5 Van Life Organization Ideas That Help Save Space

1. Sort and sift to declutter

Occasionally you will have to go through things to declutter. If you haven’t used something in over a year, it’s a good indication that you may not need it. I have a little garage bin that goes in the back of my van but I go through it a lot to see what I do not need to have with me all the time. 

2. Look for miniature things

You can find miniaturized versions of so many things, like a spoon and spatula set. I’m always on the lookout for miniature versions of salad dressings and other food. 

3. A place for everything

Everything must have a place. I bought a soft closet bin that I cut in half to fit over newfound space on my dash and on my door in the front where I removed a seat. I added grommets to it so it can attach with small bungee cords.

Now my socks, hat, and flashlight have their own place. 

4. Accessible in one to two moves

I used to get frustrated when I had to shuffle things around too much. It was a hassle.

For example, my clothes used to be in packing cubes but they were hard to access. I replaced the cubes with open bins. I can pull out the bin and grab something in just a couple of moves.

Another example is my stove. I pull it out and put it on the counter. Everything I use regularly is very accessible and I don’t have to dig through layers of items to get to them.

Some exceptions are seasonal items that I don’t need immediate access to until the weather changes.  

5. Access everything from inside the van

It is ideal if you can access almost everything from inside the van. In a couple of steps, I can easily access all of my garage stuff from inside and outside.

Van life organization

I hope this was helpful to you as you think through how to organize your own van. Please let me know if you have any questions about how to organize life in a van. And also, let me know if you have other organizational ideas for small spaces that you can share.