The best RV vacuums will keep your home away from home in tip top shape.
Here we look at small handheld vacuums through to the more powerful central RV vacuums.
The very nature of RVing means that your camper is going to pretty dirty. Having a vacuum on board (even a small one) can really help to keep everything tidy.
Contents
Best Stick Vacuum
Best Central RV Vacuum
Types Of RV Vacuum
There are a number of options to choose from when it comes to RV vacuums.
I’ve opted to cover cordless vacuums and central vacuums as they are just way more convenient than a traditional corded vacuum.
Handheld Vacuums
Handheld vacuums are great for smaller RVs, they are very compact and it’s very easy to find some storage space for one. They are generally more than adequate for vacuuming most spills and will keep you shipshape until you get back home for a deeper clean with a more powerful vacuum.
Cordless Stick Vacuums
Cordless stick vacuums have improved greatly in recent years, with the higher end types competing with a traditional corded vacuum. The battery life and suction power of a decent stick vacuum is more than enough to keep even large RVs clean. They are also pretty compact and easy to store.
Central RV Vacuums
Central vacuums are the professional option for your RV. Although expensive in comparison to a standard stick vacuum cleaner, when retrofitted into a suitable unused space they are an excellent choice as a vacuum cleaner for your RV. The unit itself sits in a cabinet or appropriate spot, then you can plug in a long extendable hose that you can use with all the usual attachments.
The Best RV Vacuums
- Black+Decker 20V Cordless Handheld Vacuum
- Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lithium-ion Cordless Hand Vacuum
- VacLife Handheld Vacuum
- Shark IX141 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum
- Bissell 3061 Featherweight Cordless Stick Vacuum
- Black & Decker Powerseries+ 20V MAX Cordless Vacuum
- Dirt Devil CV 1500 Central Vacuum System
Top 3 Handheld Vacuums
Black+Decker 20V Cordless Handheld Vacuum
⭐️Best Handheld
The Black + Decker 20V BDH2000L handheld is my top choice small vacuum.
This lightweight vacuum has a built-in long reach nozzle which also has a pull out extension (great for those awkward spots in an RV).
It has very strong triple cyclonic suction power and will pick all kinds of material.
The vacuum doesn’t come with any attachments, but at the end of the nozzle is a flip down down brush.
Another nice feature is that with a push of a release button, the nozzle will swivel through 360 degrees.
The bin is easy to empty by clipping off the nozzle, and the washable filter is easy to access.
The vacuum has a charging base, and sits upright (nozzle up) to take up less space. From flat, the vacuum will charge on average, in around 4 hours.
Battery life is pretty good for a small vacuum, and will last about 15 minutes on full power.
Pros
Long Reach
360 Degree Nozzle
Powerful
Cons
Charge Station Unstable
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Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum
⭐️Handheld #2
Second on the list of handheld vacuums is the best selling Bissell Pet Hair Eraser.
The Bissell has a lithium-ion battery, which will last longer than other vacuums of its size. When fully charged, the battery will last around 18 minutes.
The vacuum comes with 3 attachment tools – an upholstery tool, a crevice tool and the motorized brush roller. The motorized brush makes the Bissell handheld excellent at hair removal.
It has powerful suction for a handheld vacuum, and will pick up lots of different sizes and weights of material.
The bin is easy to empty, and is slightly larger than most handheld vacuum bins.
There is a triple level filter on this vacuum, and when the battery is completely flat it will fully recharge in around 5 hours.
Although a little more expensive than most, you do get the motorized brush roller which is not a common feature on a handheld vacuum.
Pros
Motorized Brush
Powerful Suction
Cons
A Little Expensive
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VacLife VL189 Handheld Vacuum
⭐️Handheld #3
The VacLife VL189 is a very small, lightweight handheld vacuum.
It comes with a couple of attachments – a brush and a crevice tool. It also has a cleanable double hepa filtration filter (and you get a spare one).
The suction is excellent for a small vacuum and it has no problem picking up heavier materials and hair.
One of the best things about the VacLife vacuum is the built in LED light, which is very useful for darker spaces.
The battery life is good for such a small vacuum, and you will get on average 35 – 40 minutes working time.
The charge time is also good, and will take about 30 minutes to fully charge.
To keep the vacuum operating at peak performance you will have to regularly clean the filter, but this isn’t too bad as you get a spare to swap out while you clean it.
Issues are rare, but VacLife has excellent customer support should you need it.
