🚐 What’s in My RV Closet? Van Life Wardrobe Essentials + Space-Saving Solutions
👗 My Minimalist Van Life Closet Checklist + Brilliant RV Storage Hacks
Ever wondered what it really takes to organize your closet while living in a van, or worried about what to pack to wear for Van Life? Whether you’re prepping for full-time van life or just testing the waters with weekend getaways, having an efficient and functional closet space makes all the difference, especially when you’re living in a small space! Downsizing your wardrobe and becoming a minimalist is a must.
After testing 3 types of Van Life — I’m sharing all my recommended wearables from Shorts and Underwear, to Van Life Tips, i.e., you’ll want options that are comfortable enough for long drives, durable enough for outdoor activities — think multifunctional but comfortable. Learning simplicity is the key to a happy van life on the road!
Curious “what do you wear when you’re living in a van,” better known as van life? Maybe you want to know what I Keep In My RV Closet? Well, today you are in luck since I sat down to make a list of what I keep to wear in my van closet, from clothes to shoes, accessories, and wearable everyday essentials. My Minimalist Van Life Clothing Packing Checklist, along with all my Brilliant RV Space-Saving Solutions, organization, and storage tips for van life!
🚐 What’s in My RV Closet? Van Life Clothing, Accessories & Space-Saving Gear
If you’re new here, we actually have two RVs! One is our RV van, which we use for traveling, and the other RV is our travel trailer that stays permanently parked at an RV site. The trailer is our stationary home base, but the van is where the magic of van life happens.
Our RV van is a 2012–2013 Pleasure-Way Excel TS, built on a Ford chassis, and we’ve traveled many miles in it—along with 5 dogs and 1 cat! Over the past year, we’ve customized the van to suit our personal van life needs, testing out gear, rearranging storage, and figuring out what actually works in a tiny space. This is our third van, and we’ve learned that every RV is different—so the key is to customize it for you.
In this blog post, I’m sharing what I keep in my personal van life closet—from clothes to shoes and accessories—along with all the RV space-saving solutions, closet upgrades, and van life essentials that help me stay organized while living on the road.
These are all my Must-Have Van Life Essentials, Accessories & Optional Upgrades (Brilliant RV Space-Saving Solutions I made to my closet)
>> 🚐 TAKE A TOUR of My RV Van and see all the items mentioned below here ⬇️
👕 What I Keep in My RV Closet
All of the following items are stored directly inside the RV closet or in that designated area. It’s a compact, vertical space that serves as my mini wardrobe, utility storage, and day-to-day essentials zone.
RV Van Life Closet:
- 4 Tiered Drawer Set (Picked Up At Walmart) – my clothes
- Clothes (Goodwill)
- Folding Table (we use instead of the table that came with the RV Van) Got it at Walmart
- Huggable Hangers (if hanging space available)
- 1/2 Rolling Cart (Baskets)
- Reusable Bags
- Gym Bag
- Shoes
>> SHOP all our Van Life Essentials in our RV STORE
✅ Minimalist Van Life Clothing Packing Checklist
When it comes to clothes, I keep it simple and functional. Everything is chosen for comfort, durability, and versatility.
Dresses
I don’t leave home without dresses! I love dresses and will do almost anything with my dresses on! YES, I will be dumping the RV holding tanks with my dress on and NO gloves, plus probably my wedged heel flip flops. I would say 75% of my wardrobe consists of dresses and coverups. I get in trouble for spending too much time and money at Goodwill looking for dresses!
Van Life Shorts and Pants
I keep a few pairs of comfortable shorts, yoga pants, and quick-dry hiking pants. These are perfect for long drives, lounging, and outdoor activities. I usually find great deals at Goodwill or other secondhand shops. Also, in case you’re wondering if I own jeans NOPE never wear them!
Everyday Tops
I rotate through several long basic tanks and mostly t-shirts, as long-sleeve tops are not my thing typically — I love patterns as they are easy to mix and match, and low-maintenance not showing stains as much. Since laundry in the RV isn’t always a quick and easy task to complete!
Cold Weather Layers
Even in warmer places, chilly mornings and nights sneak up on you. I keep a hoodie, thermal layer, and lightweight puffer jacket tucked in the closet just in case. During the summertime in the EXTREMELY hot months I know we won’t be anywhere cold, I will take out some of my winter clothes from the van, put them in space-saving compression bags and keep them in storage (where we keep the RV Van when were’nt not traveling in it) — ICYMI I have TWO RVS!
Sleepwear & Lounge Wear
I pack a couple of sets of comfy joggers or pajama pants that double as lounge clothes around the van. But I also try to look for lingerie dresses or long shirts I can wear as dresses.
Undergarments & Socks
I keep ONE sports bra and about 5–7 pairs of underwear and socks (some no-shows and some thick ones for wearing with my winter boots. You might need other types of socks for hiking or layering — it depends on what you do during the day, both inside and outside of the RV. TBH, I aim for outfits that allow me to go without a bra or underwear if at all possible, plus socks are only for the gym. You’ll almost always find me in a pair of flip flops, even when it’s freezing outside.
