The Best Organizing Ideas We Learned from Airstreams, RVs, and Other Homes on Wheels

Homes on wheels offer dwellers the freedom to relocate at a moment’s notice. But what they have in mobility, RVs, Airstreams, and trailers lack in space. That means that most owners are forced to get creative with their organization, which can be inspiring to those of us apartment- or home-dwellers who complain about our lack of storage space.

Here are some of the most brilliant organization solutions we learned from homes on wheels.

These Airstream owners have a surprising amount of counter space. But they get even more with a cutting board that sits over half of their double-bin sink. Whether you have two basins or just one, consider getting a large cutting board that can span part (or all) of your sink when you need the extra space to work.

We get not wanting to block any natural light, but this cute RV is proof that a little shelf can span a window and still let in plenty of sunlight. Think you don’t have room to start your own herb garden? Think again!

These RV dwellers freed up counter space by hanging their paper towel roll, pot holders, and spices on the walls. The point? Hang everything and anything to make room for other things that can’t be hung. (The Instant Pot can do many things, but it can’t be hung on a wall.)

We love this vintage airstream and come back to it again and again. Instead of having one deep, too-cavernous cabinet, these folks added pull-out drawers. This gives them extra storage and also means they can easily see what’s in the very back.

We love a good pot rail and this trailer is a good reminder that pot rails can be used for more than just pots. Use a pot rail and s-hooks for measuring cups, mugs, cleaning brushes, and more. Also: Note the clever placement of how this rail is hung from UNDER the shelf instead of just on the wall.

This RV has spice jars attached to the bottom of the upper kitchen cabinets. Brilliant! If you don’t want to screw your lids into the wood, consider using a magnetic knife rack instead.

Another good place for magnetic knife strip: Hang it on the side of your cabinet. (You could also add hooks or one of those pot rails to the sides, too). The owners of this airstream put a knife strip on the side of a cabinet and then even hung a little pan from it.

While you might not want camp stools for your home (hey, it totally works for these airstream owners), the sentiment is the same: Consider seating that can be folded up (or stacked) and stored out of the way when you need it to be. We also love this fold-out table.

Utility is key when you’re living on wheels, but it can come in handy in just about any home. Storage benches, whether store-bought or DIY-ed are a great way to hide clutter or store away lesser-used kitchen gadgets. Toss on a cute cushion and no one will know.