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Making the most of the space in your caravan is crucial for a comfy and stress-free adventure down under. Clever storage tricks to keep things tidy and within reach are essential when your room is limited.
Today, we share 15 caravan storage ideas to help you make the most of every last centimetre of space. From smart sink covers to foldable furniture and space-saving power stations, these tips will help turn your caravan into an organised and efficient home on wheels.
Let’s dive in so you can get out on your next adventure.
How Do I Maximise Storage in My Caravan?
If you like living the van life in your caravan, you know that space is as tight as a sardine can, so you need to do anything you can to make the most of what you have. However, sacrifices aren’t always necessary. You just need to think about things that fold up or stack inside each other and those that can be used for multiple purposes.
Let’s look at ways to stay comfortable in your motorhome with less space.
Use Hooks and Broom Hangers
The more you can hang, the better. Use that wall or cupboard door space to hold your broom and dustpan. You can also use broom hangers to hang your torch so it’s close by when you need light at night. Also, install hooks on any empty wall space where you can hang coats, purses, keys, pot holders, and other items you frequently need so you are not always digging around looking for them.
Use Sink and Stove Covers To Create Counter Space
A wooden cover cut just the right size to fit over your sink or stovetop is an excellent idea for creating extra counter space. Then, when you don’t need your stovetop or sink but need more room for preparing dinner or cleaning those wild berries or nuts you picked with the kids, you’ll have the extra counter space when you need it.
Use The Ceiling
We often don’t think of storing stuff on the ceiling, but you can actually hang many items up there. Get hanging baskets, fruit hammocks, and hanging shelves. Not only will they maximise your storage room, but they will also keep the items inside nice and safe while you drive. Just be sure to securely attach them to the ceiling with a hook designed for the intended weight.
Create an Outdoor Living Space
Use a pop-up shelter with screen sides and a waterproof roof to move your living room into the great outdoors and free up indoor space. The roof and sides protect you from sun, rain, and bugs. A tarp or outdoor carpet keeps the floor clean, a great option for those travelling with little ones.
Use Collapsible Furniture
Choose lightweight furniture for your outdoor living room that folds up to take up less room. You can even store your outdoor furniture on a roof or tow-hitch rack, so it doesn’t take up any valuable indoor space.
Use a Portable Power Station
Instead of packing a petrol generator that can’t be used inside your caravan because of the toxic fumes, why not use an EcoFlow Portable Power Station instead? They come in various sizes to meet all your power needs. Since it uses no fossil fuels, it’s perfectly safe to use indoors to run your appliances or watch the telly at night.
The EcoFlow DELTA Series of Portable Power Stations are perfect for running large appliances like microwaves and TVs, but also lights, coffee makers, and virtually any kitchen appliance you may use. In fact, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro has plenty of power for even the largest, most power-hungry caravan you could have, running air conditioners, refrigerators, and heaters. There is no need to sacrifice the luxuries of home; you can bring them all on the road and travel in comfort and style!
The best part of portable power stations is that they offer wireless power, lasting many hours on a charge. They also have versatile charging options, including using your standard household wall plug (AC) or 12V DC power from a car or vehicle battery. Since they can also be solar generators, you can recharge them with solar power using portable solar panels to generate clean energy whenever the sun shines. Then, they store that energy in their built-in battery so you can have power at night or in bad weather when the sun isn’t shining.
Use a Portable Fridge/Freezer
Even if you have a fridge in your caravan and pack a cooler to load with ice and drinks for the beach or other outings, why not make it a portable fridge/freezer instead? It takes up just as much space as your average-size cooler, and you won’t have to deal with messy ice melting ever again.
The best part is that you can get a model like the EcoFlow GLACIER Portable Fridge with a built-in freezer to bring ice cream or other frozen treats to the beach. It even has a built-in ice maker so you can have icy cold beverages on a hot day. Talk about travelling in luxury.
Use a Portable AC/Heater All-in-One
If you like bringing an AC for those hot days, choose a model like the EcoFlow WAVE 2 Portable AC that doubles as a space heater for chilly nights. Then you don’t need two appliances since you can heat and cool all in one compact unit. Since it’s portable, you can use it indoors or bring it into your outdoor living space to stay warm or cool and enjoy the great outdoors.
Shoe Organisers
Canvas shoe organisers are fantastic, versatile storage tools. Get a long, narrow, horizontal one that you can hang from the base of a bed or bench or a wider vertical one meant for hanging on the back of the door to keep all your shoes accessible but out of the way.
However, shoe organisers hold more than just shoes.
You can use it on a bathroom or utility cupboard door to hold all of your cleaning supplies for easy access. You can even put one on a wall in your kids’ space to hold their small toys and electronic devices.
Use Vertical Stacking Clothes Hangers
Using clothes hangers with multiple vertical levels is a fantastic way to save valuable closet space. You can find ones with anywhere from 3 to 6 levels to hang multiple shirts, sweaters, dresses, etc., in the same amount of space it takes to hang just one. Just be careful using them with heavy items; you might break the hook if they get too heavy. In that case, stack a heavy item with lighter items to distribute the weight more evenly.
Magnetic Strips
Magnetic strips are fantastic for keeping metal objects accessible and safe and preventing them from rolling around while you drive. Use one in the kitchen to hang your sharp knives on the wall and keep them out of the drawers. They’re also good for holding screwdrivers, pliers, and other metal tools in your utility cupboard.
You can even get a small strip to hang in the bathroom on the wall or inside the cupboard for your nail clippers and tweezers.
Use Nesting Bowls and Pots
Using things that fit inside each other is a great way to save tons of room in your cupboards. Buy a few sizes of pots from the same manufacturer so that they all fit nicely inside each other; you can have three pots in the space of one. You can even buy pots with removable handles to save even more room.
You can also buy mixing bowls and measuring cups designed to nest inside each other. Finally, whatever dinnerware set you use, ensure that your plates and soup bowls fit snugly inside each other to save room and prevent them from rattling around or breaking.
Stackable Kitchen Storage
The best space-saving kitchen storage for dried goods is square or rectangular containers that stack on top of each other. Their straight edges allow you to use up every centimetre of available space compared to rounded containers because you can stack them right next to each other without any gaps. You can save even more room when they stack securely on top of each other.
Pantry Shelves
Adding extra shelves in the pantry and cupboards will also give you plenty of extra space, especially for things that don’t stack well. You can get stand-alone shelves to sit on your existing shelves or hanging shelves designed to hang down from the shelf above or even under a cupboard.
Lining your shelves with anti-slip shelf mats is another great idea. They will prevent things from sliding around while driving, so you can maximise your room and make it safer, too!
Magazine Racks and Newspaper Racks
Use magazine and newspaper racks hung on the walls and doors to organise all kinds of things, not just magazines and newspapers. You can put a narrow magazine rack in or on a kitchen cupboard to hold all your plastic wrap and aluminium foil. Use a newspaper rack to organise paperwork, but they can also hold maps, tablets, phones, and anything else you want to keep within reach.
Final Thoughts
Finding ways to maximise your storage space is essential when caravaning. Use hangers, hooks, and shoe organisers to hang various items. Make sure you use stackage storage in your kitchen cupboards, and don’t forget to try that magazine rack to hold your plastic wrap and aluminium foil.
To save more space, use an EcoFlow Portable Power Station that you can recharge using free, clean energy from the sun. Then you can enjoy guilt-free luxuries like an EcoFlow WAVE 2 Portable AC, without burning fossil fuels to keep you chillin’ in style.