RV camping is a little more luxurious than tent camping, but it can still get messy, particularly if you’re traveling in bad weather or going out hiking, so a portable vacuum for RV is an essential piece of gear.
So, the question is, how do you find the best portable vacuum for your RV? How do you know which type to go for? And, which extras are necessary? We’ll cover all that and our top recommendations for portable vacuums in this in-depth guide.
The bottom line up front: we love the EUREKA Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. It’s an excellent all-rounder, compact and lightweight.
We’d also recommend:
- THISWORX Car Vacuum Cleaner super compact, ideal if you don’t have a lot of space to work with
- Dyson V7 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum perfect if you have a pet, this is a powerful but lightweight vacuum cleaner
We’ll be looking at:
- The best portable vacuums for RVs compared
- What to look for in a portable vacuum for RV
- Our top 5 recommendations, including their key features, pros, and cons
- Some frequently asked questions
- Which ones we like the best, and why
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- Best Portable Vacuums for RV Compared
- What to Look for in a Portable Vacuum for RV
- Top 5 Best Portable Vacuums for RV
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Our Final Thoughts on the Best Portable Vacuum for RV
Best Portable Vacuums for RV Compared
What to Look for in a Portable Vacuum for RV
Before we give you our top recommendations, here’s a bit more detail about the key features you should look for in a portable vacuum for your RV:
Type
The type that you go for will depend on how much space you have. For most people in an RV, maximizing space is essential, so your decision may depend on how much space the vacuum will consume.
There are 2 basic types to choose from when it comes to vacuums that are suitable for an RV:
- Compact / Handheld: these are very small, compact and ideal if you don’t have much room to work with. The downside is that they usually don’t have as much suction power as a stick vacuum.
- Stick: these are lightweight, easy-to-use vacuums that are generally cordless. The only disadvantage is that they take up more space, although some come with a docking station. What’s more important, however, is their brilliant suction power, so you can use them at home as well.
Sometimes stick vacuums can be converted into handheld vacuums, making them a practical, multi-purpose option. For example, you could use the stick aspect at home and use the handheld element for your RV.
Power
The other thing to consider is the power of your vacuum, as this will greatly impact its efficiency, in terms of suctioning up dirt. Most vacuums advertise the power of their engine in watts (although this is not always displayed), with many portable vacuums exhibiting around 150-200 watts, enough to deal with general dirt and spills.
Smaller vacuums may not have as bold of suction power as the kind you’d have at home, which means it may take extra effort to clean up a particularly large mess.
Corded or Cordless
Cordless vacuums have an obvious advantage in that you won’t be tripping over yourself to use them. They can also access any hard-to-reach places without having to worry about cord length. The main disadvantage is that they do need to be charged, and some of them have to charge for hours to reach a full battery.
Corded vacuums are a good choice if you don’t want to worry about battery life.
Filter
Look for a vacuum with a washable filter. This can save you some money as you won’t need to replace them due to consistent clogging. HEPA filters are great, as they should, in theory, remove dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria with ease.
Extras
Some vacuums come with extras, including special nozzles. Look for a crevice nozzle, as these are good for reaching corners and smaller areas. You can also get upholstery brush nozzles for keyboards, screens, and hard surfaces.
Storage
Handheld or compact vacuums may come with a storage bag to keep everything together, which is really useful, especially when you’re trying to optimize the space in your RV. By the time you’ve squeezed in your cooler, heater, clothes, and the rest of your gear, you’ll probably find that there isn’t a significant amount of space left.
Stick vacuums tend to come with some sort of stand or dock for charging, but they don’t typically come with a bag for storing everything inside.
Top 5 Best Portable Vacuums for RV
Here are our top 5 portable vacuums for your RV. We’ve highlighted a mixture of handheld/compact vacuums and stick vacuums, so you should be able to find one that suits your needs!
THISWORX Car Vacuum Cleaner – Most Compact
Key Features
- Type: Compact, bagless
- Power: 106 watt
- Cord Length: 16 foot (4.87 meters)
- Number of Attachments: 3
- Type of Filter: HEPA (washable)
- Weight: 2.4 pounds (1.1 kilograms)
The THISWORX Car Vacuum Cleaner is a powerful and extremely handy little vacuum cleaner for your car, but is also ideal for any type of vehicle. It has a powerful 106-watt motor, enough to deal with any amount of mess, and comes with a removable, washable HEPA filter. It’s not overly noisy to use, either.
