Life on the highway is filled with bumps, twists, and unforgettable adventures. Outfitting your camper van with versatile space-saving objects is vital to creating the experience that a lot smoother. Once you’re in a small area, making life simpler by means of group and planning is a lifesaver.
We’ve discovered a ton about van life from touring in our Sprinter Campervan, Benji in Canada and our campervan, Tilly the Troopy, in Australia. From what to make use of for insulation to the place to bathe, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that isn’t captured by the shiny #vanlife content material on Instagram.
So listed below are our finest van life storage hacks and suggestions for in a single day tenting in a van.
Our 25 Greatest Van Life Hacks and Campervan Ideas
1. Discover a spot for every part
When every part in your van has a house, it retains the van organized which is essential for maintaining your small area neat and tidy. Working with restricted area will be powerful however whenever you carry on prime of group, it will get quite a bit simpler. Utilizing easy campervan hacks storage concepts to tuck every part away will stop litter and harm to your objects.
2. Pack the necessities
Even the very best camper group hacks gained’t prevent if you’re making an attempt to suit a home’s price of stuff right into a tiny area. So far as storage concepts for campervans go, minimalism is vital.
Profiting from your small area begins with reducing down on non-essentials and prioritizing versatility. For example, for those who’re going to make use of a quilt, do you really want sleeping luggage too? Packing solely the necessities is likely one of the prime vanlife tricks to make all different organizing campervan hacks attainable.
3. Use apps to seek out free locations to camp
One of the best ways to make van life low-cost is to seek out free tenting spots. Fortunately, there are lots of them! We’ve used apps to seek out van tenting concepts all through our travels in North America and Australia.
In Canada, we use iOverlander and Backroads Mapbooks whereas Wikicamps was our go-to in Australia. We’re additionally members of Harvest Hosts, which has allowed us to remain at some fairly cool farms and wineries.
Within the US, Harvest Hosts can be found in each state, together with a number of free tenting on public lands. And, you would possibly even meet different van lifers there (who may need different nice camper van hacks to share!).
Qualicum Bay Campground. Vancouver Island
4. Get a fitness center membership to take showers
A fitness center membership will likely be your finest pal when dwelling on the highway. Go for a nation-wide fitness center that’s open late so you possibly can bathe by yourself schedule. We use Anytime Health, which has tons of of areas throughout Canada in addition to elsewhere on the planet. Planet Health is one other standard possibility amongst van lifers that’s handy and inexpensive. Though we have now a built-in bathe in our van, not having to fret about sizzling water or dumping water tanks is a deal with.
5. Join a Husky membership to get free showers (Canada solely)
Let’s face it, child wipes can solely get you to this point with regards to hygiene. Once you don’t have entry to a fitness center or outside bathe, truck stops generally is a life saver!
In Canada, one in every of our favorite vanlife hacks is to enroll in a Husky membership. Each time you get gasoline, you’ll accumulate factors that you would be able to redeem without spending a dime showers. This is likely one of the finest van life bathe concepts because you’re already getting gasoline anway! You earn one bathe for each 50 L of gasoline you refill so that you’ll be racking up factors very quickly.
6. Connect your spice rack underneath the cupboards for simple entry
We added a magnetic spice rack beneath our cupboards to assist save area in our panty. The magnets maintain the containers in place whereas we’re driving and so they’re straightforward to entry for cooking. Plus, our set got here with pre-made labels so the spices have been straightforward to arrange.
We purchase all of our dry items in bulk so these magnetic containers come in useful for different issues too. We are able to retailer tea, nuts, and different unfastened objects with none pointless packaging.
7. Spend money on a transportable rest room
When it’s chilly and also you want the lavatory in the course of the night time, these are the van life suggestions you’ll thank us for! Investing in a transportable rest room was among the best van conversion hacks we integrated into our construct. Our rest room is compact, straightforward to wash, and actually doesn’t take up an excessive amount of area contained in the van. It makes life on the highway much more snug and our van feels much more like a house.
Camco Moveable Rest room
8. Use bungee cords to maintain objects in place
Bungee cords are important campervan equipment. We use them for maintaining our rest room from sliding throughout the ground of our van. Bungee cords are additionally helpful for securing different unfastened objects once we’re driving. They’re nice for minivan tenting concepts or in van builds that don’t have a lot additional area to spare. A few of our greatest campervan storage hacks contain discovering a spot for every part—and ensuring it stays there.
9. Maximize your cupboard space
Something that creates extra cupboard space is a van life important in our books. Including cabinets above the mattress and baskets or journal racks within the kitchen space is a good storage resolution.
You’ll be able to retailer your van tenting tools in other places primarily based on how simply accessible it must be. For instance, maintain cleansing provides useful underneath the sink however you possibly can retailer different objects that you simply dont entry fairly often underneath the mattress. We additionally put in an elevator mattress which allowed us to maximise the storage in our van. We gained a ton fo area by not having a everlasting platform mattress.
Cozy blankets are a should!
10. Get collapsible every part
Among the best campervan storage hacks is to use collapsible storage containers. They save area by packing away into flat bundles whenever you’re not utilizing them and simply develop after they’re wanted. Now we have collapsible bowls, storage containers, and a bucket that all the time come in useful.
Collapsible Containers
11. Get a wifi extender or knowledge connection booster
Some key van life and motorhome suggestions for engaged on the highway depend on having web. Including a WiFi vary extender is likely one of the finest motorhome hacks to profit from weak campground WiFi. Typically your parking spot doesn’t have the very best sign, so including a booster strengthens your connection so you possibly can work on the highway.
