RV Bedside Storage Ideas: Caddy, Shelf, or Pocket
RV life has a lot going for it. It’s not a surprise that it continues to grow in popularity. Singles, couples, and families heed the call of the open road. It seems our country wants to embark on full-time RV living adventures by the hundreds and thousands.
As we have detailed extensively across hundreds of articles on TREKKN, RV life is not all roses and rainbows. It doles out a unique set of challenges to RV owners and RV travelers. From winter struggles, to repairs and maintenance, it can make you wonder if it’s worth it. (It is.)
One challenge of an RV lifestyle is the daily grind of dealing with your stuff. Now, I recognize this is a fairly benign issue. But, it is real. Finding a place for everything seems to be a daily task. The best solution is to stay organized and have a dedicated place for all the bits and pieces.
Today we address an often overlooked area: RV bedside storage.
Simple Bedside Storage Ideas That Work
Discussing RV storage ideas can be kind of challenging because every RV is unique. The setup and floor plan from one rig to another is different. Not to mention each of us has our own particular triggers, pet peeves and preferences.
Because of this reality, the best way I can see to tackle this issue is by breaking bedside storage down into three sub-categories:
- Bedside Caddies
- Bedside Shelves
- Bedside Pockets
When you find the solution that works best for you, I’m certain you enjoy having a convenient space near your bed to store things. It’s always great to put reading materials and electronic devices neatly away when it’s time to turn out the light.
Bedside Caddy Options
NOT ALL BEDSIDE CADDIES WORK WITH RV BEDS
The first thing you should need to know about bedside caddies is that many of the options on the market will not work well for most RV setups. Most of the bedside caddies are specifically designed for a college dorm room.
They are often made with two or three straps that are used to secure it to the bed. While I’m sure that works great for the rail of a dorm bunk bed or a hospital bed, it’s not a great design for the beds in travel trailers and motorhomes.
After looking at a LOT of RVs over the past few years, this Lib Bedside Caddy seems to be the best option for a universal fit for RVs.
CONSIDER BEDSIDE CADDY WITH FLAP DESIGN
If you have the typical RV bed design with a wooden platform and a mattress sitting directly on top of that, then this design should work. Simply secure the caddy by sliding the flap underneath the bed mattress. It’s so easy.
Multi-purpose bedside caddy with 2 mesh interior pockets and 2 exterior pockets. Felt covered. Available in various colors. Holds up to 25 pounds.
MULTIPLE POCKETS TO STAY ORGANIZED
This Bedside Caddy offers multiple pockets with enough space to hold a tablet, phone, magazine, and pens. It can hold headphones and notebooks.
It has a compact and slim design that helps to ensure it doesn’t get in the way. As you know, this is important given the lack of extra space in an RV. You might be able to fit a lightweight 13-inch laptop, like a Mac Book or a Chrome Book, albeit probably not with much else at the same time.
With its two mesh pockets inside the large compartment, located closest to the bed, it allows you to keep your essentials as handy as possible while in bed.
LARGER CADDY HOLDS MORE, BUT MEASURE SPACE FIRST
Here is another bedside caddy option. It’s much larger and probably a good fit for anyone who prefers to keep many of their small creature comforts in one place.
This 23"W x 12"L bedside caddy is moisture-proof, durable and designed with a non-slip flap. It holds up to 20 pounds
The larger bedside storage organizer has enough pockets for just about anything you would need at your fingertips. It is designed with the same flap that fits under the RV bed mattress to secure the caddy in place.
We don’t own this design so I can’t say for certain, but something this large might be an obstacle in a smaller RV. So consider your walk area that possibility before making a purchase.
Consider walk space around your bed when selecting caddy.
Also, keep in mind that the fabric might stretch and start to lean out away from the bed if it gets loaded down with too many items.
We all know that with RV living, oftentimes less can be more. That adage may hold true in this situation.
Related Reading
Bedside Shelf Options
As I said earlier, there are so many different RV configurations and floor plans out there that I don’t want to avoid covering this option with the possibility that it could be exactly what you need.
WOODEN SHELF
This particular bedside shelf option is all the rage right now. It was originally a crowd-funded project on Kickstarter that shifted over to the Amazon marketplace and it seems to won a lot of loyal fans. There are thousands of 4.5+ star reviews.
Made of wood. Fits beds with a flat base. Simple assembly required. Measures 12.75" x 9.5" x 3".
