From the Driver's Seat: Storage Solutions
Being on the road full time has its challenges. One of the biggest hurdles is storage space for necessities. Clothes, food, tools, and hygiene products all have to have easy access. Adding another "must have" item can create havoc due to limited space.
One of the reasons we chose the Supertramp Camper (STC) was due to its storage capability. Most of our clothes are stored under the hinged bed. We store all four seasons of clothes, so there is no space to spare! There is also storage under all the bench seats. This is where we store any additional clothing for easy access, along with dry goods. This is also where our coffeemaker resides while we travel. We nest our pots and pans in the cabinet to the right of our refrigerator. And the drawer to the left of the refrigerator holds daily used items and miscellaneous necessities. With proper planning, we are able to store approximately one week's worth of cold groceries in the refrigerator/freezer.
We also installed a mesh net on the ceiling of our STC. It fits between the four flush-mounted lights and it looks great. We store bulky items, like hoodies, jackets, paper towels, and small food storage, among other things. We hang keys and glasses from the caribiners. The net is made out of a bungee, stretching to hold anything within reason.
When you open the door to the STC, there is a drawer that extends out from underneath the camper. It is about 5 feet long by 20 inches wide by 4 inches deep. We store extra shoes, rain gear, cleaning wipes, and our vacuum in this drawer.
As far as the truck is concerned, we decided not to remove our backseat. We wanted to accommodate a third passenger in a pinch. Also, special tools are required to remove the backseat. Not to mention, there are many electrical wires that may incur warning lights when removed. As it ended up, we have been using the folded backseat as a shelf, which helps keep things separated and close at hand with bungee straps. On the truck floor behind the driver's seat is where I store my tools. I purchased a stackable system where the bottom layer is three drawers. This is perfect for sockets, wrenches, specialty tools, lubricants, and grease gun. The second layer is a large drawer which houses my trailer breakaway battery, along with a 5-ton jack, and two small pieces of 4x4 wood for tire changing purposes. They all fit together in the drawer like pieces of a puzzle. The third and top secion is a hinged lid that holds ratchet straps, three 8" socket set, tow strap, and bungee straps. I also adhered a few magnets under the lid, so when the lid is closed, a multi-tool and knife sit on the lid without shifting. I mounted a fire extinguisher onto the side of the tool box for easy in-truck access. Under the driver's seat are my set of tire chains for snow and ice, and my reflective triangles for emergencies. The rear driver's truck door pocket contains fuel treatment, hand wipes, and gloves, which are convenient when fueling.
As far as the rest of the backset space, we use stackable totes.
We have 2 totes in the middle where we store items that we do not use regularly - - off-season clothes, backup supplies, and items that are hard-to-find purchases.
HACK: Our daughter recommended we purchase extra large vacuum-seal bags that shrink the storage of clothes to less than half. Great idea!
The tote by the rear passenger door is mainly for drinks, and sometimes extra food. In addition to our "drinks" tote, we have two nesting totes that are only used while we are at a dispersed camping location that does not have a trash receptacle. Pack it in and Pack it out! The rear passenger door pocket holds our mini bottle of laundry detergent and coin holder for laundry.
Both front door pockets, glove boxes, and console are filled with travel essentials, like a small first aid kit, paperwork, charging cords, etc. Items are kept orderly for quick access.
Storage for two people on the road full time has definitely had its challenges. What you think you need when starting out, evolves quite a bit. Sacrifices have to be made and changes are inevitable. Going back to that "must have" item I mentioned earlier. We found a home for the portable WiFi router we need to continue this blog. Patience is a virtue.
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