I thought that newbies and shoppers might be interested in how we increased the storage in our Sprinter. I'm not claiming that these are the "only" or "best" solutions but they have worked for us. I would hope that others will post photos of their storage solutions on this thread to provide those interested in the topic with one stop shopping for ideas.
We use one of these for dirty clothes storage and the other for storing all the things that we buy on each trip to take home such as books, knickknacks and local wines. The main drawback is that they cannot be accessed from the interior of the van.
These are smaller versions of those in the first photo. They fit under the sofa. When we pack for a trip, we take these inside and put all of our folding clothes and toiletries in them (one for each of us). During the trip, we remove what we need for each day.
We found this unit on the Internet. It provides storage for the notebook computer (used for GPS), all of our small electronics and power cables, cameras, binoculars and much more. Plus the cup holders on the front of it are much better positioned than the Sprinter holders. The unit is moveable so it can slide back out of the way when moving from the cab to the aisle. The installed plywood floor prevents it from sliding back unintentionally.
Found at one of the Sprinter accessory websites. Provides a place for the Bluetooth GPS antenna, the 4G mobile hotspot, HP handheld computer that is used as a MP3 player (Bluetooth connection to radio) and anything else that you want in easy reach.
The entertainment center. Total cost: $150. When not in use, it is kept in the storage compartment above the cab. We do not have either a TV antenna or a cable hookup so the entertainment center is strictly for watching DVDs.
My wife came up with this idea. She had Sportsmobile install a stainless steel back splash. All of the items you see here are held in place with magnets so nothing has to be stored away each morning.
Another of my wife's innovations. The green plastic pans (there is a second one behind the one that is visible) fit perfectly (after shaving off a bit of the lip) into the space and can be easily slid in and out. That means not having to get down on your hands and knees to reach the items in the rear of the cabinet.
We use one of these for dirty clothes storage and the other for storing all the things that we buy on each trip to take home such as books, knickknacks and local wines. The main drawback is that they cannot be accessed from the interior of the van.
These are smaller versions of those in the first photo. They fit under the sofa. When we pack for a trip, we take these inside and put all of our folding clothes and toiletries in them (one for each of us). During the trip, we remove what we need for each day.
We found this unit on the Internet. It provides storage for the notebook computer (used for GPS), all of our small electronics and power cables, cameras, binoculars and much more. Plus the cup holders on the front of it are much better positioned than the Sprinter holders. The unit is moveable so it can slide back out of the way when moving from the cab to the aisle. The installed plywood floor prevents it from sliding back unintentionally.
Found at one of the Sprinter accessory websites. Provides a place for the Bluetooth GPS antenna, the 4G mobile hotspot, HP handheld computer that is used as a MP3 player (Bluetooth connection to radio) and anything else that you want in easy reach.
The entertainment center. Total cost: $150. When not in use, it is kept in the storage compartment above the cab. We do not have either a TV antenna or a cable hookup so the entertainment center is strictly for watching DVDs.
My wife came up with this idea. She had Sportsmobile install a stainless steel back splash. All of the items you see here are held in place with magnets so nothing has to be stored away each morning.
Another of my wife's innovations. The green plastic pans (there is a second one behind the one that is visible) fit perfectly (after shaving off a bit of the lip) into the space and can be easily slid in and out. That means not having to get down on your hands and knees to reach the items in the rear of the cabinet.
At night, if we had wet towels or dish rags, we used to just drape them over the front seats or dashboard to dry.
Now we have a braided elastic cord that stretches between the ceiling handholds on either side of the cab. The towels now dry faster and are out of the way of the chairs.
Now we have a braided elastic cord that stretches between the ceiling handholds on either side of the cab. The towels now dry faster and are out of the way of the chairs.
To keep bottles from tipping over when our food cabinet is not all the way full, I put them in empty plastic jars - peanutbutter, juice bottles etc - which have been cut down to a couple of inches high.
The jars are kept in place with the museum/earthquake "silly putty" available in hardware stores. I can easily replace them with different sizes as needed. The plastic jars do a great job of keeping things upright.
Plastic jars can also be used to hold glass drinking glasses in place.
The jars are kept in place with the museum/earthquake "silly putty" available in hardware stores. I can easily replace them with different sizes as needed. The plastic jars do a great job of keeping things upright.
Plastic jars can also be used to hold glass drinking glasses in place.
We have found that using microfiber bath towels saves room as compared to conventional cotton towels. Plus they dry much quicker. It is difficult to find out of the way room to hang up couple of big wet bath towels inside the van. Plus the towel is much easier to use within the confines of the shower. We keep a third smaller towel in the bathroom to wipe the walls and floors dry after showering.
Having a hanging toiletry bag is essential if you are using campground showers.
I use both of these items when working in Africa. Sometimes the hotel bathrooms are no better equipped than a Class B. And they may not have hot water.
If you haven't tried using the Command 3M hooks, they install without any tools and can be removed without any traces. We put them behind the driver's seat for our jackets/hats.
We also put smaller 3M hooks on the back of cabinet doors for easy access to cutting boards and a small fry pan.
To keep the fry pan from banging when driving, it has a small elastic cord secured with little screw-in eyelets on either side of the pan.
We also installed a slide-out mesh drawer for storage of little stuff.
For grocery bag storage, stuff the bags bottom first into an empty paper towel tube. Thread the second bag thru the handles of the first so they pull out as they are used.
We also put smaller 3M hooks on the back of cabinet doors for easy access to cutting boards and a small fry pan.
To keep the fry pan from banging when driving, it has a small elastic cord secured with little screw-in eyelets on either side of the pan.
We also installed a slide-out mesh drawer for storage of little stuff.
For grocery bag storage, stuff the bags bottom first into an empty paper towel tube. Thread the second bag thru the handles of the first so they pull out as they are used.
