Campervan interior ideas: 20 affordable home designs

With so many campervan interior ideas bouncing around on the internet, it’s becoming harder and harder to separate the good from the bad. If only someone could compile all the best ideas in one place...

Well, you’re in luck - we’ve compiled this list of the 20 best campervan interior tips and tricks to help you build your dream vehicle. By the time you’re finished perusing this article, you’ll have a solid understanding of how you want your home-on-wheels to look and function.

You’ll also learn how to try big and small campervan interior ideas before fully implementing them in your own van. And you’ll discover how to quickly make a return on the money you invest in your campervan!

Campervan Interior Ideas

1. Rustic Interior

When it’s cold outside, this rustic interior feels like you’re in a warm log cabin. Yet when you pull up at a beach in summer, it feels more like a fun little bungalow!

Campervan Example: Ricky Baker (Auckland)

2. Create a Magnetic Memory Board

If you have any steel walls showing inside your campervan, you can stick up photos or other memorabilia using magnets. It’s like your own private gallery!

Campervan Example: Vandango the Hiace (Auckland)

3. Make the Most of Your Roof Space

You only have a very finite amount of space to work with inside a campervan. Use every bit of it wisely - including the roof space! Many people use the roof for storage or extra bedding.

Campervan Example: A1Campervan (Auckland)

4. Install a Curtain for Your Skylight

If you’re partial to a sleep-in or midday nap, consider installing a skylight curtain. Great if you want to pull over and take a break on long drives.

Campervan Example: Vandango the Hiace (Auckland)

5. Save Space for a Separate Bathroom Cubicle

If you’re clever about the way you design the interior of your campervan, you may have enough space left for a private shower/toilet cubicle. Here’s a great example of a separate bathroom cubicle.

Campervan Example: Sandy (Hawkes Bay)

6. Install a Full Pull-Out Kitchen

A full pull-out kitchen is the best way to save precious space inside your campervan. These days, many fittings like gas hobs and sinks are compact and can easily be fitted in draws at the rear of the campervan.

Campervan Example: Silverliner # 1 (Christchurch)

7. Install an Inbuilt Rear Kitchen

If you don’t have the know-how or the space to install a pull-out kitchen, an inbuilt dinette at the rear of your campervan might be the next best space-saving option.

Campervan Example: The Thinkers Van # 2 (Kaiapoi)

8. Convert Your Dinette to a Bed

Save space by installing fittings that serve a second purpose in your campervan. For example, your dinette may be able to convert to a fold-out bed for a third person.

Campervan Example: Ourfun (Rolleston)

9. Use Storage Units as Seating

If you only use your storage units for storing stuff, you’re wasting their potential! Save space in your campervan by using storage blocks as seating or even extra bedding.

Campervan Example: Silverliner # 1 (Christchurch)

10. Cover Your Sink for Extra Bench Space

Either buy or build a wooden cover that perfectly fits your sink. Not only does this give you more countertop to work with but it also helps prevent foul smells from rising out of your wastewater tank.

Campervan Example: RocketVan (Auckland)

11. Stained Timber Cladding Interior

The tone of wood stain that you choose can make a massive difference to the interior of your campervan. People tend to enjoy darker interiors in colder climates and lighter interiors in warmer climates.

Campervan Example: Obi Van Kenobi (Auckland)

12. Build a Charging Bay

When you install the timber cladding in your campervan, consider installing a charging bay. This way your phone has its own little home when it’s on charge.

Campervan Example: Juno (Hamilton)

13. Find a Home for Your Laptop

If possible, try to have a special spot where you can rest your laptop or tablet while in bed. This way you can simply chill out and doze off with your movie plays in the background.

Campervan Example: Bonzo (Auckland)

14. Boutique Handmade Interior

It’s amazing how beautiful you can make your campervan interior with just a little effort. This boutique design is inspired by both a Canadian cabin and a Coromandel beach shack.

Campervan Example: Bernie (Auckland)

15. Expand Your Living Space With a Rug

Some campervan owners carry a rug that they specifically use outdoors. This expands your living area and makes your camping spot a lot more comfortable.

Campervan Example: Bonzo (Auckland)

16. Fit an External Shower

Some people choose to install a shower inside their campervan. An external shower is a bit trickier to set up but will save you a wet floor.

Campervan Example: Bernie (Auckland)

17. Install a Pull-Out Dinette

A dinette can quickly consume the interior of your campervan if you aren’t careful. Save yourself space by installing a pull-out or pull-down dinette option - either inside or at the rear of your campervan.

Campervan Example: Sandy (Hawkes Bay)

18. Decorate the Walls

Maybe you’ve got a special saying or motto that you share with your travel buddies. Why not stick it up on the wall and make your living space a little more unique. Check out how to decorate a motorhome for more ideas!

Campervan Example: RocketVan (Auckland)

19. Build a Freezer Chest Into the Countertop

Spare your body from having to constantly bend over when accessing the fridge. Instead, consider building a freezer chest into your campervan’s countertop.

Campervan Example: LyalliI (Auckland)

20. Separate the Bedroom

It’s amazing what one simple wall can do for your campervan interior! By dividing the bedroom from the living area, you create a sense of privacy and can use the wall for hanging clothes and towels.

Campervan Example: Juno (Hamilton)

Campervan interior ideas: Make a smart investment

It’s easy to go overboard when researching campervan interior ideas. It’s even easier to blow your budget on things that you may not necessarily want or need (make sure you know how much it costs to convert a campervan in advance).

Before buying a campervan and converting the interior, we always recommend that you ‘try before you buy’. Use Camplify to search through heaps of privately-owned vans for rent - each one with a unique interior. Then hire the one that takes your fancy and test to see whether its interior design meets your expectations before undertaking the changes in your own van.

And once your campervan conversion is complete, hire it out through Camplify and make back that money you spent! Many owners on Camplify earn up to $10,000 a year thanks to their clever interior design and the resulting high demand for their vehicles!