Swim Wear
I always like to have swimwear for swimming, showering, or doing other outdoor activities. I try to buy swim shorts and long swim tops or swim dresses that can all be worn as clothing as well. I do have a bikini top and bottom, but if I wear it — then I like to break out my swim cover-ups too!
Shoes
All shoes are stored in the closet, too. I keep a few different pairs for every occasion (almost):
- Everyday slip-ons or sandals
- Sneakers or hiking shoes (for the gym)
- One “nicer” pair in case we go out
- rain/work boots (stay by my seat near the passenger door not in the closet area)
🧺 Closet Organization & Storage Solutions
🔹 4-Tier Drawer Set (Walmart Find)
This plastic drawer tower fits perfectly in the closet and holds all my folded clothes—tops, pants, undergarments, pajamas, and more. It’s lightweight, stackable, and keeps everything tidy.
🔹 Huggable Hangers
For the limited hanging space in the closet, I use slim velvet “huggable” hangers. They save space and keep clothes from slipping. I usually hang only jackets or wrinkle-prone items here.
🔹 Gym Bag (Stored in Closet)
My gym bag lives in the closet so it’s always ready to grab when we head to the gym or campground showers. It’s packed with:
- Change of clothes
- Towel and flip flops
- Toiletries (soap, shampoo, deodorant)
- Hairbrush and other essentials
Having it pre-packed makes shower days super quick and easy.
🔹 Pop-Up Shopping Cart (Stored in Closet + Cab Area)
We store our foldable pop-up shopping cart partially in the closet and partially under the dogs’ bed in the cab area. It does take up a little closet space, but it’s so useful we don’t mind. We use it mainly for:
- Grocery shopping
- Pet supply runs
- Outlet malls or stores with bulkier items
It folds flat and is easy to grab when we head out for errands.
🔹 Reusable Bags
I keep a couple of foldable reusable shopping bags in the closet. They’re great for separating laundry, hauling stuff in and out of the van, or even as emergency storage when we stock up on supplies. I also have a reusable cooler bag I keep in the RV, for putting Ice in or taking to the beach when we get out of the RV Van. Since it folds flat I can store it in the closet with the other bags and save space in the van!
>> SHOP all our Van Life Essentials in our RV STORE
🛠️ Bonus Van Life Closet Hacks
🔧 Folding Table (Walmart)
We ditched the original RV van table and replaced it with a folding table from Walmart. It’s stored near the closet area and gives us more flexibility with space when it’s not in use.
🪝 Adhesive Hooks + Command Strips
We’ve installed Command hooks inside and around the closet for holding hats, small bags, keys, or lightweight accessories. No drilling required, and easy to reposition.
🧳 Vacuum Bags or Compression Cubes
For seasonal items or bulky gear we don’t need often, we use vacuum-seal storage bags and compression cubes to store them compactly inside the closet or under the bed. I’ve used these on the RV pillows (we use for sleeping) to store them in the back of the van closet when we were testing out ideas 😉
🛒 Shop My Van Life Closet Favorites
Want to find the same items I use?
>> SHOP all our Van Life Essentials in our RV STORE
📌 Van Life Clothing Buying & Packing Tips:
- Purchase Patterns / Printed Fabrics – don’t show stains and easier to keep clean since I don’t have a washer/dryer in my RV van! Laundry is usually done once a week and we’d have to pull over somewhere like a laundry mat, rV Park or friends/family to do the laundry.
- Nothing you need to iron! There is no iron or ironing board. Try to buy fabrics that are okay to wear even with wrinkles! All my clothes go into drawers, so I have to purchase clothes that won’t wrinkle, don’t need an iron or any special treatment. If you do need to deal with wrinkles, try something like “wrinkle release spray” — I always keep this on board in case!
- Nothing dry clean only! Don’t waste space, time or money purchasing something you might wear once if you’re exploring van life (maybe not ever). This also goes for specialty fabrics like cashmere and wool etc…
- Be careful buying shoes that use glues! Mainly for ladies with heels or expensive boots etc.. what I’ve noticed is keeping say a pair of heels (for that once time out) that use glue for the soles can get HOT inside the van if you leave it off without any AC for a periof of time and that does do good things for glue or adhesives. Hot weather and heat can cause them to “un-glue” — just something to keep in mind I learned the hard way!
🎥 Take a Tour of My RV Van Closet
Want to see how all this fits inside a small van?
🎬 Watch the Van Life Closet Tour Here
Final Thoughts
Living in a van doesn’t mean you have to live in chaos. With the right setup, even the smallest RV closet can be organized, efficient, and functional. Over time, you’ll figure out what you actually wear, what you need, and what just takes up space.
Every van is different. Every lifestyle is different. But one thing’s for sure—when your closet is dialed in, van life gets a whole lot easier.
>> DOWNLOAD: My RV Essentials Checklist for all of these Must-Haves and More!
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Related:
- My Minimalist Van Life Clothing Packing Checklist
- How I Organize My RV Bedroom: Ideas, Essentials & Upgrades – (Motorhome Edition)
