Our Camper Organization (+ Small Space Ideas)
Happy Friday, friends! Just a little disclaimer before you begin reading this post (just in case something doesn’t make total sense), I came out of anesthesia a few hours ago for a routine procedure (my first colonoscopy, ick) but I’m feeling great and didn’t want to skip today’s blog post… so here it goes! Let’s hope Emmett didn’t need to confiscate my computer after all. Ha! Anyway, this is the much requested camper organization post. If you missed the reveal and source links for all the decor & materials, you can find that one here. Lots of these organization ideas apply to small space living of any sort! I’m sharing the items and ideas we implemented to make our tiny space go further and feel more put together & efficient. Click through for all the details and sources…
Let’s start with the dinette. This entire seating area has storage underneath, which is amazing! It’s accessed by the doors on the front- or you can flip up the seat cushions for a better reach. We used a lot of plastic bins in this area. We fill them with dog items (dog food, treats, their GPS collars, shampoo, a brush, etc), as well as our larger outdoor gear… things like a two person sleeping bag (in case the heat malfunctions), our PFDs for floating & rafting, an oversized griddle for cooking outside on the picnic table, etc. These plastic bins have been wonderful because they’re easy to clean and wipe out- especially for our outdoor gear and dog items that can get pretty dirty.
The next item that ended up being a happy accident is our storage ottoman turned laundry hamper. I like having our dirty clothing separated from our clean items- which live in the cabinets above the bed.
I always travel with a laundry bag (pictured below), and halfway through our first camping trip- I couldn’t find a good place for our dirty clothes. I lined the ottoman with my washable bag and now that’s always where our dirty laundry ends up. This is the same bag I pack in my carry-on luggage when traveling because it folds up so small. I’ve had this thing for years! I may invest in another one to keep in the camper permanently.
In the cabinets above the bed (where our clothing lives), I found a great foldable system for our things. It comes with bins of varying sizes that are stackable, so Emmett and I divvied them up. We put our socks and under layers in the smaller bins and the bulky items go in the larger ones. Instead of living out of a backpack or duffel bag, we pack up our bins at home and stock the camper with our clothing before we hit the road. It feels so much more organized than rummaging through a pack- I feel like it’s much faster, too.
I sleep nearest to the fridge wall and Emmett sleeps next to the exterior wall… on my side of the bed, we installed a little woven hanging basket / bag. That’s where we toss the remotes for our sconces! It’s also handy for my phone or a charger.
We also have storage at the foot of our bed. I have a few baskets that fit underneath… we pull them out once we’re settled and keep additional items there- phones, chargers, our thermostat, etc. We splurged on a thermostat & power monitor that links to our phones. It’s helpful if we go on a hike or do an activity where the dogs aren’t able to tag along. It gives us peace of mind that things are running as expected and we can see the inside temperature at all times. Should it drop below a certain temp, we’re notified and we can quickly get back to home base and the dogs.
Ready to move along to the tiny kitchen? This is where I feel the most organized… and somehow we still have room to spare in this space!
There was negative space above the fridge, and I was able to find a pretty basket that perfectly fit. This has become our “snack basket”. It’s for trail mix, popcorn, fruit, etc. Although we quickly learned that chocolate or anything that could easily melt definitely needs to be stored in the fridge while traveling. The camper just gets too hot during transit.
We keep all of our dishes and cookware in the cabinet above the sink. Everything fits nicely, but Emmett is considering building a shelf to divide it into two sections for even more space. All of our dinnerware and drinkware is stackable, and I made sure to line all of our cabinets & drawers with this strong grip material so it doesn’t slide or shift while we’re traveling.
A game changer for us was investing in space-saving utensils. I’m not sure if you can tell from the below image, but some of them fold up and some are just smaller scale. They’re half the size of regular utensils and have been amazing to use! I actually feel like they fit my small hands better.
Here’s a peek at them inside the drawer. I also used drawer organizers to corral everything. Everything has a place, which makes me very happy!
There is a small slot above the lower cabinets that is a handy place to toss smaller items- it’s not big enough for spices, but it is perfect for our headlamps, flashlights, and remotes. Below that, I installed a row of hooks… that’s where we hang cooking items, pot holders, or a kitchen towel.
I think purchasing compact and nesting kitchen items has been key! Our lightweight tent camping cookware actually works just as well in the camper and takes up a minimal amount of space.
We also had these collapsible measuring cups from our tent camping setup, and while they’re not the prettiest- they take up a small amount of space and work really well. They’re hidden inside a drawer, anyway.
I really love our magnetic knife block. It’s visually pleasing, doubles as decor, has a very strong magnet, and works great. We haven’t had any knives fall during transit. I wanted to add some warm wood tones to the kitchen, and this was the perfect functional way to do that.
If you’re wondering what we do with the loose items on the countertops while we’re driving- they go into bins and live in the sink during transit. I throw down a kitchen towel so they don’t slide around, and put the countertop back over the basin. That was a genius idea on Emmett’s part… to have the sink fabricated like that. It can be a sink- or it doubles as additional counter space.
Our indoor kitchen trash bin lives to the right of our cabinets. It’s kind of nestled into the corner. We made sure to buy a lidded option since we have dogs, and it’s pretty streamlined looking.
On the same side of the cabinetry, we installed a paper towel holder. It’s simplistic, easy to access, and isn’t too noticeable.
Moving into the bathroom, this tiny space also works hard for us. We have storage behind the mirror, as well as beneath the vanity.
I found some budget friendly bins at Target that somehow perfectly match the cabinetry color. I grabbed a few of those and they fit wonderfully into the medicine cabinet. I used more of the drawer organizers (with grips on the bottom) in this area as well. We keep washcloths and quick toiletries here.
One of my favorite ideas was buying clear bath caddy organizers, pictured below. We keep them in our main bathroom at the house (Emmett & I each have an empty one specifically for the camper), fill them with our essentials, and they tuck nicely below the sink with our Turkish towels. Instead of toting along a cosmetic bag or dopp kit, these are much easier to pack and use. It also feels more like home, rather than living out of a bag.
Our adhesive hooks are also holding up well so far. We use them for bath towels, keys, dog leashes, whatever… we installed them through the camper and they look fantastic.
Just like stocking a home, we also keep cleaning supplies in the camper. This slender silicone toilet brush fit our small toilet area perfectly. It can also be mounted to the wall, so it doesn’t slide or shift. It’s ideal for tiny spaces!
The MVP of cleaning supplies has been this small handheld vacuum. It’s amazing for keeping the camper tidy, grabbing debris the dogs track in, and keeping the floors crumb-free. We also have a small broom, but I find myself reaching for this the majority of the time. The battery lasts forever.
Lastly, one thing we always travel and camp with is our Trasharoo. We had this before we even purchased our camper. It fits on your spare tire and is a convenient outdoor trash can- we just leave it back there… even while driving. You can throw your trash directly into it and dump it- or you can line it with a bag. Just be responsible if you’re camping in bear country and make sure you empty it accordingly.
I hope this post was helpful! I tried to link all of the products throughout- I didn’t have it in me to create a collage today, but let me know if I missed anything. I’m happy to share sources! Here’s to a good weekend ahead. I’m treating myself to a little spa time this weekend- I feel like after the aforementioned procedure I had today, booking a weekend massage gave me something nice to look forward to this week. Ha! Self care in different ways, I suppose. Cheers to Friday and being able to eat pizza again! Woohoo!