50 RV Hacks and Tips You Haven’t Tried

Adapting to the RV lifestyle can be overwhelming – overwhelmingly fun. Sure, there are a few things here and there to get used to but, overall, it’s an adventure you’ll wish would never end. To relieve any stress or anxiety you may have about the new lifestyle, and to help elevate the fun of it all, we’ve gathered 50 RV hacks and tips you haven’t tried to ensure your next trip is your best trip.

1. Create an RV Departure Checklist

Whether it’s a physical copy or one stored on your phone, having a checklist available can save you the trouble of leaving something behind or having to turn around once on the road.

2. Plan an RV-Friendly Route

Regardless of where you’re going, take advantage of tools like the Good Sam Trip Planner that help navigate your RV through the country while suggesting campsites and RV parks along the way.

3. Level the RV Before Filling the Tanks

Level your RV before filling any of the tanks (freshwater tanks, especially). This will help ensure that you’re really getting a full tank with each fill-up by preventing false reads on your tank sensors.

4. Turn the Propane Valve Off Before Traveling

This should definitely be on the departure checklist, but fire safety is worth stressing more than once. Traveling with your RV’s propane valve open is a fire hazard. With all the shaking that occurs on and off the road, propane connections can loosen or come apart entirely while in transit.

5. Pack Pine Cones

Sounds weird, right? Pine cones are the perfect fire starter since they essentially burst into flames once lit giving a head start to any kindling or wood you may have on standby. Plus, nature provides them so they’re free!

6. Doublecheck Your Campfire

Before leaving, make sure your campfire is completely out. As a general rule, you should be able to touch the ground inside the fireplace or firepit. If it’s too hot, continue extinguishing the fire with water or smothering it with dirt. Leaving a fire smoldering could lead to a forest fire. Be a smart, safe, and considerate camper by practicing forest fire safety.

7. Get a First Aid Kit

Adventures can be unpredictable, so be prepared by having a fully stocked first aid kit in your RV.

8. Bring a Tool Kit

A basic tool kit could quickly become your best friend. You never know when you’re going to need a screwdriver to tighten/loosen something or a hammer to pound something in place. Better safe than sorry.

9. Have a Hairdryer On Hand

A hairdryer can do more than dry your hair, it can also warm up cold kindling or help thaw frozen pipes. Who doesn’t love a multipurpose item?

10. Be a Winner – Pack Games

Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate, or your schedule gets away from you; having game options within reach that you can easily play inside the RV keeps boredom at bay.

11. Wash Your Clothes While Traveling

Throw your dirty clothes into a bucket with a tight lid along with water and laundry detergent then find a place in your RV where the bucket can be secured, like the shower. Every turn you take and bump you hit will agitate the clothes just like a washing machine does. After a few hours, once you arrive at your campsite, your clothes will be clean, ready to rinse, and line dry.

12. Hang Your Clothes on a Suspension Rod

Place a suspension rod in the shower and use it to hang wet clothes to dry or as additional closet space when the shower isn’t in use.

13. Stock Up on Collapsible Storage

Whether using it for dirty laundry or to haul items to and from the campsite, collapsible storage is the true MVP of RVing. It folds flat when not in use for easy storage and corrals whatever you need it to when in use.

14. Secure Cabinets and Drawers with Bungee Cords

Help keep cabinets and drawers closed, and contents contained within, while in transit with bungee cords.

15. Upgrade Your Shower Head

The low-pressure shower heads that come standard with most RVs leave a little to be desired. Upgrade your shower head to a high-pressure model and experience luxury on the road.

16. Double Duty Towel Rods

Install towel rods at a lower level inside the shower to hold bath products in place while traveling.

17. Use a Shoe Organizer in the Shower

If installing an extra towel rod sounds like a commitment, try using a shoe organizer instead. Hang it on the inside of the shower curtain as a liner and use the pockets to hold all your bath products.

18. Use a Shoe Organizer in the Bedroom

While you’re at it, grab another shoe organizer for the bedroom or closet. By cutting the organizer along the designated rows, you can use them to outline the perimeter of your bed. Then you can store your shoes neatly and out of the way.

19. Handwashing Station

It might sound weird, but it works. Use pantyhose as a makeshift soap dispenser. Drop a bar of soap into the toe of a pair of pantyhose and tie it to the water spigot or outdoor faucet at the campsite – an instant and convenient handwashing station.

20. Use Press’n Seal on Cups

For both kids and adults, use Press’n Seal plastic to turn regular cups into travel cups and avoid those inevitable spills that happen on the road.

21. Suction Cup Caddies for Kids

Use suction cup bath caddies to corral toys, games, and devices by sticking them to the windows around the dinette or beside the passenger seat.

22. Install Accent LED Lighting

By installing stand-alone accent LED lighting, you can illuminate your RV without pulling from your main power source.

23. Deter Ants with Gorilla Tape

Wrap a few strips of strong Gorilla Tape around openings that ants usually enter and stop them in their tracks. Literally.

24. Deter Wasps with Flea Collars

Propane tends to attract wasps. Stop infestations before they start by placing cut-up flea collars in various compartments.

25. Deter Mice with Irish Spring Soap

Fun fact: Mice hate the smell of Irish Spring soap. Keep a bar in the RV to deter mice, especially during winter.

