You’re taking your RV on a camping trip for the first time. You can barely contain your excitement as you pack things into the refrigerator.
But then a few thoughts cross your mind. How will these things stay in the refrigerator while we drive? Will the refrigerator door stay closed? Will my jar of pickles end up on the floor of the RV when we arrive?
Now you’re worried. But it doesn’t have to be! We have simple solutions to lock up your RV’s refrigerator and protect loose items in cabinets and on countertops. Learn more here!
Why do you need to secure items on travel days?
Travel days can feel hectic and stressful. You want to do everything you can to avoid disaster, such as making sure tires are properly inflated and lug nuts are tightened. But you also want to do everything you can to avoid a disaster in your RV.
If you open the door and find a pile of spaghetti on the floor, that might not be so bad, but if you open the door and see broken glass strewn all over the RV, setting it up becomes more difficult.
This is why securing items in the RV is so important on travel days. Some say that traveling with an RV in tow is like an earthquake inside the RV.
Things rattle, things move, and you’re likely to find something out of place when you arrive. You want to do your best to keep things from breaking, falling to the floor, and making a mess.
How do you store items in the RV refrigerator while traveling?
There is a special focus on the refrigerator. You should put away the items on the counter and make sure they don’t fall off the shelves, but you also need to take the time to secure the food in your refrigerator so that when you open the door, jars, bottles and containers don’t fall out.
Use tension bars or refrigerator supports
RV refrigerators come in all sizes. Depending on the size of your space, you should use either tension rods or refrigerator supports to hold bottles and containers in place.
You certainly don’t want them to fall out of the fridge, but you also don’t want them to fall over and make a mess in the fridge.
Use the refrigerator drawers for any items that might roll around, like fruits and vegetables, and then use tension bars and refrigerator supports to keep items from sliding back and forth as you go.
Install motorhome refrigerator door lock
Installing a refrigerator door lock in your RV is essential. You can’t rely on the refrigerator to stay closed during your trip. A sharp turn or a big bump can cause the door to swing open.
If that happens, you can have spoiled food and a mess on the floor that can take hours to clean up. The carpet can get stained, food can get under the slide, and liquids can get into the tiny crevices of your RV.
So look for a lock you can put on the refrigerator door to make sure food stays inside on travel days.
5 Pack refrigerator door lock, mini refrigerator lock child safety, childproof cabinet locks, fits perfectly to lock cabinets, sliding door, drawers, toilet seat, freezer, cabinet seat, window, oven.
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Use refrigerator bucket
Inside the refrigerator, you need some sort of system to keep your food in place. It’s a good idea not to put glass bottles next to glass bottles, as they will bump into each other and may break. Put plastic bottles or plastic containers in between.
Refrigerator bins are very helpful in organizing food. Your bottles may not fit on the door shelves, so you need to secure them in bins.
If you have chopped up vegetables and divided them into small containers, put them in bins so they don’t slide around. Some foods, such as a package of hot dogs or a head of lettuce, can stand on their own. However, focus on smaller items that could roll around, break, and crack.
Tips for keeping other items safe while traveling
But the RV refrigerator isn’t the only place you should keep items safe. Go through the cabinets and make sure nothing flies out in case of a sudden stop. Here are some tips to help you with this task.
Use bins in cabinets
There are so many different types of bins you can use in cabinets, from hard trays to woven bins to canvas bins. Some people like canvas because it can be pushed together to fit in different sized cabinets.
Others prefer the hard plastic bins because they are easier to grip with one hand.
Use bins to secure loose items in cabinets, regardless of which style you prefer. From food to toys to tools, you want to keep everything in one safe place so nothing ends up on the floor.
Using tension rods in medicine cabinets
Sometimes tension rods work, sometimes they don’t. But it’s worth buying and installing them in your medicine cabinets.
Shampoo bottles, medications and personal care products can easily fall out of these cabinets in the bathroom. If a lotion bottle falls out and pops open, it can make a sticky mess that you’ll have to clean up.
If a bottle of Robitussin falls out and the bottle breaks, you could find liquid all over the RV when you arrive at your destination. So use tie rods to keep those loose items in place in the medicine cabinets.
Use soft items for cushioning
You can also use items you already have to cushion fragile items like wine glasses, canning jars, and coffee cups.
Stuff soft items like socks, towels, and oven mitts between the jars for protection. This way, you don’t have to buy anything or find room for extra travel accessories like totes or tension rods.
If you have a cupboard full of coffee mugs, tuck socks between them or wrap a towel through the mugs to keep them from clinking together and breaking.
Remember: Are you having problems with your RV refrigerator? Fix them with these troubleshooting solutions
Use museum putty for countertop items
You can’t remove all items from countertops. If you have a few small plants, you can attach them to the countertop with museum putty. Then you do not have to move them on the days of travel.
Other common items like pictures or an Instant Pot should also be secured with museum putty.
Use shelf inserts
In addition to using bins and towels to protect items stored in cabinets, it is important to use shelf liners to prevent movement.
This inexpensive product can make a big difference in whether or not your plates end up on the floor.
Measure your shelves and cut the liner to size. Now you don’t have to worry about your plates slipping as you drive.
Secure freestanding furniture with bungee cords
Most RV furniture comes with straps that secure it to the floor or wall. However, if you have remodeled the standard furniture or replaced it with your own, you can secure it with bungee cords.
Try attaching hooks to the wall, and wrap a bungee cord around dining chairs or under an ottoman to make sure they don’t shift. A sharp turn could cause a chair to tip over, which could punch a hole in a piece of wood or cause further damage.
Remember: Which RV refrigerator is the best? Let’s find out!
Attach wood trim to cabinets
Another tip to prevent items from falling out of cabinets onto the floor is to attach wooden moldings.
If a large can of beans hits the cabinet door during a turn, the force could potentially knock the cabinet door open. This could cause even more items to fall out during transit.
Wooden strips attached to the bottom of the cabinets prevent items from hitting the cabinet door and knocking it open. They act as a small support to keep items from tipping over.
Avoid a travel day disaster by properly securing all items
Travel days are stressful enough when you’re worrying about what could go wrong and dealing with traffic and other drivers.
Secure the inside of your RV with a refrigerator lock, tie-downs, shelf liners and bungee cords to keep items in place.
When you arrive at your destination, you want to settle in and unpack. You don’t want to spend hours cleaning up or heading to the nearest hardware store for repairs.
Do you have any other tips or tricks for properly securing your items on travel days?