Best Pop-up camper tricks and hacks!

ShelliRenee

Disney Princess trapped in a fat girl's body!
Joined
Apr 21, 2009
I became a pop-up camper owner last year and have loved loved loved decorating both the inside and outside. I have been going camping as much as I can.

What are some of the best tricks and hacks you have found for camping in a pop-up where space is limited?
 
Plastic totes. Great for storage. They also keep the critters out of your food. They also keep cats from peeing on your shoes. :thumbsup2
 
I am one of the few pop-up owners on the Camping Board. In 2005 I bought a Jayco HighWall (HW) 12-foot box.



In 2014 I migrated to an A-liner Explorer with a 14-foot box.



I haven't done much to either. With the Jayco we had 3 kids and 2 adults so space (counter, storage) was at a premium. Take less, rotate things in/out at home that you need or don't before you leave or after you return. The Jayco had the large storage compartment in the front which made it tempting to throw everything in there but half of it rarely got used.

With the Aliner (down to 2 adults and 1 kid who still is hanging around), I added some interior hooks to hang jackets, towels, and keys.

And in both we added memory foam mattress toppers as thick as could which vastly helped the sleep experience for EVERYBODY.

The kids and DW were good about learning to take less stuff, only what you need for the trip, and to keep it contained and not spread out everywhere. We are outside nearly all the time except for sleeping or bad weather anyway.

Keep it simple.
Keep it dry.
Keep it covered if possible.

And it will last a long time.

Bama Ed
 
Thanks!
I do have the space saver bags for our bedding and we have some of the draw storage. I also have a nice cover to go over the camper when it is parked. Have you ever tried the shower tension caddies? I am thinking about trying them but hate to spend money if they don't work.
 


I never used the shower tension caddies. I've read of other that have tho.

BTW make sure you check out Pop Up Explorer's forum and sub-forums for good pop up stuff. It goes by "Pux" for short. :goodvibes

https://www.popupexplorer.com/forum/

Bama Ed
 
I'm a new pop up owner...I don't take possession until the end of April but I have a few things planned based on what I liked when I rented pop-ups in the past.

  • collapsing shelf unit - either the stainless steel or black plastic ones to go over my fridge area where I have a longer counter. While this will be good for a lot of stuff, it will particularly come in handy for the longer trips like my trip to the Fort. Storage and organization is key in a small area.
  • anti-fatigue mats for the bunk ends - those puzzle like foam floor things you use in a kids playroom help with the comfort level under the mattresses.
  • Thirty-one bags - more specifically the deluxe organizing totes. These are great for hauling food, clothes, kitchen items, etc. They fold down flat when you're not using them.
 
I'm a new pop up owner...I don't take possession until the end of April but I have a few things planned based on what I liked when I rented pop-ups in the past.

  • collapsing shelf unit - either the stainless steel or black plastic ones to go over my fridge area where I have a longer counter. While this will be good for a lot of stuff, it will particularly come in handy for the longer trips like my trip to the Fort. Storage and organization is key in a small area.
  • anti-fatigue mats for the bunk ends - those puzzle like foam floor things you use in a kids playroom help with the comfort level under the mattresses.
  • Thirty-one bags - more specifically the deluxe organizing totes. These are great for hauling food, clothes, kitchen items, etc. They fold down flat when you're not using them.

We do have the anti-fatigue mats on one side (For the person who sleeps on his side). He said it did a little good, but we found the camping mats do a better job and you do have to be careful about how much they raise the mattress, otherwise the camper doesn't close correctly.
 


I am fairly proud of this hack! We have a stroller and I didn't want to have to dig around looking for our duffels and such, and also wanted to be able to get the stroller out if we stopped to check something out on the way to the fort.
Hubs ran out of time to build a shelf in the suburban, so I took the top off one of the plastic storage shelves in the garage (you can see it in the back of the photo on the right)

And after I saw it fit in the car, I had another brilliant idea to see if it ALSO fit in the popup.
So it because a portable shelf. We put pantry items on top and bottom since the fridge is on that side. I felt pretty darn smart.

I was going to get a folding laundry rack to hang towels on, but we ended up just setting up a clothes line :)

We also have the anti fatigue mats under the mattresses and a 2" memory foam topper and battery lights on the kid's bunks.

Bring a broom and a rug- that sand stuff got all over the place!
Screen Shot 2019-04-01 at 7.23.01 PM.png
 
I am fairly proud of this hack! We have a stroller and I didn't want to have to dig around looking for our duffels and such, and also wanted to be able to get the stroller out if we stopped to check something out on the way to the fort.
Hubs ran out of time to build a shelf in the suburban, so I took the top off one of the plastic storage shelves in the garage (you can see it in the back of the photo on the right)

And after I saw it fit in the car, I had another brilliant idea to see if it ALSO fit in the popup.
So it because a portable shelf. We put pantry items on top and bottom since the fridge is on that side. I felt pretty darn smart.

I was going to get a folding laundry rack to hang towels on, but we ended up just setting up a clothes line :)

We also have the anti fatigue mats under the mattresses and a 2" memory foam topper and battery lights on the kid's bunks.

Bring a broom and a rug- that sand stuff got all over the place!
View attachment 392182

That is brilliant!
 
When we had our pop up, we would leave clothes in duffle bag type storage in vehicle, and hang up what needed be in vehicle too.

I had similar rack, but used the wire ones that you can stack. Of course things you did not need as often were on top.

We had the roll up curtains at beds. I changed them using tension rods instead.

we do most of cooking outside so bought small three drawer plastic container and put things like cooking utensils, hot pads, paper products, etc. The container fit sideways inside during storage and travel.
 
Ok so , my tension rod shelves and bunk end shelves compleated. I have to ajust the straps on the bunk ends, still not sure of the best way to do it. The bunk end shelves are good enough for some clothing, etc but not as heavy duty as i would like . Good enough is good enough.
 

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