RV Fridge Storage Ideas: 8 Ways To Save Space
Refrigerator storage is a tricky problem for anyone. If you’re dealing with a small fridge in a moving vehicle, the problems only become more complicated. Space is limited and things can slide around while you drive. This is why it’s important to know some RV fridge storage ideas that make it easier and safer to store your food.
Storage space is a common issue for RVers, and many people have found innovative ways to improve their refrigerator setup. Below we have 8 tips that you can use in your own RV fridge. Not all of these tips will be practical for everyone, but there are some concepts you can apply to make traveling safer and to free up some storage space. Let’s get started!
1. Install tension bars
First things first, you need to make sure things aren’t sliding around while you drive! Most RVers know the pain of opening the fridge and having jars and Tupperware crash to the floor. You can prevent the majority of this sliding from happening if you install some tension bars inside the refrigerator.
There are a variety of ways to do this. The simplest thing to do is place a single bar in front of the shelves so nothing gets past it. You can also use multiple tension bars at varying levels and depths to create some makeshift shelves. This is a good strategy if you have a lot of jars and cans that you need to lock in place.
You can also use a fridge brace if you don’t want a tension bar to take up too much room. These simply clip onto wire racks in a fridge and can be used to proper up a jar, can, or another item that might slide around. Fridge braces mainly work for wire fridges though, so keep that in mind.
2. Add non-slip shelf liners
Next up, you need to make the shelves less slippery. Most refrigerators either have plastic or wire shelving. This is perfectly fine for a stationary appliance, but it doesn’t provide much grip once things start moving around. Non-slip shelf liners can be a lifesaver and you can easily install them anywhere in the refrigerator.
These are usually made from rubber or silicone and can adhere to the surfaces in your refrigerator. They provide some friction and grip for the items inside and enable you to store more in there. Plus, they can add some fun colors and patterns to the interior! If you want to buy some shelf liners, this 9-pack from Amazon is a good place to start.
3. Transfer food into stackable containers
Lots of RV fridge storage ideas center around the concept of moving foods into uniform packaging. After all, store-bought food comes in all sorts of shapes and forms. If you have to juggle jars, cans, boxes, bags, and other containers, you’ll have a real jigsaw puzzle on your hands.
Using a set of stackable containers will help you save space and organize things more efficiently. Plus, if everything is transparent, you can better see what you have and what you need to use up. There are tons of different options on the market for this purpose. iDesign Kitchen Binz are a popular choice for snacks and other small items. However, you can use any set of Tupperware that is easy to stack and rearrange.
4. Freeze liquids in bags
Another good way to save space (and prep some meals for later) is to freeze plastic bags of liquid. This might include soup, juice concentrate, refried beans, or similar foods. These items would take up a lot of space in your freeze/fridge if they remained in cans or Tupperware containers.
If you pour leftover fluid into plastic bags, lay them flat, and freeze them, you can enjoy some nice flat packages that are easy to stack against the walls. This is an easy way to increase your storage space and save leftovers for later.
5. Create a condiment caddy
Condiments and sauces can take up a lot of room in your refrigerator. Luckily, you can organize them and minimize the amount of space they take up by creating a condiment caddy. This is pretty easy to do, and we have 2 RV fridge storage ideas to solve this issue.
First of all, you can use an old egg carton as your caddy. Simply use the bottom half (the one with the divots) and cut it to an appropriate size to fit your refrigerator shelf. Then you can upend your condiment bottles and place the lids in the egg carton slots. The lids are usually much smaller than the base, so you can fit more bottles in a smaller space this way. Plus, you can get more out of each container because gravity makes it sink to the bottom.
The second method includes a repurposed 6-pack container of soda or beer. Simply use the cardboard container to organize and store your condiments in one convenient location! Plus, if you use the same sauces a lot, this option makes it easy to pull them all out at once.
6. Add a Lazy Susan
A lot of popular RV fridge storage ideas revolve around the concept of keeping things within reach. Sometimes certain foods can get stuck at the back of your refrigerator. If you don’t see them, you won’t eat them, and they will go bad. You can avoid a lot of hassle by adding a Lazy Susan into your fridge setup.
This might not be the most space-efficient method, but if you have a deep refrigerator that’s hard to access, it can act as a convenient option. It’s also good for storing small containers that would clutter the space otherwise. Just give them all a home on the Lazy Susan and enjoy the easy access!
7. Hang bags with binder clips
Some people tend to use a lot of plastic bags for food storage. There’s nothing wrong with this and it can be a great way to portion out snacks and meals. However, they can sometimes be hard to find/organize and can slide around the interior as you drive. To make things simpler, you can hang these bags up with binder clips.
This particular strategy works best if you have wire shelves that can support binder clips. If it works with your setup, this is a nice way to keep your food organized and visible. Plus, it can help you maximize your space usage! Sometimes there’s just empty space between one shelf and another, and these hanging bags can fill it nicely.
8. Only chill the necessities
Even the best RV fridge storage ideas won’t help if you overfill your refrigerator. This problem can be hard to overcome, but you can start by prioritizing the items that actually need to be chilled. We tend to refrigerate a lot of items that don’t actually need it!
If you find yourself short on space, look at the things that can be removed. A lot of fresh produce can survive just fine outside of the refrigerator. Drinks can also take up a lot of room. It’s nice to enjoy a cold beverage of course, but consider storing it somewhere else and popping it in the fridge when you’re ready to drink it.
Unopened bottles and cans are also better suited to a pantry. Just make sure you take stock and don’t overfill your fridge with things that will hold up just fine at room temperature.
One of the best parts about RVing is engaging with the community of traveling enthusiasts. iRV2 forums allow folks to chat with other RVers online, and get other perspectives on everything RVing, including products, destinations, RV mods, and much more.
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