It has a 16 foot (4.87 meters) cable, which should be long enough to vacuum your whole RV with ease. It’s lightweight at 2.4 pounds (1.1 kilograms), so it’s much easier to use than a regular vacuum, if you struggle to lift heavier objects. It also makes a great vacuum for trucks, which is useful if you ever go truck bed camping.
There are 3 attachments in this set, including: a flathead hose, for hard-to-reach areas; an extension tube, for under seats, cracks, and crevices; and a brush head, for carpets and upholstery. The downside is that the brush head isn’t as effective as it could be, and you may lose some suction while it’s attached.
It also comes with a small brush for cleaning the filter, as well as a spare filter. All of this is kept in a neat, compact carry case.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Not too noisy
- Powerful for a portable car vacuum
- Comes with extra attachments in a neat carry case
Cons
- Brush head isn’t as useful as it could be
VacLife Stick Vacuum Cleaner – Best Value
Key Features
- Type: Stick, cordless, bagless
- Power: 180 Watt
- Cord Length: Cordless
- Number of Attachments: 3
- Type of Filter: HEPA (washable)
- Weight: 7.4 pounds (3.4 kilograms)
The is a lightweight stick-type vacuum cleaner and is great value. It has a powerful 180-watt motor, which is powerful enough to deal with dirt, hair, and sand; it also comes with a removable HEPA filter. It’s quiet to use, which is ideal. The downside is that the plastic feels a bit thin in certain areas, so it may develop cracks over time.
It’s cordless, so no need to worry about tripping over the cord as you vacuum, and it has a long-lasting battery that can work for 15-30 minutes after a full charge (this takes around 4.5 hours). You can also switch it to MAX suction if you’re dealing with a significant amount of mess. It weighs 7.4 pounds (3.4 kilograms), which is not too heavy for the amount of suction power it has.
It comes with 3 attachments, including: a crevice nozzle, for hard-to-reach places; a dusting brush, for carpets and upholstery; and a multi-functional cleaning brush.
Plus, it comes with a spare HEPA filter and a bag to keep everything together, which is helpful for organizational purposes.
Pros
- Quiet to use
- Powerful
- Has MAX suction option
- Comes with 3 attachments
Cons
- Plastic is thin in some areas
EUREKA Cordless Vacuum Cleaner – Good All-Rounder
Key Features
- Type: Stick, cordless, bagless
- Power: 150 Watt
- Cord Length: Cordless
- Number of Attachments: 1
- Type of Filter: HEPA (washable)
- Weight: 4.9 pounds (2.2 kilograms)
The EUREKA Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is a cordless stick vacuum with some exciting extra features. It has a notably powerful 150-watt motor, though this means it’s slightly noisier than some of the others on this list. It has a removable HEPA filter.
It’s cordless and can be converted to a handheld vacuum, which is extremely useful. It’s easy to maneuver and the battery lasts for 30 minutes at full charge, so you will have plenty of time to clean your whole RV before it needs to be charged again. You can set it to LOW or HIGH, depending on what you’ll be cleaning, but the HIGH setting will drain the battery quickly.
It’s quite lightweight at 4.9 pounds (2.2 kilograms), making it incredibly easy to use. It also has a LED lighting strip for any hard-to-see areas, which is a great additional feature.
It comes with a crevice nozzle for hard-to-reach places. The downside is that it doesn’t come with a storage bag to keep it in, but it does have a wall mount to keep it tidy. It comes with a spare HEPA filter too.
Pros
- Powerful motor
- Battery lasts for a good amount of time
- Has 2 different power settings
- Very lightweight
Cons
- Slightly noisier than some of the others on this list
- Doesn’t come with a storage bag
Beyond by BLACK+DECKER Handheld Vacuum – Most Lightweight
Key Features
- Type: Handheld, bagless
- Power: Not stated
- Cord Length: Cordless
- Number of Attachments: 1
- Type of Filter: HEPA (washable)
- Weight: 0.7 pounds (0.3 kilograms)
The Beyond by BLACK + DECKER is a super lightweight handheld vacuum, ideal for cleaning up small messes. While the power is not stated, it’s ideal for cleaning up any sort of small spill or doing a quick clean up.
It’s cordless, making it really easy to use, and takes around 10 hours to charge fully. It only has one setting, but is notably lightweight at 0.7 pounds (0.3 kilograms), so it’s perfect if you’re wanting to avoid anything too heavy.
It comes with a nozzle for vacuuming hard-to-reach areas. Its compact nature makes it useful for most vehicles and could also work to clean up small spills in your truck or SUV.
