Sunday, September 26, 2021


Trim your RV weight and increase storage space, too

By Adrienne Kristine


When you shop for groceries and sundries for your home, you can take advantage of sales on bulk items without worrying about the weight and space to store them. In an RV, weight decreases mileage and storage is limited.

Think light. Round cans create unusable space and add weight.

Think dehydrated. Can you purchase the same item, such as soup, vegetables or fruit, in dehydrated form?

Think square. Most of us have a drawer or shelf full of assorted plastic containers. Swap round containers for square with your neighbors or go to the dollar store. They’re inexpensive and you can purchase several sizes for under $10.

Think bags instead of boxes. Cereal is light but bulky. Pour the cereal into a plastic gallon freezer bag (more expensive but stronger with less chance of tearing). Remove the air, seal the bag and it can be stacked just about anywhere.

Think envelopes. Gravy, spaghetti sauce, taco seasoning, etc., can be found in packets. Fill any gaps on your shelves with these small, thin items instead of cans or jars.

Think configuration. Most toilet paper four-packs are stacked two-on-two. Open the package and fill spaces on your shelf with individual rolls. You can do the same with paper towels. Both will eliminate items rattling on the shelves.

Think size. After you have arranged your shelves and drawers to your satisfaction, you can only replace an item with one of equal size.

Think time. Remember to mark the date and cycle food to the front so items with a short shelf life can be used before expiration.

A little time spent planning now can save weight, space, time and money very soon.

##RVT821 ##RVDT1386


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Blaise Bodway
1 year ago

Great thoughts on this, just finished a 3000 mile trip and had a lot of extra weight that I really did need on board anyway 🙃

1 year ago

Another benefit of using freezer bags for cereal, rice, pasta, flour and pancake mix is keeping ants out.

George B.
3 years ago

Weight is a constant concern. I winter in Yuma, AZ which is about 2,000 miles from my summer home. If I move, let’s say, 1 pound of butter 2,000 miles, I have effectively moved 1 ton 1 mile. Multiply that by the number of 1 pound, or heavier, items I carry with me and I’m moving a lot of weight and using a lot of fuel at the same time.

Liz Wharton
3 years ago

Thanks for the cute article. The advice about Round vs. Square goes for basement storage as well. Find a square or rectangular bucket and fill it with rags and a paper towel roll. Make sure storage containers are square or rectangular – with lids, so you can stack. Put oddly shaped items into a container and use rags to fill in the space – we found out that rags are essential for about a thousand tasks and needed more than what we brought along.
Get your rig weighed, wheel by wheel so you can know where to put those round cans, if you have to haul them!
Good advice, Adrienne, thanks!

3 years ago

Glad you wrote the article – good reminder to be conservative in order to gain mileage and fun!

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