The RV basement storage areas in the various RV’s we have owned always start out with the best intentions with simple and useful organization. Eventually, the quality attributes fade and chaos takes over turning the RV basement storage areas into one created by a lazy college kid who is mad at this father for waking him up too early. Having neatly organized RV basement storage is more than just aesthetically pleasing. It also makes setting up and departure preparations go much quicker and offers far fewer frustrations.
Over the years we have seen bins, slide out drawers, and other clever solutions. None however really address the issue of what to do with those pesky folding chairs that are an absolute necessity for any outdoor entertainment. Sure, we could invest $400 in few laptop sized camp chairs but that isn’t necessarily in the budget for everyone.
A logical RV basement storage solution was found at Penny’s Tuppence Blog. She had friends that came up with a clever yet simple solution to keeping their chairs neatly tucked away for easy access and simple storage.
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The design for this RV basement storage idea is straight-forward:
1. Cut 3/4” plywood pieces to fit inside the RV basement. (Be sure to cut around important wires, hoses, etc).
2. Varnish the Wood to ensure it has longevity and also to prevent splinters. Be sure to review How to Varnish Wood.
3. Using L brackets secure the top and bottom of the divider.
We are looking at doing this with wood or possibly Plexiglass to add less weight. The trade off is of course rigidity. It would also possibly be cheaper to complete with Plexiglass. We are anxious to see if any of our readers have any suggestions or ideas. As always if you have completed something like this or have another idea please submit it in the comments below or over in our forums!
Thanks for your tip Brad. Did you find the panels at a local hardware store or reused them from another application?
Honeycomb plastic panels are a great lightweight alternative to plywood. I’ve used them to replace plywood shelving in the trucks my business operates and they save considerable weight. I think they’d work in for basement dividers, I’ll give them a try in the new fifth wheel we’re getting in September.
Great thoughts Tom. Probably would be better with Lexan. Many folks prefer to work with wood though! Hope your transition to full time goes well! Thanks for your comment!
What about using plexyglass with a sheet of aluminum glued to it? This would make it as stiff as plywood and allow for even thinner plexyglass further reducing weight. You could use lexan, not very stiff but it will not break if combined with the aluminium. You would have something far stronger then plywood but about as heavy maybe. It is still a bit lighter then plywood . I would avoid plywood as it will rot over time if you put your chairs in wet or have cleaning chemical spill. I am going full time very soon and we will be using a spray on truck bed liner and many containers mostly commercial grade for business needs. Good Luck
Great looking storage mod. We’re considering doing the same, and for divider material, using the 4’x6′ plastic lattice fencing, available at any local home improvement store. Not so concerned abut weight, just looking for something a little less prone to splinter on the old hands. Attached with 3 – 3 1/2″ angle brackets, top & bottom, should be rigid enough for the task at hand. But, this is only a small change to someone else’s great idea. Thanks to all for getting the idea in place.