They offer several different styles, but for most RVs the “Slide” option is going to work best because of the flat base, which can hold drinks as well as notebooks or digital devices.
ADJUSTABLE METAL TRAY TABLE
And here is another variation of the bedside shelf. This one is unique because the shelf can be raised up to the top of your mattress. The adjustable height makes it easier to position your iPad or laptop in a good spot to watch a movie.
Metal base and Thermoplastic Polymer top. Compatible with flat-base or foundation beds. USB and cable organizer slot. Simple assembly required.
WALL-MOUNTED SHELF
If you have a bit more space on the sides of your bed and really like not having to dig into pockets to find your things, this bedside shelf approach might be the perfect fit for you.
Or there is this very low-profile adhesive shelf option you might want to consider as well:
Plastic, water-resistant wall-mounted shelf. Measures approximately 2" x 9" x 9".
COMPACT BEDSIDE SHELF
And here is one final variation of this shelf product that is more compact. That said, it still provides quite a bit of storage space and anchors snugly under the mattress:
Made from 100% recycled plastic. Includes 5 compartments, plus USB ports. 3.9" x 14.1" x 4.7"
It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it does come with USB ports to make it easier to recharge your digital devices. That convenience alone may make it worth the higher price.
If you fall into the “minimalist” crowd and are just looking for something to hold the bare essentials (phone, glasses, pen, earbuds), you could either consider one of the small shelf options shown above, or you might also consider a smaller bedside pocket that can also hang on the wall.
Bedside Pocket Options
Let’s assume for the moment that you just don’t like the idea of having something on the side of your bed, stuck underneath your mattress. Maybe you’re concerned that you will bump it in the night, or kick it while getting out of bed for the (inevitable) middle-of-the-night bathroom run. Yeah, I feel ya.
OVER DOOR HANGING POCKETS
If you have some empty wall space right next to your bed that would make your items very easily accessible, then a hanging bedside pocket organizer might be the answer.
Door-mounted hanging shelf unit. 5 pockets. 1" x 13.75" x 17"
It is an inexpensive option, but keep in mind the pockets are fairly small and built more for pencils, reading glasses, pad of paper, and a phone rather than a laptop.
It is really up to you whether you want to try using an adhesive hook option for hanging a pocket organizer like this on the wall.
My personal opinion is that if you are just holding your phone, glasses, pen and notebook, and maybe earbuds in the organizer, then an adhesive hook option that holds 5 pounds might work just fine.
If you use the Command hooks, I recommend you measure the open wall space prior to ordering to ensure you have room for the organizer. Make sure you place the adhesive for the hooks on a clean, smooth, non-porous surface.
Water-resistant adhesive strips. Includes 3 white hooks. Each hook holds up to 5 pounds.
If you are not overly concerned about putting a small hole in the surface, however, then the most secure option would definitely be a small hook that screws into the wall.
Just so you know, I wouldn’t screw or nail anything into my travel trailer’s walls. We used adhesive hooks exclusively and were very pleased overall with the results.
They’re removable and there was no damage to the RV.
DECORATIVE HANGING STORAGE POCKETS
And last but not least, here is a bit more decorative take on the bedside pocket organizer if this design seems to be the best fit for your situation.
Set of two hanging organizers, each with 4 fabric shelves.
Which of These RV Bedside Storage Ideas Works Best for You?
We have covered quite a few different options here that you should consider for your RV or tiny living space.
Any of them will provide you with the organization and accessibility you are looking for…it’s just a matter of how they fit your particular living situation and preference.
If there is another option in this bedside storage arena that we have not covered, feel free to educate us in the comments below.
Let us know what has worked the best for your RV or tiny living situation and why. We love to keep learning as much as we can about the options out there for staying organized and stress-free in small spaces.
Because heaven knows it isn’t always easy with how much we love our stuff.
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Todd loves a competitive game of table tennis, a breathtaking hike, and exploring new places. He lived and traveled in an RV with his family as they traveled throughout much of the US and parts of Canada. Todd has extensive knowledge about RV travel, safety, and accessories and has shared many of his stories here on TREKKN. When he’s not busy launching and building small businesses, you may find him staring at pictures of Glacier National Park (probably his favorite spot on earth).
Great tips! I’ve been struggling with bedside storage in my RV, and your suggestions for adding organizers and utilizing vertical space are exactly what I needed. Can’t wait to try some of these ideas!