Our Solis hotspot retains us related regardless of the place we go
12. Don’t neglect to insulate drafts and followers
For those who plan on touring within the winter, we suggest investing in fan covers and draft stoppers. Even when your fan is closed, it might probably let simply sufficient air in to create a draft. You may also run into this when you have a pop prime roof, so don’t overlook additional insulation. We invested in a bunch of those door draft stoppers and used them to do away with drafts coming from the doorways of our van.
13. Go for unbreakable kitchenware
One in every of our greatest van tenting suggestions is to save lots of your self the headache by choosing unbreakable kitchenware. No want to fret about bumpy roads breaking glass or dishes when you’ve got shatterproof objects. We love our wheat straw plates and bowls. They’re light-weight, sturdy and eco-friendly.
14. Use GasBuddy to seek out the most affordable fuel
Campervan life and journey often go hand in hand, which implies you’ll be doing a number of driving. And with a number of driving comes LOTS of fuel. We use GasBuddy to assist discover the most affordable gasoline in fuel stations throughout Canada. We are able to even plan our stops forward of time primarily based on fuel costs alongside the best way. This makes budgeting for a campervan journey quite a bit simpler.
15. Spend money on rechargeable magnetic lights
Rechargeable magnetic lights have been an amazing addition to our van construct and some of the useful campervan hacks. They’re higher than fairy lights since they’re cordless and can be utilized in quite a lot of locations because of the magnetic strip. We use them inside cupboards, above the sink once we are doing dishes and even exterior. Because of their magnetic strip on the again they follow the aspect of our van creating the proper outside lighting arrange!
16. Get a handheld vacuum
A full-size vacuum would take up an excessive amount of area in our tiny Sprinter van however a handheld vacuum is the proper measurement. Among the best campervan hacks for maintaining the van tidy is having a transportable rechargeable vacuum. We use our Shark WandVac day by day to maintain our flooring and surfaces good and clear.
Shark Vacuum
17. Hooks, hooks, and extra hooks
One in every of our prime suggestions for taking advantage of your wall area is so as to add hooks—and plenty of ‘em. Dangle as a lot as attainable to maintain issues off the ground and arranged. A few of our favorite Ikea campervan hacks embrace these folding hooks. They fold down when not in use, maintaining the partitions of your van good and tidy. Hooks are needed when you’ve got moist clothes after a swim or if you’re seeking to grasp some laundry. Belief us, you possibly can by no means have too many!
18. Add a doormat to each entrance
Relying in your van mannequin, you may need a number of doorways that may shortly get soiled from boots and sneakers. Maintain the grime of the nice outdoor off of your flooring by including doormats to each entrance. You’ll be able to depart your muddy sneakers on the mat with out monitoring in any additional mess.
19. Use foam to create a customized storage space on your electronics
Line your drawers with plucking foam to maintain laptops, iPads, and cameras secure whilst you drive. This creates a padded field for fragile campervan storage merchandise that want that additional safety throughout bumpy rides. Minimize smaller items and use them as dividers to maintain your digicam batteries from bumping into your pill.
20. Set up a carbon monoxide alarm
That is a kind of van dwelling suggestions that you would be able to’t skip. Being in a confined area with various kinds of fuels and chemical substances will be harmful. A carbon monoxide alarm and smoke detector are important camper suggestions for any van construct. We use this 2-in-1 alarm to save lots of area and keep secure. We additionally extremely suggest including a hearth extinguisher into each van conversion.
Fireplace alarm and CO2 smoke detector multi functional
21. Use a reminiscence foam topper as your mattress
For those who’re in search of campervan hacks to make sleeping extra snug, this tip is for you. Whether or not it’s vanlife or motorhome life, utilizing a reminiscence foam topper as your mattress makes for the most snug sleep ever. We all know that many campervans don’t have a typical measurement mattress. It’s an issue for normal mattresses however if you’re utilizing a latex topper, reducing it into the best measurement is a breeze! Plus a latex mattress topper is pure, antimicrobial, it helps regulate temperature and helps your physique for restful sleep.
22. Set up swivel seats
Putting in swivel seats on your driver and passenger seats permits you to double down on area in your campervan. This fashion, your driving space isn’t wasted empty area whenever you’re parked and hanging out inside.
Now we have put in a Scopema Swivel Seat from the Swivel Store in our van and it has made a world of a distinction! It’s excellent for consuming dinner, working and presents additional seating for visitors!
23. Make window coverings
Window coverings will help quite a bit with temperature regulation in the summertime and winter. In sizzling locations, blocking the solar from baking into your campervan conversion makes being inside much more snug. Equally, overlaying your home windows will help maintain warmth inside and block drafts.
You’ll be able to simply make your individual window coverings with Reflectix and a down blanket like we did. We use magnets to pop them into the home windows so it appears clear on the within and doesn’t entice consideration on the skin. They’re excellent for stealth tenting and get rid of your want for curtains so it’s a win-win!
24. Add a mosquito web to your door
Touring in a van within the summertime is superb, apart from one factor: bugs! Preserving the doorways open makes the van really feel greater and helps with airflow. Including low-cost mosquito nets is a fast and straightforward resolution for having fun with the breeze bug-free. We suggest a magnetic mosquito web so it stays shut whenever you’re transferring out and in.
25. Get a 12v energy inverter
Preserving your cellphone and gadgets charged generally is a difficult process for those who don’t have a full electrical system in you van. Even when you have a photo voltaic system, we suggest getting a 12-volt energy inverter that plugs into your cigarette lighter. This fashion, you possibly can prime up your gadgets whilst you’re driving with out having to faucet into your batteries. We use this DC to AC inverter that has a daily 120v plug and two USB ports.
Do you’ve got any favorite campervan hacks that make dwelling in your camper van conversion much more gratifying?