Organizing the T@b, 2017 Edition

Funny as it may seem, I used one of our first camping trips this season to reorganize the camper. We found that as we used it, our needs changed, and reorganization would help us access what we really used, and make better use of space. If you'd like to see the original organization in my blog post, click here.

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Let's start inside and the shower door.

Last year, I had one of these organizers I bought from Amazon hanging on the shower door. It held our towels, but it wasted space towards the bottom of the door. I ordered a second one, and with grommets and zip ties, we attached the two together for a total of 8 pockets that hold towels, rug, and toiletries. It also covers the entire door to add more privacy.

Then there's the front bench area. (Later in the season I add even more storage, but for now, here's what we did.)

Below the bench, Andy and I each have a side, mine on the left, his on the right. Last year we started with plastic shoe boxes that seemed smart at the time, but actually wasted a lot of space. This year we have these gray plastic baskets.

I put sweatshirts, hats, and all my shoes in my baskets, and I am able to put my purse in there while we're camping, which keeps it out of sight, but still accessible. I also have a picnic blanket on my side.

 Andy uses his for extra clothes and all his shoes, and in the shoe boxes was able to store some utilitarian items like batteries, spare fuses, and duct tape on his side as well.

There's also quite a bit of storage space above the bench.

I actually removed some of the items we had stored here last year, because either we didn't need them, or I found a better place for them.

The plastic boxes are Ikea boxes, (in the kids' section) but I purchased them from our local thrift store. I organized them by like items, brought out my trusty label maker, and now we can see exactly what we're looking for. We also stored extra RV toilet tissue up here as it's certainly something you don't want to be without!

As you can see, four boxes fit perfectly in the cabinet. On top of the boxes, I have a small washing board I ordered from Amazon. It's compact and effective for quick laundry needs while camping.

The next bit of organizing are these hanging baskets designed to hang over a cabinet door. Instead of over a cabinet, we hung them over the window valances.

(You can also enjoy my craft project T@B sign with the Heidi Swapp @ symbol!) These baskets are brilliant. We each have one, and store a variety of things. In mine, above, I store tissues, my flashlight, and at night, my glasses and my phone. I know right where to find everything, and it keeps them off the bed and out of the way.

Andy uses his to store his phone, the remotes for TV and sound system, and chargers for various electronics.

Have you noticed how much storage space you really do have in one of these things? Well, we're not done yet!

This cabinet is along the back of the T@b, and can only be accessed from inside, unlike the other two cabinets that pass through to the kitchen. In here, I repurposed two of the shoe boxes from under the front bench to hold first aid items, antibacterial wipes, umbrella and ponchos, and other necessities. In the small basket, I have plenty of sunscreen and bug spray, two things we use every time we camp.

The final space we don't want to ignore is the shelf above the back cabinets.

There is actually a LOT of room up here! I found these packing cubes from Amazon, and since the color was perfect, I figured they were worth a try. :) Andy and I each have 4, and with the exception of heavy clothes like sweatshirts, we can fit an entire day's outfit in one cube. This gives us 3 days worth of clothes and one set of pajamas each. Obviously, this is perfect for a weekend trip!

With all 8 cubes up there, very little space is wasted.

I have even organized my shower area. (Or as we like to call it, the "shoilet.")

Tiny, huh?


With such a small space to work in, organization is key.

We were able to adhere two Command hooks just below the mirror by the sink. These hold our shower scrubbies that are of course, yellow, to match. :)

I bought two small, lightweight plastic organizers with suction cups on the back. The material covering the walls is a little "iffy" about accepting both Command hooks and suction cups, so we attached them to the mirror instead. They hold all the necessary toiletries for showering, tooth brushing, and hand washing.

Moving outside, let's look at the kitchen.

Not much has changed since last year's organization because it worked really well! Lots of plastic containers to organize, ensure freshness and resist rodents and bugs.

Once again, my favorite label maker helps us find what we need quickly. I labeled both sides of the containers so we could see it from both the kitchen and camper interior.

Snacks at the ready!

The cabinet below the silverware drawer is basically the same as last year, too, with plenty of room for dishes and glassware. Plastic glassware. We are camping! We also have our coffee mugs here, and they get wrapped in bubble wrap for safety. So far, no problems!

Below the sink and stove I made a few changes. This area is just so messy!

Under the stove, I use wooden magazine holders to keep some items vertical, like tin foil, baggies, paper towels, etc. This is a great use of space as it takes up very little shelf space, and it utilizes the vertical space that would otherwise be wasted. I also have my cast iron cookware, splatter screen, and collapsible dish tub, which is awesome!

Under the sink is really difficult to find good storage space, and no matter what I do, it looks sloppy. The only complaint I would have about our T@b is how the pipes are run under the sink. There is probably a logical reason why they are all over the place, but to me it wastes perfectly good storage spots! When storing items in this cabinet, you need to be very careful that nothing squishes the Pex pipes or accidentally bumps a valve. Everything needs to be able to work properly! Here's my solution: (I will keep calling it a work in progress.)

Under the sink, I only put very lightweight items, and I slide them vertically in between all the pipes so nothing is in danger. I have dish towels, pot holders, Clorox cleaning wipes, and a plastic dish drainer. These are all logical things to be kept here, and by using large baggies from Ikea, I keep all the towels in one spot and pot holders in another. Organized and protected from lots of things!

Finally, I still had space on the interior of both cabinet doors! I wouldn't want to ignore it, so I added some baskets like the ones inside:

On the right, I have plastic bags for trash, can coozies, and wet wipes.

The basket on the left door holds soap, sponges, and other cleaning items.

Finally, the kitchen counter gets a utensil holder (crafted from an old poporn tin and spray paint) that rides below the sink while we drive, and then remains up on the counter for easy access while we camp.

You'll also notice that I have a small suction cup basket in the sink that holds dish soap and a sponge while we camp. I like to be able to get to what I need without a lot of hunting, but also without adding clutter.

Well, that was round 2 of organizing! I did some updates later in the season that will be in a later blog post, but I know it's always going to need tweaking and changing.

My next post will show you some crafting my friend Michelle and I did to decorate the T@b!

Happy camping!
Peggy