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What do you put where

S

spitzie

Messages
61
Location
Hampshire
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 204
Two questions
Does anyone know a storage bag that attached to the rear of the back seat but only hangs down to the bed extension and not the floor?

I'm also trying to work out a better way of packing everything we need for a touring holiday.

So where do you store bedding, pots and pans, food, clothes, etc

Any input will be gratefully received and go into the mix to find the best solution for us.


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Just wondering what you plan to store in the bag? I only ask because I too wanted storage space behind the seat and ended up with some bungee cord which allows me to store long items like my toilet tent or roof wrap.


For bedding:
We sleep downstairs and I fold my bedding, along with my topper, in to three and it lays on to the back shelf and then I flip up the Comfort Mattress so it sits just behind the seats. The kids sleep upstairs and after ditching the sleeping bags, they now have a duvet that stuffs in to a bag and they use two cushions as their pillows. The duvet stuffs in the wardrobe and the cushions then sit on the back seat with them.

Pots and pans:
I swapped these around on our last trip and it worked better. The under hob cupboard is my current problem as I find this the hardest place to get stuff in and out of. It currently has my large pan, colander, mixing bowl, measuring jug, salt and pepper, olive oil and toaster on the top shelf. Underneath, I keep the coffee press, dustpan, odds and sods and wine. I purchased the under sink drawers which make accessing everything so much easier. This houses all our cutlery, utensils, crockery, glasses and mugs, the kettle, foil, and my smaller pan.

Food:
I currently have my food in the under bench drawer .

Odds & sods, bin bags, wipes, games, :
These now all live in the Brandrup driver seat storage pockets.

Drop down storage:
Toiletries, first aid kit, rolled towels

Rear window storage bags:
Clothes - we can get 3-4 days worth of clothes in them for the four of us and more if the weather is good.

Am sure the above is pretty standard but hope it helps.
 
If staying on site and not going out for the day, we store our bedding on the upper bed then put the bed in the up position. If moving on or going out for the day, we fold up the bedding and put it on the rear shelf behind the back seats.

Clothes
We bought some fold up camping storage boxes from Aldi and large items go in these (trousers, jumpers, jackets). These then go on top of the bedding on the rear shelf. We also have some small packing cubes for socks, underwear and t shirts. These go in the wardrobe along with waterproofs (if wet, waterproofs go in a dry bag). We have a dry bag for dirty clothes. This can be folded down to minimal size and also goes in the wardrobe.

Pots and pans and food.
Pans go in the drawer under the rear seat, we have plastic picnic plates and bowls and these go in the storage cupboard under the sink, as does the food. We have a number of small fabric containers to keep the food and plates in.

Washbags and towels go in the rear drop down cupboard above the rear parcel shelf.

if the downstairs bed is out, the 2 Aldi storage boxes go on the front drivers seat. The Porta Potti goes at the end of the bed. We have a small dog and she sleeps on the front passenger seat.
 
Two questions
Does anyone know a storage bag that attached to the rear of the back seat but only hangs down to the bed extension and not the floor?

I'm also trying to work out a better way of packing everything we need for a touring holiday.

So where do you store bedding, pots and pans, food, clothes, etc

Any input will be gratefully received and go into the mix to find the best solution for us.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

The brandrup seat cover for the bench seat has a storage compartment on the back. Not sure if it suits your needs.

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We store the bedding on the shelf behind the bench seat. We store pans in the left cupboard. We store food in the right cupboard. We store clothes in packing cubes in the large wardrobe compartment.
 
Two questions
Does anyone know a storage bag that attached to the rear of the back seat but only hangs down to the bed extension and not the floor?

I'm also trying to work out a better way of packing everything we need for a touring holiday.

So where do you store bedding, pots and pans, food, clothes, etc

Any input will be gratefully received and go into the mix to find the best solution for us.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
We went for stackable pots an pans with removable handles to try and help with storage. The medium set works for the two of us, but a family would probably need the larger sized set.
A370D384-DB3A-4226-A100-21C20FF55555.png
 
When we first bought our Ocean, we took a full bedding set on each trip. We soon discovered that this takes up so much space and space is a premium.

We then bought a couple of double all season sleeping bags. These are so much better. They collapse in to their own compact bag and go in to the rear wardrobe space.

We also bought some IKEA Skubb fabric boxes. These have a zip on top for easy access....one for me, one for my wife, one for shoes etc, one for toiletries etc. These stow on the rear shelf and are easily accessed from outside or in.

Below the rear shelf we stow all our camping gear....awning, groundsheets, EHU cable, bits and pieces, topper, windcreen blackout cover.

Food and drink goes in the fridge (basket removed) but stowed inside sift cool bag and picnic boxes.