Pros
LED Light
Fast Charge Time
Cons
Regular Filter Clean
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Top 3 Cordless Stick Vacuums
Shark IX141 Cordless Stick Vacuum
⭐️Best Cordless Stick Vacuum
The Shark IX141 stick vacuum is first on my list of larger RV vacuums.
The build quality is very good, and the connections feel firm and snap together nicely.
The main brush head houses the brush roller which has an excellent pick up action on carpet.
There are two modes to choose from, and when not on carpet you can select the hard floor setting. One of the great features on the brush head are the LED headlights, which are great for under furniture etc.
The bin isn’t huge but definitely adequate for an RV. The bin is very easy to empty, and the hepa filter is easy to access when you need to clean it.
The Shark has a powerful high speed brushless motor, which is evident when you hit the “turbo” button.
The Shark will easily convert to a smaller handheld type vacuum where you can use the various attachments. It comes with a crevice tool and a brush/upholstery attachment.
On low setting the vacuum will run for about 40 minutes, using the turbo function will cut this down to about 15 minutes.
The unit will fully recharge in about 4 hours.
Pros
Simple Operation
Large Reservoir
Carry Handle
Cons
Slightly Noisier
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Bissell 3061 Featherweight Stick Vacuum
⭐️ Cordless Stick #2
The Bissell Featherweight 3061 cordless is my second choice stick vacuum.
As the name suggests, this vacuum is super lightweight, coming in at only 5.8lbs.
A nifty little feature of this vacuum is the unique two way folding handle. The handle can be folded down for storage, but can also fold in the opposite direction so you can vacuum under furniture without needing to bend down.
The swivel on the main brush head is very maneuverable and you will be able to get into tight spaces with no problems at all.
The head also has a brush roller which can be switched on or off depending on whether you are on carpet or hard floor.
The vacuum has strong suction and has no trouble picking up heavier materials.
The Bissell does come with a couple of basic tools, and you can use it as a handheld unit if you need to.
One of the only drawbacks is the runtime, which averages around 20 minutes, although this wouldn’t be much of an issue in an RV.
The unit can be recharged in around 4.5 hours.
Pros
Very Maneuverable
Easy Storage
Cons
Short Runtime
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Black & Decker Powerseries+ 20V Vacuum
⭐️ Cordless Stick #3
The Black + Decker Powerseries+ stick vacuum comes with Black + Deckers’ standard 20 volt power tool battery. This is definitely a plus if you have any Black + Decker power tools. Simply swap to another battery while another charges. Charge time for these batteries is around 4 hours.
The brush head has an anti tangle roller and also LED headlights for use under furniture.
The bin is a good size and is an easy single button release to empty the contents. You can also access the washable hepa filter from behind the bin canister.
This vacuum has an automatic suction power level function, which adjusts the suction needed when moving from carpet to hard floors. Some find the automatic suction power slightly annoying, but you can manually adjust the power via a switch.
You can use the vacuum as a handheld and comes with a crevice tool for hard to reach areas.
The runtime is lower than advertised, at around 30 mins on the low setting and about 10 – 15 minutes on high.
Pros
Battery Connect System
Lightweight
Cons
Runtime Lower Than Advertised
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Central RV Vacuums
Dirt Devil CV 1500 Central Vacuum System
⭐️ Best Central RV Vacuum
The Dirt Devil CV 1500 is my choice as a central RV vacuum system.
This is a very powerful permanently mounted system for your RV. Although often fitted to larger RVs, it can be fitted with no problems in smaller campers.
All RVs will have a suitable “dead space” spot to mount the main unit. It’s then a case of fitting the connection plate for the vacuum hose.
An installation video can be found here.
You will need a 120 volt electrical outlet to power the unit.
The Dirt Devil comes with lots of attachments and the main vacuum hose itself which will extend up to 35 ft. This means you will also be able vacuum exterior storage cupboards and pass through as well.
The Dirt Devil is without doubt the most powerful of all the above vacuums.
Pros
Super Powerful
Permanent Feature
Cons
Needs Installation
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Power Tool Battery Vacuums
Most of the better known power tool manufacturers sell a vacuum that will take their cordless power tool batteries.
These vacuums are designed for use in construction environments and therefore usually pretty powerful.
If you think it’s worth taking advantage of your power tool batteries, take a look at some of the vacuums on offer.
When it comes to RV vacuums, there’s quite a bit to choose from.
A few things to consider are: the size of your camper, whether you’ll need to get rid of pet hair, and of course, storage space.
See how we rate products in our reviews here.
Please check out my other equipment reviews.
