14 Tips for Functional Camper Storage and Organization
When it comes to camper storage, you can never have too much. Proper storage is key to maintaining order and organization in your camper.
Tips for Functional Camper Storage and Organization
People have come up with creative ways to increase storage utilization within their campers and I’m here to share just a handful of the great ones! You’ll notice throughout this article I’ll mention many common items and simply provide outside the box ideas to help inspire your creative organizational side.
1. Pegboard
The pegboard is probably one of the most ingenious inventions I’ve come across and highly recommend installing if you carry lots of tools with you on excursions.
By installing a pegboard to the additional storage area underneath the camper you are creating a world of aesthetically pleasing, well organized and easily accessible tools.
Measure the inside space walls on both sides. You’ll need the width and the height. If you don’t have a table saw at home, Home Depot or Lowes can cut the board for you.
Avoid screwing through frames, wires, or plumbing, by carefully selecting your screw length. 1/2 inch screws should do the trick.
You should purchase a variety of metal hooks to secure the items to the pegboard. From other people who have used the pegboard, no one has incurred issues of tools falling or racketing around while in transit.
With the pegboard, you can secure hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches and other supplies neatly on the wall.
The use of the pegboard will keep smaller items from rolling around in the space and on the wall. It also makes accessing your materials easier instead of digging through the notoriously messy tool bag.
2. Bedside Pocket Caddy
A bedside caddy will help alleviate excess clutter around the bed area. It can easily be attached with velcro straps like this caddy here. I personally love this idea because I always have piles of books, chargers, my laptop, and cellphone littering my nightstand.
This particular caddy has ten pockets and can be utilized in a variety of different ways. Store smaller objects like chapstick, pens, headphones, and chargers. Use the larger pockets for tablets, books, an extra pair of warm socks, a flashlight, or a midnight snack!
3. Spice Gripper Clip Strips
To spice up your kitchen and pepper in some fun, try the spice gripper clip strips! These guys are miracle workers and have holding capabilities that span beyond the security of spices. They can be attached with an adhesive strip or screwed in for additional bondage.
These grippers will fit round containers approximately 1.5-1.75 inches in diameter. Meaning that they can hold more than just spices, but also prescription medication bottles, small tubes of lotion, sunscreen, and toothpaste.
Looking up Amazon reviews, I saw one reviewer stated they are not suitable for rounded RV cupboards. When you’re installing, be sure to use only flat surfaces to avoid the plastic pieces from popping off and spilling its contents.
I recommend this product to save counter, cabinet and drawer space. The clips are sturdy enough to hold the spices in place while on the road and make it easy to still read the labels. Install them on the inside of a cabinet door, on the wall, or even on the underside of the cabinets.
Space saver spice gripper clip strips to the rescue! Now say that ten times.
4. Shoe Organizer
A shoe organizer is not just for shoes! Hang it on the inside door of the bathroom to hold shampoo bottles, brushes, sunscreen, miscellaneous bottles, face cleansers, small towels, you name it, if it fits, put it in there!
Shoe organizers are great because they’re built for shoes so they’re durable and meant to last.
I have seen people attach them to the base of the bed and use it for shoe storage to keep shoes off the floor.
You can even cut them into smaller blocks to fit in smaller spaces. Punch holes in the top corners and if you’re extra handy install grommets so the holes don’t tear. Hang Command hooks and simply hang the shoe organizer wherever your heart desires.
Command hooks are incredibly strong and durable little pieces of plastic. Their magical sticky back secures to practically any surface and they come in a variety of sizes for different purposes.
Use the shoe organizer inside cupboard doors and put chip bags, instant mashed potatoes, and other packaged items inside them. Or hang under the sink and use it to hang cleaning supplies. That way you’re adding additional storage space under the sink where you can store larger appliances such as crockpots or rice cookers.
In effect, you may notice every time you open the door the items bang around. To avoid this noisy problem, use Command strips to secure the organizer to the inside of the door.
5. Converted Dog Crate
Traveling with pets? It is definitely more fun to watch your dog snooze on the couch while driving down the road, but not the safest option. If you have a dinette, most campers offer ample drawer space underneath the seating space.
Follow these simple steps for a dinette doggy transformation!
