How To Store Plates In A Caravan.

How to store plates in a caravan:

There's nothing worse than opening up the draws of your caravan after a bumpy ride on the congregated roads in the outback only to find that your favourite plates haven't made it. In this blog, not only will we take you through how to store plates in a caravan, but we highlight the top tips and tricks right from the grey nomads mouth to make travel that much easier. Storing plates in a caravan comes in two parts: when you are parked up and using them and when they are in the cupboards ready for the drive home. There are a few suggestions we can walk you through, from changing up the material of your plates to installing the correct latches on your draws to ensure they don't fly open on those particularly bumpy tracks. 

Types of plates:

Bamboo plates are a light weight solution to the problem. They are a third of the weight of normal ceramic plates and can stand up to being thrown around in a draw. Melamine plates are also a lightweight, cheap and sturdy option for how to store plates in a caravan. The best thing about these two options is just how flat they are, so you can jam 5-10 plates in one storage area to absolutely max out the storage areas, which is great for a bigger family travelling together.

Cupboard latches:

As many grey nomads and van lifers have found out the hard way, after a while cupboards do tend to loose there grip on the outer frame, making it harder for them to close properly. This makes storing plates in cupboards that can swing open a risky move. If you are going to carry breakable we highly recommend investing in a decent cupboard lock or latch before taking off. 

Roll out pantries:

A roll out pantry, otherwise known as a 'pull out' pantry have been on the market for a while, but more and more people are finding that they have changed the game for storing plates in a caravan. If you are looking for a less conventional way to store plates and other items, we highly recommend installing a roll out pantry in a tall cupboard. Not only is it easier to see exactly what is stored in them from either side, but they are also another option to how you can store plates in a caravan. You simply stack them sideways in the slits of the basket, meaning you can pick your favourite plate instantly.

Dish racks:

Another essential caravan kitchen accessory is a dish rack. There are many types, but our favourite ones are the foldable dish strainer from camec, meaning that once you are ready to move on you can easily flat pack this portable dish rack under the sink. Depending on your set up, you may also prefer a corner dish rack which can give you more counter space if needed in smaller vans. 

The following tips are a mixture of ideas from all different kinds of travellers and set ups including 4x4's, vans and caravans. At Outback Equipment we pride ourselves on being well experienced when it comes to travel and storage. It all comes down to routine, repeating it again and again until you know your personal set up back to front. Not only that, but carrying the right equipment and products that have been specifically designed for travellers who are tight on space will make life on the road enjoyable.

Morning: 

There just isn’t a good morning routine on the road that doesn’t start with coffee. We’ve worked out the most efficient method of brewing the perfect cuppa that saves you time and storage space. A Popup kettle flat packs and fits into any slide out draw – simply place a drip coffee bag in a mug and enjoy a steaming cup of fresh coffee in minutes. Depending on where and when your camping, getting up at sunrise is usually the best time as outback Australia gets very hot and a swag can quickly turn into sauna. Waking up with the sun is a great way to create good habits and decent daily routine. 

If your tight on space, breakfast wraps are super easy to make, take up a lot less space than a loaf of bread and last weeks longer. They are mess free and save time on cleaning up. 

When packing up camp after a big night it’s easy to forget the simple tasks that make life and travelling easier – if you're in a caravan/campervan double check all cupboards are closed properly and dishes have been put away. Nonslip draw liners from Camec ensure nothing valuable rolls around in cupboards potentially breaking. Staying on top of dishes can be tedious and often the most time-consuming daily ritual whilst on a road trip. It can also use a lot of water, so our favourite camping hack is using antibacterial kitchen wipes to clean dishes as they are much faster, save on water and can easily be chucked into the campfire to limit how much rubbish you carry. 

Another hot tip is keeping food stored in the pots you cooked in which means you don’t have to double up on containers. If travelling in a caravan, Smartspace offer a great range of pots that easily stack inside one another. 

If the adventure is a little more extreme and you find yourself being able to cook outside in the middle of nowhere most of the time, then all you need is a collapsible pot and pan where the handle is removable which is a great way to save on space in a 4x4 or small van. We’ve tried a lot of different cooking methods and found that hands down a jet boiler is by far the most compact way of cooking on off-road adventures. Extremely compact, this tiny device can last days. The only downside is not having built in wind guards, but if it’s just for coffee then it packs more than enough punch to get you there.  

