58 Caravan Hacks & Mods
If you’re fed up with feeling like your caravan is as small as a tin can, perhaps it’s time to try out some hacks and mods. We aren’t talking tearing walls down to install a 3D cinema, no, just small things that are going to make your life a little easier, and you’ll wish you found them sooner!
From things like storage solutions to door mats, containers to BBQ hooks, laundry, clothing and so much more. There’s bound to be something that suits you and your lifestyle.
Being seasoned travellers means we’ve had to pack and unpack many times. We’ve altered our van to include the best ideas that make these jobs simpler, so we don’t need to pack everything away each time we hit the road.
Even though we have a good-sized caravan, a lot of these ideas will work just as well, if not better, in a smaller caravan, camper trailer, camper van and motorhome.
There’s probably many we haven’t mentioned, so if you know of others, hit us up, we would love to hear from you and see your amazing ideas and hacks!
Let's get into it
Hooks, and more hooks!
Hooks are amazing, everywhere! From hanging kitchen utensils, to toothbrushes, towels, keys and so many ways to save cupboard space and use the bare walls.
Roll your clothes
For years, it’s been known that when trying to conserve space in a suitcase, rolling clothes is the way to go. And storing clothing in a caravan is certainly no different. It’s easy to do, takes very little time and makes a big difference when it comes to space.
Fabric storage boxes
Everyone has items to store. And its always nice when things are neat and organised. Fabric storage boxes are handy in many places. They vary in size and when you aren’t using them, they fold down nicely to about an inch thick and can be stored in a wide range of places throughout the caravan.
There are also many new storage items on the market readily available. From outdoor storage, to keeping your wine glasses intact, in car travel pockets and even hangers for easy access to kitchen items.
Metallic knife strip
Rather than fumbling through the knife drawer and potentially coming out with cuts, install a metallic strip and hang your knives on it. Check some ideas out here.
Bathroom boxes
After a rough drive in the outback, we decided to invest in some small wooden boxes to keep our smaller bathroom items in check. This way, when you are driving over rough terrain, the items won’t be a rolling mess in your bathroom.
BBQ mat
A great invention to keeping your BBQ clean. Use a BBQ mat on the flat plate and cook as normal. Once finished, remove the mat, wash with soapy water, and roll up ready for next time.
Metallic shower door strip
Ever been parked on an ever so slight angle, but enough to have the shower door keep coming open while inside? Try using a metallic strip placed where the edge of the door meets the frame. Now you’ll have 2 hands to wash your hair!
Spray bottle
If you are being cautious with your water usage, pick up a reusable spray bottle. Use it when washing hands, cleaning up or wiping down surfaces.
USB and 12-volt plugs
These are a must if you decide to take yourself off grid. Our van just didn’t have enough of these when we purchased it, so we have added many, including next to the beds and in the kitchen.
Rooftop storage on the car
When storage in the van just doesn’t cut it, don’t be afraid to maximise the tow vehicle as well. There are many things you can use that easily attach securely to a roof rack. Canvas roof top bags, roof pods and even the cheap plastic containers and military style carriers. Depending upon what type of tow vehicle you have and how many people travel with you, there may be a great deal of space behind the back seats (for a wagon) or in the rear tub (for a ute).
Fridge shade / awning
If you’re heading where the temperatures are very high, it may pay to purchase a fridge awning. It simply covers the back of the fridge on the outside of the van where the vent is and helps keep the sun off, helping to reduce the amount of energy needed to keep your fridge and contents cool.
Shower caps
Shower caps can be used for dirty shoes when you are on the move. Simply place the shoes into the shower cap and the mess will be contained until you have the chance to clean them.
Fold away bin
We use a collapsible camp bin to hold our rubbish bag while we are set up. It fits a variety of sized bags and when you aren’t using it, simply fold it up and being so compact it won’t be in the way. Check out the range here.
Outside hanging organiser
Keeping your tables free of clutter is a must for staying organised while camping. Using a hanging organiser will eliminate the time spent tidying up. Simply hang it up in a convenient location and place your items like sunscreen, tissues, cooking utensils, playing cards and more.