- Remove the drawer under the seat
- If there’s not a drawer and your seat opens at the top under the cushion cut a hole using a jigsaw
- Smooth the edges so there are no sharp edges with sandpaper
- Uninstall the equipment and screws that held the drawer in place
- Measure and build a wooden frame that fits on the inside of the open space that the drawer has left
- There will be a small lip on the bottom where the drawer rested. If you have a geriatric pup that has trouble clambering over things, you can remove the lip with a jigsaw. However, this is not necessary.
- Choose a wire or mesh fencing that can be cut and attached to the wooden frame
- You can find a variety of different materials at Home Depot, but make sure the material is open and breathable. I personally, like this material because it’s cheap and easy to cut.
- Depending on the fencing you chose you may be able to use a staple gun, heavy duty staples, or screws and washers.
- If putting the wire on the inside of the makeshift crate, cover the frame portion with a protective covering so your dog doesn’t scratch itself on the exposed wire.
- I like the idea of covering the frame with pillow stuffing available at the craft store and securing it with cloth and a staple gun
- If you want to go the extra mile, apply pillow stuffing to the walls and on the underside of the seat (or the roof of the crate) as well. This is not a 100% sure-safe option that will protect your animals, but it will supply a little bit of a buffer and padding if something happened.
- This is much easier to complete before attaching the door.
- To attach the door you’ve created, use two hinges and attach on the outside to make installation easier.
- Purchase a latch and screw the lock on the door and the latch to the original seat.
- Add your pet’s bed, blankets, and toys to make it homey!
This is an easy yet possibly time-consuming project that will help keep your pet safe and also free up space within the camper.
6. Corner Shower Shelf
This is one of those items that has many uses. A corner shower shelf is great not only in the shower but can be used elsewhere as well. Use it in the bedroom as decoration to hold plants or picture frames. With the metal wire frame, you can use zip ties to secure items to the shelves. Just because you’re in an RV doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be homey!
You can break the shelves down to fit in the corner of kitchen counters to hold food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
Use it in the bathroom, but not in the shower. Add storage space for Kleenex and extra toilet paper. I saw someone who had wrapped LED lights around the shelf which made it look extra cute and added an alternative light source that uses less power than the bathroom light.
Basically, any open corner space can be utilized as extra storage with the corner shower shelf.
7. Over the Door Storage Organizers
I’m putting over the door organizer as their own category because there are so many different kinds for many different uses. Here are a couple of my favorites:
Towel Holder
Hang this over the door to store towels on the door instead of precious wall space. Fold towels in half long ways, and then in half again. Roll them into a tight cylinder and stuff it between the wire holders. I love this idea because this frees up the towel rack for more organizational tactics (to be discussed later).
Over the Door Caddy
There are so many different shapes and sizes and can be utilized in a variety of ways. Put one under the kitchen sink to store cleaning products (like the shoe organizer), or get a smaller one to hang inside cupboards to safely put away smaller items like spices and kids cups or even small tools that get frequent use.
Some of these door caddies will have baskets so you can store bulkier items such as dog leashes and treats, recycled plastic bags, or anything your organized heart desires.
8. Ceiling Mount Brackets
These brackets give you storage space on the ceiling! Install the brackets to the ceiling and slide rods through them. Have a surfboard? Slide it over the rods and secure the board with bungee cords so it doesn’t slide around.
However, this isn’t just for surfboards. Use it to store the kids’ boogie boards, the ironing board, or your patio mat. It even aids in the laundry! Hang clothes and towels off the ceiling rods with hangers to dry inside.
When screwing things into the drywall of your RV, be very cautious of where you’re screwing ensuring, you’re not hitting, electrical lines or plumbing. Use drywall pegs to safeguard a tight and secure fit.
9. Going Fishing?
If your RV has underneath storage space then try this storing tip to keep your rods safe. Instead of laying them flat on the floor, hang them from the ceiling. This contraption is similar to the ceiling mount brackets but much more suitable for fishing rods.
Depending on how many rods you’re taking with you, will depend on how to make this device. Use a small rectangular piece of wood and allow approximately three inches for each rod. For the sake of this example, we’ll say we have two poles. So our piece of wood needs to be at least six inches long.
Use a circular bit drill at least one inch long and drill two holes equal distance apart. Once you have your holes cut, use wood glue to secure the block that you just drilled holes in perpendicular to another wood block. The second block will be attached to the ceiling.
After letting the glue set overnight we’re going to screw the secondary wood block to the ceiling of the storage area. Personally, I would install this towards the middle so you can still stack things against the walls but put it wherever you feel will be most safe and secure. Be sure to use screws long enough to go through the block of wood and at least half an inch into the ceiling.
