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Simple Ways We Keep Our Camper Van Organized

Simple Ways We Keep Our Camper Van Organized

When you live or travel in a camper van, every inch counts so it’s important to keep your camper van organized. Little things—like shoes, toiletries, or dog leashes—quickly take over the space. We’ve learned that a tiny bit of organization goes a long way. Here are a few small systems we use to keep Tatonka (our van) feeling cozy instead of chaotic.

1. Hooks and Rods

We’ve added hooks above our bench for hats. These hooks are such a small thing, but they keep those grab-and-go items right where we need them. We found these in the cabinet knob section at Hobby Lobby. Extra hats are hanging from magnetic hooks on the van’s back doors.

We hang our towels and wet gear on small tension rods in the bathroom.

A two photo collage of ways to keep a camper van organized including decorative cabinet knob inside a van to hold a hat and a photo of gray towels hanging from tension rods in a van bathroom

2. Small Organization Bins and Packing Cubes are the Way to Go

We store our clothes in packing cubes and use divided drawer organizers for our socks and underwear. Bins in our pantry cabinets hold kitchenware and extra toiletries without occupying awkward space. The biggest hack that helped us create more storage space was to add these plastic organizers from the Dollar Tree inside the closet and the sink area. We use these to store toiletries out of the way. Before we installed these, our toiletries were in plastic boxes, which we had to haul out of a cabinet whenever we wanted to use them. We also added this hanging caddy for kitchen items like dish soap and more.

A three photo collage of ways to keep a camper van organized. One photo shows plastic storage hanging from inside a cabinet door, another shows plastic storage inside the closet and the last shows packing cubes inside the cabinet.

3. Hidden Storage and “Catch-All” Boxes

We keep one wicker box from Hobby Lobby above the bench seat for Will’s everyday items, like his pocket knife. Another box (Hobby Lobby again for the win!) on our counter holds my face care and other frequently used items. This prevents random clutter from floating all over the van.

These decorative jars hold coffee, makeup and body wipes, hairbands, and other small items, plus they double as decor. We also added floating shelves to hold decor and provide extra space for small storage.

A two collage photo of the inside of a camper van with ways to keep a camper van organized. One photo shows the van kitchen with arrows and words pointing to baskets and boxes for storage. The second photo is a close up of the kitchen with decorative jars and a box with arrows pointing to storage.

4. Back of our Seats, Visors and Doors = Hidden Treasure

We found these backseat organizers on Amazon. The large toiletry bag is magnetic, making it easy to toss things inside and carry them wherever you need. It took us a few trips to find a system that worked for us. Our dog leash, lead, and waste bags are stored closest to the door, while other things that aren’t used much, like our Road Atlas, are stored behind the driver’s seat. There are cheaper versions, but we wanted something that would blend with the space and had more flexibility than anything else we were finding.

We added these organizers to the sun visors, which store everything from our device chargers to our National Park and state park passes. I also added this lighted mirror on my side for those days when I might decide to wear makeup.

These Van Essentials rear door organizers add functional storage space for things we may not use every day or need access to inside the van. There is a zippered storage pocket that folds down to a shelf, which is really nice for holding toiletries when we use our outdoor shower. Speaking of the outdoor shower, we store the Van Essentials privacy screen in these organizers and love how easy it is to set up for a shower.

A four collage photo with photos of ways to keep a camper van organized. One photo shows organizers hanging from the back of the front seats, the second shows shoes hanging inside the van garage door, a third shows organizers on the van sun visors and the last is a photo of hats hanging inside the van back door.

5. Everything Has Its “Landing Zone”

Shoes, flip flops, and slippers are tucked behind the front seat or inside the garage door under our bed. Dirty laundry goes into a basket inside our storage bench, while our hiking poles are clamped inside the bench seat. Coffee gear has its own drawer. Extra blankets are stored inside decorative throw pillow covers (we love Rumpl blankets for packability!). We’ve found that once something has a designated spot, it’s easier to keep up with.

A two photo collage of ways to keep a camper van organized. One photo shows a bench seat with a pillow, wicker box and hats. The second shows the bench seat opened with hiking poles and a dirty clothes hamper.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need a fancy van build or custom cabinetry to stay organized. A few intentional spots for your most-used items can make your camper feel spacious, even on short trips.

What about you—what’s your best camper van organization hack?

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LuvSkyy