20 Genius Campervan Storage Ideas For You To Steal!

last updated: Mar 8, 2022

Are you struggling to fit all of your belongings into your new campervan conversion?

Or are you a seasoned vanlifer who could use a few fresh ideas for campervan storage?

Well look no further, because we’re about to hit you with 20 genius campervan storage ideas that will leave you feeling inspired and ready to get organizing!

This list features how to sort your kitchen spices, sports gear, and just about everything in between.

Helping you maximize space while on the road.

Let’s jump right in!

Campervan Storage Ideas for the Kitchen

1. Mason Jar Kitchen Storage

If you’re looking for a neat and aesthetically pleasing way to organize your kitchen, using mason jars for dry storage could be a solution for you!

Mason jars screwed to the ceiling

The mason jar lids can screw easily onto the bottom of your kitchen cabinet and be the perfect storage for coffee, spices, flour, sugar, and more!

Camper van kitchen

With your sugars and spices stored right above the kitchen counter, cooking will be a breeze as everything will be organized and accessible. 

Plus, mason jars serve as a nice boho decoration for your campervan’s kitchen.

Full video Photographer Builds her Dream Campervan

2. Magnetic Knife Rack

If you’re looking to spice up your campervan kitchen, you’ll love one of our favorite campervan kitchen storage ideas- the magnetic knife rack.

Magnetic knife rack in camper kitchen

Kitchen storage can always be tricky in a van conversion, especially with a wide array of pots, pans, utensils, and knives. 

That’s why we love this magnetic knife rack so much!

Not only is it a simple and awesome way to keep your knives organized and readily accessible, but it also looks super snazzy. 

It’ll also protect your knives and keep them from getting dull in a drawer.

And don’t worry, they won’t come flying off when driving!

Full video Luxury Promaster

3. Slide-out Pantry

If you’re planning the layout of your conversion and are left with any narrow, awkward spaces you don’t know what to do with- consider adding a slide-out pantry to your kitchen!

Slide out pantry cabinet in camper van

It can be a task to figure out what to do with a tall narrow space like this, but this size of space works just perfect for food storage!

Drawn out sliding pantry cabinet

A slide-out pantry like this one can provide enough food storage for almost all of your dry goods. 

It’s also super simple to make and convenient to access. 

Full video High-Tech Adventure Van

4. Butcher’s Block Sink

If you love cooking, one of the most valuable aspects of your campervan’s kitchen is having sufficient counter space to prepare meals. 

Having sufficient kitchen counter space can be a tall task in a house, let alone in a campervan! 

One of the best and easiest ways to increase your kitchen counter space in a campervan is to install a butcher’s block sink.

Campervan sink covered by  a butcher's block

A butcher’s block sink is simply a block of wood that covers your sink, creating one smooth counter surface that can all be used for preparing meals. 

A butcher’s block sink can be as minimal or extravagant as you want. If you have a beautiful live-edge kitchen countertop, you can build a butcher’s block to match it.

Or, you can simply put a basic cutting board on your sink for a more minimal approach.

Full video Ski Chalet on Wheels

Campervan Storage Ideas for Shoes and Clothes

5. Shoe Racks

In a space as small as a campervan, keeping everything neat and tidy is important. 

Just leaving a few items lying around can make a campervan feel cluttered very quickly. 

This is why installing shoe racks into your campervan doorway will help to maintain campervan organization.

Shoe rack by the camper van entrance

Plus, if you’re out adventuring in the rain or snow, having a place to tuck your shoes away will help keep your van clean as well.

Full video Van Conversion with Home Cinema

6. Clothes Closet

Storage for clothing in a campervan can always be difficult.

You want your clothes to take up as little space as possible, while also still being easily accessible. It’s quite the quandary.

One great solution for this is to build a clothes closet in your campervan!

Clothes storage in a camper van

Similar to the slide-out pantry idea, this is a fantastic campervan organization idea for anyone who finds themselves with some leftover tall and narrow space in their van. 

Being able to hang up your shirts and jackets will keep them dry, wrinkle-free, and easily accessible!

Full video Gorgeous Van Conversion

Campervan Storage Ideas for Tables and Chairs

7. Lagun Swivel Tables

One of the all time best van life storage ideas is to utilize a Lagun Swivel Table. When not in use, these tables can neatly swivel and tuck away. 

