5 Cool And Crafty RV Bathroom Shelf Ideas That Maximize Storage Space

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The open road calls to us all at one point or another in our lives. You can take a road trip in your car, but doing it in an RV can give you the comforts of home combined with the thrill of adventure. Whether you're taking a weekend trip for some camping or you've switched from a permanent residence to full-time van living, life is sweet on the road. However, there are some logistical issues that may come up for you in terms of bathroom storage in an RV. Even if you've hit Ikea for some affordable finds to help and done some DIY upgrades on your RV shower, you may want to take a look at some crafty bathroom shelf ideas that can make your RV bathroom more comfortable. 

To pick the best RV bathroom shelving ideas, we took a look at advice on a number of Reddit posts. We also looked at ideas from Facebook groups and RV forums to find the ones that will be the easiest to use. Additionally, I've used some of these myself on theater bus tours to keep my things organized, and when I lived in New York City with a bathroom that was so small I had to walk into it sideways. While you can certainly install professional shelving (or pay someone else to do it), these hacks can be easily done yourself with minimal effort.

RV bathrooms may not have enough storage, especially if you're taking the whole family out on a cross-country trip. Everyone has a favorite shampoo, hair tools, and soap, and then there are things like makeup and medication. If you're dealing with a single shelf, or a tiny bit of under-the-sink storage, you may be in for some territorial fights. However, there is one fantastic idea that has been mentioned in a number of Reddit threads in communities such as r/GoRVing, and that's using a hanging shoe organizer on the back of the door. 

These organizers have multiple pockets and can hold items like bottles, lipsticks, razors, shaving cream, and more. You can not only hang these on the back of the bathroom door, but you can use strong suction cups to hold one up in the shower (from personal experience). However, one thing to keep in mind is that a holder with mesh pockets may be a better choice than plastic or fabric versions so it doesn't stay damp from the water, and you can see what's inside. Amazon has the PaulOne 35-Pocket Door Shoe Organizer, and that has enough pockets that you could likely store everyone's shower slides in there as well. If you want to level up your game a bit, you can also get a shower curtain that has pockets like one from Amazon Basics for extra storage. If you're feeling crafty, you can sew buttons or stick velcro inside each pocket so they can be closed for an additional layer of security while driving.

One of the most important things to have with any sort of RV bathroom shelving (or any other room, for that matter) is a way to keep items from slipping off the shelf when the vehicle is moving. A post in the Facebook group RV Storage, Space and Organizing Ideas, as well as a YouTube video from @MobileRVTechServices, suggests using wire baskets as shelving. You can see what's inside, and a basket design keeps things from falling out.

If you're feeling crafty, you can glue a bit of felt on the back (as suggested in the YouTube video) to keep the back of the baskets and the hooks from scratching the wall. Some wire baskets can be hung with suction cups or hooks screwed into the wall, like the Aozita Hanging Wall Mount Storage Baskets with Adhesive Hooks & Steel Hooks on Amazon. You can also attach them to the inside of bathroom cabinets to make shelving and keep what you have inside from sliding around. They may also work well inside the shower and over the toilet, as long as they're positioned high enough so you don't bang your head on them.

Lots of people hang their towels on a hook from the bathroom door. That's great for after you've used them when you want to let them dry. However, you still need a place to store your clean towels. Rather than taking up valuable closet space in your bedroom, you can pick up a wine rack like the Sorbus Wall Mount Wine Rack on Amazon that attaches to the wall. Then, you can roll up your clean towels and store them the way you'd store wine. (This is also a great way to store reusable water bottles if your family has a lot of them.)

If you want to get crafty, however, and you're good at woodworking, you can cut and glue wood pieces diagonally in opposite directions (similar to this Kirigen Wine Rack) to create a network of diamond shapes that will hold towels when hung on the wall. Again, we suggest doing so high enough above the toilet so you don't hit your head on it.

While most RV bathrooms don't have an excess of space, one thing they do have is corners. As anyone who has ever lived in a small space — whether it's an apartment or an RV — knows, corners don't have to be wasted space. Instead, they can be the perfect spot for some corner shelving, as one person in the RV Storage, Space and Organizing Ideas Facebook group mentioned. It may be something you've used inside a shower with a pressure rod, and that's a great idea as well, particularly if the shelves have an edge to them to hold things inside. However, if you're adding one to the outside of a shower for beauty and grooming products, you can either use a pressure rod, hang the shelves with suction cups, or screw them into the wall. You can get shelving in the form of single shelves or towers for more storage.

If you're using one designed to be placed inside a shower, it will likely have a openwork bottom to avoid trapping water and allow things to dry. If you want to put smaller items on the shelves, you can cut some thin foam or plastic to fit the base of each shelf to keep small objects from falling through the holes.

Some bathrooms have horizontal towel bars already installed, and you may not be using them to their full potential. Instead of simply leaving them there empty or with a single hand towel, there are other ways to make them work for you. Ikea has buckets and other items that are meant to hang off a circular rod, like the Hultarp bucket that comes in different colors and finishes. You can also use the Hultarp paper towel holder to hold an extra towel. In addition, you can hang these from the shower rod, either inside or outside the shower for easy reach.

The bucket is great for storing a small hair dryer, hair brushes, a rolled washcloth or hair towel, or a few bottles of liquid that could spill otherwise. There are also Hultarp hooks to hang from the rod to hook cords around, or to hang shower puffs or soap in a bag if you hang them from the shower rod.

If you're reading these bathroom shelving ideas because you're heading out in an RV for the first time, make sure you read our guide to whether or not using the bathroom while the RV is driving is legal.