Most people know that bungee cords of all sizes are handy to have around. But I bet you never thought of these 10 handy uses for bungees in your motorhome or trailer. Get some bungee cords today and put them to use in your RV to see how well they work.

1. Simple Curtain Tie

Attach an eye hook to the wall and use it secure the tie when you need your curtain to stay open. Any lightweight bungee will do the trick, unless your curtain is exceptionally heavy. We found the 3-pack from the Dollar Tree works fine for ours.

 2. Portable Toilet

If you're temporarily using a portable toilet in your RV, you know it may shift when driving. To avoid accidental spillage, secure an eye hook to the wall behind the toilet on both sides. Then, attach a bungee. Be sure to leave space to use your flush handle, if you have one. The thicker, rubber  ones are best to use in this instance, as they tend to hold more weight. We spent less than 2 bucks at Home Depot getting one that works for this. Our portable toilet is  a Camco 5.3 Gallon.

 3. Secure a Room While Driving

We used a long, thick bungee that was about two bucks at Home Depot to secure the bathroom area before we fixed it. This helped while driving because it prevented everything from flying around. This is good if your bathroom (or another room) is under construction, like ours was. It also helps if you have any other area where there may be loose furniture or other semi-big items. The bungee held in a portable washing machine, a baby gate that kept the toilet secure, and a few miscellaneous things that were tucked around those items.

 4. Prevent Shelves From Losing Items Or Falling

Your wall shelves should be secure, ideally. But if you want some extra protection, try using a bungee cord to secure the shelf even further. We often do this if we want to place something on the shelf that might otherwise fall while driving. It could be a book someone is reading here and there or something else fairly lightweight. This isn't a good solution for heavier items.

(Pardon the sawdust in the picture. This was taken right after setting up this particular fix.)

5. Prevent Cabinets From Opening While Driving

Since we are in an older motorhome, this is a common problem, as we are under construction. This is a good temporary fix if your existing hardware isn't the best or you are missing the latches. In our case, we just needed to fix the latches. We don't need to use this anymore. But it worked to keep items from flying while we awaited delivery of the appropriate hardware. The simple Dollar Tree bungees were fine for this as well.

6. Secure Loose Work Items

When we were doing a lot of work on our vintage RV, this one helped a ton. We kept a Homer Bucket from Home Depot full with all kinds of tools and hardware that we were using every day. We didn't want to have to keep putting away and taking out these items every time we had to drive somewhere. So, we kept it secure with a bungee. The Dollar Tree bungees were fine for this as well. But remember that the heavier the item, the stronger the bungee cord should be.

7. Secure a Loose Door While Driving - If your door is loose and you need to secure it while driving to the repair shop or elsewhere, try using a bungee. Fasten it to the latch and/or screen and secure it to the inside to prevent your door from banging back and forth.

8. Tie Down Luggage - This may seem obvious, but not everyone thinks of it. If you have extra luggage that you don't want stored inside, try securing it to the roof with bungees. Heavy duty bungees should be used for this.

9. Secure an Infant Stroller - If you have a large infant stroller, like our Graco double stroller, you may not want to store it inside your rig all the time. Unless the weather is bad, we prefer to bungee ours to the cargo carrier luggage rack on back. That way, it's easy to grab and then store when going in and out of stores or entertainment facilities. This also works if you want to store the stroller inside because you may not be able to fit it inside a closet. In this case, you can bungee it to keep it from roaming around your RV.

10. Secure a Cooler Full of Groceries - If you just picked up a bunch of groceries and want to wait to put them away until you get to camp, you can throw them all in a large cooler and secure it with a bungee on the roof, in a rooftop cargo box, or in a  cargo carrier.

If you own a business with a parking lot, you may get annoyed when a large rig, like a truck or RV uses your lot. But think twice before calling a tow company on an RV or trucker. RV parking restrictions hurt your business big time!

​Why RVers May Be Parked A Couple Hours

If a family's only vehicle is a motorhome or they are traveling, they may only get to the store once in a while. Therefore, they could be making a huge purchase at your store. By sending out a tow truck or placing a tow sticker or sign on their vehicle, you just ensured they won't make a purchase with you again. Does this actually happen when people are parked legitimately? Yes. It has happened to our family during routine grocery trips and travel stops. Please ensure that you know for sure how long someone has been in a spot before you wrongly accuse them of overnight parking or camping in your lot.

RVers Usually Have A Large Network

Mistreat one RVer and you are likely to lose a lot of business. You can bet they will tell their friends not to shop there and word will spread like wildfire. Remember that RVers know more than just other RVers and people don't like unfair treatment of any group of people. It can easily be considered discrimination.

Parking A Few Hours Is NOT Overnight Parking

RVers are used to overnight parking restrictions and most are glad to follow them. But please don't accuse us of parking overnight when we are just getting massive groceries and supplies in your store for a few hours. When you only shop every so often, it may take a while to gather everything you need in the store. This does not indicate intent to stay overnight . It is especially unfair when "regular" (non-camper-type) vehicles have been there longer and don't have the same warnings. Many people in RVs are not in your lot to camp. We are there to spend money with you.

Mistreating Customers Is Immoral And Sometimes Illegal

Selectively targeting specific customers to warn about extended parking could be seen as discrimination or even harassment. In these cases, not only will your company be seen in a bad light, but you could land in court and be out large sums of money. It's always safer (and more courteous) to take the high road and give the same treatment to everyone.

How Can I Safely Fit RVs Without Disrupting Business?

If you want to safely accommodate customers with RVs and other big rigs, consider a designated section for the bigger vehicles, with appropriate signage. Also, clearly post your expected time limits on parking so that we don't accidentally exceed them. This keeps big rigs out of the path of the smaller vehicles and quicker shoppers. Most RV owners consider this a kind gesture. We know we are huge and we are grateful you welcome us, despite that. Without designated parking, most of us try to park in the most courteous spot. But it's not always possible.

Most People In RVs Are Not Homeless

It is sad that this has to be said. But it is necessary. We have often noticed that people in RVs are treated as miscreants, nuisances, or considered to be homeless. Not all RVers live in their rigs and many are very far from being homeless. Some are camping or traveling. Most of those who do live in them have a place to be and are not trying to live in your lot. They just want to buy groceries and other necessities, just like everyone else.

Post Your Rules Clearly

Unless you have clearly posted rules that an RVer clearly violates, it can be considered discrimination to give out tow warnings or call a tow truck (or even worse, call the police). This is a massive insult and rights violation to someone who is just doing what everyone else does and abiding by normal parking rules. Again, if you have special rules, please post them so people know what to expect. Most RV owners are very happy to abide by those rules. We are happy to respect you. Please give us the same treatment.