Porta loo in cupboard under sink.

Plates, cups, glasses etc in IKEA Kuggis box in lower cupboard under hob.

Washing up liquid, cleaner, cloths, kitchen roll, sauce etc in IKEA Kuggis box in upper cupboard under hob.

Towels in locker cupboard above rear seat.

After 18 months, this works for us.
 
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Everyone has a different way of storing their stuff. I imagine there isn’t 2 vans that store their clothes, food spares bedding in the same place. Within a few trips you will know what’s best for you.
 
Thanks for all the replies I had pretty much done the same. Sleeping bags in wardrobe, toiletries in rear drop down. I may test the food in the under seat with the pots and pans to under the hob suggestion.
I currently have some items held to the back of the rear seat with bungees which I like to have access too while inside. I was just wondering if there something more elegant.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
 
Two questions
Does anyone know a storage bag that attached to the rear of the back seat but only hangs down to the bed extension and not the floor?

I'm also trying to work out a better way of packing everything we need for a touring holiday.

So where do you store bedding, pots and pans, food, clothes, etc

Any input will be gratefully received and go into the mix to find the best solution for us.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
I’ve moved everything around and still not found the perfect setup. I’m coming to the conclusion that it will be easier to change my attitude than carry on faffing around trying to find the perfect storage solution. You could take a leaf out a computer programmer’s book and treat it as a cache. That is, when you use something, put it on top of something else. That way, you are subconsciously sorting everything by use. The most used items will end up near the top and the least used items near the bottom. I use it at home for books, papers, files etc. It works well, especially if you ruthlessly cull everything you don’t use regularly.
 
Under bench drawer: Clothes in IKEA Lackisar storage bag

Back shelf: Bedding

Self-made side under bench narrow drawer: dry foods and fire extinguisher

Under hob:
- top shelf - condiments, tea/coffee, extra food
- bottom shelf: games, extra sponges, waste bags, tin foil, toilet paper, ect. in 4 Jysk boxes

Under sink: both shelves - all cooking utensils

Drop down storage: towels, swimsuits

Wardrobe: toiletries, dirty clothes bag

2 boxes below the rear shelf:
- cables, topper, awning, other camping equipment in one
- climbing, cycling, other sporting gear in the other
 
Two questions
Does anyone know a storage bag that attached to the rear of the back seat but only hangs down to the bed extension and not the floor?

I'm also trying to work out a better way of packing everything we need for a touring holiday.

So where do you store bedding, pots and pans, food, clothes, etc

Any input will be gratefully received and go into the mix to find the best solution for us.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
Hope these images help.
Pots and pans are all in one set by Outwell.
Stack in one unit plus all plates inside a Brandrup holding unit .
Crockery and glass wear x4 plus 2 beakers stored in LH cupboard with modified shelf (lowered) in high density foam tray with cutouts = no rattles or smashed glass where.

Food storage in plastic containers (10 in our kitchen cupboards) and IKEA grey felt storage cube for loads of odds and ends

8B2A158C-F822-4A75-ABBE-E1C38B82ACC8.jpeg

605965A1-2EA1-4A8A-BA09-E0E2FEC67FEB.jpeg

6546E4A4-F751-4DCE-89F9-98CC9DA3F691.jpeg
 
Hope these images help.
Pots and pans are all in one set by Outwell.
Stack in one unit plus all plates inside a Brandrup holding unit .
Crockery and glass wear x4 plus 2 beakers stored in LH cupboard with modified shelf (lowered) in high density foam tray with cutouts = no rattles or smashed glass where.

Food storage in plastic containers (10 in our kitchen cupboards) and IKEA grey felt storage cube for loads of odds and ends

View attachment 81555

View attachment 81556

View attachment 81557
Thanks. Where did you get your high density foam things from?
 
Thanks. Where did you get your high density foam things from?
Think this is the one I got. Fits shelf perfectly without cutting.

NB I lowered my left hand shelf to allow glasses and stacked mug and beaker to fit


E0E0AB7C-65FD-4E76-868A-DBF598A47638.jpeg

4331E9CC-3623-4E86-909B-031F9BB14E89.jpeg
 
Two questions
Does anyone know a storage bag that attached to the rear of the back seat but only hangs down to the bed extension and not the floor?

I'm also trying to work out a better way of packing everything we need for a touring holiday.

