Truck Bed Camper Interior: Organization and Space-Saving Storage Ideas
Having some sense of organization when traveling from a small space is pretty crucial to remaining sane and being able to relax - we’ve learned that the hard way when traveling for weeks from a truck bed camper.
The constant searching for things, spending an insane amount of time to locate some specific needed item, or moving stuff from one space to another just to get it out of the way again - day in and day out of that can make you want to cut an otherwise enjoyable trip a little short.
During our previous travels from “real” campers we could adhere storage racks to the walls, use over the door hooks, place things in cabinets. Getting organized wasn’t difficult.
But now, our family of three travels from a truck shell camper. It’s tiny. (Read this if you’re curious as to why we made the switch).
And finding ways to keep the truck camper interior organized while road tripping is a little more of a challenge. We’ve added a person, and lost about 90% of our storage space!
Check out the inside of our truck bed camper to see what we’re working with now! It’s tiny!
Now on to our top 5 tips and recommendations for keeping your truck bed camper interior organized when traveling and camping! And if you’re looking for MORE ways to get organized while camping, be sure to check out our Stress-Free Storage Ideas for Organizing Your Camping Gear!
Camper Organization Tip #1: Bring Fewer Things!
The less stuff you have in the inside of your truck camper, the less stuff you have to store and organize! Simple!
And if this makes you uncomfortable, you can start with whatever you’re used to having, and then, after a couple of trips, you can always reevaluate and eliminate extras.
A few pointers on bringing less:
Kitchen -
You likely don’t need as many kitchen gadgets and supplies as you’re thinking. Remember, if you use it, you have to wash it.
Dishes are the worst. And camping dishes, of course, top that. Stir and serve that food using the forks you will be eating with. Share the knife. Hey, eat out of the pan if it’s doable.
But really, our camp kitchen is an area that we’ve found it easy to eliminate from, and we do cook almost all of our own meals. And usually eat off dishes.
Thinking multipurpose when packing up your camper can go a long way in saving space and staying organized. Tupperware for leftovers can be used as a mixing bowl if needed. We used coffee mugs as bowls during our entire last trip, and it worked fine.
Get creative and embrace less! And for a complete guide to setting up your own camp kitchen, check out our post on How to Set Up a Portable Camp Kitchen Box Today. Note: The checklist is exhaustive - only pack what YOU need!
Kid Toys -
Start with the bag or box that fits in your tiny space, and then choose the toys and activities to bring. If it doesn’t fit in the bag or box, it doesn’t come!
I’m a fan of multi-purpose toys and open-ended activities, as they can be revisited many times while still remaining engaging and fun. Bonus if they are micro sized to save even more space!
Clothes -
Invest in clothing you can wear multiple times before washing, resulting in a much smaller wardrobe having to be store inside your truck bed camper. Check out our recommendations here.
Aim to have all of your tops match with all of your bottoms so that you can create more outfits with fewer pieces.
And if you tend to be an over-packer, you might want to decide on the number of shorts, pants, shirts, etc that are practical for the climate where you’re headed before beginning to pack.
Camper Organization Tip #2: Invest in Some Space-Saving Items
We’ve found that spending some extra money in certain areas in order to have a compact and space-saving version of the needed item can be worth it because the gain in extra room (and organization!) in the camper is worth it.
A perfect example - our camp chairs and table. Typical camping chairs would have to be stored either on top of our bed or roof rack - not ideal.
But the ones we landed on were designed for backpacking and fit in a little cubbie below the corner of the platform. They require significantly less storage space, they are easy to access when needed, and aren’t in the way when not needed. And we didn’t have to sacrifice comfort in buying compact.
Searching for things marketed towards backpackers, motorcyclists, and sailboat owners are some ways to find quality compact gear.
*(This post contains affiliate links. This means we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. See our full disclosure.)
Some of our recommended space-saving gear that we’ve got inside our truck bed camper:
Here’s a list of some of our space saving gear:
Agawa Canyon Boreal 21* Folding Camp Saw - here’s the post about why we love it
GSI Nesting Pots and Pans* - we’ve been using this set for 8 years
Flexible Cutting Board* - these basic kitchen tools can be found at any big box store like Walmart as well
Collapsible Tub* - having one of these around is high on our recommended list! Lots of uses.
