Making the transition to living in an RV full time is a major change. What you've become accustomed to in your kitchen at home is going to be overwhelming in an RV space. The goal to stocking an RV kitchen efficiently lies in your use of available space. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the space in your RV's kitchen.

Start With a Plan

The first step to stocking your RV kitchen is to make sure you know what you actually need. To do this, you'll need to have a plan. Instead of trying to remember all of the things you might use only to find yourself miles from anything and in need of a can opener, start by keeping track of what you actually use on a daily basis.

Keep a notepad in your home's kitchen for a week or so before you actually make the RV transition. Every time you use a kitchen utensil or tool, write it down. If you use something more than once, put hash marks after it for each additional time you use it. This allows you to see what you really use on a regular basis as well as what things you use the most. Then, you can start looking for RV-friendly versions.

Shopping for RV Kitchen Products

When you narrow down the list of things you'll need, you'll want to consider ways to make some of the items more RV-friendly. For example, you'll likely want to invest in smaller pans, because the oven in the RV isn't likely to be as large as the one in your home kitchen. There are a few other things that can be helpful in the RV, too.

• Stoneware: A pizza stone or unglazed stone tiles can prove helpful in a small gas oven, because the stone absorbs heat and helps you ensure even heat circulation throughout the oven space. Don't overlook the importance of a digital food thermometer, too. Even if you don't use one in the kitchen right now, you're going to want it in the RV, especially for the first few trips while you get used to the oven. The ovens in RVs can be unpredictable, so it's best to be able to test everything for the proper temperature, especially meats.

• Dishes: When it comes to dishes and flatware, think about simplicity and durability. Invest in break-resistant or plastic dishes and lightweight flatware. You can even keep paper plates on hand for times when you are cooking on the fire and you can just dispose of plates in the fire.

• Plastic Serving Tools: If you're looking for lightweight, easy-to-stack plastic serving bowls and other supplies, consider a local party store or dollar store. They offer a lot of inexpensive clear plastic bowls, trays, plates and serving utensils. The best part of these is that they are useful for so many things. Use a large clear bowl as a fruit bowl, mixing bowl or even a popcorn container. Consider things like this that will serve multiple purposes for the best use of space.

No matter what you stock up on in your RV, always take time to go through it all after a couple of months. The last thing you want is to have things pile up that you aren't using. Go through all of your kitchen storage and purge anything you haven't used in the last several months – chances are it isn't going to be used any time soon.

As you can see, there are a few things you need to consider when you're stocking the kitchen of an RV. Any time you're dealing with such confined space, it's important to maximize your investments. With these tips and the support of a reputable RV sales professional from a dealership like Orangewood RV Center, you'll be on the road in no time!