Clipper Closet Organization

[pdxpfeifer]

I thought I would post pictures of my closet. With a family of 4, clothing storage and organizing has been a big issue. There was a small 3 drawer plastic bin in the closet when we bought our Clipper, but it didn't use all of the space properly. I found these rubbermaid totes with lids and a clear door that opens. http://amzn.to/1SIWxAu

Each family member has there own tote and I fold up the clothes and put them into the bin. We keep "camping clothes" in here year round, they get washed when we get home and put back into the Clipper. A shoe hanger is screwed into the inside of the door and it fits and the door closes with the totes in it. When we are ready to camp, I put the kids socks, undies, pjs, etc as needed for the trip into the shoe holders. So I am not digging around for things that I need to quickly find. We can still hang some jackets up too, they just puddle a bit on the highest tote, but it's not like my fleece jackets will wrinkle.

The nice thing about these totes are 1) you can open it from the front door, but the plastic tote is sealed enough to keep can orders or stale smell out of the clothes. 2) the totes can be taken out when you get home for easy reloading of clothes in your laundry area.  Since I am packing for four people being able to bring the totes in for sorting and repacking makes things easier.

Even if you didn't need to pack for four people, the totes could be great for putting linen, clothing, bulky items that you still want access too. If your a big book and camping guide person, books fit well into the Rubbermaid totes and camera equipment. The shoe pockets on the door if you don't have kids could hold dig leashes, flash lights, hats, gloves etc.

[Toedtoes]

Nice!  I like the use of the shoe hanger on the door.  I have a  shoe hanger hanging from the closet bar - I keep newspaper for the bird cage, doggy backpacks, my shoes, etc. in it.  But your style could fit that plus the dog leashes and collars that I currently hang on a coat rack on the door.  And that would give me more room to hang stuff in the closet.

All my clothing goes in packing cubes and fits great behind one door of the cupboards over the sofa.  It's amazing the different ways you can sort your clothes with them and they shmush down well.   I have other packing cubes to hold most everything:

power cord (mine is detachable) and dogbone adapters
electronic cords (usb, mini usb, headphones, small portable speaker for mp3, etc.)
fresh water hose - keeps it contained in the smallest space possible but ventilated so it will dry out without getting moldy
spare batteries - got a plastic battery holder that fits into the cube perfectly so all batteries are neat and tidy and don't go rolling
miscellaneous (junk drawer items) - keeps it contained and easy to find
shop towels for oil, fuel, etc.
playing cards, dominoes, and other toys

I keep the dog food in a plastic file holder - it holds enough for 2 4-day trips and sits nicely on the closet floor.  The dog bowls just sit on top of it.  For the dog's water, I use a galvanized bucket.  Dog treats in a retro plastic flour container.  Bird food stores in two tupperware type containers that fit inside a kitchen drawer.

All my blankets, sheets, pillows, etc. are in the ceiling shelf - makes it easy to grab an extra blanket during the night!

Bathroom towels are on a door towel rack, and I keep 2 beach towels on a rack  by the outside door so they can be grabbed without coming inside (great for a dirty dog or person).  Kitchen towels are in a drawer and I hang one on a hanger on the outside of the bathroom door during the trip (dish cloth hangs over the faucet).

Oh for bathroom use, I picked up 2 small wire baskets (they come with suction hooks to stick on a wall).  I removed the suction hooks and installed 2 cup hooks for each basket into the wall between the sink and shower - the baskets hang from the cup hooks.  One holds a soap dispenser, purse size lotion dispenser, and a washcloth; the other holds my toothbrush, toothpaste and a washcloth.  I don't have to worry about putting anything away because everything stays in the basket even while driving beat up dirt roads.  And with the wire baskets, I don't have to worry about dust and gook inside the basket.

With my set up, there is very little that has to be out in the open.  My camera gear stays in a bag under the dinette table along with the dogs' "toy box" (they have WAY too many stuffed toys) and a couple fire logs.  The steps for the dogs to get up in the cabover bed stay on the bed until bedtime.  And sometimes I have a cooler by the driver seat.  Outside of that, pretty much everything is put away in cupboards.  That's been my main policy:  if it has to be moved every time I want to do something, then I don't need it.  So, no shoe boxes with stuff that gets moved from the bed to the dinette to the counter and so on.