Collapsible Sink* - makes washing and air drying dishes a little easier
GSI Collapsible Pour Over* - for more info on all things coffee while camping, head over to this post
Porlex Mini Coffee Grinder* - fits perfectly inside the Aeropress when not in use
Spice Wheel* - with some finagling you can trade out unused spices for your favorites, or start fresh with something like this*.
Camper Organization Tip #3: Consider When You’ll Need Things
Try to think through scenarios when items will be needed, and organize your truck bed camper interior accordingly.
This one might take a couple days on the road to sort out.
Most of our truck camper storage is in our slide out drawers under our raised platform. However, getting to the things in there, like when stopping for fuel, is not a quick job.
Think multiple locks, latches, swing outs, plus reversing it all 5 seconds later to close the truck back up. The required steps to get to the thing in the drawer (when not settled in at camp) makes it not worth getting the thing, unless it is absolutely needed.
So! For us, it made sense to store and organize certain things somewhere other than in the drawers.
For example, extra snacks are in the cab as well as the drawers. Our overnight/toiletry cases are in the cab so we can get to them easily even if our daughter is sleeping in the truck bed.
We’ve found that truck bed drawer storage is best for all things related to cooking, setting up camp (hammock, chairs, etc), and things you don’t use on the fly without making some plan first (like water clothes and shoes, things related to cleaning laundry or dishes, water purifier).
While things like a hat, jacket, sunscreen, headlamps - those go in easier to access places inside the truck camper.
Note: Your first aid kit* and bear spray* should be easy to grab, and all adults should know where they are!
Camper Organization Tip #4: Assign a Place for Everything
Everything needs an assigned home. You don’t want multiple things constantly rolling around inside your truck bed camper and having to be moved from one spot to another just to get them out of your way (again!).
Of course, the more people and stuff you have, the harder this becomes.
And in a DIY camper, you’ll likely have to get creative and come up with your own specific camper storage and organization ideas that work in your space.
Check out some of the ways we’ve added organization to our truck bed camper interior.
And here’s a list of some of the products we’ve bought to help with organization, including mounting hardware. Many of the things we’re using came from around our house or from other RV projects.
Cargo Net* - usually holds jackets, hats, small bags with socks and underwear. Double check sizes of nets before buying anything - most are either really small or really large!
Small Storage Net* - these work best if adhered to smooth surfaces and are handy to keep small things in place
Action Packer* - we sometimes travel with one on the roof for extra storage, we’ve used ours for camping gear for over a decade and it is incredibly durable, can double as a low table for our daughter or as an extra seat (so it might look like a regular Rubbermaid that costs way too much, but it isn’t!)
Suction Cup Bath Caddy* - cheap way to add storage
Durable Plastic Organizers* - these are durable plastic that doesn’t get brittle, they come in a range of sizes, good for organized storage beside mattress/under bed rails or to add organization to the inside of the drawers
3M Fastener* - like command strips (also great) on steroids and more customizable, this stuff does a great job of holding things in place
Bundling Straps* - these hold Patrick’s guitar in place and the curtains when rolled up
We bring our sleeping bag stuff sack, just because it is really nice to be able to get the bag out of the way on days we’re hanging around the truck all day. And don’t forget that you’ll want an assigned space for dirty clothes, dirty shoes, and trash!
If you’ve got an RV, like with actual walls and cabinets, The Wandering RV has compiled a great list of ideas on bringing some storage and organization to an otherwise cluttered space.
Camper Organization Tip #5: Always Put Everything Away
If it’s got a place (which it does - see above!), then put it there!
Sometimes, this is just too much of a pain. There’s a slew of unreachable places in a truck bed unless you take the time to climb on in.
So, having a time or two a day where “tidying” is part of your routine can go a long way when packing multiple people and their things into a tiny space. For us, doing this during our daughter’s bedtime routine became the norm, since one of us was already crawling in there to help her get settled.
Alrighty, camper organization recap!
Bring less stuff, think through the best places to put your stuff, remember where those “best places” are, and lastly, put your stuff back into those assigned “best places” when you’re done using your stuff.
Once summarized, this sounds very unprofound.
But if you’re camping and traveling from a micro space, doing these things can really add to the enjoyment of the experience rather than add unnecessary stress.
Having fewer object floating around, investing in some camper space-saving gear, and coming up with storage solutions has helped keep us happier out on the road!
We hope this helps in your tiny camper organization!
As always, thanks for reading, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for blog updates!
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