Tips and tricks

Storage crates, drawers or cabinets: what works best on the road?

When converting a van for the first time, most people mainly think about the bed, the kitchen and perhaps the electrical system. Storage space often comes later. Until you try packing for your first trip and realise that “there’ll be room for it somewhere” usually doesn’t work.

By Laurens De Leeuw · 8 August 2026

Comparison of storage crates, drawers and cabinets in a van for efficient organisation on the road

When converting a van for the first time, most people mainly think about the bed, the kitchen and perhaps the electrical system. Storage space often comes later. Until you try packing for your first trip and realise that “there’ll be room for it somewhere” usually doesn’t work.

Then the search begins.
Do you go for simple storage crates?
Do you build drawers under your bed?
Or do you make fixed cabinets like in a classic camper?

The honest answer is: there is no single perfect solution for everything.

Every option has strengths and weaknesses. What works best on the road depends on three things:

For me, that is also the heart of the answer: the best storage is not the one that looks the nicest, but the one that causes the least frustration on the road.

First things first: storing well is not the same as storing a lot

A van can hold a surprising amount of stuff. But more storage space does not automatically mean more convenience.

On the contrary. The more compartments, drawers and cabinets you build, the more likely you are to bring more along too. And then you end up with:

Good storage really does three things:

That sounds simple, but this is exactly where many people go wrong. They build storage as if it were an apartment, while a van vibrates, tilts, brakes and shakes on the road.

What does the practical situation in Belgium add?

If you want to officially convert your vehicle into a motorhome, the living area must include storage facilities, among other things. Flanders also clearly states that this equipment must be permanently fixed and that doors and drawers of storage facilities must remain properly closed during sudden manoeuvres.

Apart from that, normal road safety principles still apply: your load must be securely fastened and must not endanger the vehicle’s stability. It is therefore best to place heavy items as low as possible and not leave them loose in the van.

That sounds logical, but it does have consequences for your choice between crates, drawers and cabinets.

The three main systems

Broadly speaking, you will almost always end up with three types of storage:

Many good vans use a combination of all three, by the way. So it does not have to be an all-or-nothing story.

Let’s look at them one by one.

1. Storage crates

Storage crates are by far the simplest solution.

They can be plastic bins, sturdy fabric boxes or loose containers that you slide under a bed, bench or shelf.

Why storage crates are so popular

Because they are affordable, flexible and quick.

You do not need to build a complicated drawer system. You can simply create a logical compartment under your bed or bench and slide bins into it. If your layout changes later, you can just take those bins with you or replace them.

That makes crates especially interesting for:

The advantages of crates

For example, if you have one bin for cooking, one for clothes and one for tools, you quickly know where everything is. That brings a surprising amount of calm.

The disadvantages of crates

They are less elegant to use.

You often have to:

And that is the big downside on the road: if you need frequent access to the same things, crates can become tiring.

Example: a bin with everyday clothes at the back under the bed sounds smart, until you need one pair of dry socks in the dark when it is raining and first have to pull out two other bins.

Where crates work best

Crates are especially good for things you do not need all the time.

Think of:

They also work well when you simply create deep open compartments under a fixed bed.

When crates work less well

They are less ideal for:

2. Drawers

Drawers often feel the most practical. And honestly: they often are.

A good drawer lets you pull open one compartment from outside or inside and immediately see what is there.

You do not have to dig through a deep bin. Everything is visible in front of you.

Why people love building drawers

Because they are very comfortable on the road.

Especially in a van, where space is limited, access is hugely important. If you pull open a drawer and immediately see your cooking gear, clothes or tools, it saves a lot of daily annoyance.

The advantages of drawers

For things you use often, drawers are often genuinely the nicest solution.

Think of:

The disadvantages of drawers

Drawers also come at a cost, literally and figuratively.

They require:

And this is where DIY builds can sometimes go wrong. A beautiful drawer in a photo is not automatically a good drawer on the road.

Poor drawers can:

You see that last one often. A first conversion then gets solid wooden drawers, heavy runners and thick fronts. Beautiful, but heavy.

Where drawers work best

Drawers are ideal for:

A drawer under a bench or bed, for example, works very well for clothes, as long as it is accessible from a logical spot.

When drawers are less smart

Drawers make less sense:

For a large spare bin with cables or a storage compartment for dirty shoes, a drawer is often overkill.

3. Cabinets

Cabinets are the most classic solution.

They can be overhead cabinets, a vertical wardrobe, a kitchen cabinet, a technical cabinet or simply open compartments with doors.

Why cabinets are appealing

Because they can store a lot of volume and feel very familiar. You open a door and place things on a shelf, just like at home.

They are especially useful when you want to store belongings upright or by zone.

The advantages of cabinets

A cabinet is also often simpler to build than a series of perfectly running drawers.

The disadvantages of cabinets

The big downside of cabinets is that you quickly lose access to depth.

You use what is at the front. You forget what is at the back. Or you first have to move three other things.

That is especially difficult in a small van. A deep cabinet without organisation quickly becomes a black hole where everything disappears.

Cabinets therefore usually need extra organisation such as:

Where cabinets work best

Cabinets are great for:

When cabinets are less ideal

Less handy for:

So: what works best on the road?

If you look purely at everyday use, then **drawers are often the most pleasant**.

But if you look at **simplicity, weight and flexibility**, then **crates** often win.

And if you look at **volume and upright storage**, then **cabinets** are strong again.

That is why the most honest answer is:

For most vans, a combination works best

For example:

That usually gives the best balance between ease of use, simplicity and weight.

