After pulling into your campsite, you open the fridge for a can of something cold and refreshing. Before the door is open all the way, you’re attacked by rolling cans and bottles.
Opening a kitchen cabinet, you find cracked plates, broken mugs, and shattered glasses! From the direction of the bathroom, you hear a crash.
And a scream.
Securing items in every type of RV before travel is a crucial step you shouldn’t skip. Check out these 7 ways to keep breakables secure in your RV when traveling.
1. Museum Wax
- If you have wooden or porcelain items on shelves and ledges, use museum wax to secure them. It works best when connecting a flat surface to another flat surface.
- Get the professional museum wax, not a knock-off, if you want a secure, lasting hold. You can secure knick-knacks in place, and they will remain there during travel.
- Make sure that your item and the wax have a good connection with the surface or it may bounce on rough roads.
2. Storage Tubs
- Due to their shape or location, heavy and valuable decorations that cannot be secured with museum wax should be wrapped and stored in a tub. Most RVs have storage under the bed or in the basement. The size of the tub depends on the number of items you need to store.
- Keep your wrapping material in the tub so you can always find it when it’s time to pack and travel to a new destination. To save space, consider using shop rags to wrap your items rather than bubble wrap. They are relatively inexpensive and take up less space when they are not in use. The extra space will allow you to use the tub for other items while stationary.
3. Keep Glassware Separated
- Most everyone uses some breakable glassware in their RV – wine glasses, coffee mugs, or a favorite casserole dish. One way to avoid breakage in your cabinets is to keep the glassware from touching. This can be done with items you already have in your kitchen—dish towels and cloths, hot pads, rubber trivets, etc. By wrapping the mugs and tumblers, they won’t touch.
- If your cabinet is relatively full, with little space between your dishes, just putting one of the items listed between breakables to keep them from touching will work.
- If your cabinet has a good amount of open space, you will need to follow the step for air space after arranging and wrapping your dishes. One easy trick is to alternate plastic cups with your breakable ones when packing the cabinet.
4. Filling Air Space
- One of the main causes of breakage is items moving during transit. Every tub, cabinet, and bathroom shelf should be packed tightly to reduce air space – and reduce the likelihood of your items shifting, bouncing, and breaking when the RV is moving.
- The easiest way to fill air space is to pack tightly. After your tubs and cabinets are padded, fill any open spaces with toss pillows, towels, throws, and other soft, flexible cloth items.
- This step is very beneficial when your RV is a Class A, B, or C motorhome. Not only are your items more secure, but your ride is quieter—no more clanging and banging inside the cabinet while you are moving.
5. Collapsible Crates
- If your storage space is limited, a collapsible crate is an excellent solution for packing everyday items and appliances from your kitchen counter. You can load the crate with a coffee maker, paper towel holder, spice racks, and other miscellaneous items. Depending on the layout of your RV, the crate can ride on the sofa, recliners, dinette benches, or under a table.
- Be sure to measure the size of the space before purchasing crates. You may find that a small crate fits nicely on your recliner, and a larger one will hold your coffee maker and other items tucked safely under the dining table.
- Another benefit of the collapsible crate is how versatile they are. When you are camping, you can collapse and store them or use them for temporary storage. They make great laundry baskets and extended pantry space.
6. Hook and Loop Strips
- One of the best ways to secure pictures and other decorations to your RV walls is with hook-and-loop strips. We learned this the hard way after finding our pictures liked to jump off nails and hooks.
- The most common brands are Command and Velcro. Be sure to follow the directions and allow the adhesive to set before hanging or applying any weight to them.
- If you are placing something on the wall that you never plan to remove, such as a key rack, the heavy-duty double-sided sticky tape also works well.
7. Refrigerator Bars
- To keep your cans and bottles from rolling out when you open the refrigerator, use tension rods to hold items on the shelves. You can usually find these in the RV section of department stores or at an RV dealer.
- Be sure to know the size you need before purchasing. Most of these bars are made for smaller RV refrigerators. If you have a residential fridge, these bars will not fit.
- A great alternative is the tension rods found in the curtain section of the store. Tension rods come in different lengths, so be sure the rods you buy will fit your shelves. Buy a rod for each shelf in your refrigerator.
- Before placing the rods, organize your fridge by putting the heavy items on the bottom shelf. Using the air space concept, fill the shelf as tightly as possible to keep shifting to a minimum.
Taking the time to pack and secure your items limits breakage and clean-up after arriving at your campsite, giving you more time to relax and enjoy your get-away. If you are looking for storage ideas, check out RV Modifications.
Peggy Staver, the author of this blog, is a freelance copywriter specializing in outdoor recreation and hospitality. You can contact her at PSCopywriting.com. The majority of photos are taken by Photography by Andreas.
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