Caravan storage ideas from a family of five on the road
We’re Jess and Doug, the family behind Sandy Van Travels, a full‑time travelling family of five exploring Australia with our three children, Ellie and Arthur (our 7‑year‑old twins) and Harry (5).
After selling our home and most of what we owned in Brisbane, we custom built our first van in April 2024 and hit the road to create a life centred around family, adventure and experiences.
We now travel Australia full-time, working remotely, homeschooling our kids and documenting the journey through photography, video and honest storytelling.
JESS & DOUGSANDY VAN TRAVELS
How do you fit everything in your caravan? Any clever storage ideas?
Living full-time in a caravan with three kids definitely teaches you to be intentional about what you own. Everything has a home, and if it doesn’t have a purpose, it doesn’t travel with us. We’ve learnt that smart caravan design makes all the difference, functional space, dedicated storage spaces and keeping everyday items easy to access. We also use storage tubs to keep everyone’s gear organised, everything has a place and is put away when not in use.
What are your go-to meals when caravanning? Do you have any favourite camping recipes that you’d like to share?
We do around 99% of our cooking outside and absolutely love it. Some of our family favourites are anything Mexican, Italian, slow-cooked curries and fresh seafood whenever we’re lucky enough to catch it ourselves. Cooking outdoors has become one of our favourite parts of travelling. We have the Panasonic 4 in 1 Microwave Convection oven built inside the van (we also had this in our first van and loved it, so we wanted it again). We also have a Wolstead 14-1 multi cooker, a TM7 and a Weber.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve found on your travels? Any hidden gems or off-the-beaten-path places?
It’s impossible to choose just one. Spending three months at Ningaloo Reef is a memory we’ll never forget. Watching our kids fall in love with fishing, snorkelling, exploring the beaches and spending every day outdoors reminded us exactly why we chose this lifestyle. The biggest surprise, though, has been discovering that some of Australia’s best places aren’t the famous ones. They’re the unexpected campsites, quiet beaches and little towns you stumble across because you decided to take the scenic route.
What are your must-have caravanning essentials? Any unexpected items that have become indispensable on your travels?
Reliable off-grid power is a big one for us, along with Starlink so we can keep running our photography business from the road. Our camera gear travels everywhere with us, and with three active kids we have bikes and scooters. We also love our campfires and comfortable camp chairs.
A queen bed and a lounge up front, tucked away from the kids at the rear.
A large, full-width ensuite right in the middle of the van.
Three bunks at the back for the kids, with storage packed throughout.
We’d lived in a van for 18 months, so we knew
exactly what we’d change. Wonderland RV
got it right. It’s home for the five of us.
What began as a two-year lap of Australia has somehow turned into seven years of full-time travel. We’ve explored some incredible places, met amazing people and shared plenty of stories along the way.
The Wheatland Wanderers are Cam, Sharyn, and their sons Jye and Cruz. They started out their journey inside of tents, pop-up caravans, and expanders.
Since February 2023, this beautiful family has been full-time travelling, capturing awesome moments and sharing epic memories.
Rorden, Cass, Jed and Lexi sold their house in seven days and hit the road in their Hornet. A year was never going to be enough, so van life became the long-term plan.
Because no two travellers are the same, we believe
no two caravans should be either.
YOUR TRAVELS, YOUR VISION,
YOUR CARAVAN JOURNEY, YOUR RULES.
Sandy Van Travels are Jess, Doug and their three children, Ellie, Arthur and Harry, a family of five travelling Australia full time. They sold their home in Brisbane to make the move, and now work remotely, homeschool the kids and share the journey through photography and video.
Give everything a home and use storage tubs, so everyone’s gear is put away when it’s not in use. That’s how Sandy Van Travels manage full-time life in a caravan with three kids: if something doesn’t have a purpose, it doesn’t travel with them. They say smart caravan design makes the difference too, with dedicated storage spaces and everyday items kept easy to reach.
Sandy Van Travels have a queen bed and a lounge up front, a large full-width ensuite in the middle and three bunks at the back for the kids, with storage throughout. Jess and Doug had already lived in a van for 18 months, so they knew exactly what they wanted to change when they chose this one.
Yes, Wonderland RV builds caravans with three bunks, and the triple bunk layouts are set up for a family of five. In the Sandy Van Travels van the bunks sit at the rear, which keeps Jess and Doug’s queen bed and lounge up front, tucked away from the kids. Triple bunk family layouts show the options.
For Sandy Van Travels it’s mostly outside: they do about 99% of their cooking outdoors and love it. They use a Wolstead multi cooker, a TM7 and a Weber, and inside the van they have a Panasonic 4 in 1 microwave convection oven built in. Their favourites are Mexican, Italian, slow-cooked curries and fresh seafood.
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