4 RV Basement Storage Solutions & Tips

Most RV basements are a thinly carpeted area stuffed full with hoses, adapters, muddy boots, kids toys, camping chairs, a grill, a tub of things you swore you would need in the RV but never open, more hoses, bugs, and firewood. Unfortunately, most RVs don’t come with any type of RV basement storage solutions built in. You have an open area full of things that like to roll, slide, and break when the RV is in motion.

Finding a system to keep your gear in place and organized makes camp life easier, especially if you’re a frequent or full-time traveler.

For any newbies not yet in the know, let’s start with exactly what is an RV Basement, and then we’ll look at RV basement storage solutions.

What is an RV Basement?

Basement is more of a nickname than anything. It’s not like the basement in a house, where you can go downstairs and walk around… Although there are definitely some basements big enough to crawl through!

An RV basement is usually no more than a couple feet high, and is generally just extra storage compartments that are located under the floor of the RV.

My husband calls this the “under storage” instead of the RV basement, but storage bays is another popular term.

In this article we’re going to look at some RV basement storage ideas that will help you organize the storage bays while still having easy access to things like water hoses, extra toilet paper, outdoor equipment, or those seldom used items like Christmas decorations and out of season clothes.

Here are some RV storage ideas that will help make the most of your basement storage areas:

4 RV Basement Storage Solutions

1. Cargo Slide (aka Slide Tray / Cargo Tray)

If you don’t like bending over and climbing halfway into the basement to find what you’re looking for, RV basement storage slides might be the way to go.

It’s simply a set of rails fixed to the left and right of the interior space with a drawer or shelf that runs back and forth on the rails, just like a normal kitchen drawer, but much larger.

This makes life a lot easier because you simply pull on the handle and the whole shelf rolls out, giving you full access to everything you can fit in it.

The con to this set up is both the high price tag and how much space some systems take up. You may lose storage space trying to create organization.

Not all of them take up that much space, but it is something to consider when looking into the cargo slide option.

Something else to note is that you can buy these cargo slides separately and have them installed, or you can build your own sliding tray. If you’re handy with the tools, you may be able to come up with a design that maximizes your space and wastes as little as possible.

Before purchasing any hardware for constructing your own slides, you should consider what you plan to store on the slide. If you’re putting anything heavy, like a generator or a tool cabinet, then you’ll need to make sure that you get heavy-duty RV drawer slides.

This storage solution will cost a few hundred dollars at least, but it is one of the most effective.

(Here is a smaller, more affordable option from RecPro.)

2. Suspend Racks

I saw this great idea on the Forest River Forums for suspending a rack from the garage door track. You can see the pics below:

Source: Forest River Forums

If you need to, you can use bungee cords to secure any items from moving around in transit.

This is a great DIY idea, but you could also buy hanging garage storage organizers on Amazon and install them with a little less work!

3. Storage Bins

A great way to maximize the RV basement storage space without having to dig through everything to find what you need is to use plastic bins.

They make great places to store small items while still easy to access. Labeling the bins will be your friend! Or opting for clear bins which will look more cluttered, but may make searching for gear easier.

Before You Buy…

Before you buy anything recommended on the list, pause, grab a measuring tape, and measure your basement space!

This will help you know how tall of bins you can purchase, how many you can fit in the space, and which storage solutions will benefit you most.

Make sure you figure all that out before you head to the store!

Pay close attention to the walls and corners of your storage space as you measure. If they are curved, it may seem minor now. But those little curves can throw off your measurements by a few inches!

This tiny detail can be a problem when you bought a whole bunch of perfectly square or rectangular tubs, only to realize they won’t slide in because the square corners don’t fit into the curved corner of the interior space!

4. Add a Pegboard

Make the most of the vertical space by installing a pegboard on one wall of the basement and use it store things like tools, cords, hoses, water connection pieces or anything else that you may want to access reasonably regularly.

But before you rush off to start measuring your RV basement, there are still a couple of things we haven’t touched on.

Weight Management

Don’t worry, I’m not about to ask you to lay off the burgers and start eating salad! I’m talking about the weight of your RV.

Be conscious of how much extra weight you’re adding to your RV when you start filling up the storage areas with all your new plastic bins and cargo trays.

If you’re loading them up with too much stuff like car parts, heavy tools, water or other liquids, etc. then you can start to affect the overall RV weight.

RV Basement Lighting

Your RV likely comes with some lighting, but if it doesn’t, take it from me. Add lighting! You will save yourself from knocking your head into the RV, tripping over things, and wasting time searching for items in the dark.

If there’s not already lighting in your basement area, you could get an electrician to install some for you (or do it yourself easily).

Camping in Freezing Temps

If you’re camping in the winter or somewhere with freezing temperatures, do not add LED bulbs to your basement. Add bulbs that will be a little warm to the space around your tanks. That little bit of heat can prevent your pipes and tanks from freezing!

Read More: How to Prepare Your RV For Cold Weather Living

RV Basement Storage Solutions

With some cargo trays, racks, bins or a pegboard, your RV basement storage problems will quickly be solved!

What have you done to organize your RV basement storage space? Let us know in the comments or share your ideas of what works best.

Get Everything Organized:

• 21 Ways to Organize Your RV Kitchen Cabinets & Drawers
• 43 Ways To Organize Your RV: Accessories And Hacks
• 11 Clever RV Towel Storage Ideas