5 Best Wall Mounted Caddies For Van Life Kitchens That Nomads Swear By

You’ve just finished cooking a great meal in your van, but now your tiny countertop is a chaotic mess of spice jars, cooking oil, and utensils. Every van lifer knows this struggle intimately. In a space where every square inch counts, the countertop is prime real estate you just can’t afford to waste on storage. The solution isn’t more drawers or a bigger cabinet; it’s looking up.

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Maximize Vertical Space in Your Van Kitchen

The single biggest mistake I see in new van builds is a failure to effectively use wall space. People design beautiful cabinets and drawers, then realize they have nowhere to put the things they use every single day. Relying on horizontal surfaces for storage is a habit from house living that simply doesn’t translate to a 70-square-foot vehicle.

Vertical storage gets items off your counter and into your line of sight, making your kitchen feel bigger and function better. It’s about creating a system where your most-used tools are accessible but not in the way. This is the core principle of an efficient small kitchen: everything should have a home, and that home should be easy to reach.

But van walls are not like the walls in a house. They are often thin, curved, and subject to constant vibration from the road. You can’t just grab a drywall anchor and hope for the best. A successful wall-mounted system has to be lightweight, incredibly secure, and designed to prevent everything from rattling into a noisy mess the second you hit a pothole.

IKEA SKÅDIS Pegboard: A Versatile System

There’s a reason you see the IKEA SKÅDIS system in so many van builds: it’s the ultimate modular solution on a budget. The pegboard itself is lightweight, and the sheer variety of available hooks, shelves, containers, and clips means you can customize it for your exact needs. One day it can hold your cooking utensils and a roll of paper towels; the next, you can reconfigure it to hold coffee mugs and a French press.

The real strength of the SKÅDIS is its adaptability. You can cut the boards to fit awkward spaces, like the area above your sink or alongside a cabinet. Use the small plastic containers for silverware, the hooks for hanging pots and pans, and the little shelves for your olive oil and vinegar. This flexibility allows your storage to evolve with your cooking habits, which is essential for long-term life on the road.

Of course, it’s not perfect. The plastic construction can feel less durable than metal, and you have to be smart about mounting it. To prevent rattling, many nomads add a small dab of silicone to the back of the accessories or line the containers with felt. The key is to secure the board firmly to your wall, ideally by screwing it into a wooden furring strip or using rivet nuts, so the board itself doesn’t vibrate.

Gneiss Spice Magnetic Jars for Secure Spices

Spice storage is a surprisingly difficult problem to solve in a van. Traditional racks let jars fly out on bumpy roads, and keeping them in a drawer creates a jumbled mess where you can never find the paprika. Gneiss Spice magnetic jars solve this problem with elegant simplicity. These aren’t just any magnetic jars; they feature incredibly strong neodymium magnets that will hold a full jar securely, even on the roughest washboard roads.

What makes this system so beloved by nomads is its efficiency. The hexagonal jars fit together in a honeycomb pattern, wasting no space. You mount a steel plate to your wall or the underside of a cabinet, and the jars just stick. They are right there when you need them, and the clear lids mean you can see exactly what you’re grabbing without having to read tiny labels. It turns your spice collection into a functional piece of art.

The primary tradeoff is cost. This is a premium, "buy it for life" solution, and the initial investment is higher than a simple rack and a set of generic jars. However, for those who cook frequently and are tired of cleaning up spilled cumin, most agree it’s worth every penny. You’re not just buying storage; you’re buying peace of mind and eliminating a common daily frustration.

3M Command Caddies: Damage-Free Organization

Not everyone wants to drill dozens of holes into their freshly built van walls. For those who prefer a less permanent solution, or for organizing lightweight items, 3M Command products are indispensable. Their range of caddies, hooks, and strips allows you to add storage without any tools or permanent modifications.

These are perfect for specific, targeted uses. Place a small Command shower caddy by your sink to hold your sponge and dish soap, keeping your wet sponge off the counter. Use a narrow picture ledge to hold a few small bottles of hot sauce. The key is to respect the weight limits printed on the package and to use the water-resistant strips for any application near the sink.

The main limitation of Command products is their reliance on adhesive. Extreme temperature swings, which are common in a van, can weaken the bond over time. They are not a "set it and forget it" solution for anything heavy. I recommend using them for items under a pound and checking the bond every few months. Think of them as a great tool for the small stuff, not for your primary storage system.

