How to Increase Space in a Pop-Up Camper (Tips & Tricks)

pop up camper

Pop-up campers aren’t all that spacious, especially once you’ve filled it with all the necessities you need for your trip. That’s why it’s important to know some tips and tricks on how to increase space in a camper, so I’ve compiled together this list of 14 pop up camping tips and tricks.

Afterward, not only will you find yourself with more space than you know what to do with, but you’ll also be more organized.  

#1 Storage Containers

One of the first things we can do to begin pop up camper organization is to get some storage containers.

It’s not uncommon to find a lot of clutter start to build up on your table, counters, shelves, and in your cupboards. This is where small storage containers really come in handy. I recommend getting collapsible ones for when you’re not using them.

Not only does doing this protect your things from getting dirty but it frees up a bunch of space and helps you stay organized.

Don’t forget to make use of the space under your bed! Plenty of people often forget about the space there, but it can be used to store containers out of sight.

#2 Hooks

When you only have a couple of feet of space, most of it goes toward more important things like clothing and food. Quite a bit more is needed to stay comfortable outdoors though. Hooks, suction cup hooks to be exact, really come in handy here.

You can use these hooks to hang a number of things such as keys, clothes, towels, bags, and anything else you can manage.

There’s no need to make a hole in your wall as they usually just stick thanks to heavy-duty double-sided tape. This is important if you want to keep the value of your camper just in case you might want to sell it in the future.

What makes them even better is that they are extremely affordable and easy to come by.

#3 Collapsible Items

Another important and well know trick for pop up camper storage solutions is to use collapsible items wherever possible as this can save up so much space. Bins, buckets, dish racks, dishware, and pet bowls are all things that you can easily find collapsible so that you can compactly store them away when not in use.

#4 Shelves

It’s quite likely that you’ve got a decent amount of wall space which you can utilize by adding pop up camper shelving. Just be careful not to put too many and make the same mistake as I did, as this can cause the wall to look really crammed.

Find a nice, wide, and empty space on your wall and add a cabinet or multiple shelves. I find that the best places are the bathroom or bedroom.

You could even add some hooks to the sides of your shelves, if possible, too.

#5 Hammocks & Baskets

Hammocks or baskets are great to hang in the kitchen to hold food like fruit and vegetables. If you’ve already got shelves in your kitchen area, even better! You can hang a small hammock right underneath to further save space on your counters. Plus, they are very inexpensive items and they look great!

Baskets are also very useful to protect any breakable items from falling while driving.

#6 Fold Clothes Compactly

Clothes and towels take up a lot of space but if you can fold them in a certain way, you’ll begin to notice that they actually take up little to no space at all.

My favorite method is known as the ‘ranger roll’. and it is a military-style way of folding clothes. As an additional plus, this folding method even keeps your clothes from winkling! It also ensures they stay stable when you’re on the road.

It’s probably better for you to search for a tutorial but I’ll give you an example of how to ranger roll a T-shirt. Start by laying it down on a flat surface and take the hem at the bottom of the shirt and roll that up just a few inches as this will be needed for the very end to wrap around the roll. The corners need to be smoothed out and straight so that you won’t have any wrinkles as this can ruin the ranger roll. Take the left or right side and bring it in, folding it over at the center, you can also fold over the sleeve and do the same with the other side to give the shirt a rectangular shape. Now, simply roll tightly from the collar side. It’s important to roll it as tight as you can for the most compact fold and so that the roll will hold at the end. If any wrinkles appear on the surface just smooth them out. In the end, wrap that slack to keep the roll securely closed.

You could wrap a pair of underwear and socks inside of the T-shirt, that way you have one roll instead of three.

Things like sheets, if you have extra, should be stored in a vacuum sealed bag to take up the least space.

#7 Magnetic Strips

Adding a magnetic strip or a few to your kitchen’s wall is a great way to store kitchen knives as well as other metal utensils.

Although it isn’t wise to keep these things there when you’re driving in case they fall, but it’s a good way to keep everything neat and off the counters and such when you’re settled at your destination.

