Caravan storage ideas: Space-saving hacks under $80

Is your caravan or camper cluttered? Check out these fantastic hacks for caravan storage ideas.

Most RV manufacturers do a pretty good job with storage space. But by nature, even the most well-designed caravan or camper requires tetris-style packing skills to travel with everything you need to be comfortable.

Your home on wheels is so much nicer when everything has a place and is in its place, right? Well, while I can’t help you with getting your family or travel partner to actually put things in their place, I can help you with caravan storage ideas so that your possessions actually have a place.

So to help you on your journey to clutter-free RV bliss, here are some easy caravan storage ideas.

Convert to collapsible to free up space in your cupboards

You probably already have a collapsible bucket, but did you know that you can get collapsible kettles, steamers, bowls, dish drying racks and more? Swapping out your non-collapsible items for collapsible products is one of the simplest caravan storage ideas you can implement. And it really does free up lots of space in your limited RV storage, particularly if you swap out larger items like buckets and clothes hampers.

Check out this great collapsible kettle from Tent World. I actually have one of these and absolutely love it as it fits perfectly in the sink when travelling.

Make good use of drawer dividers

Think of a drawer divider as a sub-folder to your main folder. Just like on your computer, you can tidy up the main folder (in this case your drawer), by separating items into subfolders, in this case your drawer dividers. Out of all the caravan storage ideas, this one is the most satisfying (with the next one being a close second) once you’ve done it.

You can use any small tubs that fit within your caravan or camper drawers for this but check out this really cheap option from IKEA.

Clean up your food cupboard with clear storage containers

Out of all the caravan storage ideas, this is my second favourite because it looks damn amazing once it’s done. This one also has the added benefit of reducing the amount your food bounces around when travelling. Particularly if you’ve stacked all your storage containers in the cupboard nice and snug. Your breakfast cereals and other packaged food usually take up far less space than their original packaging once stored in these.

Clear storage containers work best so that you can easily see what’s inside them. However, make sure to get one or two that aren’t clear so you can hide your biscuits and lollies from prying eyes.

This is one of the most cost-effective caravan storage ideas and you can buy containers from almost anywhere. These ones from IKEA are a good price.

Get creative with hanging storage

One lesser-known caravan storage hack is to get a little creative with hanging storage. If you have overhead cupboards in your caravan, you’re in luck. Simply install a small towel rail on the underside of your cupboard and attach some hanging storage onto it. Alternatively, if you don’t have overhead cupboards, you can install a small rail either on the inside or outside of your normal floor-level cupboards and use it as a hanger.

Out of all the caravan storage ideas, this one is great for making your RV look a little fancier as you can buy a nice-looking rail that really goes with the interior colour scheme of your caravan. Don’t have a colour scheme? Me neither, but the natural look of the IKEA one below will go great with my white walls.

These are awesome for storing soft odds and ends like tea towels in the kitchen area or even socks and underwear storage on the backside of your clothes cupboard.

Tidy up your large storage compartments with utility bags

Most caravans have one or two large storage areas toward the front of the van and it doesn’t take long for it to become a jumbled mess. Given the nature of the items that usually get thrown in there, it usually ends up pretty grubby as well.

One of the most practical caravan storage ideas you can implement is to grab yourself some heavy-duty bags and tidy up that large storage area. It will be so much easier to find what you need when you want it. So spare blankets will go in one bag, spare poles and awning sides can go in another and various sieves for fossicking will go in yet another. Actually, the latter could probably just live in a bucket. Either way, you get the gist.

Check out these two great storage options from CaravanRVCamping that will quickly tidy up your larger storage compartments.

Utilise your awning

Many of us spend more time outside of our caravans and campers under the awning than inside. I know I certainly do. As a result, there’s a lot of stuff that gets used frequently and then plonked, usually by my kids, on the outside table. Caravan storage ideas don’t get much better than this practical idea of storing your frequently used items in a well designed hanger from the awning.

Use magnets to tidy up your cutlery

Use a magnetic strip to store your various small metal items. You’ve probably seen this idea before on household storage ideas blogs but it works really well in a caravan as well, providing you aren’t regularly off-roading on a seriously corrugated track.

Using a magnetic strip to store your knives is a great caravan hack because it negates the need for a knife block (which is bulky in an RV) and stops the knives from rubbing together in your drawer and dulling the edges. However, they also work great mounted on the inside wall of your larger storage areas to keep smaller items such as allen keys and small metal storage containers in one place.

Get yourself some fold-out hooks and suction cup hangers

Both of these caravan storage ideas cost very little but they do have some annoyances. Fold-out hooks are generally only useful while the caravan is parked as any towel or jacket will bounce off once you hit the road. Although, it doesn’t take much to pick it up and place it back on the hook once you get set up.

Suction cup style hangers are great for tea towels and light items but they do tend to pop off every now and then so I don’t recommend using them in your bathroom for heavier items like soap and shampoo.

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