11 Easy RV Office Workspace & RV Desk Ideas To Work From The Road
Let us show you our RV office setup and discuss other RV workspace options that have worked for us over the last several years as we’ve traveled full-time and worked from the road. While we could have gone with a mid den desk setup in our Jayco Pinnacle 37MDQS, we decided to make a master bedroom RV desk out of a dresser. There are a lot of places you can have an RV workspace setup, you just have to choose the one that’s right for you. In the end, we liked a simpler option that could be closed off from the rest of the house.
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Let’s talk about RV office setups for full-time RVers. We’ve been traveling fulltime in a 41’ 5th wheel for multiple years now and have tried a number of different things.
Even before we hit the road I was working a regular corporate job, remotely. So when we started shopping for a floorplan that would work for our family, we knew I would need an office space that had some separation from the rest of the house. Not that an entirely separate office space is always necessary, but for us that was the best solution. Here are multiple options described to help you find an RV workspace solution!
Indoor RV Office Space
Here are several ideas for an indoor RV workspace in your rig:
#1 Mid Den RV Desk
We really liked mid-den/bunkroom floorplans for this extra room in the middle of the RV. We ended up using this space as the kid’s room, but in our Jayco Pinnacle 37MDQS, this was originally considered a den. This space where we now store books and hang clothes is actually a built in desk. This could be a permanent setup for a desk that you wouldn’t have to breakdown at the end of the workday.
Some RVs also have a removable table whose legs can easily mount to holes in the floor. We have this in the middle of our den and all you would need is a chair. There’s even a full-size door that you can close for privacy while working which we highly recommend compared to accordion style doors for better soundproofing and concentration while working. So this could be a good option for an office.
#2 Master Bedroom Dresser RV Desk
We quickly realized that with a couple of young children in the house and frequent conference calls, it would just work out better if we had a workspace in the master bedroom. The master bedroom doesn’t really get much use during the day and there’s a bit more separation since whoever is working can be on the opposite end of the RV. It’s also helpful that here there is also a solid door to close that helps keep out some sound.
Converting the Existing Dresser
We converted the dresser in our bedroom into an RV workspace by simply removing a set of drawers on one side. One of the reasons we went with this particular model of 5th wheel was because this dresser was also the perfect height to be made into a desk. There are many other models where there’s a much taller dresser in this space that wouldn’t have worked as a desk.
At the time, only one of us really needed a workspace. So we only needed to have a seating area on one side and the entire desktop area could be used by one person.
Recently we took that a step further so we can sit side-by-side. Christine left her remote job so we could pursue our own business ventures full-time. We’ll often take turns working now during the day and when the kids go to bed we can both work collaboratively. We also got a couple of laptop stands (https://amzn.to/3rdAVFp) and extra keyboards (https://amzn.to/3JpSOqO) to make everything more ergonomic.
Taking out the remaining two drawers opened up the area underneath so we can both sit together. The one draw back now is that there is no more room for an extra monitor, but I’m sure we could figure something out if we really wanted to. There were also a couple of cross bars and the slide rails for the drawers, but everything was easily removable with just a screwdriver. It definitely isn’t as pretty as it could be because you can see some pipes and wires down here, but we haven’t really cared because it’s just a spot where we rest our feet and we could build a cover if needed.
Another Option
If you don’t have a dresser that is a good height already to modify, you could rip out the dresser entirely and replace it with a desk against the wall there or anywhere else in the room where you have space. You could also mount a collapsible desk (https://amzn.to/3jiYhVL) against the wall that could be folded down and away when not in use.
#3 Master Bedroom Closet RV Desk
Sometimes people use closet space to stage a desk. If you have a space for a washer and dryer but haven’t installed them and don’t plan to, that area can be large enough for a one person desk. If you’re closet is large enough elsewhere, you could potentially put a desk elsewhere in the closet also with some creative rearranging.
#4 Master Bedroom Under Bed RV Desk
We have even seen some people that have a table top under their bed that becomes accessible when you lift the mattress to access the storage area underneath. It is either built to lift up as the bed is raised, or you can raise the bed and then set up a normal folding table with your office equipment set on top.
#5 Using A Dinette As An RV Desk
Since we work on laptops with adjustable stands, we do occasionally work from our dinette. This is easy because the chairs and table are already there, with nearby electrical outlets. However, that also means anytime we need the table for a meal, homeschool, or other activity, the workspace has to move.
#6 Replacing A Couch With An RV Desk
Another option is to remove another piece of furniture in the main area, and replace it with a desk – or maybe even two. Ikea sells lightweight desks that are really popular with RVers and can even be screwed into the wall just like our Ikea shoe rack that we put in by the front door. If you were to remove a couch for example, you could potentially fit a one or two person desk there instead.
#7 Working From the Couch
Though you can also just lounge on the couch with your laptop, it tends to not be the most ergonomic option. Some couches have build in side tables that can rotate to become a small workspace or you could use any tray table or small foldaway desk.
Another Option
If working from the couch is your style, you could also consider working from your bed, with a lap desk (https://amzn.to/3v36J0Q) or overbed table. Definitely pay attention to how your body is feeling with these and any other options so you can adjust as needed and find a good ergonomic solution for you.
Outdoor RV Office Space
When you want to be outside instead of in your RV, some of these outdoor setups might be an option for you!
#8 Picnic Table RV Workspace
Sometimes if the weather is nice we’ll also run an extension cord from the cargo bay and set ourselves up outside at a picnic table. For campsites that don’t have a picnic table you could buy a folding table and bring it along with you. We love working outdoors, but let’s be honest, if the weather isn’t going to be nice, it’s not really worth hauling everything out.
#9 Outdoor Shelter RV Workspace
The weather not always being completely ideal is why a lot of people also like to setup some sort of outdoor shelter in their campsite and then have a workspace inside of it.
A really popular one is a Clam shelter (https://amzn.to/3r9EUCP). We’ve seen a lot of other RVers with them, and it’s on our list of future wants. An outdoor shelter can protect you from too much sun, rain, bugs, heat or cold. Though you might have to add a fan or heater depending on the temperature.
RV Works Spaces On The Go
So what if you can’t get enough internet connectivity at your site, need more peace and quiet than you can find there, or otherwise want to get away for a bit while working? Here are some other options:
#10 Working In Your Vehicle
We’ve also been known to work from our truck in certain circumstances. Usually on a travel day, once we’re all hitched up and hit the road, Kevin will drive and Christine will get a chance to get some things done while traveling. You can also just sit in your vehicle directly at the campsite, or drive it to a location where you can pick up a better internet signal or be away from any distractions.
#11 Working At A Local Park Or Other Destination
On a couple of other occasions we’ve even grabbed our camp chairs and a picnic blanket, and headed off to a park. Our 2200W Honda generator usually rides in the bed of the truck and if we don’t have a decent internet connection at our campsite we’ll go spend a few hours in a nice place where we can get signal and keep our laptops running with the generator.
You can also look up a local coffee shop or restaurant with WiFi that would allow you to sit for a while and work while you enjoy some food or drinks. Libraries are great options as well. Maybe the campground itself has a community center or other shared space in which you can work or maybe there’s a local community coworking space.
We hope this gives you plenty of ideas if you need to work from your RV and are looking for potential RV workspace solutions! This all actually brings up another topic as well of how we get internet while traveling which you can learn about in this post all about internet connectivity on the road!
Free Downloadable List of RV Workspace Options!
Download the free list of RV workspace options so you can see which of these might work best for your situation. You can print it out, or save it to your phone for when you’re considering options. It even has a link to this blog post so you can come back and get more details when you’re ready!
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