Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 31st.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Sorting out Sherman

I am trying to work on organizing our stuff better in Sherman, but I don't want it to cost us money with additional storage containers.  If anyone has any cheap tricks they use for organizing things please let us know. 

The people who owned Sherman before us made lots of storge room in the kitchen area by making the wardrobe cupboard into a pantry and installing a number of shelves in there.  It works great because there is lots of room for storage but it is difficult to get things out if you are searching for something right at the back, the wardrobe/pantry is very deep.  You end up having to pull everything out to get that one thing out.  I started out by putting things I don't use as much at the back.  Further along on our travels, I came up with the idea of cutting down boxes and placing the items in the box and putting the box on the shelf with another box in front of it.  This is working out much better, as I just have to slide the box out in order to get at the next one, this makes life much easier.  Now I am going to put more boxes into the pantry.  They also put in a number of spice racks which I like because these little wire racks can hold a number of smaller items, not just spices.

Pantry shelves

More of the shelving

Spice racks and taller items

The thing I have to work on are the cupboards with all our extra stuff, like adapters, rechargers, DVD's, cameras and antenna.  Right now I have tried to put them in plastic bins, but things are still getting messed up.  Kevin just tosses things up there instead of removing the basket and placing the item in right container in the bin.  I think maybe I have done this myself as well, can't put all the blame on him!  I have a couple of stacking bins so maybe I will try to organize things in the bins so that I can stack them on top each other, then we will have to lift the bin out to get at the other.  That's what I am going to work on today.  Also if there is anything we don't use, it will get tossed.

Some of our stuff in bins

How the bins are placed at the moment

The other spot I really have trouble with in the compartment under the bed.  I hate going in there.  Again things we don't use go at the back, but we try not to store heavy things in the back as there is quite a hangover on the back wheels and Kevin would prefer more of the weight to be up front.  I have tried to find a way of storing all our odd shaped things in there, but haven't had much success.  I have to figure out a good way of storing our shoes because that is one of the things that get tossed in under the bed.  It doesn't help either when we have a spare tire stored under there.  Its awkward to work around!  I am thinking of putting cut down boxes in here as well, with dividers in them so the shoes can stand upright for easier viewing and access.  Then if I need to reach for something I just have to pull each box out rather than a number of individual things out.  I'll try that and see how it works!

Under the bed

These are a few of the things I will work on today, after I shovel the snow!!!!!  Luckily we didn't get too much, but there might be more to come.

Please send along any ideas you have that might help us out.

4 comments:

  1. I like to use the boxes you can buy like shoe boxes but much stronger, these you can stack one on top of another in the wall couples so double up the storage space. Have you tried one of those pocket style shoe hangers in your wardrobe?

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  2. Sorry wall cupboards, should read these things before posting

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  3. We are going to be watching this post for some good tips as well.

    Our rig is a 27' Class C, so we don't have a lot of space, either.

    We bought lots of odd ball storage bins from the Dollar Store, and that helps....but we need more ideas !!

    I agree, that space under the bed needs some organizing !! One of our outside doors leads to the space under our bed, so we end up stuffing outside things in there.

    Sheesh, I guess I should have bought a motorhome with an attached garage, just for our junk !!

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  4. Steve & Glen....Thanks for the suggestions. I have actually thought of making something for the shoes that would hang along the base of the bed on either side. If I can borrow a sewing machine over the summer I might try that. They would be easy to get and out of the way.

    Trent & Teresa....Steve and Glen had similar storage area under their bed as well. I thought the idea was great because you can easily get at your stuff at the back of the bed. We have to pull everything out from under the bed to get at the back. It's a pain in the butt.

    Like the bit about the motorhome with the garage, only trouble with that, it would be like a home, you would just buy more to fill up the space.

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