Space-Saving Tips for Inside Your Camper

By nuCamp

Published on June 14, 2021 under

Unless you are a disciplined packer, odds are you are finding your camper interior a little cramped at times. All it takes is a few cases of “one more” — one more sweatshirt, one more pillow, one more electronic item, one more — well, you get the idea. Before you know it, your camper is so crowded there’s barely enough room for people!

While the best solution is to be judicious and selective when it comes to deciding what you are bringing on the road with you, you can also use these ideas to get those must-have items inside and still have enough room for you and your fellow travelers.

Check out these space-saving tips:

Bedside caddy. If you’re looking for a handy place to stow all those objects you may need at night—tissues, remote, glasses, midnight snack—a bedside caddy is just the ticket. Slip the board under the mattress and it will keep all those items within arm reach. (You can also use the caddy with cushioned seats like your dinette benches.)

Shoe organizer #1. Of course, you could use an over-the-door pocket shoe organizer to hold your footwear. But a little out-of-the-box thinking can identify other uses for this multi-pocket item. Cut it apart horizontally and mount the sections on the bedframe with Velcro to hold various items—or shoes and slippers. Or, suggests Chelsea Barron, use it in the bathroom to hold toiletries or in the living area as a hanging plant holder for mini pots of herbs or greenery.

Shoe organizer #2. Instead of the pocket style, buy the kind with narrow shelves. Hang it in the closet and you have the perfect storage solution for bath and hand towels, washcloths and kitchen textiles.

Wire shelving. Are you tired of creating a Leaning Tower of Pisa every time you try to pile items into a cabinet? Maybe it’s time to add some lightweight wire shelving inside. This can make it easier to store and retrieve items without having the entire stack fall out.

Foldable storage ottoman. Sometimes you need a place to prop your feet after a long day exploring your new surroundings. Sometimes you need a coffee table/tray combination when you’re entertaining new camper friends. Sometimes you need a place to store extra items to free up closet space. With a collapsible storage ottoman you can address all those “sometimes” needs, and then, when it has served its purpose, you can fold it up and put it away.

Organizer lamp. It’s a light, a charging station for electronics, and a holder for pens, scissors, remotes and other items. What is it? It’s an organizer lamp. You can choose from a desk-style lamp, one for bedside use or table lamp style. And the LED ones save energy, too.

One last tip. If you want to maximize your clothing storage space, skip the usual way of folding clothe. Instead, try the “file folder” (aka KonMari Method) way. First, you fold your shorts, shorts and slacks into small rectangles, then you put them in the drawer or on the shelf vertically edge side down, instead of stacking them. This gives you full visibility so you can find and remove the item you want without disrupting the rest of them. The Organized Interior article explains how to do it, while Abby Lawson’s post breaks it down by type of clothing.