The Container Store elfa Utility Board System

If you love the idea of a pegboard but need something more robust than IKEA’s plastic offering, the elfa system is your answer. Made from epoxy-bonded steel, this is a commercial-grade organization system that can handle significantly more weight and abuse. The boards and accessories are built to last a lifetime.

The elfa system truly shines with its secure, interlocking accessories. Unlike traditional pegboards where hooks can fall out, elfa hooks and baskets lock firmly into place. This is a massive advantage in a moving vehicle, as it completely eliminates the rattle and the risk of things falling off. You can confidently hang heavier items like a small cast-iron skillet, a full set of metal utensils, or even small potted herbs.

This durability comes at a price. The elfa system is heavier and more expensive than the SKÅDIS. Installation is also more involved, as the weight requires you to mount it to a very solid part of your van’s structure, like the metal ribs or a reinforced wood panel. This isn’t something you add as an afterthought; it’s a storage system you design your kitchen around. It’s the go-to choice for serious cooks who demand a permanent, heavy-duty solution.

Macrame Fruit Hammock: Keep Produce Fresh

It sounds almost like a caricature of van life, but the macrame fruit hammock is one of the most practical items you can have in your kitchen. Delicate produce like avocados, tomatoes, and bananas get bruised and smashed when stored in a bin or drawer. A hammock solves this by suspending them gently.

The open weave of the hammock allows for 360-degree air circulation, which is crucial for preventing moisture buildup and mold. Your produce will last significantly longer than it would in a stuffy cabinet. As the van moves, the fruit sways gently in the hammock, protecting it from the harsh bumps and vibrations of the road.

Typically hung from two small hooks under an upper cabinet, a fruit hammock makes use of otherwise dead space. It’s a simple, low-tech, and incredibly effective solution to a persistent problem. Just be mindful not to overload it. It’s designed to hold a few days’ worth of fresh items, not your entire haul from the farmer’s market.

Secure Mounting Tips for Van Interior Walls

The best caddy in the world is useless if it rips out of your wall on the first bumpy road. Van walls are typically thin plywood or sheet metal, so you need specialized hardware. Forget standard drywall anchors; they will fail.

Your best options depend on your wall material, but here are the most reliable methods nomads swear by:

• Rivet Nuts (or Rivnuts): These are the gold standard. A rivnut is a threaded insert that you install into a drilled hole in sheet metal, giving you a strong, permanent machine-threaded point to bolt into.
• PlusNuts: Similar to a rivnut, but it compresses on the backside to create four "legs" that distribute the load over a wider area, making it great for thinner materials.
• Screwing into Structural Ribs: The absolute strongest method is to locate the van’s metal frame ribs and drill directly into them with self-tapping metal screws.
• Toggle Bolts: If you’re mounting to a hollow plywood wall, a toggle bolt can work well by spreading the load on the back of the panel. Just ensure you have enough clearance behind the wall for the "wings" to open.

For a truly bombproof installation, combine a mechanical fastener with a flexible adhesive like 3M 5200 or Sikaflex 221. Apply the adhesive to the back of your mounting plate or board before screwing it in. This not only adds immense strength but also dampens vibrations, reducing noise and stress on the fasteners over time.

Choosing the Right Caddy for Your Van Build

There is no single "best" wall caddy, only the one that is best for your build, your budget, and your needs. The key is to avoid thinking you need one single system to solve all your problems. The most functional van kitchens I’ve seen use a combination of different solutions for different tasks.

To make a decision, think about your priorities. If you’re on a tight budget and want maximum flexibility to change your layout later, the IKEA SKÅDIS is a clear winner. If you are building a "forever van" and need a bulletproof system for heavier items, investing in the elfa Utility Board will pay dividends for years. For a quick, no-drill fix for your dish soap or other light items, 3M Command Caddies are perfect.

Don’t overlook specialized solutions for specific problems. The Gneiss Spice system brilliantly solves the spice dilemma, and a simple fruit hammock is a game-changer for produce. The best approach is to analyze your own cooking workflow. What items do you reach for most often? What are your biggest frustrations? Start there, and piece together a custom system that makes your tiny kitchen a joy to use.

Ultimately, mastering vertical storage is about being intentional. It’s a shift from finding a place to put things to designing a system that serves you. By thoughtfully combining a few of these tried-and-true solutions, you can transform a cluttered countertop into a highly functional and beautiful workspace that’s ready for any adventure.