I’ve talked about things that help setting up your RV or travel trailer go smoother and easier, I’ve talked about some more things that make the process go easier, but maybe aren’t quite as necessary, and I shared some things that make hanging out by the campfire more enjoyable. Now it’s time to head inside the RV and talk about some of our favorite upgrades in our kitchen and bath.

RV kitchen upgrades

1. Under cabinet paper towel holder

Counter space in RVs and travel trailers is always at a premium, so we installed an under cabinet paper towel holder to keep them easily accessible, yet out off the counter. We have this one and love the simple, yet classy (ie, not plastic) design.

2. Berkey filter

I mentioned our Berkey in this post, when I talked about our outdoor water filter, but now it’s time to talk a little more about it. If you’re not familiar with Berkey filters, they are awesome! The initial expense is a bit pricey, but the filters last almost forever, so you don’t have the ongoing monthly expense of new filters. The metal body is sturdy and will take a beating (ours has several dents from the boys knocking it over). The filtration system works on gravity, so no electricity is needed. The black filters filter out viruses and bacteria, but leave healthy minerals. The optional white filters remove fluoride, if that’s a concern for you. We have the travel size, which has a 1.5 gallon capacity, but there are larger sizes available as well.

3. Tension rods

These tension rods keep bottles, cans, containers, and everything else from falling out of the refrigerator and cupboards. The contents of the refrigerator and cupboards are always shifting as you drive down the road, and it’s nice to not have them fall out every time you open a door. We have double rods, shorter single rods, and longer single rods. The double rods are particularly handy in the refrigerator, though we also have a single rod in there as well. The longer and shorter single rods fit the variety of sizes of cupboards we have.

4. Magnetic knife strip

We’ve been storing our knives in a container in a high cupboard so the boys can’t reach them, but we’ll be replacing that container with a magnetic knife strip on the wall to the right of the stove. The boys still won’t be able to reach them, but they’ll be much more easily accessible for the rest of us. Disclaimer: make sure you mount this in a spot where if they should fall or you are in an accident, no one will get hurt.

5. Foot pedal trash can with lid

We had several different trash cans in our travel trailer, but we didn’t love any of them. When we bought the RV, we decided to go with this trash can, which is similar to what we have in our house. It fits neatly in the alcove by the kitchen while traveling, and the lid keeps trash and smells contained. Finding a spot for the trash can is a bit of a pain when we’re stopped, though I think that’s the case with any trash can that isn’t in a cabinet. But cabinet space in an RV is too precious for trash cans, so we deal with it. We’ll go with a slightly smaller trash can next time, but we do love having the lid operated by the foot pedal.

6. Wall mounted container

Like the under cabinet paper towel holder, this wall mounted container helps get things off the counter. We keep our dish soap and random items in the container. While the container does have a drainage tray in it, we prefer to keep the sponge outside of it and it fits nicely in this spiral sponge holder that suctions to the front of the container.

Bathroom upgrades

7. Shower handles

The knobs on most RV showers make it difficult to know which direction to turn the knobs, so it’s easy to waste precious water as you fiddle with the knobs. We recently replaced our knobs with handles, and it’s been such a game changer. We always know how much hot water and how much cold water is being used, meaning less time and water wasted as we fiddle with the knobs to get the right temperature. This was a quick and easy fix that doesn’t require any special tools, so anyone can do it. Here’s a tutorial that shows just how easy it is to do.

8. Wall mounted soap dispenser

We have one of these soap dispensers in the kids’ bathtub, and it’s been instrumental in saving so much soap and shampoo from being wasted. When we bought our RV, I knew we needed one the RV bathroom as well. Now we don’t have to worry about finding space for shampoo and body wash bottles, juggling them around in the shower, having them fall and spill, or any other mishaps that could occur in a tiny shower.

If you want one that’s a little more visually appealing, this is a good option.

Do you have any upgrades for your RV kitchen and bath that I haven’t mentioned here? I’d love to hear what’s working for you!