Travel day is always an exciting day for a lot of RVers; saying goodbye to one location and moving on to the next adventure. But, in an RV kitchen there are a lot of things that can move around, and potentially break while traveling. So, it’s absolutely necessary to prepare your kitchen properly for travel day.

While every RV kitchen is a little different and every RV family is different, I’ve tried to put together a complete list of everything you need to do to prepare your kitchen before you hit the road.

Prep Meals Prior to Leaving

Before you do anything with the kitchen, take a moment to prepare any meals or snacks that you or your kids will need, or want, during the trip. Eating in, or at a rest stop or park, can save money and is almost always a healthier option than stopping at a restaurant or fast food place.

If you have kids, make sure they have healthy snacks that they can access themselves without having to get up out of their seats in a motorhome, which is not safe. A bento lunch box filled with high-protein snacks like nuts, cheese, crackers, and fresh fruit is a much better option than a bag of chips.

Make sure the food you want for your travel day is easily accessible. With some travel trailers, you have no access to the refrigerator or kitchen prep space when the slides are in. If this is the case in your RV, be prepared.

Now that your travel day food is ready to go, now it’s time to get the rest of the kitchen in order. These steps are going to differ depending on what type of RV you have and what type of kitchen gadgets you own, and you can do them in any order you like.

Put Away Loose Items on Countertops

Anything that is out on the countertops has to be stowed away or secured in place. I’ve been guilty of forgetting to put something away, like the salt and pepper shaker, only to hear it fly across my motorhome while I’m driving. So, anything like pictures, spices, storage containers, etc., needs to be put into the cabinets wherever you have space.

A lot of RV owners like having the convenience of small appliances that are used daily. I’m talking about things like coffee makers or a Berkey water filters, or even an ice makers. If you don’t have enough cabinet storage for these items, consider storing them in the shower, especially if they tend to leak a little during travel.

If you choose to store items on the floor, like under the dinette table, keep in mind that they can slide around if you take a sharp turn or make an abrupt stop. One solution is to place it in a storage container and secure that container to the table post or a chair leg. Of course, how you do this will depend on your rig and how much space is available.

If you have knives that you keep on a magnetic knife holder on the wall, you would think the magnet is strong enough to hold them in place, but the smaller knives tend to come lose, believe me, I know from personal experience. So, be sure to store all your cutlery in a drawer.

Wrap Pots and Pans

To prevent your pots and pans from rattling around in the drawer, a simple solution is to use non-slip cookware guards in between each pan. This will prevent wear and tear on your cookware and on the inside of your drawers. It will also help keep your drawer from flying open during travel, and it will be a heck of a lot quieter.

I like to store things like cutting boards and baking pans and cookie sheets inside my RV oven, but they make an awful racket with every little bump. Placing the non-stick shelf liners in between each item keeps them from banging around.

Clean Your RV Countertops, Stove, and Floors

Starting your travel day with a nice clean kitchen will make setting up at your next destination that much easier. You’ll likely be tired after a day of travel or you might be arriving later in the day. No one wants to face a sink load of dishes when you want to get settled in. So, take the opportunity to clean as you put things away.

Wipe down all the countertops and make sure all the dishes are washed, dried, and put away. Clean the small appliances that you use daily, like the coffee maker, french press, or whatever you use, and make sure the coffee grounds are in the trash.

Give your stovetop a good cleaning and make sure the lid is down and secure. Take a moment to clean out the sink too. You can use the sink to store a lot of smaller items that usually go on your countertop.

As the last step, give your kitchen floor a good sweep and a mop.

Prep the Inside of Your Refrigerator

This is a good time to go through your refrigerator and check for items that are close to empty or past their expiration date. Consolidate your items and put them in the refrigerator drawers, door slots, or in storage baskets so things are less likely to move around. I like to take heavier items like glass jars and bottles and put them on the bottom shelf.

Lastly, always make sure the refrigerator and freezer doors are completely latched closed before you drive off. I forgot to do this once and as I rounded a corner, my refrigerator door flew open and jars and plastic containers slide down to the floor. Luckily nothing broke, but things were scattered all over the floor by the time I had a chance to pull over.

Secure Items Inside Cabinets

Next, make sure the items inside your cabinets won’t shift during travel. Use the method that works best for you and your RV setup, but here are just a few ways to keep those items from shifting.

• Place non-slip liners between stacked glasses or mugs.
• Place an expandable bar in front of items so they don’t fall out when you open the cabinet door.
• Place items inside storage baskets to keep them in place.

Place Items in the Sink

As mentioned earlier, the sink is a great place to store items that are commonly on the counter, like soap dispensers, and decorative items. But, before you do, lay a towel in the sink then put the items on top of the towel. This will prevent items from banging around the sides of your sink, protecting your sink from damage as well as preventing items from chipping.

If you have any live plants that you keep on the counters, the sink is an excellent place to store them while traveling. I have a few, small outdoor flower pots that I keep in the sink while traveling.

Do your sink covers stay put while traveling? Some RVers have experienced their sink covers bouncing out while on the road. A simple solution for this problem is to take a strip of painter’s tape and secure them to the countertop.

Take Out the Trash

Once you have all the kitchen items put away, the dishes cleaned, and the floor swept, the last step is to take the trash out. It’s better to start a travel day with all your trash out of the RV and in the campground dumpster and have fresh trash bags ready for your next stop.

If you leave your trash cans full during travel, you run the risk of a spill.

Make Sure All Cupboards are Shut

Right before you hit the road, do a quick go-around and press firmly on every cabinet door to make sure it’s completely closed. If your cabinet doors have locks, make sure they’re locked.

If your cabinet doors don’t want to stay securely shut; there always seems to be that one stubborn door, you can attach child a proof latch or lock on the handles as an extra precaution.

Don’t forget to double-check your refrigerator doors too. Push them firmly until you hear that click.

This may seem like a lot of work to do before you get on the road, but once you get a system going that works for your rig and your family, you’ll get faster at it. Besides, taking the time to prep your kitchen before traveling is worth the effort to avoid an unplanned mess or broken items.