Storage and kitchen stuff

The tins we carry in the cupboard under the cooker which is over the axle anyway. Cups etc in the top cupboards sit in foam inserts and I attach the two cupboard handles together. The jars of coffee etc stay in the top cupboards too.   We use normal plates and crockery as we prefer it - as you say, tastes better. Pots and pans we dont carry but if we did they would be normal ones.

We keep heavy or spare food in a plastic crate under the bed, over the axle.

Things like tea, coffee, packets go in top cupboards, jars in use, such as jam are in a rack under the sink or in the fridge.

We use melamine plates, but proper mugs, they are in special racks in a top cupboard.

We use decent domestic pots and pans, they are in lower cupboards.

Everything in our van is packed in its normal position where it will be when in use, the floor is kept clear and things like the awning or outside furniture travels in the car.

We have melamine plates, but normal mugs, and plastic glasses.  They are stored in the cupboards over the sink. I also store the tea bags & sugar with the kettle in the overhead lockers, but in plastic containers.  Baking trays stay in the oven, and the normal domestic saucepans live in the cupboard under the cooker.  I have a few plastic containers, toaster, chopping board, and large/deep frying pan, that doubles as a wok, in the cupboard next to the heater.  Tinned food and jars are in the pull out wire basket under the sink. I always remove all items of food and drink from the "cocktail cabinet" cupboards and put them in a collapsible crate on the caravan floor when travelling from site to site. 

We started with melamine and camping pans as we thought that's what you did in a caravan. But we soon found that actually there is loads of cupboard space, nothing ever moves when we're towing and a good pan is a good pan. So now we have proper crockery, crystal glassware and decent cutlery. We have tablecloths, flower vases, water jug and decanter, just as we do at home. Good pans can be heavy though, so we have found what works for us and just have what we need stored under the cooker, as above. We tend to wrap the good glasses in tea towels if moving a fair distance, but have had no breakages if we forget. Stuff a kitchen roll against the plates and cafetiere and put the best cake forks in a small basket. Caravanning is the life! 

Really depends on your lay out as to how you can store things. We have a small two berth with end kitchen layout and actually have quite good storage area ( more than some twin axles we've seen). Anyway, we tend to store pots and pans beneath the Cooker in a small cupboard and put bubble wrap between them to stop friction wear. We use good quality ones but I wouldn't use my best which I keep for home. We bubble wrap a few Denby plates for dinner but again use ones that we wouldn't mind that much if they break. Although we have overhead cupboards we carry these in the front drawers. The side plates and bowls tend to be melamine and they go overhead. We do use a couple of Pyrex mugs that we've had for over 25 years of caravanning and again we bubble wrap these and make sure they can't move. 

We don't take many tins but I do like cooking so will carry a good stock of basics in the rear cupboard usually kept in those plastic baskets that you can buy in various sizes.

Also keep things like throw away foil dishes for oven cooking ( saves on washing up as well!). Normally you're never far from supermarket wherever you go so don't overstock. Hope this helps but as I said before, it really depends on your layout. Trial and error will probably be necessary. Enjoy it whatever you decide.

Thanks everyone the advice is excellent. we are new to caravanning and no better advice than asing people that have been doing it for years. We wont take too many tins as we will buy local if needed but there may be something left over from the last trips. I'm already collecting plastic containers when we go shopping 'just incase'. The caravan is in storage about 2 miles away from home and i'm bringing it home tomorrow to do a few jobs on it. My wife hasn't got attahced to it yet it is still 'My caravan' she says. She will get the bug once we have been away in it so at the moment.  She loved camping.

i saved some weight swapping to Corelle to eat off - plastic thrown out a long time ago!  Corelle is amazingly light and so far no breakages.  I have broken the occasional glass but no more than at home.  I did buy some cheap glasses in a supermarket recently but they are paper thin and will stay at home in favour of a more robust design.  My caravan came with a plate rack and mug/glass holder.  Pans under the cooker and also inside it is useful.  The kettle travels in the oven.  I try not to take too many pans but am not so successful with that.  Lidl sometimes sell nice stainless steel pans that aren't really very heavy.  

I store lots of bits and bobs in those very cheap lightweight baskets both plastic and the nicer woven variety.  Open cupboards carefully when you arrive on site I know one family who did some damage to their small daughter's head when a tin of baked beans fell on her!  I have marked a work surface that way!  

I do hope your wife takes to Caravanning point her to CT to chat to those of us who love it!  Perhaps we should have a discussion going to help convert Other Halves to our wonderful way of life!?  I am sure there are reluctant OHs of both sexes!  

Our caravan is in storage, too, so we have a 'caravan shelf' in the shed at home. Anything we buy for the caravan goes straight on there, as well as towels we have taken home to wash, replacement basics like oil, washing up liquid, coffee, etc. Then we just put the contents of the shelf in the car before we set off to pick up the van and that way we don't forget anything.

We store our heavy food items in plastic baskets and then put them out when we arrive on site. Does not fake that long

Try to keep the heavy items low down but they can travel quite safely in the cupboards. We put our "proper" plates flat rather than on their side in a rack and place a piece of the rubber non slip sheet between each to prevent them getting chipped or marked if they move a little. Some of our glasses, we remove from the shelves and put into boxes to avoid damage. The boxes are put under the front seats.