However, when you want a desk, a dining table, or a table to play cards at, you can pull out your swivel table and it’s ready to go.

These tables can come in all shapes and sizes, so you can pick whichever one best fits your van life needs.

Camper van workspace with Lagun swivel table

These tables are awesome in any camper conversion, but are particularly handy in small campervan conversions. 

One of the best campervan space saving hacks is to pair one of these swivel tables with swivels on your van’s front seats, and you can have a full seating space in your van without taking up any additional space!

Full video High-Tech Adventure Van

8. Slide-out Tables

Another of our favorite van life storage hacks is to install a slide-out table in your campervan, like this one!

RV slide out table

When trying to decide the ideal campervan floor plan, many van lifers are torn between having a fixed bed, and a fixed table/ workspace area. 

With a slide-out table, you can have both!

For this setup, all you need is a long and flat piece of wood installed under your fixed platform bed on sliders.

The ability to slide your table away when not in use will help keep the space in your campervan feeling nice and open.

Full video Solo Female Vanlife Promaster Conversion

9. Couch Storage

Another of the best campervan storage clothes ideas is to utilize the seating area of your campervan!

If your campervan has bench seats, then the space inside the seat can serve as extra storage!

Workspace in a luxury camper van

In this campervan conversion, they take full advantage of their bench seats and use them to store clothing!

To utilize this space for extra campervan storage, simply make your upholstery detachable and make the inside of the seat like a chest. 

Couch storage in a camper van

Depending on how large your seating area is, this campervan storage idea can provide you with a ton of extra storage in your van. 

This area doesn’t have to be used for just clothes either. We’ve seen vanlifers store all sorts of necessities in their bench seats, from clothing to batteries to refrigerators! 

The best part? 

This extra storage space rests neatly tucked away and out of sight, and doesn’t take up any additional space in your camper van conversion.

Full video Luxury Van Conversion

10. Cushion Storage

For anyone who doesn’t have a fixed campervan bed, you’ll have to find a place to store your blankets and bedding during the day. 

This cushion storage idea is a lovely and creative campervan bedding storage idea!

Camper van cushion storage

This campervan is beautifully decorated, and one of the decorations is a large accent cushion.

Taking out camper van beddings from cushion storage

For an awesome storage hack, this cushion zips open and holds this campervan’s bedding!

I love this campervan storage idea because it’s not only a great piece of van decor, but also such a clever way to store your campervan’s bedding.

Full video Modern Van Conversion

Campervan Storage Ideas for Above

11. Overhead Cabinets

Another of our favorite storage solutions for camper vans is overhead cabinets!

Overhead cabinets provide the perfect place to store all of your van’s essentials, while still keeping everything organized.

Overhead cabinets in a camper van

To maximize storage space in your van, you can have overhead cabinets run all the way lengthwise down your van. 

This should provide more than enough storage for kitchen items, clothing, personal items, and more. 

Due to overhead cabinets sacrificing some headroom, this campervan storage idea is another good one for people with high roofs.

Full video Dream Campervan

12. Netting

If you’re looking for a little additional overhead storage in your van, but don’t want to put in shelves or cabinets, then netting may be the perfect storage solution for you!

Overhead netting storage by the camper kitchen

Netting is cheap, as well as quick and easy to install in your campervan. 

The options are pretty much endless for what you can store in your campervan with netting, from sporting gear, to clothes, towels, and shoes. 

Netting storage by the back of a camper

Netting doesn’t have to just be overhead storage either. You can attach netting to the sides of your furniture as well to increase your campervan storage space!

Another nice thing about using netting for storage is that it isn’t permanent. You can always take it out and repurpose the space if you desire.

Full video This Van has a Genius Layout!

13. Bulkhead Storage

The area above your bulkhead can be some of the most valuable vanlife storage. This space can contain clothes, cookware, or whatever you need!

Bulkhead camper storage

The bulkhead is the partition that separates the back of your camper van from the cab.

Many people decide to include storage cabinets in this space during the conversion, because extra storage in a van conversion is so precious!

If you’re looking for a little extra security in your campervan, you can even include locks on the bulkhead storage cabinets. 

This is also one of the best small campervan storage ideas, as you won’t be sacrificing headspace!

Full video  How to Convert a Van in 7 Days

14. Overhead Shelving

If you’re looking for a bit more overhead campervan storage but not quite keen on building overhead cabinets, then overhead shelving might do the trick for you!

