Camper vans have become the hot new craze and rightly so. They’re the perfect fit for individuals and couples that want to enjoy traveling more or even life on the road. And, as you’ll see below camper vans have come a long way in providing comfort and convenience so you can eliminate that preconceived notion you have of “living in a van down by the river” (remember the Chris Farley SNL skit?). But camper vans can leave RVers feeling a little short on space at times, so give these space-saving hacks a try.
1. Utilize the backs of all doors
Full-size doors and cabinet doors provide you opportunities for storage that you don’t want to miss. While you don’t have a lot of room on the backside of cabinet doors, you can still easily use this area to store things like cooking spices and herbs, While you probably don’t a lot of cabinets inside your Class B RV a popular hack that RVers love is to purchase an over-the-cabinet-door wastebasket. This saves valuable space in the cabinet that the trash would usually consume.
2. Hang organizers on the back of the car seats
You have to have a seat to sit in while you drive so you might as well put the back of the seat to work for you too. These are generally purchased by parents so their kids have a place to store things during car rides, but they work perfectly for creating extra storage space in a Class B RV. These come in all kinds of colors, designs, and material (including leather) so it shouldn’t be too hard to find one that looks nice while still providing you with some extra space.
3. Hang a pegboard in your “kitchen”
A pegboard allows you to get some commonly used utensils and cups out of your drawers and cabinets and onto the wall. It creates a new storage space where there wasn’t any before. When using this tip make sure that you have everything secured on the board so you don’t have things falling and breaking as you drive.
4. Hang canning jars from the ceiling
Canning jars are great for storing small items. But when you’re traveling in a camper van you don’t have a lot of places to keep these jars, especially while making sure they aren’t clinking together as you drive. However, if you attach the lids to the ceiling you can twist the jar onto the attached lid and the jars will stay put. You’ll want to make sure you aren’t putting these in a place where they will block your vision or cause you to bump your head, but if you find the right place this can be a great place to store small items.
5. Buy things that nest
Remember those Russian Nesting Dolls? You open one and there’s another inside and another and another. This is what you want to create when storing things in your camper van. When it comes to supplies like Tupperware, mixing bowls, or anything else that will be going in the cabinets, look for things that nest and stack well.
Create ways to repurpose the insides of areas to become storage. For example, there are chairs that have seats that lift up so you can store things underneath it. The more hidden space the better when you have a Class B RV.
6. Think verticle
You can fit a lot more inside of a cabinet if your plates are in a verticle rack instead of laying stacked on top of each other horizontally. Look for ways to store things vertically so they take up less room.
You can also look for ways to create verticle storage solutions. For example, instead of lining shoes up along the floor purchase a storage solution that allows you to keep them separated while stacking one on top of the other. Floor space is precious when you have a smaller RV.
7. Look for small containers
When you have a camper van it helps to think small. Look for smaller containers that store easily. Those that stack together are even better. It can be helpful to have several small bins that fit into one space instead of one large bin that fits in the same space. This makes it easier to find what you’re looking for without having to sort through a bunch of mixed stuff.
8. Find the right camper van from the start
The best way to have the storage space that you need in your camper van is to carefully choose the right fit for you. Think about what you want to bring with you on the road and how you will use the interior space. By taking the time to carefully think through your usage of the space it will give you a better idea of which RVs are the right options for you. Here are a few to consider:
2020 Midwest Automotive Designs Passage 170STD
The Midwest Automotive Designs Passage makes great use of the space it has by providing a drop-down bed that’s stored on the ceiling. This provides you with a nice amount of walking and living space throughout the day. There are plenty of storage options and extras that you can take advantage of such as storing items in the sink when it’s covered. This gives you extra storage space and extra counter space.
2020 Pleasure Way Lexor Fl
This Class B RV helps you out by working to provide you with the additional space that you’re looking for. You can see n this picture there’s an easy to use tray/tablespace that you can move out of the way when not in use. This gives you more space to use in the way that you decide. It also provides additional overhead storage to expand your usable space.