Doing a daily sweep out of sand and grass will save you from having to spend an entire day out of your road trip cleaning. A 12v vacuum is likely overkill but it does make short work of a very dull task. Alternatively, a Mean Mother air compressor with an attachable air tank and adapter will blow away sand and grime in half the time and no need to empty out a dirty container. This method works best in 4x4’s with rooftop tents or slide out draws.  Also the perfect solution to sand and grime building up in the front seats are a set of Tuff Terrain canvas seat covers, which makes cleaning super quick by simply shaking out each morning and sliding back on.

Lastly, downloading these apps, Wiki camps and Travellers Autobarn are a very useful way of planning out your day. Planning where to go at night, if you’ve had a huge day, you’ll likely be exhausted and won’t be able to concentrate or make decisions, so leave planning for the morning with a fresh cup of coffee in hand. 

Noon: 

If you have a jam-packed day of 4x4 tracks planned and you haven’t installed Tuff Terrain rubber mounts - then it might be a good idea before setting off as these are universally handy for keeping things in their place. Easily mount recovery gear, jerry cans or gas bottles to the outside or inside of an RV which makes accessing items that you regularly use more convenient.  

Throughout the day, it’s a very common occurrence to lose all kinds of important bits and bobs. A roof console from 4WD Interiors will keep all the important bits in one place, like national park passes, wallets, sunnies and phones safely stored overhead. They also come with a radio insert so that your console can be accessed from overhead, which means keeping your eyes on the road.  

The daytime activities are entirely up to you, there's thousands of things to see and do but we suggest getting to camp by around 5pm to set up for the night and avoid the mozzies and bugs whilst cooking. Having dinner at sunset might be a little early for some people but it's a lot better than cooking in the dark. If you do plan on pulling up at night don’t worry too much as Hard Korr camper lights have an amber light setting that is well known for attracting a lot less of those flying critters.  

If you want to keep storage super simple a few clear top canvas bags that have everything you need for an activity. I.e., cooking and condiments all in one bag, one for dry food/coffee and one for recovery. This is a super easy way to keep track of what goes wear and pulling everything you need out in one go means that you don’t forget to get out the BBQ sauce and need pack the entire kitchen away just to reach it.  

We asked around and most campers will tell you that a 12v water pump and water tank is extremely easy to use and will save so much time and effort when trying to use water for cooking. Boab hose kits and Inline water filters are a super easy solution to fast, efficient and clean drinking water. Coupled with a Topargee water tank gauge with a screen, this helps when planning a trip around when you need to fill up on water. There's nothing worse than getting to camp and realising you can't cook anything. Keeping an eye on what's running low will make road trips easier to plan and if you're staying at a paid campsite once every few nights it’s well worth the fee to have everything you need to fill up on including water, power and using facilities is a nice way to break up the routine.  

Night: 

Showering at night means you aren't climbing into your bedding dirty from the day's adventures. This means less laundry if you can help it. If travelling in pairs it's great to work as a team most of the time, as one person will set up a shower awning/hot water system whilst the other person starts on dinner. A Companion Aqua Heat is a great addition to any 4x4 adventure as it only requires a water source and filter to get going. Living in vehicles often means getting in each other's way, so we think it's great practice to swap tasks every day and have one person do what's necessary outside the camper like set up rooftop tent. It’s important to spend time apart as well. Sticking to a great routine means less arguments and more time enjoying the scenery.  

If you're caravanning, we couldn’t recommend a Camec Compact washing machine more than any other method. If you have the space its perfect to avoid those long detours into town just to wash your bed sheets. This can often mean saving a fortune on gas as most of outback Australia isn’t just a short trip into town.  

Finally, when asking around, one thing people regret not doing is writing down their day and all the experiences and people they met. It’s not only a great way to keep track of memories but also to write down any recommendations people might have which in our opinion is the best way to travel. Keeping on top of daily tasks is the best way to enjoy a holiday, as stopping every few days to completely clean out the vehicle is super impractical. Enjoy more actual time on the road by trying out some of these road trip hacks instead of losing things in a sea of dishes and dirty clothes...