Campervans are obviously a great compromise when you want something that offers the convenience of a motorhome but without the scale and expense. However, because they are much smaller than many caravans and motorhomes, storage space is very limited. Whether you’re here because you are interested in buying a campervan or already known this kind of vehicle, you’ll undoubtedly be looking for inspirational storage ideas.
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Remember to Think Outside the Box.
As most are kinda box shaped, the key of thinking outside of the box and looking beyond traditional storage ideas is very apt for a campervan. Clever campervan storage ideas are often born out of taking a fresh approach to the problem.
Look at the available space you have in your campervan. Not just the pre-determined storage space, but all the usable space. You don’t necessarily need to have large areas of workable space, even just spots here and there can make all the difference. You also need to realise it may take a little patience, as some spaces won’t immediately pop out at you. You could even try emptying anything moveable from the van to figure out a way to reconfigure the unused space.
At Caravan Helper, to help you out, we’ve put together our very own guide to some great storage ideas for small campers, including lots of products you can utilise to get the most out of your vehicle.
Campervan Wardrobe Storage
Your camper may already have wardrobes. Are you using them in the most effective way though? In this section we will look at some clever campervan storage ideas involving pre-existing wardrobes. Make them work for you, rather than compromising.
First up we’ve got this ingenious solution to the problem of storing away all those pesky smaller items, like jewellery and underwear. If you’ve been the kind of campervan owner or caravanner to just find random gaps and spots here and there to store these kinds of items, only to find you can’t find them when you need them, we feel you pain. We’ve all been there at one time or another.
Measuring at a width of 17-inches and a height of 38 ½-inches, the Misslo Hanging Closet Dual-Sided Organiser is a great way of maximising the vertical space inside your campervan wardrobe. There are 21 different pockets spread out on each side of varying sizes, making them ideal for underwear, toiletries and toiletry bags, jewellery and just about anything else you need close to hand but want tidied away neatly.
Each pocket is made from clear PVC so you not only can see exactly what is stored away, but it also means they are incredibly easy to clean. The organiser is supplied with a high-quality and coat hanger, that could be easily remove and replaced, if necessary.
Next, we’ve got these rather awesome collapsible drawer organisers from Joyoldelf. Measuring at 13.4 x 12.8 x 3.5-inches, with 24 different cells to fill with whatever you want, it’s made from a high-quality non-woven fabric and has a zip closure on the base that helps to pack it right down when its not in use.
You could obviously use this great storage solution in the way it was intended as a large drawer tower. However, due to their size, we thought it might be a good idea to take them apart and have two draws at each side along the bottom of a wardrobe to provide addition storage space without losing the vertical storage space. They can be stacked together or used separately. So, there is lot of room for flexibility.
The next item is one of our favourite storage solutions, particularly as it does not need any drilling, screwing or any traditional form of fixtures that shelves normally require. It relies on friction and tension, in a similar way to many baby gates. It’s robust and consists of hard steel piping with an ABS plastic coating.
With a width of 24cm, its length can be extended from 38 to 55cm and it’s capable of bearing loads up to 20kg. What really makes this a great solution and perfect for anything from campervan overhead cupboards and as campervan kitchen storage ideas, is the fact it comes with a removable clapboard.
The clapboard can be used then to display and hold items, while the exposed rack section can be used to hang things from. So, you in theory could have some garments on hangers hanging from one side and then other clothes that don’t need a hanger folded on the other side. That, though, is just one option. There are plenty of others, depending on your needs.
Vacuum Sealed Bags
Vacuum sealed bags are a perfect way of storing away stuff you don’t need immediately. Although suited to any form of travelling, they are ideal for smaller tourers like campervans because they offer you the ability to store more in one small area than you normally would, even if you were the world’s leading clothes folding expert. They do this, as you’re probably aware, by removing the air. Air takes up space, you see, especially in containers and bags.
The vacuum sealed packs we wanted to highlight was this set of jumbo-sized bags from Spacesaver. They measure 100 x 80cm each and are double zip sealed and feature a triple seal leak valve that helps prevent any air entering the pack. The pack comes with its own hand pump, so you don’t need to even worry about connecting your vacuum cleaner (something you might not be able to do in your camper anyway).
A special anti-microbial material has been used to ensure that anything you store in the bags are fully protected against mildew, mould, moisture and water, insects and odours.
Due to their design, we’d be more inclined to use them for items you don’t need immediately, such as bedding and other linen. Again, it’s entirely up to you how you them.
Other Storage Ideas
Really, when you are trying to use your tourer to its full potential you need to use whatever clever campervan storage ideas you can. This includes adding extra shelving where possible. As long as you have enough room to move around, take things off shelves and out of cupboards as well as being able to put them back too, you should be fine.
Ikea are known for creating some inventive storage solutions. However, we’re not going to discuss any of their fantastic and elaborate cupboards, wardrobes or even chests of drawers or cabinets. Instead we wanted to highlight the Variera half shelf. Made from plastic, this is a great lightweight and easy to use way of adding more storage space to pre-existing storage furniture. This is easily done, as you just need to stand it in place and start using it. Simple as that!
Hopefully, you’ve been able to see from our guide above that there are lots of great campervan storage solutions out there. You just need to stop looking at the existing storage and think outside the box. Once you do that and take a fresh and different approach, you will find it very easy to increase the amount of usable space you have – especially if you incorporate one or more of the great storage ideas for small campers we’ve outlined in this article.
Being able to hit the road and explore the world is what makes owning a campervan so great. With the tips above, you can enjoy it in an even more stress-free manner.
For more articles about storage check out our article on caravan cupboard storage or check out our article on caravan bottle holders.