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How to Best Utilize Your RV's Space

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When you’re accustomed to tent camping, upgrading to an RV may seem like you’re living in a castle, but the longer your trips are and the more passengers you take with you, the smaller the space will gradually begin to feel. The good news is that there are many ways to take advantage of your space so that you can utilize it in the most efficient way. To help you out, here are a few ideas on how to reduce the feeling of being cramped and accentuate your living area:

Make an Additional Room Out of Your RV Awning 

One of the easiest ways to help stretch any RV’s space a little further is to make use of RV awnings. You can use an RV awning screen room designed to attach to your awning and literally create an additional outside room.

It’s a great resource if your RV is starting to feel a bit too cramped, as you can take your patio furniture in the extra room to relax while enjoying the outdoor weather.

Make Use of RV Lighting

Implementing the right lighting can help to open up your RV and create a feel of spaciousness. The easiest way to do this is to utilize your natural lighting to your benefit, as allowing natural lighting in helps to create the illusion that your living area is larger.

To enhance the effects that natural light gives, you’ll want to avoid over-decorating windows and doors in your RV so that the curtains, blinds, and/or decor don’t block the sunlight.

Another lighting trick you can utilize is to create balanced lighting throughout your RV. If the light is only illuminating one core area, by contrast, the rest of your RV will look dark. When the darker areas of your RV stand out, your living area will feel much more closed-in than if the lighting were evenly distributed.

Lastly, the more dark and yellow your bulbs are, the cozier and smaller your RV will feel, so if you’re wanting to make your space look bigger, you’ll want to choose whiter, brighter lights. There are many shades of RV LED lights available so that you can save energy and find the right lighting option for your preference.

Minimize Clutter and Get Organized 

No matter how many space-enhancing tricks you put into action, your efforts won’t do you much good if you allow clutter to build up and don’t organize properly. Even if you have a big rig RV, a messy space will cause any roomy feeling to go away quickly. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Hooks work great to put things in a designated space. Use these for keys, towels, jackets, etc.
  • Place soaps, shampoos, toilet paper, shaving cream--basically all bathroom necessities--in a bathroom over-the-door organizer. Also, use an over-the-door shoe holder in your bedroom as well so that you can further stretch the storage opportunities of your closet space.
  • Install a magnetic strip on the walls of your RV’s kitchen to keep your metal items securely in place.
  • See if there are any areas in your RV where a slide-out cabinet or drawer could be installed, such as on the sides of your bed, underneath any seats, etc.

There are many creative ideas you can use to create more storage than what your RV initially came with, so do some online research or think of your own. The point is that the more you assign each item a specific place, the more you’ll naturally keep your RV neat and tidy, making it a more peaceful spot to stretch out and travel in.

Final Word

Traveling in an RV is a luxury to be grateful for, and the more that you work towards making your space comfortable, clean, and organized, the better your RV lifestyle will be.

Hopefully these pointers give you a solid idea of how to enhance the space you have to work with so that you can hit the road while feeling relaxed and at ease.

Want more specific tips and ideas? Bill Widmer invested many hours in creating a detailed space saving guide for those living in RVs and small spaces on his website TheWonderingRV.com: RV Storage Ideas

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