Vanlife organization is something I love to do and the perfect time is when I have the option to pull everything out and do a good clean and downsize. I have been staying at my family farm in Northern Alberta for the summer so had lots of time to clean and reorganize.
I have been living full time in my van for 2 1/2 years and have reorganized a few times. Living in 55 square feet everything needs a place to go or it can become messy and disorganized quickly.
Vanlife Organization in the Kitchen
I have one upper cabinet, a utensil drawer and baskets on my counter top for kitchen and food storage. I use 2 shelf racks and various Tupperware containers in the upper cabinet. They fit perfectly in my cabinet, are easy to stack, pull out and keep everything fresh and clean. I use containers for snacks, tea, coffee, dried goods, cans and packaged fish. I also have some open space to store bread and crackers.
Fun fact about me is I use to sell Tupperware back in the day so had several pieces in my past kitchens. I was happy everything fit so nicely in the van.
On the counter top I have secured 3 baskets with command hooks, which work well for storing fruit, bread and other items I eat everyday. I also love my hanging Ikea metal containers that hold my oils and spices.
I have stackable pots with removable handles which make them easy to store in the upper cabinet. A large fry pan, small fry pan and one pot is plenty for my cooking needs. In the same area as the pots I store 2 large plates and 2 small ones.
My fridge is tiny and stackable Tupperware containers allow me to utilize the small space better. The cabinet under the sink is used to store a few extra cans of food, toilet paper, paper towels, a collapsing wash bin and a 20 gallon jug of water for fresh drinking.
My kitchen storage has pretty much stayed the same in the 2 1/2 years of living in my van.
Clothes storage
My clothes storage has gone through several transformations over the time I have been living in my van as one never needs as much as they think. I believe this is a common realization among seasoned van lifers.
I love to wear linen shirts with yoga pants or jeans and dresses therefore over time I have come to realize I wear this uniform most days. This enabled me to get rid of all the other extra stuff I had tucked away that I was not wearing.
I am happy and grateful I chose to incorporate a hanging closet in my original van design. My clothes hang above where my pull out toilet sits. I have good ventilation and there is no smell from the contained toilet so all is good that way.
One upper cabinet is used to store my undies, socks, bras, a few t-shirts, and PJs in packing cubes. My few sweaters are stored above the driving seat area. My third upper cabinet holds an extra blanket, sheets, pillow cases and a box for computer supplies.
I had a wall built behind my van seats, read why in my blog on stealth vanlife, which gives me wall space to hang a shoe rack and 2 command hooks for my rain jacket and shawl. The only two clothing items I have not used in the two years are a winter coat and winter boots, which are stored in a bin under my bed, just in case I need them. Lots of room for those so I keep them.
Personal Hygiene Storage
After living full time in a van my personal hygiene routine has become minimal and finely honed. I clean my face each evening with witchhazel and use wipes to wash. I shower every few weeks at a truck stop or campground and sometimes will wash my hair in the sink between shower days. My one body towel and one hair towel hang on the door of my closet.
Personal items are stored in one metal hanging Ikea container and a couple smaller containers behind the sink. My shower bag is under the bed which can be easily grabbed when I have my shower.
I also have a bin under the bed where I put my dirty laundry. Dirty laundry is often the one thing that is overlooked when designing a van layout. I have moved mine a few times and finally found the perfect spot.
Junk Wall for Vanlife Organization
We all have stuff that we need but not sure where to put it, especially in a small space like a van. Another great reason for having a hanging closet is to utilize the back of the door as my “junk wall”. I use a shoe rack to hold a variety of useful items. Here I store charging cords, pens, headlamp, extra velcro strips, command hook backs, vitamins, dry shampoo, plastic bags etc. It works perfectly, I can easily see and access everything I need.
Living in a small space can be a challenge for the best of us and I hope my vanlife organization has given you some ideas for your space. I am always looking for new hacks and would love to hear from you on what does or doesn’t work for you. Please leave me a comment below and I will definitely get back to you.