• Shelving can give you extra space in a trailer.Yellow and green shelves image by Charlie Rosenberg from Fotolia.com
  
  By design, trailers are portable structures, and are in consequence lightweight and small, which means that the furnishings inside should be similarly light and compact so as not to overwhelm the space. Wicker, bamboo, plastic, small-dimension wood and coated wire are among the best materials for use in making trailer furnishings.
  
  

Hanging Shelves

• One way to make lightweight shelves is to eliminate everything but the shelf itself from the design. By screwing two heavy-duty closed eyebolts in the upper portion of the wall or ceiling, you can hang shelves directly from ropes and save the cost and weight of brackets. Drill holes in the shelf corners to thread rope through, and space them using tied knots below each shelf. Hang from the eyebolts to finish. This is an especially good design for a trailer with a curved wall as the shelves will adjust themselves to that space.
  
  

Shelf Walls

• If you are at all handy, you can make better use of a space already occupied by a wall to make shelves not much wider. Most trailers consist of several small rooms rather than one large room because the more supported divisions between floor and ceiling, the stronger the shell around it (like chambers in a spiral shell). Replace those walls with floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves to provide light and a sense of openness while gaining space for books and knick-knacks.
  
  

Tiny Spaces Shelves

• Avail yourself of every nook and cranny of your trailer; build or buy shelves to fit between cabinets, under the bed, over the desk and so forth. You can turn wicker baskets, milk crates or other prefabricated boxes of lightweight materials into shelves by hanging them sideways from hooks attached to the walls. Even a relatively small box may disclose a surprising amount of storage space when used in this way.
  
  

Unusual Objects as Shelves

• With a couple of metal brackets for support, you can turn a variety of unusual objects into shelving. Use a TV tray, an old skateboard, traveler's ironing board or even an oversized book as a shelf. Grouped together, these impromptu shelves become an art display as well as a place for storage.
  
  

Bamboo, Wicker and Rattan

• If weight is the biggest shelf worry you face in your trailer, bamboo, wicker and rattan provide the best possible combination of strength and lightness. On top of that, they are warm natural materials that are environmentally friendly and complement almost any décor or style. Available in many styles, finishes and sizes, there is bound to be a shelf unit just right for your situation.