6 Tips for Storage and Staying Organized in a Small Camper

Peggy Sue is a really small Jayco Pop Up Camper.  We love her even though space is limited.  Every square inch of space is used creatively to remain organized and not feel like we are living in a constant mess.

Clutter can be a perpetual problem on multi night trips, but I feel like we manage pretty well.  We have everything in a specific place.  Here are some ideas to help you organize all of your stuff inside of your camper.

1.  Buy Storage Drawer Systems for Clothing

I purchased a set of Sterilite Storage Drawers for our pop up camper to stow away our clothes.  Each person gets 2 drawers to pack in.  We manage to make this work.  One reason I didn't purchase a larger drawer system is that we didn't have the space.  These 3 drawer chests gave us just enough storage.  I managed to find grey ones, but there are brown and white ones that look great too.  You can find these at stores like Walmart and Target.

Before you purchase anything, make sure to measure the width and depth of your cabinets or location where your items are going.  This will ensure everything fits within your space.  Also, some people opt for hanging storage.  That is a great way to organize too.  The main reason I chose storage drawers is that I can bring them in the night before a trip and easily pack them.  It just made more sense to do it this way.

Storage drawer systems for our clothes.  We have two small draw systems that sit side by side.  I love that they are grey and match our interior!

 2.  Provide Hanging Storage for Food

Having a place to store food is important.  I saw lots of posts about all of the systems people create for shelving.  Maybe one day.  But hanging storage works great for us as a pantry.  I have some 3M hooks on the ceiling and have hung storage over the sink.  I purchased this three shelve unit from Target for about $9.  One thing I like about these is that they have a hard bottom to each self.  They are sturdy and keep everything where I can easily locate items.

And I can add drawers to these if I want.  I probably will at some point.  But for now this works.  I do keep things like little single pack items that we have for snack in a basket to keep them from spilling out.  Drawers are a little neater, so this will probably be a future purchase for us.  I tend to buy things a little at a time for our camper so that it is a little easier on the wallet.

Hanging storage is great for pantry items.  They are easy to hang from the ceiling and hold quite a bit!

3.  Stack Your Dishes

I added a little dish organizer for a small set of dishes.  It is easy to keep everything in one little place on the counter.  I can even fold my place mats and keep everything together.  Think vertical in a small space.  It makes better use of horizontal spaces and is neat.  My big dinner plates are on the bottom with the small plates in the middle and bowls on the top.  

My plastic cups are stacked and rest beside the dishes on the counter.  However, I am considering a cup or mug stand that I can use to organize my plastic glasses.  

I love our dish organizer that keeps our dishes out of the way and in one neat tower!

4.  Collapsible Dish Drainer

We use a collapsible dish drainer for dishes.  At night (or when not in use), it fits over the sink.  I stack my basket of pot holders and towels on top.  Everything is confined to one tidy spot.  I also use a drying mat under my drainer when I wash dishes.  It is hung out to dry each day and washed when we return home.  It is an easy system.

This collapsible dish drainer is the perfect size to fit over my sink when I'm done with dishes.

I have a little basket with dish towels, pot holders and wash clothes that I can stack on top of my drainer when I am done as well.  

5.  Use Baskets and Bins to Keep Things Organized

I stocked our camper with a variety of baskets, bins and bowls.  I stow them underneath my sink when they aren't being used.  These all serve a purpose.  My large bowl is used for storing fruit and placed on our table outside for us to eat while we are camping.  I have a basket filled with towels and wash cloths.  This is on top of our clothing storage boxes.  A basket is used for our dog leash, food and other dog necessities.  I even have a little basket on my counter for towels, dish cloths and pot holders.  It just makes things seem like home and easy to put away and find when we need it.

A basket of linens on top of my clothing storage keeps things going up and out of the way.

My basket of towels and pot holders makes my space feel homey and keeps things organized.

6.  Use Your Beds As Storage Behind Your Bunk End Curtains

When I pull our bed back each morning after we get moving, I put things on the edges of our beds there that we need to get out of the way.  This is where we store things like CPAP machines, totes with toys or even jackets.  I just pull the bunk end curtain back part way.  These items are out of the way and out of the floor!

Store things you are not using on the edges of the bed and just close the bunk ends part way to keep them out of sight.

CPAP Machine out of the way and put up!

Toys are stored in a tote and placed behind the bunk end curtain.

The key to keeping things organized is to plan for it.  Look around your house.  Locate bins, baskets and totes that you are not using.  Re-purpose them for your camper.  When you are camping, give each thing a space.  And get into the habit of using those spaces.  Put everything back when you are finished using it.  You will be able to find your things and enjoy camping in a clutter free environment.

We love Peggy Sue.  She is super comfy at the end of the day.  However, she is a lot more comfortable and enjoyable when things have a space for them to be stored and are not cluttering every surface.

How do you organize your camper?  There are so many ways to do this.  I'd love to hear how other campers organize their spaces.  I'm sure I could get some ideas from you!  Feel free to contact me or comment below.  Get out there and get organized before the camping season gets under way.  You will enjoy camping so much more in a space where you can enjoy it when you get ready to sleep or come indoors.  And it takes minimal effort if you are organized.

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