It can be such a challenge to fit your fulltime life into the limited space of an RV. Whether you have a 5th wheel, a travel trailer, a motorhome, or a van, you still want to have a functional and attractive living space. And fulltime RVers can’t usually put things back into their houses at the end of a camping trip. So how do you keep control of your environment? We need to turn to decluttering!
Before you begin, assess your needs
Take a good, honest look at what you (and your family, if you have one) do in your RV on a day-to-day basis. What areas of your RV serve as different work & play spaces? Many times, in an RV, any space must serve multiple roles. In addition to looking at your activities today, be sure to consider how the different seasons, weather, and locations where you camp impact your activities.
Create a plan for decluttering
Why is it beneficial to create a plan for decluttering your RV?
- Easy to start and stop as needed
- Helps prevent overwhelm with bite-sized steps
- The plan can be discussed with family members to get buy in and help
- Can easily work around your family calendar
Your plan should outline each area’s function and purpose. You may want to take measurements of each location’s storage areas so that if you decide to purchase some baskets or bins in a later step, you can easily reference the sizes that you need.
Strategies for decluttering an RV
Break down your process into small areas to create a manageable process. You don’t want to tear apart your whole living room because the chaos can be overwhelming. Maybe take on one cupboard or one small bin at a time. Look for any obvious clutter or trash and then evaluate each item, one at a time.
Ask yourself these questions when looking at each item:
- Does this item fit my/our needs?
- Have I/we used this in the last month?
- Will I/we need it in the next month? Or ever?
- Is this item still in good condition?
- Is this item missing any parts?
- If the item is used in another season, is it in the right place?
While decluttering, your RV doesn’t have enough room to store a lot of items that are waiting to go to the thrift store or recycling or the landfill. You may need to take items to donate/recycle/trash more often, or put them immediately into your vehicle for your next trip into town. Please be considerate of donation centers and only take them items that are in great condition and will be easy for them to sell. If they are not in great shape but you don’t want to trash the item, try free groups such as Buy Nothing or Freecycle.
Practice new habits
Train yourself (and the family) to do 5 minute tidies throughout the day. The RV will look much less cluttered if things are put away as soon as they are used. Usually, anyone can tidy up for 5 minutes, even those with chronic pain or small children. Put on music and make it fun!
Be ruthless before buying anything in the future. Every item you purchase needs to have a home! If it’s replacing something, the item it is replacing needs to go immediately. Could you borrow what you need instead of buying it and quickly return it to your friend or neighbor?
Maximize your storage spaces by getting baskets or bins to contain like-items. Be sure to consider everyone in the family before buying any containers as some people need to see what is inside a container whereas others prefer opaque containers. Or you might compromise by having a list of the contents on a label on the opaque bins. Remember to keep easily accessed storage spaces for frequently used items and put less frequently used items into harder to access storage spaces.
Decluttering your full-time RV can seem like a daunting task, but by breaking the process into manageable steps, you can create a more organized and functional living space that truly reflects your needs and lifestyle. By embracing the strategies outlined in this post, you can take control of your space, simplify your life, and free yourself from the stress and overwhelm of clutter. Whether you're just starting out on your RV journey or you're a seasoned traveler, the benefits of a clutter-free and organized space are well worth the effort. So what are you waiting for? Take action today and transform your RV into the peaceful and functional home on wheels you've always dreamed of!