Wardrobe oh Wardrobe!

[2into1]

Despite reading the forum for 3 years before getting an SE, I'm shocked by how hopeless the (front) wardrobe is. I've read all the threads I can find, but looking for new help....

My story: Having done my reading here and not planning on taking my dinner jacket on trips, I decided to use the IKEA Hanging Storage (http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/...-compartments-grey-white-stripe-art-60290290/). I even adapted / 'improved' it by removing the Cali's hanging rail (which results in the SVIRA hanging quite low, wasting space above), and fitted strips across it to better fill the available height.
It's a start but still leaves lots of unusable space in-front (or behind now I can slide it). Also, my bagged clothes (packing cubes) fell out of the Svira on the first trip.

I've looked at the various shelf kits from Calitop, but with the various cut outs necessary to reach the safe and lower shelves, I wonder if they really do add practicality? How are users of the shelves getting on with them? How do you stop stuff falling into the void?

The space seems best suited to ramming the duvet and pillows in, but these sit happily enough on the rear parcel shelf and are in perfect position if I sleep down stairs.

As the wardrobe is 'prime' space (ie accessible from inside the van when it's raining / without performing contortions) I feel it really deserves a better solution than I've so far been able to find. HELP!

 

[Brembo]

Find this cupboard handier for kitchen stuff.Still work in progress,as I have plans for more shelves underneath the ones in photo.
Hope this of some help.
Regards,
Dougie.

 

[Hotel California]

Just stack cubes in it with clotes ....each has one with shirts and pants and one with undies ....than we trow our toiletbag on top .
Only need to be in there twice a day mornig and evening .
On the bottom (the diffrence in height when there is no "safe") i fill up with books to read , only need a book once a week...

 

[calimera]

Use a John Lewis hanging storage. Also found the packing cubes fell out,so now just stack clothes on the shelf of the storage unit. Hair drier on floor & rolled up fleeces. Behind shelf unit there is a small shelf for kitchen rolls. Can still hang some clothes on coat hangers with clothes beside shelf unit. Still not perfect use of space.

 

[Loz]

We have two different coloured sets of cubes in ours..

 

[Seaview]

Another vote for stacking cubes, we use E-bags as recommended by many here on the forum. They usually sit in the bottom of the wardrobe and if necessary we pop jackets loosely on top when we are travelling.

 

[larrylamb]

Same here, chuck packing cubes in there and washbags.

 

[2into1]

So those of you advocating throwing packing cubes in the wardrobe, are you literally just throwing them in, without shelves or ikea type hangers?

 

[GillianC]

So those of you advocating throwing packing cubes in the wardrobe, are you literally just throwing them in, without shelves or ikea type hangers?

Well not throwing but stacking! Neatly. The large e bags fit well. Heavy stuff - fleeces etc at the bottom (maybe loose) then trousers/shorts then shirts/ tee shirts then undies, PJs etc. I use three large e bags and a small cheap bag with miscellaneous toiletries in. My washbag is one of those that fold up with a hanger on top and that fits well on the rail so it is easily accessible. I got mine from Next but I think that e bags do them too, Easy to take to the shower block and hangs from the hook on the door.

 

[Hotel California]

Indeed building a tower of cubes ....if you need the bottemone unload them all , but this only takes one minute and only done once (or twice) a day.
Usual we take out our cubes in the evening , take out new fresh shirts for the next day and put everything back in with the new shirts and undies on top.
Next morning everything in handsreach.
A sweater and raincoat is always in the rear wardrobe acces via the tailgate .

 

[calimera]

We kept our wash bags. Decathlon micro towels & x2 small bags( socks/undies) on the shelves in the boot cupboard . Very easy to access in the morning.
Pjs go in the over head cupboard in the cab.

 

[larrylamb]

So those of you advocating throwing packing cubes in the wardrobe, are you literally just throwing them in, without shelves or ikea type hangers?

It is not an easy wardrobe to access so we haven't added shelves.
We use these https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/4q5/Pack...proved-Solution/B00NHUVOMS/?tag=eliteelect-21,
everyone has their own colour. Two cubes and a washbag for £9, bargain. Stacked in the main wardrobe.
Rear wardrobe has jackets, hats, weather gear etc.
Rear parcel shelf has bedding.
Kitchen cupboards have food, pans, cutlery and crockery.
Main boot area under parcel shelf contains bbq, ramps, hookup lead, windbreak etc. and large plastic box containing shoes, boots etc plus other camping bits.
Sliding drawer holds mosquito window blinds, toaster , dirty washing bag, Atlas, extra packing cubes if needed.
Overhead cupboard for books, iPad, maps, chargers etc.

 

[Days out]

My son uses the cupboard as a place to eat his breakfast.

 

[GrannyJen]

Large bulky stuff mostly. Shoes in shoe bags, fleeces (loose), pillows.

 

[2into1]

Large bulky stuff mostly. Shoes in shoe bags, fleeces (loose), pillows.

Do you still use the ikea hanger grannyjen?

 

[2into1]

View attachment 23343

My son uses the cupboard as a place to eat his breakfast.

So that's what it's designed for....child containment!

 

[GrannyJen]

Do you still use the ikea hanger grannyjen?

No. I found that things slipped off it , or worse, it encouraged me to be tidy.

That cupboard is quite useful in one way. It can be accessed when the downstairs bed is down, unlike the under bench seat drawer or the next to fridge cupboards, so things like fleeces (getting out of bed on a cold morning etc.) pillows once in bed, books to read when can't get to sleep, shoes that get in the way wherever they are, all get stuffed in there.

 

[marshian70]

Rear shelf is used during the day for the dog crate, so for us the cupboard is a useful place to stuff our pillows and sleeping bag in. It all fits, just!

 

[briwy]

Put some shelves in it.

 

[IanE]

Tried various ways of using including the hanging shelf idea - we've come round to hanging clothes in it

 

[El Greco]

Tried various ways of using including the hanging shelf idea - we've come round to hanging clothes in it

Yes, great for hanging trousers, jackets, shirts etc with cubes and wash bags below

 

[Grumpy Mike]

El Greco, I am known as short ar*e... I am vertically challenged and I hang my work trousers and shirts in there and they drag on the bottom...... I am amazed you can hang stuff up and have room underneath... Are you hanging clothing from action man?????

 

[ArunAlec]

El Greco, I am known as short ar*e... I am vertically challenged and I hang my work trousers and shirts in there and they drag on the bottom...... I am amazed you can hang stuff up and have room underneath... Are you hanging clothing from action man?????

I agree and it's even worse if you have the safe. Think I'll go down the shelf route.

 

[Grumpy Mike]

I agree and it's even worse if you have the safe. Think I'll go down the shelf route.

Ah.. OK.. Perhaps I am taller than I think.... I have the safe.......

 

[El Greco]

El Greco, I am known as short ar*e... I am vertically challenged and I hang my work trousers and shirts in there and they drag on the bottom...... I am amazed you can hang stuff up and have room underneath... Are you hanging clothing from action man?????

Well, I am certainly no action man!! The hanging stuff touches the stuff below certainly but still makes it easy to get at. The hangers cover less than a third of the 'hanging' space so one can access the space below. The best part is that if you wear summer shirts then you don't have to fold them