The biggest challenge we faced when going full-time in our motorhome, was how to shrink a three-bedroom house into a 325-square-foot RV. We’re older, had a lot of stuff yet planned to live on the road for several years. So where do we start and what do we actually need to bring? We took it one step at a time. Food and shelter are the basics of life; we had our shelter so food was the logical next step. This is the story of our RV kitchen space saving transformation. If you’re curious about the bigger picture behind our transition, read our story [How we quit the 9‑to‑5 Grind for full‑time RV life].
Cookware Matters
David and I are self-declared foodies. I love cooking, canning and baking from scratch. David also cooks and used to smoke his own meats. Our old kitchen was pretty good size with plenty of room to store food, spices all the cooking necessities, plus popcorn makers, tortilla presses, milkshake blenders, canning gear and every size pot and pan imaginable. It all fit beautifully in our house, but now we only had a pullout pantry, two small cabinets, four drawers and practically no counter space to work with. Where would we store all of our food, cookware, utensils and accessories?
Even though we were downsizing, we refused to “rough it” with our meals. We went to work identifying our “must-haves,” a few “wants” and went to work paring it all down and figuring out how to maximize vertical space and make it all fit.
Re-Imagining the Galley
*Disclaimer:* We are not affiliated with any of the stores or brands mentioned below. These are products we personally use and love.
Our first move was to look critically at our galley. We had a large convection oven/microwave and a stove and oven combo. Did we really need both? The kitchen table came with four curved back, over-sized, padded chairs. Though comfy, they were huge. Should we keep them? Then there was the “gift in disguise,” the original 2000 era absorption refrigerator was on its last legs and needed to be replaced.
Swapping out the twenty year old refrigerator was a “no-brainer.” We ended up buying a Dometic Residential Style fridge that runs off DC power. It was smaller than the original but had more interior room. Once installed, it left a 9”x 59” vertical gap. Score! We just created more space. My ever handy partner David, built another pullout pantry leaving an open shelf at the top for a charging station. Food storage immediately became more manageable and we had a bonus electronics charging area.
We ended up pulling down the convection oven/microwave and installed a shelf in its place. This gave us a place to house our coffee bar and we added back a much smaller microwave. The chairs went as well opening up a range of possibilities.
Space‑Saving Game Changers
1. Padded Storage Bench
We swapped out our kitchen chairs for two compact cafe chairs and found a sweet padded metal storage bench that we put on the other side of the table. The bench holds up to 300 lbs. We can still seat four when needed, and it gave us a place to store large items like our blender, mixer, and crock pot. Bonus: the kitties think its a perfect place to lounge all day.
2. Magnetic Anything
Once we discovered magnetic solutions, it sparked a bit of an obsession. The refrigerator door became a spice rack. A metal plate attached to the cabinet divider turned into a paper-towel holder, and a place to hang tin coffee cups with the help of magnet hooks. We even bought a set of magnetic nesting measuring spoons. They live in a drawer but they all stay together and it’s easy to get the one size needed. There are all kinds of magnetic products out there. Search “magnetic kitchen organization” on Amazon for ideas to help with your space saving projects.
3. Shelf Inserts & Glass Racks
To take full advantage of our cabinets, we installed shelf inserts and glass hanging racks. They screw securely into place, allowing us to safely stack plates, bowls and hang wine glasses vertically, turning dead space into usable storage. Traditional screw hooks gave us a place to hang heavier items. Ikea has lots of small space, organization solutions. It’s worth scrolling the Ikea website for ideas.
4. Fruit Hammocks
A quirky metal fish skeleton we already had in our house became a mount for fruit hammocks. Fresh fruits and vegetables hang freely, up and out of the way. It adds a fun touch to the interior and since we re-purposed something we already owned, we didn’t have to buy anything. Saving money is always a good thing.
5. Collapsible Kitchen Tools and Utensils
Collapsible silicone gear flattens out for easy storage and pops back into shape when needed. We have a collapsible colander set and measuring cups.
Our Kitchen Today
Kitchen has evolved since we first moved in. The cafe chairs are gone and the table is now a combo eating and office space but the rest of our initial changes stand.
We’ve been on the road a while now and we are very happy with our kitchen. We can make everything we did in our house because we brought what we wanted and needed. Well, everything but the stand mixer. Sacrifices had to be made with our limited counter space and coffee overruled mixing. But we cook daily. I bake. We’ve even canned and processed a half bushel peppers in our tiny RV kitchen.
By looking critically at the initial set up, making a few changes, then maximizing vertical space, we turned a tiny, cramped RV kitchen into a functional gourmet cooking space.