also designed for standard, round dinnerware; if you have square plates or irregularly shaped artisan bowls, you may struggle to find a good fit.

The Corelle Vitrelle Dinnerware Space-Saver

Sometimes the best storage product isn’t a product at all—it’s the dishware itself. There’s a reason you see Corelle in nearly every seasoned RVer’s cabinet. Made from a unique, laminated glass called Vitrelle, these dishes are famously thin, lightweight, and incredibly resistant to breaking, chipping, and cracking.

Choosing Corelle is a proactive storage strategy. A full service for four stacks to a height of just a couple of inches, freeing up immense vertical space in your cabinets. Their light weight also helps you stay under your rig’s cargo carrying capacity. Because they are so durable, they are far more forgiving of road vibrations than their ceramic counterparts, reducing the need for elaborate padding between each plate. You’re solving the problem before it even begins.

Rev-A-Shelf Peg System for Custom Drawer Fit

If you’re lucky enough to have a deep drawer for dish storage, the Rev-A-Shelf Peg System is the gold standard for organization. This solution consists of a drop-in pegboard base and a set of movable pegs. You simply place the board in your drawer and arrange the pegs to create custom-sized compartments for your specific dishes.

The result is a perfectly ordered drawer where nothing can slide. Stacks of plates, bowls, and even pans are held securely in their designated spots, no matter how rough the road gets. This system eliminates all horizontal movement, making it one of the most secure options available. It turns a potential jumble into a satisfyingly organized grid.

The primary considerations are cost and commitment. This is a more permanent, installed solution than a simple tension bar, and it comes with a higher price tag. It also requires a suitable drawer, which isn’t a standard feature in all RV kitchen layouts. But for those with the right setup, it provides a level of security and order that is second to none.

Gorilla Grip Non-Slip Liners Stop Sliding

Non-slip shelf liner is the foundational element of all good RV dish storage. It’s affordable, easy to install, and makes a massive difference. Its purpose is simple: to create friction. The slightly tacky, textured surface grips the bottom of your dishes, dramatically reducing their ability to slide around during transit.

This simple material does more than just stop sliding. It also acts as a vibration dampener, absorbing the constant small bumps from the road. This quiets your entire kitchen, reducing the background clatter that can make travel days feel so fatiguing. A quiet rig is a peaceful rig.

For best results, cut the liner to fit the exact dimensions of your shelf or drawer. Don’t let it bunch up in the corners. Remember, this is a team player. Think of non-slip liner as the stage, and your other storage solutions are the actors. Combining it with cabinet bars or plate stackers creates a system that’s far more effective than the sum of its parts.

Simple Houseware Under-Shelf Mug & Bowl Baskets

RV cabinets are often tall and deep, which leads to a lot of wasted vertical space. Under-shelf baskets are a genius way to reclaim that dead air. These simple wire baskets have arms that slide directly onto your existing shelf, instantly creating a second level of storage beneath it.

These are perfect for items that don’t stack well. Mugs can be hung from their handles, or small bowls and saucers can be placed in the basket. This breaks one tall, unstable stack into two shorter, more manageable ones. It also improves accessibility; you no longer have to lift five bowls to get to the one at the bottom of the stack.

By separating items, you reduce the risk of everything toppling over when you grab something. It’s a simple, non-permanent modification that can double the usable storage in a tall cabinet. Just be sure to measure the thickness of your shelf to ensure the basket’s arms will fit securely.

Using QuakeHold! Museum Putty for Security

Here’s a trick borrowed from museum curators in earthquake country. QuakeHold!, or any similar museum putty, is a tacky, removable, and reusable adhesive that provides an incredible amount of holding power. You simply take a small pea-sized amount, warm it in your fingers, and place it on the bottom of an item.

Press the item firmly onto the shelf, and it creates a secure bond that prevents it from vibrating, sliding, or tipping over. When you need to use the item, a simple twist-and-lift motion will break the seal. The putty leaves no residue and can be reused dozens of times.

This isn’t a solution for your everyday stack of plates—it would be too tedious. But for that one heavy ceramic serving bowl, a glass French press, or any decorative item you want to keep on display, it is unbeatable. It offers absolute peace of mind for your most precious or fragile items.

Mainstays Tension Rods as Cabinet Dividers

This method uses the small, inexpensive tension rods you’d typically find in the curtain aisle. Unlike the beefier Camco bars that run horizontally, these are installed vertically inside a cabinet, running from the shelf floor to the ceiling of the cabinet. By placing several of them in a row, you create a series of thin, secure slots.

This setup is ideal for storing plates, platters, and cutting boards on their side, like files in a filing cabinet. This completely eliminates the chipping risk that comes from stacking, as the dishes never touch each other. It also makes retrieval a breeze—just slide out the one you need without disturbing the others.

The main requirement is a cabinet with sufficient height to store plates vertically. It works best when all the plates are a similar diameter, creating a uniform row. For those with the right cabinet configuration, this is a cheap, damage-free, and highly efficient way to organize your dinnerware.

Ultimately, the perfect RV dishware solution is rarely a single product. It’s a customized system built by combining two or three of these tried-and-true methods. Start with a foundation of non-slip liner, then analyze your specific dishes and cabinets to see what comes next—be it bars for security, dividers for organization, or putty for your most prized possessions. A quiet, secure kitchen makes every mile on the road that much more enjoyable.