RV spring cleaning for StressLess Camping
Spring cleaning - getting our RV clean and organized
Six years ago, we lived in Northern California and camped all year. Now we live in New Mexico and camp all year. Still, spring cleaning is a task that we really should do more than every six years.
Actually, since we have changed RVs three times since I first wrote this post, we’ve completely cleaned out our trailer and started over three times, and not always in the spring.
What prompted Spring Cleaning in 2026
In January and February of this year (2026), we were on a long road trip that included Quartzsite Arizona, plus Route 66 from Santa Monica to Albuquerque. When we travel long term, we always over-pack because we aren’t sure what we will need. And, because we were planning to be in very warm locations (Indio) and potentially cold locations (Flagstaff), we packed warm-weather and cold-weather clothing. We also bought a lot of Route 66 souvenirs that were tucked away all over the camper.
So, when we got home from this trip, it was definitely time for spring cleaning. And it’s also time to update the post about spring cleaning that we wrote in 2020.
What prompted Spring Cleaning in the past
We had our first travel trailer for over five years, and didn’t do a lot of long-term traveling with it. Therefore, by the time we decided to clean it, we had a big job ahead of us.
We also tended to camp short term with groups of people, so we took more “party supplies” including plates, food, and adult beverages for all. Not that we needed all that; everyone else in the group brought too much, too. We never wanted to want for anything!
Camping versus traveling
In 2020, when we first wrote this article, we didn’t take many long trips. Let’s face it, the following month saw us canceling some long-term travel plans, but let’s not go there.
I realize that there are two kinds of RVing trips - in one, we go for a few days with a group of RVers. We plan to eat, drink, and goof-off to excess, and we need ALL THE THINGS to make that as much fun as possible!
On the other hand, a lot of our RVing nowadays consists of long-distance, and long-term, plans. For those trips, we fill up on seasonal clothing (especially when we are going to be gone over two different seasons) and other comforts of home that we don’t need for a few days of goofing off.
The process that time
When winter’s bite clamps down that may be a great time to completely empty your RV and start over. While we’re not as affected by temperate extremes here in Northern California as some folks around the country, we still do camp less when the calendar indicates winter. And, on a recent camping trip to Bodega Bay, we realized that our camper was becoming a problem.
A lot of the “stuff” from the trailer spread out in our sticks-and-bricks kitchen.
It all started with the fact that, for a four-day trip, not only were our camper’s cabinets completely full of whatever was in there but so was the back seat of our truck and even the bed. There was a tremendous amount of “stuff” and we sought to figure out what it all was.
Last year we had packed for three weeks of camping surrounding our Quartzsite adventure and didn’t have as much stuff as we did for this four day trip, and we were told Quartzsite was a food desert so there was a lot of food in our RV. That wasn’t true for the Bodega journey.
The process started with literally emptying every cabinet and drawer in our trailer and filling the kitchen in our home base with all that stuff. Boxes of things filled cabinets with stuff that all seemed intriguing when we saw them on this RV journey that we love so much. But now they’re just stuff we haven’t touched in a while.
The way we see it, if you have something that you haven’t touched in a while, put it in a more obvious place. If it still serves no value, it’s time to consider donating that item to charity.
So the pink flamingo wine glasses, for example, were really cool when we bought them but we’re not sure that we’ve touched them since. But that didn’t negate the fact that they were taking up space in a cabinet which, in a 19’ travel trailer, is at a premium.
There were lots of similar items such that, when we were done and had repackaged the trailer, we found a lot of empty cabinet space.
The process this time
Like before, the time had come to remove everything out of every cabinet, so we could deep-clean and assess what all we really had in the trailer. The difference is, this time I thought to capture it on video. Well, the kitchen cabinet part, at least.
neat AND clean
Another aspect of taking everything out of the trailer included the fact that we could wash off all the shelves and cabinets and such. It’s amazing what a year (or two) of traveling around, including to places that have a high dust quotient, will do even in closed cabinets.
We were able to take all the utensils and pots and pans out of the trailer and run them through our dishwasher so they’re nice and clean going back in.
Clean everything
We also got to wash every soft thing in the camper from the towels and sheets, which normally get a trip to the washing machine, to the shower curtain and rugs.
Every time we are on a trip, I think I should bring the floor cleaner with us. And every time I pack I decide I don’t need it. So, part of cleaning is taking the floor cleaner out to the trailer and giving the floor a good scrub. I do a much more thorough job than when I just throw a rag on the floor and swipe it around with my foot!
Repairs and maintenance
In 2020, taking everything out included finding broken items which Tony fixed and will go back into the camper better than they came out. Those drawers that disintegrated are no longer just stapled together, they’re now screwed and glued so they shouldn’t come apart any longer. We also had a drawer assembly that suffered from a lack of screws used in the original construction which now could survive whatever the Richter scale wants to throw our way.
Having everything out of the drawers and cabinets also has the benefit of allowing us to thoroughly examine the trailer for any mechanical problems or signs of leaks or other failures. We also disassembled a portion of the dinette after finding the drawer coming apart and that provided an opportunity to replace the carbon monoxide detector.
Fortunately, we didn’t have much to repair in 2026. I like to think that’s because I’ve become more self-sufficient at doing small repairs as they come up, and I don’t leave everything for Tony to deal with.
Reorganizing
In 2020 we bought a whole new set of spice containers and replaced the spices with new, fresh ones. Spices are something Tony’s passionate about which is how we became partners with Savory Spice Shop. Spices do lose their punch over time and a new set of containers means that we can replace the older spices that we haven’t used yet with new ones as well as adding more spices.
While we still use those Tupperware containers, we haven’t put that spice rack into the Rockwood Mini Lite 2506FK. Yet. I miss having it in the trailer, and looking at this photo reminds me I can hang it on the wall and take up less space in the food cabinet. Plus, it’s taking up important space on the house kitchen counter. I see a project in my near future (wiggles eyebrows).
We also found a terrific set of organizing bins at Costco a while back. There were maybe 20 bins, all the same height and in four or five sizes. The shorter ones fit in the upper kitchen cabinets, and the longer ones in the pantry. Of course, the way everything fits, we use the “pantry” for dishes and the overhead cabinets for food, but who’s counting? Plus a couple of the larger size boxes that fit perfectly on one of the shelves in the bathroom cabinet.
Don’t forget to check the outside storage
Lastly, when we put things back into the RV they got to go into see-through totes. There are totes for the black tank process, a tote full of string, zip ties, tow straps and attaching goodies, a tote for just the hooking up process including an apron since I’m good at getting grease on my clothes and more. The totes make getting to any of these sets of goodies much easier and they’re all in a single place, making the whole set-up and tank cleaning process much faster and less frustrating.
In the past few years, we have worn out those see-through totes, and switched to more sturdy totes. We use the black totes with yellow lids now, which come in a wide variety of sizes. I make two labels with the label maker for each tote: one for the end of the tote and one for the lid.
How did I know?
I’m sure we’ll take every opportunity possible to get the camper as dirty as possible again which might prompt another thorough cleaning but we know that the cabinets, drawers and other storage spaces are now much better organized and ready for the next adventure.
I find it funny that I wrote that in the past. Have we met us? Of course we will make everything disorganized and dirty again, and prompt another thorough cleaning. Maybe next spring, maybe sooner. Who knows?
One more important thing
With many RVers now just getting their camper out of winter storage it’s important to check the batteries in your smoke and LP detectors. Often these can die over winter and we may not be there to hear the incessant chirping. Before your first adventure of the season make sure those batteries are in good working order!
