32 Van Life Essentials (Interior and Storage)
We’ve had our campervan for over 3 years now, and finally sharing our favorite essentials for Van Life that we now can’t imagine being without.
Living in a tiny space isn’t easy but with smart storage ideas, tiny versions of appliances, and unique solutions for multi-purpose rooms.
This page includes affiliate links. I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Essentials for Van Life
Below you’ll find the best campervan essentials and storage hacks for the kitchen, cab, bedroom, and garage space.
1. Adjustable Entry Step
Even if you have a running board mounted, this extra step is useful, especially for the dog. It provides an extra surface to step and it’s anti-slip.
It folds down for storing and rises to 12” high for vans with a lift.
2. Sunglasses Clips
A simple and necessary solution to secure your sunglasses are these sun visor clips that magnetize to open and close.
3. Entry Mat
This isn’t a normal mat. It’s designed for dirt removal and I swear by this mat because it keeps all the dirt and sand trapped on the mat. It’s also small for the perfect van entry way.
4. Entry Wall Organizer
It’s the perfect size for a van, and is a great place to store your keys, phone, wallet, dog leash, etc. It’s secure by very sticky tape that has never fallen off after a year of travel.
5. LED mood lighting strips
This is the best and easiest mood lighting to add to your van. It has a sticky back and you can cut it to fit any length.
6. Heating Blanket
This is the best way we’ve found to stay warm throughout a cold night. We don’t like leaving an electric or gas heater on all night and these blankets use very little electricity.
7. Wireless Fan
The fans are about 8 inches in diameter and recharge with a 12V USB plugin that lasts for 8 hours per charge. The fan also works while being charged.
8. Vent covers
These are the best covers for ceiling fans. The magnets are very secure, it’s easy to install, and the covers themselves are thin enough to fold and store, but thick enough where no light seeps inside. They also help insulate against hot or cold air.
9. Insulated Window Covers
These custom fit insulated covers do make a huge difference in keeping heat, cold, and light out. They are expensive, but completely worth it in my opinion.
10. 24” TV monitor
This is a great size TV monitor for a van. We have it on an adjustable swing mount and use this cord to mirror anything from our phone or laptop.
11. Porta wipes
You don’t know you need this until you try them! They are the best because they are quarter-size to start then with a little water expand to washcloth size. They don’t leave any residue or weird smell either.
Great for backpacking too!
12. Nomadix Towels
Once you try this towel you won’t go back to any other beach towel. It’s super absorbent, packs down small, and (most importantly) dries very quickly!
13. Nuwave Induction Cooktop
Most people complain that induction cooktops use too much power, but this one allows you to change the wattage use from 600 to 1300 watts as well as customize the heat output.
14. Mini Air Fryer
We use this mini air fryer every day. It’s 1300 watts and once it gets started it only recirculates the air so it doesn’t take much power. It’s a great size for 2 adults.
15. Reusable Food Storage Bags
These are a great knock-off of the Stasher bags and ideal for space-saving.
16. Mini Electric Kettle
All matcha lovers and tea drinkers, this is a great little kettle that heats up water so quickly and doesn’t use much battery at all!
You can also set your desired temperature.
17. Mini Thermometer
So you know the temperature and humidity inside your van as you travel from mountains to desert.
18. Sink mat
This silicone mat is nice to prevent water splashing and it provides a grip for a food scrubber or soap stay in place.
19. Kitchen Faucet
After going through a few faucets, I’ve landed on this being the best for a van. It’s small in height and size, but still has a pull out sprayer.
20. Durable Peel-Stick Backsplash
I always get compliments on how real this faux tile backsplash looks. It comes in many colors and it’s never once peeled back and it easily wipes down from any stains.
21. Lightweight Mirror
This mirror is lightweight at only 2mm thick and it actually reflects very well.
I recommend using a better 3M adhesive than the one it comes with.
22. Mini Bose Speaker
Waterproof with great sound quality. It’s small but durable, and lasts 16 hours on one charge.
23. Murphys mosquito repellent sticks
Nothing repels mosquitoes better than these incense sticks. We’ve used them in every climate from the jungles of Ecuador to the Sierra Nevadas and they never disappoint.
24. Portable Shower
This is a must-have for van life. It has a strong enough flow to wash my long hair or get the sand out of the dog.
We stick the base into a 5 gal water jug or any water source.
25. Bed Drink Holder
These may be extra, but we use these drink holders every night for our 30oz Stanley water bottles.
26. Shoe Storage
These are great for shoe storage in the back of the van for hiking and biking shoes. They fit all shoe shapes and sizes.
27. Swivel Tabel Mount
This is our newest addition and a lot more affordable option than the name brand. It swivels in all directions and the table can also fold up sideways.
Exterior Van Life Essentials
Lynx Leveling Blocks
If you don’t already have leveling blocks, you need these now! They are a game charger and make it so you never have to find a rock or random object to level out the van. Plus, they’re very secure under the tires.
Battery Jumper/ Tire Inflator
The piece of mind we now have that we don’t have to rely on someone else to be able to jump our battery is completely worth this device.
Additionally, we can air up our tires anywhere we go.
Solar String Lights
These string lights are the best lightweight solar lights on the market for being super compact, not getting tangled, and the highest setting is very bright if you need.
You can now detach the strings from the base as well to easily charge by USB-C too.
Straw Outdoor Rug
This is the first thing I pull out of the van to setup a campsite. It folds up easy to store but extends to 5x8 that is plenty big enough for a front porch.
It helps track dirt and a place to keep your shoes from inside the van.
Kuat Swinging Bike Rack
This back rack extension swing has made opening and closing the van backdoors simple again!
It was worth every penny for how easy I can open the doors now by a simple push of the bike rack arm.
Electrical Cable Storage
It’s simple; a heavy-duty and waterproof bag to store your electric cable, but it makes a big difference to have its own storage case.
read next —