So where do you store bedding, pots and pans, food, clothes, etc

Any input will be gratefully received and go into the mix to find the best solution for us.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
Decided to break it down into what needs to be accessed from where…

smaller cooking stuff utensils condiments etc under sink

Food stuffs tins etc and big pots in big bed drawer with extra blankets (in case needed mid sleep)

clothes in wardrobe where else? Smaller items in stuff sacks at bottom

Wash bags and more clothing in pull down drawer

electricals chargers etc up front in glovebox

EHU cables in bags in space above the battery compartment (surprisingly big area)

bedding for upstairs bed behind bench seat in rectangular zippered storage bags available online

And the Best thing for access! pull out drawer under lower bed (home made for £180 but available elsewhere for £500ish - honestly it should be a VW standard option) with spare gas bottle, outside cooker, Ooni Koda gas pizza oven (!! Yes it’s the best gadget… morning toast in 10 seconds…)
plus boxes of camping bits and dirty wet weather gear boots etc


Each will have their own version but this works perfectly gor
 
Think this is the one I got. Fits shelf perfectly without cutting.

NB I lowered my left hand shelf to allow glasses and stacked mug and beaker to fit


View attachment 81559

View attachment 81560
That's quite nifty!

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Love that high density foam thing!
 
Two questions
Does anyone know a storage bag that attached to the rear of the back seat but only hangs down to the bed extension and not the floor?

I'm also trying to work out a better way of packing everything we need for a touring holiday.

So where do you store bedding, pots and pans, food, clothes, etc

Any input will be gratefully received and go into the mix to find the best solution for us.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
Ours is a 13-year-old T5, but I'm sure storage is the same. We've learnt over those years that you can get all the bedding in the wardrobe: duvet, sheets, 2 pillows, blankets - even two pairs of crocs! You don't have to fold things up - just push them in! Then we discovered that you can push up the ceiling during the day without taking the duvet/sheet/blankets down from the roof bed. Just the pillows. You have to bring them down, when you're lowering the roof, of course. We put all our clothes in a big holdall, and any food that won't fit int the kitchen cupboards into a small crate: both placed during the day on the back shelf. If you sleep downstairs, you've then only got to move two containers on to the front seats. We put our bags of washing stuff, medication etc. in the pull-out cupboard in the roof. Taken us 13 years to suss al this!
 
Then we discovered that you can push up the ceiling during the day without taking the duvet/sheet/blankets down from the roof bed. Just the pillows.
If you put your pillows at the bottom of the roof bed, behind the hinge point of the 'ceiling', then you should still be able to raise it fully with the pillows stored up there. Took us e a few trips before I twigged that one!
 
If you put your pillows at the bottom of the roof bed, behind the hinge point of the 'ceiling', then you should still be able to raise it fully with the pillows stored up there. Took us e a few trips before I twigged that one!
Ooh - that's worth a try - thanks!
 
Ooh - that's worth a try - thanks!
But remember that’s only while you are on site. Never attempt to put the roof down with anything more that a couple of sheets. We found that even a summer duvet is too thick and it won’t let the roof fully down.
 
I put a lot of research into packing the Cali - I put together a blog post on where everything goes. Over 4 years later it’s still working for me. Feel free to have a look. The best tip we follow is to put all bedding on the rear shelf behind the rear seat. At night time then we don’t have to find new spaces to store items from the rear shelf. Happy travels - you’ll quickly find a packing routine that works for you. https://vwcalifornia.wordpress.com/2017/10/09/what-goes-where-packing-the-volkswagen-california/
 
I bought one of the pull out drawers for the left hand cupboard earlier this year and I was initially really disappointed because, although it looked like it should be a really helpful pull out, everything kept falling off because there is no frame. So, I made a tray to fit on the drawer and it’s great now. I mostly use it as a coffee/tea station.
i have included a couple of extra cupboard pix to show what my set up looks like.
 
I spent ages organising the perfect spot for everything, then getting uptight when the Mrs wouldn’t put stuff back where she found it.

We now just chunk everything anywhere, our trips are much happier.
 
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Bedding - use vacuum bags and store in a bedding bag on rear seat. We take pillows and 2 king size duvets.

Wardrobe
Clothes - use storage cubes. Each person has their own cube.
Toilet bags
Bag that holds all the rolled up towels
Jackets

under drawer
Have 2 foldable mixxit cubes which fit side by side. One cube I have torches, bin bags, toilet roll, wine glasses etc

the other I have tinned food, miniature spirits, cans (to top up fridge) jars etc

under the cubes I have the fly screens. There is a gap infront of the cubes so I put crisps or bread/buns there.

Left cupboard
Used IKEA white lidded containers. They hold tea/coffee kitchen equipment, larger one holds plates, mugs, bowls, cups.
Use one large deep pan (with 2 small handles each side - £6 asda) and 2 ridge monkeys (different sides). A tray fits ontop of IKEA boxes and I have my folding kettle on it. Tray is useful for putting ontop of fridge and filling with tat when parked up and easily moved.
Right cupboard (shelved) cutlery, food
Overcupboard first aid kit and toys/books
 
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