26. Non-slip Liners Inside Drawers and Shelves

Use non-slip liners inside drawers and shelves to keep items from rolling around while traveling.

27. Protect Glasses with Socks

A pack of cheap socks can protect your bottles and glasses. Slide a sock over each item to keep them from breaking if they bump into each other while going down the road. If they do break, the sock will hold all the glass inside for easy clean-up.

28. Command Hooks are an RVer’s Best Friend

Hang everything using command hooks. We’re talking cooking utensils, coats, pictures, curtains – you name it, command hook can hang it. You’ll never make a million nail holes or screw something into the wall again.

29. Command Velcro is also an RVer’s Best Friend

You can have more than one best friend, it’s okay. Use Command Velcro to hold remote controls in place near seating, hold pictures and art to the wall, or attach utensils inside of cabinet doors. The possibilities are endless.

30. Insulate Your RV Windows with Bubble Wrap

RVing in the winter or during cold weather? No worries. Use bubble wrap to cover your windows and help insulate the space.

31. Get a WiFi Booster

Off-grid doesn’t have to mean offline. Sure, most campgrounds provide wireless internet, but the signal isn’t always the best. Avoid the frustration with a booster to improve your WiFi reception while on the road.

32. Protect Your Head with a Pool Noodle

Ever walk right into a metal awning strut? It’s not fun. Protect yourself by slitting a foam pool noodle and wrapping it around the struts. You’ll get visibility and safety all in one.

33. Stock Up on Free Condiments

Save all those unused condiment packs from restaurants you visit along the way. They take up less space than full-sized bottles, plus they’re free.

34. Invest in a Collapsible Ottoman

RV living requires some items to be double-duty. A collapsible ottoman is a perfect option for extra seating, a place to put your feet, or as an extra storage space. When you don’t need it, collapse it and store it. Win/win.

35. Recover the Dinette Cushions

You may not love every detail of your RV, but simple updates in a few places can change the entire feel of your space. Recovering the dinette cushions in a fabric you like is one of those simple updates.

36. Change the Curtains

Another simple update is changing out the curtains. Replace the panels, recover the valences, or remove them entirely – either way, you’ll fall in love with your space all over again.

37. Use Museum Putty to Hold Items in Place

Want to keep the coffee maker on the counter? Put museum putty to work. It doesn’t ruin your counter or your breakables but holds them in place until you decide otherwise.

38. Freeze 2-Liter Bottles to Use as Ice

Before you leave, clean and fill a few 2-liter bottles with water and freeze them. When you’re on the road, they’ll act as ice inside the freezer or cooler. When they melt, you’ll have clean drinking water.

39. Creative Egg Storage

Who doesn’t enjoy scrambled eggs while out and about? Avoid the disaster of having broken eggs on the road by cracking them in advance and storing them in a clean, empty coffee creamer container. Easy scrambled eggs!

40. Have Binder Clips Ready and Available

Surprisingly, binder clips are the perfect tie-down solution. They’re also great for hanging outdoor lights. Instead of mounting tape, use a binder clip to attach your string lights to your awning. If you have an abundance of clips, they’re phenomenal as chip clips and keep your favorite snack fresher longer.

41. Glow-in-the-Dark Tape

To preserve battery life and electricity, use glow-in-the-dark tape for surfaces like RV steps. Doing so allows you to navigate your way around the RV in the dark without having to turn on any lights.

42. Wear a Headlamp

For those times when you’re taking the dog out for a quick walk or potty break at night, a headlamp is an ideal solution. It keeps your hands free, and you don’t have to turn on any additional lights inside the RV to find your way out and back in again.

43. Create a Pet Nook

If you have a cabinet to spare, try removing the door and putting a pet bed inside to encourage your pet to use it as their space while traveling. It will keep them contained and safe while freeing up valuable floor/furniture space for everyone else.

44. Outdoor Paper Towel Holder

A garden flag stand doubles as a paper towel holder. Whether you choose to put it near your water spigot for handwashing or next to your outdoor kitchen for maximum convenience, it’s a game-changer.

45. DIY Tank Cleaner

Take a cup of Borax detergent and ½ cup of Calgon Water Softener and you have a tank cleaner that helps control odor while preventing waste from sticking to the walls of the tank. Maintaining your RV toilet is super important.

46. Dry Erase Board Info Station

Hang an inexpensive dry erase board, or use peel-and-stick dry erase wallpaper, in your RV to write down important information like the name of the campground, spot number, phone number, etc. so it’s easily accessible for everyone should they need it.

47. Vent Cushions Help Regulate Heat

Looking for a small investment that goes a long way? Look no further. A vent cushion helps regulate the temperature inside your RV which can be a lifesaver at parks that charge for electricity.

48. Tire Monitoring System

Investing in a quality tire monitoring system, like the TireMinder TM-77, can save you thousands of dollars in repairs by helping prevent a blown tire in transit.

49. Clear Utility Boxes

A few clear utility boxes can corral items like batteries and command hooks so they remain organized and contained instead of rolling around a drawer.

50. Cutting Board Counter Space Enhancer

Create more counter prep space by placing a cutting board over the stovetop when not in use. Easy and effective.