Whether you're taking a one week, one month or one year RV trip, you need to be savvy when it comes to packing and storing your belongings  since RV space is at a premium. It may be hard to limit what you pack on your first few outings, but you'll soon come to know what you need and what you never even touch. Use these five tips to make the most of your limited space.

1.       Use an accordion file for paper documents: You should switch your credit cards and bills to paperless billing and move to digital recording keeping as much as possible, but you will need to have some paper with you. Things like your RV insurance documents, passports, licenses, RV maintenance records and other essentials can be kept in an expanding accordion file folder. This keeps them in one central location, but provides individual folders to keep them organized.

2.       Get creative with shoe organizers: There are many styles of over-the-door and hanging shoe organizers that can be used for so many things besides shoes. You can have one in the bathroom to hold nail clippers, cotton balls, makeup, band aids and shower products. In the pantry area, you can use it for storing spice jars, seasoning packets, storage bags and utensils. Another can be used for things like remotes, phone chargers, glasses, pens and flashlights.

3.       Add a lower shelf in the closet: If you hang your clothes, you'll find that there's a lot of wasted space below them. You can remedy this by building a shelf that is slightly higher than the shoes which you store on the floor. This will give you a generous area in which you can store things in baskets or stackable plastic containers. 

4.       Keep the laundry basket in the shower: Why waste space leaving it in the closet when the shower is a more practical option? It's where you usually take off your dirty clothes and since the shower typically gets used for less than an hour a day, it's easy to move the laundry basket out when it's time to shower. 

5.      Create a minimalist wardrobe: By opting for just a few pieces of clothes that can be mixed and matched, you have less clothing to store. Choose pants, shorts and skirts in basic colors and for each bottom, select two to three tops that can be paired with it. Ideally one shirt can be worn with two or more bottoms. Then you can vary your outfit even more by having a variety of accessories and shoes. 

One more thing to organize before hitting the road is your RV insurance policy. Make sure it’s up to date and includes the right amount of coverage so you can travel with peace of mind.