Setting up inside new caravan

[Willow4]

So it's a rainy day here not the sunshine I'd hoped for but never mind.

I want to start getting things into the caravan.

There is a lot to think about!

With regards to cutlery do you put drawer liner in each of the cutlery sections? May be a silly question I know.

I have a selection of melamine plates, bowls and serving dishes. Just enough.

Glasses I don't have yet and I still swinging between glass or plastic. I'm leaning glass but...,.

I'd love to hear how you set your drawers up and any tips would also be welcome.

The photo is what we have so far but I can feel a list coming on!!!

Have a great Saturday

 

[Smirke]

I put that non slip matting everywhere, including in the cutlery draw.
You can get really nice acrylic glasses now. I went the coloured plastic for us. So everyone has the one colour for the day. (No fights then). Plus I needed to counteract the weight that the cutlery added. I bought a really good set of Stanley Rodgers ones that weigh a bit, as I got sick of bending spoons and using a fork to get the icecream out and bending that too. Also I kept the styro in the micro to hold the plate in place while driving. Saves taking it out or using teatowels to wrap it in.
have fun!

 

[NoWorries]

If you want glasses then keep the box that they came in and just pack the whole box.
My wife refuses to drink wine (or bubbles) out of plastic so this is a trick i learnt while owning boats
I have never broken a glass.

 

[bigcol]

yeppers to the cutlery trays..............
like @Smirke every shelf has that no-stick matting (Bunning's etc sell it)

we have 2 proper wine glassed - packed in cupboard (stubby holder around each one) heaps of plastic mugs
proper coffee mugs - coffee out of a paper cup is no on..................

there is 3 of us, so it is a lot easier
we carry enough for 5, just in case of an extra or 2 - cutlery, plates bowls etc

stubby holders for putting glasses & coffee jars in are fantastic

just be aware of what your packing where
do you use it often / not much depends on where to put it

 

[bigcol]

this is that matting


cheap as chips and can find it just about everywhere

 

[bigcol]

also
I have mentioned it before

put a sticker dot on EVERYTHING going into the Van
if you use it - take the sticker off

after a few trips, you will know whats not being used / will be used and take it out

other alternative is to weigh everything going into the Van...............

weight is a very important part of your Van

 

[Dobbie]

If you can bear that Swedish furniture store with the flat packs ...which rhymes with idea....

Try their drawer liners. They're better than the cheap flimsies which bunch up and easy to cut and easy to wipe clean. Also good for place mats if needed.

For wine etc we use good glassware but have polystyrene block stuff and cut the full block to fit the cupboard space then used a hole saw and a knife to cut the exact size for each separate glass. No breakages so far.

I'd rather not use the plastic wine glasses as they reduce the enjoyment factor and craze after a while...the glasses craze, not us!

You'll probably find you move stuff around a bit as you find better places for things you need often or need less often so flexibility is the key.

 

[chartrock]

I was not impressed with the cutlery drawer as it is deep and wastes a lot of space so here is what I did for extra space. Mrs CR then just uses one of those plastic cutlery thingies to separate the knives and forks etc.

We use the little plastic baskets in the overhead cupboards for socks and undies so we can keep tabs on when replacements (washed) are needed. Not being wine drinkers, we do keep a couple of plastic wine glasses in case of visitors who don't bring their own.

As somebody mentioned the slide out pantry, this is our one I fitted to our Journey.

Enjoy all the planning and fitting out, I am sure you will change it more than once.

 

[twscoot]

I think you'll be surprised just how everything travels. I can't think of a broken item in over 7 years of holidaying almost every school holiday. Many many km's of trips.
I use a bit of the non slip mat in the crockery drawer but have become pretty blaze from our first pack. Plates, bowls and a few mugs (percelein) all in the same drawer.
Stubby holders over wine glasses as @bigcol says.
Cutlery - just throw it in. Sure things rattle around and even end up leaving rub marks in the plastic divider - but does that matter?
The biggest thing to remember is to make sure all your doors and drawers are locked in before traveling. I had a drawer disassemble itself and throw cutlery all over the floor once...... Nothing broke though!

 

[twscoot]

So it's a rainy day here not the sunshine I'd hoped for but never mind.

I want to start getting things into the caravan.....

The photo is what we have so far but I can feel a list coming on!!!

Have a great Saturday

I'd probably draw the line at taking the piano. My guitar fits nicely under the bed. (Enjoy the decisions! Fun times ahead).

 

[kozza]

Re the glasses in stubby holders - raid the op shops and grab a stainless steel 'glass'. not a huge increase in weight compared with glass and wine (or port) tastes just as good.

 

[Willow4]

Re the glasses in stubby holders - raid the op shops and grab a stainless steel 'glass'. not a huge increase in weight compared with glass and wine (or port) tastes just as good.

Thanks @kozza, I was thinking about the op shops just the other day. I'll have to take a trip to the local ones soon

 

[Willow4]

I'd probably draw the line at taking the piano. My guitar fits nicely under the bed. (Enjoy the decisions! Fun times ahead).

Hi @twscoot, I couldn't work out about the piano reference!! Took me a while to realise

 

[kozza]

Also handy for finding stainless steel coffee mugs - coffee in plastic is horrid and I'm not a fan of chipped porcelain....

 

[bigcol]

I have 3 sets of coffee cups I found in the Van
plastic ones - good for high quality wine or extra peoples
porcelain ones - for coffee...........a couple of big square "Engel" branded ones and a couple of others
and
some Melamine / Bakerlite ones ex US Army Vietnam - 1967...............
got these from my Dad..... he carried them EVERYWHERE for the last 50 yrs......

 

[Meanderthals]

Better solution to extra cups is to have visitors bring their own. If they're coming from another van then they already have their own. As to crockery, guests get paper and their own fingers.

The Grump.

 

[Dobbie]

Can't guests also bring their own paper as well as fingers?

Food and drink and chairs as well!

Grumpy 2

 

[bigcol]

chairs yes - I dont supply chairs
didnt bring one ?- sit on the ground.....................

 

[Sweet Pea]

Willow I'm looking forward to hearing about your upcoming trip. Good luck on the packing.

bigcol I love your dot sticker idea and will use it for sure