Hanging fruit hammock
Rather than having your fruit take up space in a bowl on the bench, consider installing a hanging fruit hammock. They're lightweight so they won’t do damage to the cupboard you install it under, and you have extra bench space to use for other import items.
Quick drop zone
For us, our quick drop zone is located by our door. Made up of a series of hooks, we utilise it to keep the things we use most, like sunnies, keys, pen, torch etc. Rather than trying to find them all the time, you’ll always know where they are.
Sage
If you have some sage on hand, keep it nearby to help keep mosquitoes away. You can even put some in the campfire to use as a repellant.
Reusable cloths
As we all become a little more conscious of the environment and our imprint upon the earth, minimising waste is important to help secure a better future for the next generations. Instead of buying disposable cleaning cloths, we use the reusable. They are just as gentle, if not better, than the standard dish cloth and clean just as nicely. Then on washing day, just throw them in the washing machine and they come up good as new. And you’ll even save money by not buying new cloths all the time.
Power cord organiser
There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination only to find the power cord is a tangled mess. The last thing you want to do, especially when the weather is hot, is to be spending what would seem like forever untangling that cord. Getting yourself a cord on a reel will save you time and they store nicely in a compartment in the van.
Solar panels and battery setup
This is a no brainer when off grid caravanning if you need to power items. If you don’t have solar panels on the van, there are many different types of portable panels that you can purchase. Plus if you have a battery set up installed, it’ll keep the lights and fans etc going throughout the night (depending on the size of the set up). Check out the wide range of solar panels here
Change that useless cupboard
In our caravan, we had a cupboard that was tall, skinny and was quite long in depth. We found that there weren’t that many items that matched this in size and found we were only utilising half that space. So, we changed this space over to become a 3 shelf pull out basket. In there we can now store many things, from spices, to cooking oil and even our favourite alcohol bottle. Win win!
Alter the wardrobe hanging rail
A great deal of caravans these days have the hanging rail in the cupboards next to the bed. As we aren’t ‘hangers’ but more ‘folders’ (and these days ‘rollers’) we found this to be one of the first things we needed to change! We were able to fit 4 shelves in this cupboard, maximizing the space available. And then when you roll your clothes, you’ll be happily surprised just how much you can fit in that cupboard!
Kitchen containers
Our pantry is a long, thin cupboard and can be quite tricky to reach the back of, so we purchased some clear containers to keep our cans etc in. No more stretching to reach at the back, simply pull the container out and select your items. Have a look at the range of pull out containers here
Protect your electrical cables and plugs
This is a simple, but pretty important hack. A couple of times, I’ve headed out to the drawbar of the caravan while it has been raining, only to find the trailer and Anderson plug were sitting quite close to a puddle. We had to come up with something to ensure they won’t get damaged while not connected to the car. All you need is a container that seals tight and a knife to cut a slot into the side of it. Place the connections into the container and make sure the lid is sealed and face so the cable entry point is at the bottom.
Travel buddy
On long driving days, we use our Travel Buddy. It’s a compact 12v oven that sits in the car and heats while you drive. We use this for heating pastries, pre-made curries etc. We simply work out roughly how long until we are going to reach a halfway point for lunch, set the travel buddy’s timer and away we go. This saves a lot of money by not spending extra on food. Especially if you have left overs! See the Travel Buddy here
Inverter power outlet
We have a double power outlet under our dining table which is connected to an inverter for those times we are off grid camping. It makes it easier to plug the microwave and washing machine into without having cords going from inside the van to outside.
Solar stake lights
On a recent caravanning trip, we came up with an idea to put some solar lights around our set up so we could see better at night. No more tripping over ropes and chair legs! See the range of solar lights here
Milk bottle lantern
These are a great way to get the kids involved in a little organising / setting up. Using a milk bottle, 2 litre or 3 litre will work fine, fill with water and attach a head lamp by wrapping the strap around the bottle and face the torch into the bottle. A fun light that the kids can take charge over!
Storing in the microwave
Most caravans have at least one good sized item that has empty space inside. Yep, the microwave. We have been carting our bakery items – breads, rolls, wraps, in our microwave for years. It’s a great way also to keep the glass plate from bouncing around. We do take the items out of the microwave when we are setting up. We also wrap our glass plate in a tea towel before we travel, for extra assurance it will make the journey in one piece.