#8 Shoe Rack

Shoe racks are great and affordable, especially the ones that you can hang on a wall or over a door. Even if you don’t have several pairs of shoes, one of these can still come in handy because of the multiple pockets and you can store things like socks, keys, controllers, and even certain camping tools.

You could even cut them apart and distribute them however you see fit. The possibilities are endless as long as you use a bit of imagination.

#9 Spice Racks

For a lot of the campers that I know, food is a very important part of the experience. This results in having a huge array of spices to make a countless number of delicious meals.

It’s such a waste of space to have a number of spices on your counter or in a drawer. A spice rack mounted on the wall is just the thing needed in this case, and if it’s secure enough it can stay up even when you’re on the road. They’re also really easy to install!

#10 Tension Rods

Another way to add pop up camper storage is by using tension rods, which are a very versatile gadget that everyone should make use of, especially considering how cheap they are.

It doesn’t matter if you choose to use them horizontally or vertically, the benefits are endless. They can be fitted with hooks to hang things like baskets from, providing you with more floor space.

I also have one so that I could install a shower curtain, and I use another one to hang clothes from.

#11 Velcro

Velcro can be used for a number of things, such as to keep your remotes in one fixed place and also to hang coiled hoses up. It’s also very useful to secure any movable items for when it’s time to hit the road. If Velcro isn’t secure enough, try mounting putty, camping straps, or bungee cords instead.

#12 Mounting Brackets

You may be wondering what on Earth you could use mounting brackets to secure down, but this one is an excellent trick for pop up camper storage. Certain items that are long, such as cleaning supplies, can be secured to the wall or even your ceiling with the use of mounting brackets. If brackets are a bit too permanent for your liking, try Velcro instead. I don’t recommend putting them on your ceiling if you’re using Velcro, though.

#13 Roof Rack

If you feel like you’ve utilized all of the space inside your camper, then it’s time to focus on the external space. We can start with a roof rack, which some pop up campers already have.

In the case that your camper doesn’t already have one – Roof racks are often made for trailers without rails so you will need to drill holes to install one.

It should only be used for essentials that you won’t need while traveling from one place to the next. The less you use an item, the higher it should be stored.

#14 Mason Jars

This final one is a very interesting hack, but it does require some holes. Basically, you’re going to make two holes into a mason jar’s lid so that you can screw and secure the lid to a surface. I recommend securing a plank of wood underneath a cupboard, for example, or doing this on the bottom of any shelves you might have. Store whatever you’d like to in the jars, and when you store them, just screw them onto the lid and there you have it; ‘floating’ mason jars!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I get more space in my camper?

Here are just a few things that you can do to increase the space in your pop up camper; use things like collapsible storage containers to store items in and compactly put them away when not in use, suction cup hooks to hang things such as hammocks and baskets from, install some shelves, use a spice and shoe rack, and tension rods to hang things from as well.

Can you put a roof rack on a pop up camper?

You can put a roof rack on a pop up camper, but keep in mind that most of them are meant for trailers without rails which means that you will need to drill holes to make the rack permanent.

How long do pop up campers last?

Pop up campers last between 10 and 15 years from the day the first owner buys it. So, if you buy a second-hand pop up camper, you need to include the years the previous owner had it as well.

How do you secure things in a camper?

To secure things in your camper while on the road, make use of mounting putty, camping straps, Velcro, and bungee cords.

How do I organize my camper trailer?

Start by utilizing the inside of your doors to hang things, install shelves and add hooks to the sides of them, use Velcro to keep remotes in a fixed place and to hang coiled hoses, mount cleaning items, and anything similar to the ceiling with the use of brackets, and make use of suction cup hooks to hang things.

How do you hang things on a camper wall?

A couple of ways that you can hang things onto your camper wall, without making any holes, is to use command hooks that are easily removable and don’t damage the paint. Velcro is also great if you want to secure something like a paper towel holder, or Nano tape. Nano tape is incredible; it’s also reusable yet very durable and strong making it great to stop things from sliding around when you’re driving. Since it is so strong, I recommend testing it out beforehand to ensure that it doesn’t peel off any paint.

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