Clever Space-Saving Ideas for Motorhomes and Caravans

Summer days are on their way and with them nature is calling out to us to come and explore. Far from being the cringe-inducing experience it used to be, caravanning and travelling in a motorhome have now become a respectable lifestyle and we certainly embrace it in Australia: a report by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia in 2015-16 revealed that caravanning and camping outperformed all other types of accommodation in the country. It is indeed so popular that they have given rise to a new type of economy with landowners renting our their land to happy campers on the AirBnB model.

The range of vehicles on offer is also phenomenal compared to what it used to be but, no matter what, a motorhome isn’t as big as a house and using space cleverly is a must if you want not to feel too claustrophobic. Besides, it’s like on a boat, everything needs to be anchored down if you don’t want to find the contents of your cupboards all over the floor each time you move! So here are ingenious ways to save space and keep everything in place.

Magnet strips

Use the Force to your advantage! A wall-mounted magnetic strip will keep a lot of kitchen utensils neat and tidy – and if there is one thing you don’t want flying across the room, it’s knives and scissors! Or you could secure a metal tray to the magnetic strip and combine it with small metal containers to transform it into a spice rack.

Hanging jars

This tip is even better as it allows you to recycle. Drill a hole in the lid of a jar, insert a screw through it and secure it under wall cabinets then screw the jar into place and voilà! You can organise to your heart’s content. Perfect for coffee grains, sugar, tea bags, etc...

Slide-out drawers

If you are a decent DIYer, you can use the space under benches by making pull-out storage drawers. All you will need is a few wheels, planks of wood, screws and nails.

Velcro remotes

It is a well-known fact that remotes hide from humans and try to escape as soon as we have our backs turned. Otherwise, how do you explain how they get at the back of sofas and other strange places we certainly have put them?? Tie ‘em up, we say. A bit of velcro will do the trick and you can stick them to a chair or a table so that they are easy to find. And they, at last, understand who’s in charge!

Over-the-door rubbish bin

If you’re tired of tripping over that pesky rubbish bin, you can buy clever models that you hang over a cabinet door. They’re not huge but it’s better than kicking your bin inadvertently and sending its content on the floor!

The versatility of plastic hooks

You can use them in the way they were intended, to hang tea towels and towels but with a pair, you can make yourself kitchen foil dispensers (or cling film or kitchen paper dispensers). Turn the hooks 90° facing each other, take a roll to calculate the distance you need between them and there you go, you have some very cheap homemade dispensers.

Caddy night stands

It’s unlikely that your bedroom area will be big enough for bedside tables but you need somewhere to put tissues, books, glasses, medicine, etc… You can find some clever caddy night stands that can be hung about anywhere and will keep everything within reach when you are in bed.

Storage headboard-cum-curtain

In complement or instead of night caddies, you can use fabric to create a headboard that not only stores all your essentials but also doubles as a curtain if your bed backs up to a window. Simply fold and sew one end so that you can put a curtain rod through it then sew pockets to store your things. A bit like an advent calendar! A great idea to get your creative juices flowing and add a personal touch to your caravan.

Keeping the kids entertained with paper rolls

Travelling in a caravan or motorhome with kids can be a challenge as they can get a bit stir-crazy in a confined space. Buy a tension rod and place your empty toilet paper rolls or kitchen paper rolls on it and voilà, you have an instant art station where your little darlings can draw to their hearts’ content.

Hang it from the ceiling

The ceiling is a vast unutilised area. Why not make the most of it? With brackets of the appropriate size depending on the weight of what you want to hang, you can store a range of supplies. Fix a sturdy net and you can tidy away coats or bedding for example.

Keep hanging

Hanging baskets are not just for pretty flower arrangements. You can free kitchen counter space by using them to store fruit or random supplies in.

Broom holders

You may already have been using plastic holders for brooms, but they can be used for other purposes too such as holding flash lights and pretty much anything cylindrical as long as you have the right diameter. Fix them inside cupboard doors for maximum space use.

Dish cradles

Piling up plates to save space is common, but also rather inconvenient when you want to get the plates at the bottom of the pile out. Buy a dish cradle that will allow you to stack plates or dishes but still separate them by type. Likewise, there are now sauce pans and frying pans with removable handles that nest perfectly without the mess of the handles getting everything to take much more space than necessary.

McCullough is a specialist in vehicle shipping between Australia and New Zealand and we have extensive experience in transporting caravans and motorhomes. Contact us on +34 9 309 1163 to find out more or request a quote online.