Easy DIY Shelving for Your RV

Arletia Mayfield shares tips and insights for full-time RV living and the missionary lifestyle.

Maximizing the Space in Your RV

Running out of storage in your RV? This article will show you how to use prefabricated "wire cube" shelving to maximize the storage in your RV. This shelving will allow you to keep clothing and other items organized and accessible.

How to Build Wardrobe Cabinets Next to Your Bed

Step 1: Measure Your Space

Measure the opening of the wardrobe cabinets on each side of your bed. Purchase "wire cube" storage kits in a size that when assembled will fit snugly and fill your cabinets. The panels in the kit above are 14x14-inch squares. Decide how much storage to purchase after reading the article and measuring your RV.

Step 2: Build the First Box Inside the Cabinet

You may need to place the disassembled panels into the cabinet before building them. For example, the opening to our cabinet opening is only 13 inches wide—but inside, from wall to wall, it's 16 inches wide. So, I built the boxes right inside the closet.

You will use 5 panels for your first box, which includes a bottom. The opening of your box will face the door entrance.

Step 3: Secure the Panels With Zip Ties

Use zip ties to secure the panels together. Use scissors to trim the zip ties for a neat appearance.

Step 3: Build Upward

Build the next box on top of the first one. The second cube already has a bottom, so you will only need 4 panels (3 sides + 1 top).

Step 4: Compartmentalize

After you've built two boxes, use two more panels to divide each box in half.
Simply zip tie a panel right in the middle of each box to make a total of four compartments. This shelving unit uses 11 panels.

How to Build Over-the-Bed Shelving

If you have cabinets over the bed, they may be more spacious, so you might be able to use the corner fasteners that come in the box with the panels. However, you may still use zip ties if you desire.

Since the round fasteners that come with the panels may slide on the bottom of your cabinet when the RV is in motion, we recommend using a non-slip shelf liner on the bottom of these shelves.

We also divided these 4 boxes in half by adding an additional panel in the center (like we did for the side wardrobe cabinets).

These cabinets used a total of 16 panels (tops, sides, center dividers, backs). They do not have bottom panels. However, if you have enough panels and desire to add bottoms, you may. We just used the non-slip shelf liner on the bottom.

Also, you can use the top of the shelves for items like coats, hats, or more clothes.

Neat and Tidy Storage

Best of Luck!

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This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

© 2017 Arletia Mayfield