Make the oven a storage space
The oven is also a great place to store racks and trays etc when not being used. We have a full-size oven so we have a lot of space in there that we can make good use of. Don’t forget to take the items out before turning the oven on!
Storing in the washing machine
Depending on where we are and activities we are involved in, we don’t wash generally more than twice a week. While off grid camping we could wash only once a week at times on quiet weeks. When we do have dirty laundry, we store it in the washing machine tub. But we also have a folding laundry bag if we are heading to a laundromat or carrying washing from the machine to the clothesline outside. The laundry bag folds quite small when not in use and can fit in a small space.
Corelle Dishware
We’ve been through many different types of dishware over the years, but the Corelle is a winner, being that it is break and chip resistant and lightweight. It is a little more expensive to outlay, however we wanted all aspects of our new lifestyle to feel like home, and these items are just like what we use in our everyday lives. Shop Corelle dishware
Most caravans these days have an outdoor fold down table, also known as a picnic table. We have installed 2 of these ourselves and positioned them where our outdoor power outlets are, to sit our items on when charging, and also placed one near our outdoor BBQ for extra bench space when cooking outside.
We’ve all seen those over the door type shoe pockets, and in their correct form may not be suitable, however, you can utilise these if you cut them to size and hang them over the side of your bed frame. Now you have bed pockets! Perfect place for your reading glasses, phone, tv remote, or even your shoes! Check out the different types of shoe pockets here
Water purifier
Filling your tanks at the local servo or running off mains water in the parks would generally mean you aren’t going to want to drink what comes out of your tap. Rather than carrying 10 litre water boxes or bottled water (1 litre = 1 kilo) have a water purifier installed to clean and filter your tank water for drinking.
Roll your linen
Just as we mentioned with the clothes, you can also roll your towels and other linen items. We have a cupboard in our bathroom that is taller than it is wide, so we find rolling our linen and standing it up is more practical. And that way, when you’re reaching for one towel, you aren’t going to pull a whole pile out!
TV storage
We have recently found our tv to have those pesky black dots on it, caused by leaving it in its wall mount bracket with a safety strap around it while on the road. After purchasing a new tv, we decided it was time to find a new way to store it, and what better way than to slide it into a specifically designed tv storage buddy. You can get yourself one here.
Our fold out gazebo was pooling water and dripping onto us underneath on a recent trip where it rained for a day or so. We used a pool noodle bent in a semi-circle and placed in between the material of the gazebo and the frame, creating a rain diversion and stopping the pooling and sagging of the material. Check out pool noodles
Simple fire starters
If you have run out of those small brick style fire starters, you can make your own using items you would generally keep anyway. Rub a cotton wool ball in Vaseline, wrap it in tin foil and use it as you would the bricks.
To save precious space in your fridge or freezer, consider using a vacuum seal. Rather than bulky plastic trays that meat come in, or large round pumpkins that aren’t space friendly, place your meat, or your cut up fresh produce in a special vacuum seal bag, remove the air and seal. You’ll be surprised how much space you will save when you use this system, and your fresh items will last longer too. Get yours here
If you have a gazebo set up, place a set of solar string lights around the frame for some lighting. The coloured ones also set a lovely, relaxed mood. Have a look at solar string lights here
Divide up underbed storage
A lot of caravan beds lift up and hold a great amount of storage below. Here’s where those fabric boxes will come in use, or if you’re handy, you could install sheets of wood to make it a permanent divided storage area.
Wire baskets in wardrobe
If you have one of those big wardrobe type cupboards in your van that just isn’t allowing you to use the space well, perhaps the 4 or 5 wire basket drawer system that you normally find in a built-in robe would be of good use to you in here.
Living in a caravan full time, you will soon learn that space is prime real estate. Especially in the bathroom. There’s nothing more annoying than having to pack everything away each time you relocate. Plus, your ‘pack up checklist’ is already long enough, right? It’s with this in mind that we have decided that keeping items in one place all the time would be ideal. We’ve found some great bathroom storage ideas and holders for many different essential items. View them here.