A practical layout that often works well

If I were creating a simple, logical layout, I would think about it roughly like this:

Crates for - spare clothes - shoes - dog supplies - cleaning supplies - tools - spare food - loose camping equipment

Drawers for - cooking utensils - cutlery - coffee and breakfast - everyday clothes - toiletries - electronics - small accessories

Cabinets for - supplies - overhead cabinets with light items - jackets - technical equipment - towels - larger kitchen items

Of course, that is not a fixed rule, but it does help to think by type of item instead of simply building compartments at random.

What works in a small van?

In a small van, you need to be extra critical.

You have little space, so every construction really has to prove its value.

For a small van, I would usually choose:

Why? Because small vans quickly become cramped and heavy if you build cabinetry everywhere.

Loose bins under a side bench or fixed bed are often much smarter than a complete set of heavy drawers and cabinets.

What works in a larger van?

In a larger van, you have a little more freedom.

There, it is more worthwhile to create a better mix of:

Because you have more volume, you can also create zones more easily. That helps enormously to keep your layout calm and organised.

Think not only about storage, but also about access

This is something that is often forgotten.

A storage system is only good if you can live with it easily on a normal day.

Ask yourself about every compartment, drawer or cabinet:

It may sound trivial, but it makes the difference between a beautiful conversion and a practical one.

A drawer at the rear seems fantastic, until you realise you cannot open it when the bikes are in the way. A wardrobe seems logical, until it turns out the door hits the table. A crate under the bed is fine, until you can only reach it by first emptying the entire bed.

Everyday items should be the easiest to reach

A very simple rule:

> The more often you use something, the easier it should be to reach.

That means:

Very easy to reach - coffee - cooking supplies - cutlery - water bottles - everyday clothes - toiletries - towel - shoes - rubbish bag - chargers

Less easy to reach - spare clothes - extra food - tools - seasonal gear - spare parts - cleaning products

Many people build it the other way around. The nice drawer gets filled with beautiful but rarely used items, while the everyday clutter ends up in an awkward bin.

Think about weight too

Storage systems themselves also weigh something.

And that is often underestimated.

Crates Are usually light, especially plastic or fabric bins.

Drawers Are often the heaviest, especially with: - thick panels - heavy drawer runners - solid fronts - double constructions

Cabinets Can remain relatively light if you: - use thinner sheet material where possible - do not build excessively large doors - organise them smartly - do not duplicate everything

If you want to build light, crates and simple cabinets are often more interesting than a full interior packed with heavy drawers.

Make sure everything stays closed while driving

This is really important.

A cabinet or drawer that pops open on the road is not only annoying, but also dangerous.

That is why you need:

Especially for overhead cabinets and drawers with heavier contents, you want something that stays closed even during hard braking.

A simple magnetic catch is not always enough.

Open compartments: handy or messy?

Open compartments can look nice and be practical, but only in the right place.

They are good for:

They are less good for:

Open compartments quickly look messy if you do not have a system for them. One bin or basket per compartment helps enormously.

Fabric bags and nets: underrated but useful

Not everything has to be wood.

Sometimes soft solutions work surprisingly well:

They are often:

For heavy things or official fixed fittings, they are of course not always suitable as main storage, but as an addition they can do a lot.

For example, for:

What works best for clothes?

For clothes, I usually see three good options:

Option 1: crates or fabric bins Good for anyone who wants to keep things simple.

Option 2: one or two drawers Very handy for everyday use.

Option 3: a shallow cabinet with shelves Good if you have more vertical space.

What often works less well is a deep cabinet without dividers. You simply end up with piles of clothes where you cannot find anything anymore.

Personally, I find a combination of shallow compartments, soft bags and perhaps one drawer often the most convenient for clothes.

What works best for a kitchen?

For a kitchen, drawers are usually hard to beat.

Why?

Because then you:

A base cabinet with one large door can work too, but it usually works better if you use bins or baskets inside it as well.

Otherwise, you get that cabinet problem again: fine at the front, chaos at the back.

What works best for a rear “garage”?

Under a fixed rear bed, the following often works very well:

Examples:

It does not have to look perfect there, but it does need to be logical.

The most common mistakes

1. Building too much fixed furniture Then you lose flexibility, add weight and reduce free space.

2. Deep cabinets without dividers That almost always becomes a clutter compartment.

3. Too many drawers for things you rarely use A nice solution, but often unnecessarily heavy.

4. Storing everyday items too far away Then using the van becomes tiring.

5. Not providing closures Then everything will rattle or pop open.

6. Building everything based on “home logic” A van is not an apartment. Different rules apply on the road.

7. Forgetting that items also need to be put back in their place A perfect system that you stop using after two days is not a good system.

My practical advice

If you are still unsure, I would keep it simple.

For a first or practical conversion, I would usually recommend this:

You do not need to build a perfect camper interior straight away.

You often only learn on the road:

A simple, well-thought-out base almost always beats a hyper-complex furniture plan.

So: crates, drawers or cabinets?

If I had to summarise it very briefly:

Storage crates The best choice for simplicity, flexibility and low cost.

Drawers The best choice for everyday convenience and overview.

Cabinets The best choice for larger volumes and vertical storage.

What works best on the road? For most vanlifers: **a smart combination of all three**.

Not everything needs to be a drawer. Not everything has to go in a crate. And not every wall needs to become a cabinet.

Build around how you really use your van, not around what a camper photo looks like.

If you do that well, your van will not only be tidier, but above all much calmer to use. And you will feel that every day on the road.

Source: https://www.vlaanderen.be/mobiliteit-en-openbare-werken/auto-en-motor/uw-voertuig-verbouwen-of-wijzigen/uw-voertuig-ombouwen-naar-een-kampeerwagen

Source: https://www.wegcode.be/nl/nieuws/uw-voertuig-laden-voor-vertrek~abekklzkxp

Source: https://www.wegcode.be/nl/regelgeving/2024008436~t0vfqfwzff