Overhead shelving by the camper van kitchen

Overhead shelves are easy to install, and can provide just as much storage as overhead cabinets.

Plus, overhead shelves will keep your van’s interior feeling slightly more open since they are not closed off. 

Just be sure to secure your belongings so they don’t slide around or fall out while driving!

Full video Van Conversion with No Experience

15. Use the Roof!

While most of these ideas cover campervan storage hacks for inside your vehicle, let’s not forget about one of the biggest spaces on your van- the roof!

Camper van  Roof rack

With racks and a rooftop luggage box, you can store a ton of gear and supplies atop your campervan.

Since this space isn’t as easily accessible as the interior of your campervan, this is a great place to store items that you don’t use several times a day, like season specific gear and sporting equipment.

Rooftop space can be some of the most valuable campervan storage space you have, so be sure to take full advantage of it!

Ultimate Adventure Van

Full video The Ultimate Adventure Campervan

16. Hanging Surfboards

We all know that van life and surfing go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Surfboards are also fragile, valuable, and many vanlifers might not want to store them on top of their campervan, for fear of theft. 

The solution?

Hang them up!

Hanging surf board storage

If you have the overhead space for it, hanging your surfboards is a great way to store them!

It keeps them safe, and you also get to look at your lovely board all day long- it’s a win-win.

All you need is some rope and bolts.

Full video Unique Modern and Secure Van Conversion

17. Recessed Shelves

One of our favorite ideas for van shelving is to create a recessed shelf in your campervan.

Recessed shelf in a camper toilet

Recessed shelves help keep your campervan feeling open and spacious by not intruding into your van’s interior.

Recessed shelves are a particularly useful storage solution for campervan bathrooms. 

Campervan bathrooms are already a small space in a conversion and can easily feel cramped. However, you still need storage for things like soaps, toilet paper, and more. 

If you throw in a recessed shelf, you’ll really be maximizing your van’s storage space. 

Full video Best MWB Van Conversion

18. Backdoor Storage

One of the key ways to maximize the storage inside a campervan is to make use of every part of your campervan. This includes the van’s back doors!

Installing campervan storage pockets on the inside of your van’s backdoors is a great way to make use of a space you otherwise wouldn’t.

Camper storage by the back door

Depending on your needs, and van’s layout, these pockets can be a great place to store shower supplies, chargers, books, or anything you need.

This is also a great opportunity to customize your van. 

You can build a bookshelf on the backdoors, or add some colorful pockets that match the interior of your van conversion like they did here!

Full video Practical Van Conversion

Campervan Storage Ideas for Below

19. Raised Floor

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to increase the overall storage space in your campervan, look no further- a raised floor could be just the thing for you!

Raised floor camper storage

This beautiful van conversion was inspired by watercraft, and the entire floor is raised 15cm for extra storage.

Storage underneath the floor of a camper van

The storage underneath the floor is accessible through two hatches. 

This is an easy way to add a ton of storage to any campervan conversion!

Plus, if you cover up the hatches with rugs, then this extra storage space is totally hidden, and could become a safe place to stash valuables.

This campervan storage idea works best with a high roof van, so that you don’t sacrifice too much headspace by raising the floor!

Full video The Best Self Build Van Conversion

20. Garage Campervan Storage

One of the most useful and large storage spaces in a campervan is your garage! 

Garage storage in a campervan refers to the storage area accessible from your van’s back doors. 

The garage of a campervan is a great place to store water tanks, sporting equipment, your electrical unit, and more!

Camper van garage storage

The best way to give your campervan conversion a large garage space is to build a fixed platform bed in your campervan- which happens to be one of the best campervan bed ideas!

By building a fixed platform bed in the back of your campervan, the entire space underneath your bed will be your garage storage space!

You can be as creative as you want with this extra space. 

This particular garage has space for skis and 4 bikes!

Full video Family Camper built to Carry Skis, Bikes, and Kayaks

Campervan Storage Ideas- Final Thoughts

That’s a wrap on our 20 genius campervan storage ideas!

I hope that these space saving ideas suit you well and really transform your campervan storage game. 

Whether you’re the ultimate minimalist, or packing your campervan for any possible scenario, I’m sure that one of these storage hacks will make your vanlife experience that much more organized!

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