The Best Towel Rack For Your Bathroom
Most RVs come with a bathroom Towel rack already installed. However, anyone who spends a lot of time in their RV will tell you that it’s usually not enough. Especially if you have more than one person camping with you. Even if it’s just you and your dog, you’ll probably discover you need to hang more than one towel.
There is also the looks factor. Most of those standard towel bars lack style and are cheaply made. The older the model of your RV, the uglier they seem to get. Then, their placement isn’t always ideal. Replacement options can give you a chance to upgrade your style.
It’s not all about hanging wet towels. What about storing extra towels? Bathroom cabinet space is usually lacking, especially in smaller RVs. Separate shower rooms might not have cabinets at all. The last thing you want to do is step out of the shower and not have a clean towel.
The challenge is to find the perfect towel rack to fit your space and your needs. After doing some research, you’ll probably find that one towel bar simply won’t do. Ask a full time RV’er and they will tell you that you need at least three. One for storage, one for drying, and one for outside.
Things to Consider Before Making Your Purchase
Before you pull out that credit card and start ordering towel racks, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself?
- Where will you put them? Next to the shower? Over the door? Outside?
- How heavy are they going to be? Dry? Wet?
- What if they are dripping?
- What kind of towels are you hanging? Hand towels? Beach towels?
- How many towels?
- Storage of dirty towels? Do you really want those in the clothes hamper?
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How Many Towels Should You Take Camping?
This is the perfect place to start. How can you decide what to do with the towels if you don’t even know how many you’re talking about?
To get started, let’s do a little math. When deciding how many towels you’ll need, consider:
- How many people live in the rv?
- Are you outdoor people or will you be sticking close to home?
- Are you beach or mountain people?
The general rule is 1 bath towels, 2 hand towels, and maybe a couple washcloths per person. Assuming it will be a week or less between laundry visits. You’ll need to double those numbers if it’s going to be over a week before you find a laundromat.
Yes, moms, if you have little children, add an extra set. Add one more set if you might have guests.
If you’re lucky enough to have laundry on site, you’re good, or a washer dryer in your camper – one towel pp is good, and ahem, do you mind if I drop by with my laundry…….pretty please.
Consider where you are going. Being near the lake or the beach usually means water sports. If you are planning any activities that involve the water, add at least 1 beach towel per person.
Don’t forget your pets. Bring a towel for your dog. These don’t necessarily have to be stored with the other towels. It’s just worth mentioning while we are on the subject.
This means a family of four spending five days at the lake would need: 4 beach towels, 4 bath towels, 4 hand towels, and 8 washcloths minimum.
More than you thought?
How Do You Store Towels In A Camper?
Now that you know how many towels you need, let’s figure out where to put them.
The most obvious place is in the bathroom linen closet, if your RV has one. Unfortunately, most RVs don’t have one large enough to hold all of those towels. Or if they do, you already have it full of other stuff.
One option is the metal wall mount towel rack. The ends of each rack are slightly hooked upwards to hold a rolled towel in place. Most models hold 5 to 8 towels. Some are designed with smaller racks at the top that are perfect for washcloths.
Metal Wall Mount Towel Rack
- High quality towel bar
- Enough space for quick drying.
- Fits 1 bath towel or 2 hand towels
A variation of this can be found that hangs over the door. If you can’t find it in the bathroom accessory aisle, check the kitchen accessories. Many people use something similar in their kitchens to hold wine bottles.
Over The Door Hanging Towel Organizer
- Saves space and keeps you organized
- Strong and durable with quality stitching and metal hooks. We have used one in our kitchen for 5+ years for snacks – love it!
- Easily stored when not in use
- Can store lots of towels .
Another option is the countertop tiered basket. This only works if you have enough countertop space in your bathroom. There is also a hanging version that could be hung under a cabinet. Again, you might have to head to the kitchen aisle. Think about the fruit or desert baskets in your kitchen.
Some people have used hanging shoe organizers either over the door or attached to the outside of the shower. Size and how the organizer hangs might be an issue.
If you find that you still need some extra room for towel, consider using a clearly labeled storage tub or space saver bag for the rest. Most RVs have under bed or under camper storage where this will fit.
Wall Mount Metal Towel Rack
- Holds multiple towels – perfect for RVing
- Easy to install
- Perfect for maximizing space in an RV
- 6 Tier storage
Types of Towel Racks for an RV Bathroom
There are basically three types of towel racks for your RV bathroom: Single, Multi-tier, and Swivel. Depending on the finish, material, and style these will cost on average between $12 and $25 each.
Single Towel Bar
The single towel bar is probably what you already have in your RV. These come as either a straight rod or as a ring. Depending on the length, you can hang one or two towels over it at a time. The ring version is usually more for hand towels or washcloths.
Most versions you see in an RV bathroom are wall mounted. However, there are some over the door styles available. The over the door style can also be hung over the edge of a shower if the space allows. You can add one or two more single towel racks to what you already have. For instance, adding an over the door style or a second wall mount.
Consider replacing your current single towel bar with options that are a shelf/towel bar combination. There are many that have edges to hold your stuff in place as you go down the road.
Single Towel Bar
- Heavy Duty
- East to install
- Modern design
- Rust Proof
Multi-Tier Towel Bar
Like the name implies, these are similar to the single bar towel rack but have multiple bars for holding towels. Ones with two or three bars can be real space savers. These also come in wall mount and over the door.
There are a few styles of multi-tier bars. For small RV bathrooms, you might want to consider the style that mounts flush with the wall. The other style comes out a little further with each tier. After about the second or third tier, it could start to encroach on limited space.
You will have to take the weight of the towels and the rack into consideration if you are thinking of using this style.
Multi-Tiered Towel
- Brushed finish
- High quality
- Modern design
- Easy to install
Swivel Towel Bar
The swivel style is a metal plate with three or four hinged bars attached. These bars can rotate out away from the wall. The bars can also be staggered to allow for more airflow between the towels.
However, instead of two anchor points like the other towel racks, these have one, the metal plate. That means for this type of towel rack, you will want to find a solid stud in the bathroom wall to mount it to.
Wall Mounted Swing Towel Bar
- Stores multiple towels as needed
- Easy to install
- Perfect for space saving in an RV
- Ideal for allowing multiple towels to dry
Towel Hooks
Not technically an rv shower towel rack! However, they are a good alternative (or addition) to the towel bar. Hooks can be a space saving way to hang your towels. Especially if you are working with a small RV bathroom.
Hooks are also a little more versatile. Since they take up so little space, walls that wouldn’t hold a bar can be used to hang your towel. There are over the door, wall mount and under the cabinet versions. Large Command hooks can be mounted inside the shower to hold towels when not in use.
Self-adhesive kinds like command hooks can be mounted quickly and without drilling. Adhesive and suction cup styles can also provide a place to hang wet towels in the shower. Make sure to check the weight rating before buying. You’ll want to choose one with a rating for 3 lbs or more.
