Do you travel in a Camper, RV, Motorhome or van? Are you looking for easy camper storage ideas which will help to stop rattles and reduce motorhome noise while driving?
There’s nothing better than the excitement of setting off on a new adventure! There’s nothing worse than getting 2 miles down the road and the noises from the back of the motorhome as you go over every bump and hump are deafening!
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Stop rattles in your Motorhome
We have a running joke in our camper. We set off on a road trip… and 30 seconds later we stop again in order to go and fix something which is rattling or making noise. This is often repeated several (or many!) times each trip.
You wouldn’t believe the number of times we’ve stopped in a layby or parking area and then tried to figure out where the mystery noise was coming from. I swear, camper vans have their own special kind of ‘rattle which can NEVER be found until you’re driving!!
I have even gone so far as to sit in the back seats whilst we were travelling so I could hear for myself where the noises were coming from!! 😉 This is where learning how to pack a motorhome or camper properly can really help.
RV-ing with Kids- A Hidden Benefit!
One thing we discovered whilst travelling with our daughter, is she was able to hear different noises whilst in her seat in the back of the camper. We would end up bribing her to be our ‘camper noise finder’ and she got a treat (usually pocket money!) for every motorhome noise she found whilst we were driving!
If you’re serious about motorhome noise reduction, having someone sitting in the back ( only if there are seat belts!!) can really help.
Looking for more Camper storage ideas?
Camper Storage Ideas for Noise Reduction
There are several camper storage ideas and tips which can really help reduce rattles in your motorhome. Once you have the basic principles, you can apply these tips to any item you carry in your RV/ camper van.
- The tighter you pack things into lockers and cupboards, the better it is. The less space things have to move around, the less noise they will make
- Put breakable things somewhere secure. I know it sounds obvious- but I’m the idiot who put our wine glasses on a shelf because “they look pretty”. Not for long, they didn’t! (It’s much better now we have these AMAZING magnetic wine glasses which stay in place even when driving!)
- Keep heavy items as low as possible in the camper and forward if you have a front-wheel drive. ie- put tins in a front locker, not the back.
- Keep items you use regularly as accessible as possible. The more annoying it is to get to something, the more annoying living in a motorhome will be. Try to make things easy for yourself.
- Make sure clothes and shoes are stored securely. It’s amazing how much noise these can make in a camper. Here are 5 quick ways to increase clothes storage in your camper.
- Bathrooms are another easy to miss area. Keep bottles and toiletries packed tightly together and assess your RV bathroom storage to make sure it’s suitable for use while driving.
Stop Motorhome Door Rattles
The doors on motorhomes or RVs are notorious for rattling. Sadly, there’s often not much you can do to stop this. Try to make sure the door is secure in its fittings and all screws are tightened.
If the door itself feels loose, or if there is a draft, some draft excluder or foam strip around the edge will help create a better seal, which will also stop the motorhome door rattling.
Normally, the rattles are caused by the fixtures on the door rattling. Try adding a small piece of tape between the fixtures and the motorhome door, which might stop them hitting against each other as you’re driving. Using a foam adhesive strip, like the one below are a good way to make sure cupboards and door don’t rattle against the frame when you’re driving.
Stop RV Windows Rattling
Another common culprit for camper van rattles are the windows. Again, make sure they are secure- it’s amazing how quickly screws can work loose while you’re travelling. If you find the screws are coming loose, you can take out the screw from the wall, add a small wall plug (size appropriate for the screw) and place the screw back in. My friend has done this with her lounge area window and said it works a treat!
How to Stop Rattles – Tips for Packing Your RV Kitchen
Let’s face it- the camper kitchen is the worst culprit for motorhome rattles. There are just so many dishes, mugs, cutlery, pans- it’s never-ending noise. Especially if you’re on a bumpy road (which we often seem to be whilst we’re wild camping!)
Watch the following video to see our tips for packing your RV Kitchen and reducing noise.
Camper Storage Ideas for Your RV Kitchen
- Stop cutlery rattles in your camper with a tea towel over the top of the drawer. Make sure it’s quite a tight fit
- Put non-slip matting or tea towels between pots and pans so they don’t scratch or rattle
- Stop dishes rattling in an RV by putting paper plates between them. Works perfectly!
- Hanging mugs look pretty- but they’re going to make a lot of noise and possibly break whilst you’re travelling. To reduce motorhome rattles, put things away before you start driving.
- We carried a lot of tinned foods in our motorhome when we visited Norway (which was a mistake, as Norway wasn’t as expensive as we feared! Still, in order to keep track of them and see them easily, we wrote on the top of each tin with a sharpie marked- saying what was inside and what date it expired. Makes it easier to see what you have
- Also, group similar types of food together. Put all tins of meat one side of the locker, vegetables at the other. You’ll find it easier to plan a meal if you can see what you have left.
- Use storage foam or holders.
More Camper Storage Ideas for Your RV Kitchen
- I stack my tins 3 high and I try to stack the same thing on top of each other so I can find things easily. As the locker gets emptier, this gets harder- you also need to pack the locker so things don’t rattle.
- Write down the contents of your food lockers and try to remember to cross off things as we use them. It helps me see easily what food we have onboard, which helps with meal planning and shopping.
- Put ‘naughty’ sweets & treats in an inaccessible locker, you’re going to have to REALLY want them to get them out. It works surprisingly well! Here are some healthy road trip food ideas for you to enjoy
- Secure the oven shelf with THESE- they are amazing for stopping the shelf ‘jumping’ in the oven as you travel.
- Remove the microwave plate and ring while driving- they create so much noise! or place the glass plate on top of a tea towel / anti-slip mat.
- Put a tea-towel under the hob metal bit- that can cause rattles in your motorhome too
- We also put a tea towel in the oven door to help with RV noise reduction.
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Last update on 2024-10-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