The storage tank is easy to empty, you can remove the filter and wash it. Although it doesn’t come with a storage bag, it’s not a problem as the vacuum is very small and easy to store.
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Cordless
- Comes with a nozzle for hard-to-reach areas
- Storage tanks are easy to empty
Cons
- Not as powerful as the others on this list
- Doesn’t come with a storage bag
Dyson V7 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum – Most Powerful
Key Features
- Type: Stick, bagless
- Power: Not stated
- Cord Length: Cordless
- Number of Attachments: 3
- Type of Filter: HEPA (washable)
- Weight: 5.3 pounds (2.4 kilograms)
The Dyson V7 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum is a lightweight but powerful stick vacuum that can easily be converted to a handheld. It’s powerful enough to deal with all kinds of messes, anything from: a thick shedding of animal hair, sand, dirt, or food spills. It has 15 cyclones (also known as cylinder vents) for extra suction power in order to capture microscopic dirt.
It’s cordless with a decent amount of battery power, enough to vacuum your RV with plenty of battery and time to spare; although, if you want to use it in your home as well, you may find the battery runs out before you’ve finished.
The vacuum is turned on and off using a trigger, which makes it easy to switch it on and off, and ultimately saves you battery power. It can easily transform into a handheld vacuum if you’d prefer to use it this way, and it’s lightweight, at 5.3 pounds (2.4 kilograms).
It has 3 attachments, including: a multipurpose tool; a soft brush, for screens and hard surfaces; and a crevice tool. It also comes with a removable, washable filter, and a docking station, meaning you can hang it up and charge it at the same time, keeping it neatly out of the way.
Pros
- Hangs up neatly and charges at the same time
- Comes with 3 extra tools
- Powerful suction
- Can be used as a handheld vacuum too
Cons
- Battery life could be improved
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you go, here are some frequently asked questions about the best portable vacuum for RV.
How do I clean my vacuum cleaner’s filter?
Most vacuums have a washable filter. To clean it, take the vacuum outside and tap the filter to remove the volume of dust (you definitely want to avoid doing this inside your RV!)
You can then run your filter under lukewarm water, allowing it to air dry thoroughly. It’s best to leave it for at least 24 hours to ensure it is completely dry. A wet filter won’t work properly, and could risk damaging your vacuum.
If your filter isn’t washable, you can just tap it to remove any obvious clumps of dust.
You can find out more about cleaning a vacuum cleaner in this guide by Good Housekeeping.
Do stick vacuums work well?
Generally, speaking, yes! Obviously, it depends on the model, but stick vacuums should be powerful enough to deal with most types of dirt.
You may find that the battery in a cordless stick vacuum needs to be replaced after a while, as they do degrade over time. It’s worth checking the warranty on the model you’re considering buying to make sure you can replace the battery easily if it does start to fail.
Dyson has a guide to vacuum battery care if you want to find out more.
How often should I vacuum my RV?
This is just the same as at home – you should vacuum whenever you feel it is needed! Obvious spills should be cleaned up straight away, and if you find any sand in your RV, it’s best to deal with it as soon as possible to avoid any potential spread.
RVs can accumulate a fair amount of dust. This is because campgrounds tend to be dusty, whenever you open your windows, dust can easily get inside. You may also find that your RV gets dirty if you go hiking frequently, as you can accidentally bring dirt in on your hiking sandals or hiking boots.
We’d recommend vacuuming every day if you do find it gets dusty quickly. Luckily, it doesn’t take too long to run a vacuum through an RV!
You can find plenty of guides online that will outline how to keep your RV clean, like this one by RV 101.
Can a compact / handheld vacuum deal with pet hair?
Compact/handheld vacuums can have a weaker suction than other types, which it’s best to carefully consider your options if you have a pet. For those who have a dog, we’d recommend going for a stick vacuum. If that’s not an option, make sure you go for the most powerful compact/handheld vacuum you can find.
Our Final Thoughts on the Best Portable Vacuum for RV
If we had to recommend one, we’d choose the EUREKA Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. It’s lightweight but powerful, and it works really well for an RV. We like the LED lighting feature that highlights dark corners.
If you want a compact/handheld vacuum, you could check out the THISWORX Car Vacuum Cleaner. It’s also quite powerful, and doesn’t take up much room.
If you have a pet or you want something more powerful, consider looking at the Dyson V7 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum. It has powerful suction and is pretty lightweight too.
We hope this has helped to point you in the right direction! If it has, please feel free to share it online with other RV campers. We’d also love to hear your thoughts: do you have a recommendation for an RV vacuum? Any cleaning tips? Let us know in the comments!
