This article may contain compensated links, please read our disclaimer for more information.

No matter what kind of RV you own, it’s going to be a pretty cramped living space. This is especially true if you’re living and homeschooling in your RV with kids. That said, there are hundreds of families living on the road, and all of them have found ways to make it work. With a bit of creativity, a little extra outside time, and a willingness to be closer to your family—both emotionally and physically—you can make it work too.

In the past, we’ve talked about ways to find personal space when living in an RV. We’ve also written about great ways to squeeze in an RV office. One thing we haven’t covered, however, is how to fit space for homeschooling in your RV.

We will use this article to discuss the many ways you can make room for  homeschooling in your RV. Let’s dive in!

RV Desk Ideas

Make Use of Your Table

The vast majority of people out there use their RV table as their homeschooling space. It’s already there, it provides a solid working surface, and it doesn’t require any modifications.

That said, some people do choose to make minor modifications, such as putting in chairs instead of benches, or finding ways to put in additional seating, as Mark and Melanie Lamden did in the photo above.

Squeeze In a Traditional Desk

If the table isn’t your cup of tea, you may be looking for other ways to create your RV homeschool space. For many, the first idea that comes to mind is a traditional desk. The problem? Many people can’t find a place to put one.  Living in an RV means that you have to be very conservative with the space available. Since you will be utilizing the spaces exponentially more frequently than in a normal house, having a comfortable desk or chair is a must. Top9Rated has a list of the best ergonomic office ch

However, if you do have the space, go for it! You’re sure to appreciate the dedicated space for homeschooling in your RV.

We’re sure Renee Leonard is glad she made the choice to squeeze in a desk. Check out the awesome DIY wall desk with space efficient storage their family uses for schoolwork. “The construction materials are an IKEA STÄLL [a four-compartment shoe cabinet] and a narrow shelf on top,” Renee tells us. “Our motorhome [a Newmar All Star 4154] happens to have three captains chairs    along the passenger side.”

Invest in Lap Desks

Are you one of the many RVers who simply cannot fit a traditional desk in your tiny home? Maybe you simply prefer something a bit more portable than a desk? In these cases, a lap desk such as the Surf Desk is a solid choice for homeschooling in your RV. This allows you to learn in comfort anywhere you may roam.

…or Hang a Folding Desk

Another great way to fit a desk in without losing floor space is to hang a small desk that folds into the wall. We’ve seen people put these at the ends of their kids’ bunks, but this idea would also work well in other parts of the home.

Putting them low to the floor would allow kids to sit on the floor and work, or you could choose to hang them higher and invest in folding chairs for the sake of comfort.

Pull Out Unused Furniture

Want a dedicated space for homeschooling in your RV, but don’t have any empty spots to put one in? You could always pull out unused furniture to create an empty space and fill that with your homeschool supplies.

For some, this means removing a bottom bunk in the bunkroom like Charlotte Brewer did in the picture above; for others it might mean taking out a table or a couch. You’ll have to decide which furniture you can do without.

Remodel the Bunkroom

Speaking of pulling out bottom bunks, there are some people who go so far as to completely remodel their kids’ bunkrooms in order to accommodate their roadschooling.

The remodel pictured above was created by Erin Kol-son and is absolutely fabulous, featuring storage, fold-out desks, and a separate workspace for each of her kids.

We could also see a bunkroom remodel working well in a mid-bunk, as the dressers that tend to come in these models can make for great desks, with a little bit of creativity.

Move to the Couch

While having a dedicated school space is nice, there are times when doing schoolwork on the couch is the more comfortable and better option. Therefore, even if you have a nice school space, we recommend staying open to the idea of moving homeschooling in your RV to the place that feels most comfortable on any given day.

The photos above are the school space in Lindsay Lane’s RV. She stated that while they do use the table, a lot of their schooling takes place on the couch and floor,  as shown in the bottom photo.

RV Roadschool Storage Solutions

Decorate the Walls

When space is at a premium, you tend to make sure you use every square inch. This includes wall space. Why not use your wall space for school? Whiteboards, bulletin boards, and posters are all great uses of wall space in your school area.

We love how Christina Greenamyre did this in the bunkroom remodel pictured above. She has plenty of posters hanging, and even hid a small whiteboard away on the inside of a cabinet door.

Hang Up Your Supplies

Another fantastic way to make use of wall space is by using it to hang your supplies. Pegboards are good for this, as are buckets hanging from small rods. We’ve seen people use file organizers, as well as over-the-door shoe holders. We also really like shallow, wall-mounted bookshelves like the ones shown above.

Figure out where you have extra wall space and how you can use that space to keep your supplies organized and accessible, making homeschooling in your RV that much easier.

Dedicate Cabinet or Drawer Space

If you have too much school stuff to hang on the wall, we highly recommend dedicating a cabinet or drawer to schoolbooks and supplies. If your cabinet is on the taller side, stackable shelves can help ensure you use the space wisely.

Grab a Cart

Not enough cabinets to spare? Rolling carts are always mentioned a bunch whenever Fulltime Families members are asked about roadschool space solutions, and Ana Johnson even shared the photo above of her cart filled up with books.

These are wonderful because they are small enough to fit into little nooks and crannies, but their many tiers offer plenty of storage for books and supplies. We also love that they can roll easily from one area to another, making it easy to school on the couch, in the bedroom, or at the table.

Put In New Storage Solutions

Of course, you could also put in your own storage solutions for homeschooling in your RV. We love TRONES shoe holders from IKEA. These mount on your wall and hold quite a lot without taking up much space.

Storage benches are another great option, particularly if you can use them around the table, and low-profile bookshelves are equally wonderful.

We also really like the cube storage and stacking drawers many people seem to use, and we feel that Katie Fox did an excellent job of putting these storage options to use in her son’s school space shown above.

Roadschooling Outside of the Home

Fill Up Some Bags

The thing about homeschooling in your RV is that a lot of it tends to be done on the go. After all, you might as well take advantage of the fact that you’re visiting new places and get out and see things.

The travel desks mentioned above are fantastic for this. That said, wall-mounted storage and rolling carts won’t travel so easily. Therefore, if you plan to do work outside of the RV often, we highly recommend storing your most-used homeschool items in a bag that can be grabbed as you’re leaving home.

Go Outside

Sometimes, just walking out your front door is all you have to do to take in some amazing views. It can also be just what a kid needs to get focused. For these reasons, families will often choose to do their schoolwork outside. This can be done at a picnic table, in a hammock, under (or in) a tree, or in a Clam shelter.

We love this photo by AC Chan of his girls working outside alongside some sandhill cranes.

Head to the Library

Weather not so good? Need better internet access? Just want to get out and about? A trip to the local library can be a great way to change things up.

Libraries tend to have excellent internet connections, plenty of seating and tables, and every single one will have plenty of reading material. In fact, libraries make such good roadschool classrooms that some roadschooling families choose to head to a library multiple times a week.

Tanya Belvins’ photo above is a great example of just how perfect the library can be for schoolwork.

Weave In Field Trips

Finally, we must mention field trips. The whole point of traveling And homeschooling in your RV is seeing new places and doing new things. Not only is this tons of fun, it also gives you and your kids an  opportunity to learn in a whole new way.

Instead of spending every single day sitting still and experiencing things through dull textbooks, make a point of leaving home to visit historic places, science museums, farms, and other educational attractions. This is awesome because it makes learning exciting, doesn’t require anything in the way of extra supplies, and takes up no space whatsoever in your itty-bitty living space.

Fulltime Families is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.