Let’s be real here, summer in Australia is hot! Daytime temperatures in some parts of our beautiful country can reach up to 50 degrees. And the night time can also be super hot. One of the best things we recommend is to add 12v fans to your home on wheels. We use Sirocco and have 2 onboard. There are many different types on the market, but we have found these to be quieter and can move in more directions than the previous cheaper brands we have had. A little air flow does a whole lot of good in the heat. And some people just like them for the noise at night too. You’re welcome 😊 Buy Sirocco fans
Get a sink cover
This is a simple hack, but a good one. Our van came with a sink cover that gives us extra bench space when we aren’t using the sink. It doubles up as a chopping board also, and, as an added bonus, if you turn it over, it’s also a divided platter for those times you have friends and family to share some nibblies with. You can find them here
After using a laminated A4 size map of Australia, we decided it was far too small to pin all the places we had been. We found this large one that can be blu-tacked to a wall and also use it to map out a new itinerary with whiteboard marker. Then once completed that leg of the journey, it just wipes of with paper towel. Check them out here.
Wrangle your cords
When storing electrical items, cords can be a nightmare, not to mention messy! We use simple rubber bands around our cords to keep them neat and take up less room.
Although we have an onboard bathroom, I still find it quicker and more convenient to keep my make up in a bag. That way it all stays together rather than rolling around in a drawer or cupboard. You can see some cool travel storage bags here.
If you’re heading away from camp and know you won’t return until after dark, it pays to invest in solar sensor lights. They’ll come on when you arrive back at your camp and saves trying to fumble between holding your phone torch and keys at the same time. They’ll go out after a short time and they’re inexpensive. Click here to see the range
For lightweight smaller items such as underwear and socks, use a portable peg hanger. It hangs from so many places, including tree branches, side of a car or caravan and you can move it as the sun moves also. There are a couple of different types, see them here
Toothbrush cup
If you have the toothbrush holder cup, rather than having to wash it out using precious water, use a disposable cup instead. Simply replace it when needed.
We don’t plan to sit around watching tv when we travel, but let’s be serious, the weather isn’t always going to be on our side. When it’s raining or cloudy, tv reception can sometimes be a hit and miss. This is why we decided to invest in a smart tv. The beauty of these is that they have apps on them, so if streaming is something you want to do when the weather is not in an outdoors mood, then you’ll have the streaming services at your fingertips! (you’ll need internet access for this)
Having said that, if you have a spare smart phone, you can always take that along and cast your fav shows to the tv through that. View the TV's here
One of the best mods we did to our van was adding another layer of removable carpet mat to the inside door well. This is perfect for stopping a lot of shoe mess from coming into the van plus it easily sweeps and shakes off. There are different types, see them here
While travelling with littlies, we fast learnt that 2 towel rails was not enough. Not even close. We needed to come up with extra hanging places and somewhere to hang our wet towels to dry while we travelled. Installing hooks in the shower was a great solution. The walls were big enough to hang all 4 towels and if they dripped a little, it certainly wasn’t going to harm anything. There are some great, durable and high weight rated hooks available. Grab one here.
No matter where you are, water is a precious commodity. We all need it every single day and to run out would be a serious problem. That’s why we have invested in the Rain Saver, so while it’s raining, we can fill our water tanks and jerry cans. And the added bonus is that this acts like a gutter and redirects those rain drops from the edge of the awning! Shop the Rain Saver here
An amazing invention! Who would’ve thought that containers could collapse and save so much space when not in use! Not to mention dish drainers, buckets, cups and bowls. They work just as efficiently as standard items, but store in half the size when not being used. You can view the range of collapsible containers here.
Wire mozzie coil holders
Mosquitoes while camping… Welcome to Australia. The mozzie coil is a great effective way to minimise the ever so slight buzz and itch from the infamous mosquito. Plus any potential diseases they carry. Buying the pack of these coils in the silver tin most of the time provides you with just one holder. That’s why we have had to come up with more ways to hold our coils, from one end of the van to the other. We purchased wire at the local hardware store. It bends in all directions and easily pops through a hole in the leg of the awning.
Do you have any great hacks or storage ideas you’d like to share? Why not send them in! 😊
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