Furthermore, if you own a collapsible fishing rod and the handle is easily removed, you can make two of these little contraptions. Make sure wood blocks are in a perfectly straight line opposite each other to avoid damaging the rods. And then hang your handle on the sweet new pegboard you installed!
To use, slide the rod into the holes and you’ve got yourself a fancy fishing pole holder. You don’t have to worry about them sliding around in the holes because of all the different pegs on the rod itself. If you’d like you can even install a third wood block for extra support.
However, if your fishing pole doesn’t break down into smaller pieces, you’ll need to install a hook to secure it. The size hook you’ll need will depend on your handle. Again, make sure you install the hook perfectly vertical of the wood block to help preserve the rods.
10. Curtain/Towel Rod Storage
A rod does more than just hold towels and curtains. With a little creativity, you can turn an ordinary rod into a counter-space-saver!
Install a curtain rod on the wall above the sink in the kitchen and add hanging containers or baskets for fruit and veggies! Or use it in the bathroom for additional storage for your toiletries that don’t fit in the minimal cupboard space.
If your utensils have holes, add little hooks to the curtain rod and hang up your utensils instead of throwing them in a drawer. This way not only are they organized and easy to find, but it saves extra drawer space! You can also hang measuring cups and spoons or even mugs.
Attach clips and 1-inch curtain rings together to make hanging clips in the shower to keep items off the floor. Clip facial cleansers, lotions, toothpaste, and other smaller items on the curtain rod. This nifty trick is also a preventative for mold build up.
11. Slide Out Tower Storage
To utilize every bit of available space between the shower and sink counter or fridge and stove, consider a rolling slide out pantry. These towers can fit into spaces as small of 5 inches wide and add an incredible amount of storage.
This particular tower is 5 inches wide and has three tiers to store taller items such as wine bottles or spaghetti noodles.
The wheels make it super easy to roll in and out of the small spaces. To add to your organizational experience, look into containers that fit on the shelves. Transfer bags of rice, oatmeal, cold cereal, and other goods into the containers to save space in cupboards.
Initially, all the “space saver” products will quickly run up your bill. However, think of it as a life investment for yourself. Tupperware, curtain rods, and shower caddies, and the like will not expire or have to be thrown out. Once bought, you can expect them to last a long time before anything has to be replaced.
12. Elastic Straps and a Staple Gun
The medicine cabinet is a great spot to keep smaller toiletry items, but only if you don’t mind everything tumbling out and falling in the sink. An easy fix for this is a thick piece of elastic and a staple gun. Line the inside of the medicine cabinet with the elastic. Staple either end of the elastic a couple times so it’s extra secure.
Every couple of inches staple the elastic strip to the wall. This will create open pockets to stick items between the elastic and wall of the medicine cabinet.
Secure hairbrushes, toothbrushes, pill bottles, and other miscellaneous items in the elastic strips. This will also ensure that items that need to be kept upright will stay upright. This elastic trick will prevent items from jostling around and spilling the entire medicine cabinet’s contents every time its opened.
13. Shower Curtain with Pockets
Similar to the shoe organizer, this shower curtain has mesh pockets and is made with a mildew resistant fabric. Keeping items off the shower floor helps eliminate the risk of mold growing.
The curtain can be used as a liner or as a single curtain. It’s extremely durable and can hold several bottles of shampoo. However, even in the shower curtain holds up, doesn’t mean that your curtain rod will withhold the weight.
Keep your kids’ bath toys, razors, loofas, facial cleansers, and all your shower necessities in the pockets. This particular curtain’s pocket sizes range from large to small for a total of nine pockets.
14. Hanging Clothes Storage Box
This piece of equipment is super handy in the closet. The long closet with the tiny curtain rod doesn’t provide a whole lot of practical storage space. By hanging canvas storage boxes, this will break up space within the closet allowing a more practical use of the space.
The boxes are built with a strong durable material. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about them ripping or tearing and you can finally utilize the awkward narrow space in the bedroom.
Another creative closet trick is the Wonder Hanger! The hangers create more space for items in need of hanging. The hanger can hold up to 30 pounds and 5 hangers at a time which makes it perfect for storing heavy jackets that normally take up a lot of space.
Conclusion
In short, there are endless ways to maintain an organized camper. Organizing doesn’t have to be a treacherous chore and is actually quite satisfying to reorganize a messy storage space. I encourage you to try some of these out and see what works for you.
Happy organizing!
