The 5 Best Affordable RV Finds You Can Buy At IKEA

If you've got an RV, you've got the freedom to roam. Maybe you're a vanlifer, working remotely wherever you decide to park, or you're taking a family trip across the country. You have many of the conveniences of a stationary house or hotel room, with a bathroom, a kitchen, and bedrooms, but with the added benefit of being able to change up your scenery while keeping all your stuff with you. However, whether you're driving from California to New York, from Canada to Florida, or visiting Rapid City, America's most RV-friendly city, that stuff needs to be stored, and you're dealing with a much smaller space than you would in a traditional house. To that end, there is a selection of Ikea products that can be really helpful for RVing.

To narrow down the items on our list, we looked at a number of RV bloggers, both print and video, and Reddit posts to find the best Ikea products, as well as considering our own personal experience with them. There are some great prices here, as affordability was a key factor, and some very useful items that are designed to work in a small space.

One really helpful series of items is the Skubb storage collection. These inexpensive and flexible boxes and compartments are perfect for storage on the road, with vanlife bloggers Two With a View noting they're "a go-to choice for campervan hacks." They make storage cases with covers and zippers that range from $9 to $15 at the time of this writing, and come in different sizes. Some of these can fit under your bed, like this one that's 25 1/2 inches wide and 7 1/2 inches tall. You can store cool-weather clothing in there when you're not using it, toys for your kids, puzzles and games, and anything else you don't want rolling around as you travel. Plus, you can fold them flat when you're not using them. While they're a bit bendable and flexible, they've still got enough structure so you don't have to worry about them collapsing if you stack them. 

They make shoe boxes of the same flexible material for $10 for a four-pack. There are also smaller boxes in different sizes in a six-pack for $9 that are great to put inside your drawers for things like socks, underwear, or smaller things that you don't want to roll around. They even have a hanging organizer with six compartments so you can store things like towels, washcloths, and other soft items for $15. Again, this folds down, and you can stack them inside closets if you want to keep things organized. However, if you want something even more flexible, you can try the Pärkla storage case. It's soft plastic that's 21 3/4 inches wide and 7 1/2 inches tall and sells for $2. It's translucent so you can see what's in it, and it zips shut.

An item mentioned by Grateful Glamper as one of their "favorites for RVing" is the Pepprig dustpan and brush, priced at just $3. While you're on the road, you're going to want to do whatever you can without electricity, so this is much easier than a vacuum. Plus, it's small at 10.25" long, so it's not going to take up much space. However, the real benefit here is that it doesn't warp like some other dustpans. It's stiff plastic that holds up well. It's also easy to store. The brush attaches to the handle, which is great for preventing losing one half. Plus, it's got a large hole in the top of the handle, so it can be hung up if you have a hook on the wall. 

You can get hooks from IKEA, like the Tisken hook with a suction cup. It's a great one for this, as it won't damage the wall, and is $4.99 for a two-pack. You can also use Command Hooks, something you may have already been using for RV bathroom storage solutions. 

Storing your laundry can be tough in an RV, particularly if you have a smaller space. Plus, you're likely going to be carting it into a laundromat, campsite laundry facility, or outside to wash in the great outdoors. Lots of laundry baskets are round or bulky, but Ikea has a solution. The 6-gallon Slibb flexible laundry basket is $7, and it's tall and slim, making it easy to fit into small spaces, like between items or on small and/or shallow shelves. It measures 15 inches wide and 14 1/8 inches tall, and it can hold up to 9 pounds. It has handles as well for easy carrying between your RV and wherever you're going to wash your clothing. Vlogger Grateful Glamper also uses it for storing extra toilet paper and paper towels. (You may very well be able to fit this between the wall and the toilet in your bathroom for that toilet paper.) 

However, if you're looking for something larger or one that doesn't have holes in it, you can try the $10, 9-gallon Torkis flexible laundry basket, which comes in several colors. This one also has handles. It measures 10 3/4 inches tall by 24 1/2 inches wide, so it's a bit bigger than the Slibb. The lack of holes means it can also be used as a small toy storage bin or a place to collect all your bathroom products.

Kitchen storage is a big deal in an RV, and anything you can keep out of the cabinets and off the counter is critical. Ikea's Hultarp series is ideal for this (and other rooms as well). There are a lot of options to put things on the wall, and it starts with the Hultarp rail. It's 23 1/2 inches long and comes in multiple finishes, like nickel and black. The rail is easy to install and is affordably priced at $8, although the screws to mount on the wall are sold separately.

Once you have it installed, there are several customization options. You can grab some of the Hultarp hooks, which are $3 for a five-pack to hang spoons, spatulas, and anything else with a hole in it. You can also hang bunches of herbs or bananas on it. You can add the $6 Hultarp paper towel holder, which takes a larger item off the counter. Additionally, there are Hultarp containers, which are hanging baskets that come in a variety of styles for $7, and even a hanging dish drainer for $17. That has barriers on each side, so things are less likely to slide off. In addition, you can get a 15" Hultarp magnetic knife rack to hang on the wall.

Getting rid of garbage can be an issue in your RV. Standalone bins can tip over if you make a sharp turn or stop short. That's true, even if you store them in your cabinets. However, Ikea has a solution: the Hållbar sliding bins. They're a bit pricier than the other items on this list, at $43, but the bins hold up well. 

What you get is a 6-gallon bin with a foldable handle and a removable lid. You also get a frame that slides in and out of a space, and installation pieces. These are useful for under the counter because you can pull it out to put in larger items or change the bag without it tipping over. You can also get a set of two 5-gallon bins in a single sliding frame for $48 if you have the space and want to add in a recycling bin. They're pretty easy to install, and everything stays steady.  

There are a lot of great, affordable items for RVing at Ikea. To find the top five, we consulted a number of Reddit posts on r/RVLiving, along with blogs like RVLife, Two With a View, and Do It Yourself RV. We also referenced videos from YouTube bloggers like Grateful Glamper, Marc and Fip, and Making My Abode on the Road. Additionally, we looked at Ikea's official website to compare pricing and the affordability of items. Finally, I've used each of these items personally, both on trips and in my own home. I know from personal experience how easy they are to install (especially the sliding Hållbar garbage bins), and how well they hold up after lots of use.