Keep, Toss, Store- From Home to RV- How to Make it Work

Going from a typical “sticks and bricks” home to living fulltime in an RV, even a spacious RV, can be a bit of a struggle. Many of us are looking at a lifetime of accumulated STUFF and wondering where to put it all. RVers from all walks of life have mentioned the freedom and satisfaction that comes along with downsizing. If you have spent any amount of time in an RV then you know that space is one thing that is not in abundance. It is a fair trade off though when you consider the adventurous life that you get in return. Sometimes the downsizing part can be a little painful.

When my husband and I moved into our first RV we had just come out of an involuntary downsizing. I guess you could say the simple life found us. We were drafted into it but now we wouldn’t have it any other way. Still, I had my nice apartment just outside of Washington, D.C. complete with furniture, every appliance imaginable, an elliptical machine, and a beautiful baker’s rack that I had found in a little shop in Alexandria, Virginia.

I had stuff – and lots of it.

We knew what was coming though so we sold everything, save for a few boxes and items that we put in storage. A couple of months later we pared that down and a few months later pared even that down. Now everything we own is in our travel trailer – well, and some in the back of our van. I do dabble in crafts here and there and that can accumulate at an alarming rate. I also like yard sales. Oh, and I love books. OK, OK, I am a bit of a pack rat.

Anyway, these are some of my tips for getting your space organized.

Make the most of your space.

When I first started trying to figure out what to keep, my rule was if I would need it within a year. That didn’t work so great and I was running out of storage space. So that measure changed to will I need it within 6 months. Eventually I pared it back even further until I only had items I would use within 1 month in our trailer.

Now our trailer has a good deal of storage but that doesn’t mean that every inch has to be filled. I designated certain areas for certain things. For instance, the drawers under the sofa are great for some of my photography projects. I bought two small ottomans to put in front of the sofa. While adding comfort and additional seating when necessary, they are also storage bins. More craft stuff goes in mine. My husband’s is currently holding extra air (he isn’t a pack rat).

My point is, look at the space you have and adjust your stuff accordingly. In some cases your RV organization will allow you to keep tons of stuff. In other cases it will mean that you have to get rid of a few things – maybe even a lot of things. It’s all worth it though and this guide will help you decide what to keep, what to toss, and what to store.

What to keep.

Little glass whatnots and other knick knacks probably won’t fit in your RV – and if they did they likely would not fare well. Keep it simple and keep it functional. As I said, I went through my things and if I was not going to use it within the month it was either in storage or tossed out. I admit that I routinely have to do this with my things, especially my clothing.

You don’t want an RV that is bursting at the seams with stuff. If you love books, get an ereader and start buying electronic books (or subscribe to BookBub and pick them up for sale or even free). If you like crafting, keep only a few things with you and put the rest in storage. When you are traveling designate an area for your supplies and only keep what you can put in that space.

Really analyze your space and don’t let yourself get carried away with keeping too much stuff. You really don’t need all that you think you need. You will be surprised to see just how much you can do without. You’ll be a lot happier too. I used to tell my kids, “Sometimes we have stuff but sometimes our stuff has us.” Which is it for you?

What to stick in storage.

If you maintain a home base then you can get a storage unit there to keep your things. Stuff to put in storage includes family heirlooms, large items that you can’t bear to part with, clothing that is out of season, and things that you will need occasionally like a steam cleaner or bedding that you use when you have guests.

Now, if you have a house or access to someone’s basement then you can probably store your things there. We don’t have that luxury so we did have our things in storage. Eventually though we just did away with it. Now everything that we own is in our trailer.

What to toss.

If you haven’t used it in, say 6 months, then you can probably get rid of it and never miss it. Items of sentimental value don’t really count, but if you are really sentimental, say taking up a good portion of your living space with these things, then RVing is probably not for you – at least full timing anyway. Look critically at your stuff, all of it, and really question yourself. Just how realistic is it to hold on to all those clothes? Do you really need all those pots, luggage, bedding, you fill in the blank. If the answer is no, you don’t need it, then donate it, give it away, or toss it.

Set up three boxes labeled Keep, Store, and Toss. As you go through your things, place each item in one of the boxes. EVERYTHING must go through one of the boxes. No cheating! When you approach it from a realistic, rational, practical standpoint you will see that you don’t need nearly the stuff you think you do.

What are your guides for sorting your stuff? How do you decide what to keep and what to toss?