Designing the Garage: Storage, Systems, and Real-World Tradeoffs

By Clayton Houser – Professional van builder (50+ full builds)

When people picture van “layouts,” they usually focus on what they can see. Clayton explains why the garage under the bed is where builds either work smoothly or become a daily frustration – because it’s where storage, electrical, plumbing, access, and real-world gear all collide.

This is the sixth article in Clayton's Van Build series - you can view the series homepage here.

When people think about van layouts, they usually focus on what they can see — the bed, the kitchen, the finishes. But from a builder’s perspective, the garage is where everything either works together or starts fighting itself.

I’ve built a lot of vans where the garage space ended up determining how well the entire build functioned. If the garage is poorly planned, you feel it every day. If it’s done right, the van just works in the background.

This isn’t about maximizing storage at all costs. It’s about designing the garage to support how the van will actually be used.

The Garage Is More Than Storage

In most of the vans I’ve built, the garage wasn’t just for gear.

It typically housed:

• Electrical components on one side

• Plumbing and tanks on the other

• Loose gear, tools, or bikes in the remaining space

That means the garage becomes the intersection point for multiple systems. If you treat it like an afterthought, you end up with wires crossing plumbing, components stacked on top of each other, and no room to service anything later.

From the start, I looked at the garage as a systems zone, not just a place to throw stuff.

Start With What Has to Live Inside

Before designing shelves or boxes, I always worked backward from the non-negotiables.

For many builds, that included:

• Bikes that needed to stay inside for security

• Large gear that couldn’t be exposed to weather

• Electrical cabinets that needed airflow and access

• Water tanks that couldn’t be placed elsewhere

Mountain bikes were one of the biggest layout drivers. Once you commit to storing bikes inside, everything changes — bed height, aisle width, cabinet depth, even how you enter and exit the van.

I’ve built vans where two bikes alone consumed nearly half the usable garage space. If that wasn’t planned early, the rest of the build suffered.

Bed Height and Garage Height Are the Same Decision

People often talk about bed height as a comfort choice. In reality, it’s a garage decision.

The bed height sets:

• How much vertical space you have for gear

• Whether bike frames can stand upright

• Where tanks and batteries can be mounted

Once the bed height is locked in, the garage is mostly defined. That’s why I always treated those two decisions as inseparable.

If you raise the bed to fit gear, you need to accept what that does to headroom and upper cabinetry. There’s no free space in a van — every inch gets traded somewhere else.

One garage detail people overlook early is the floor – because it quietly carries most of the load.

Subfloor Strength and Mounting (The Garage Depends on It)

The garage tends to carry the heaviest loads in the whole van. Water, batteries, tools, recovery gear, heaters, tanks, drawers, cabinets – all of it. Even if those items are mounted to the walls or to framing, the floor is still part of what keeps everything stable.

That is why I treat the subfloor as a structural decision, not a finish detail. A higher-quality subfloor stays flatter, holds fasteners better, and gives you a more reliable base for mounting.

If you are building a plywood subfloor, marine-grade birch plywood is usually worth it. It tends to be more consistent and void-free, and it holds up better in the moisture and temperature swings that vans live through. For thickness, ⅝” is a great balance of strength and weight for most builds. However, ¾” can be the right choice when you need extra stiffness or you are mounting heavier components through the floor.

When it comes to securing the subfloor, I prefer to use factory mounting points when possible. If you do drill new holes, I treat every hole like a future rust spot – so seal them properly (some best practices). If your build is going to “pin down” the floor anyway through cabinetry and bolted components, a floating approach can also work and keeps you from peppering the van with unnecessary holes (and corrosion risk).

Keep Systems Accessible (You’ll Thank Yourself Later)

One thing I cared about a lot was serviceability.

In the garage, I tried to:

• Keep electrical components grouped and visible

• Leave room to reach fuses and connections

• Avoid burying plumbing behind permanent structures

Even well-built systems need attention eventually. If you have to remove half the van to access a pump or electrical connection, something went wrong in the design.

That’s why I avoided stacking systems vertically whenever possible. Side-by-side layouts are easier to understand, easier to troubleshoot, and easier to change later.

Don’t Overbuild the Garage

It’s tempting to turn the garage into a maze of drawers, cubbies, and fixed boxes. I saw a lot of builds where that caused more problems than it solved.

Heavy materials add up fast. Overbuilt furniture eats payload and limits flexibility. Once it’s in, it’s hard to undo.

In many vans, the only permanent structures I installed in the garage were:

• The bed platform

• Electrical and plumbing mounts

Everything else stayed modular or removable.

That approach kept the van lighter, quieter, and easier to adapt.

Modular Garages Age Better As Needs Change 

A lot of people don’t use their vans the same way forever.

Some start with:

• Weekend camping

• Then add bikes

• Then transition to full-time travel

• Or turn the van into a work vehicle later

For those builds, modular garages made the biggest difference.

I used:

• L-track for mounting gear and furniture

• Bolt-in components instead of glue-in

• Simple framing that could be reconfigured

In some builds, the entire garage could be cleared out or reworked in under an hour. That flexibility kept the van useful long after the initial build phase. 

How to secure cargo safely. 

Think About Noise, Dirt, and Daily Use

The garage is where noise and mess usually originate.

Loose gear rattles. Tools shift. Bikes rub. If those issues aren’t addressed early, the van becomes annoying to drive.

I paid attention to:

• Securing items so they couldn’t move

• Separating dirty gear from living space

• Avoiding hard-on-hard contact points

A quiet van feels better built, even if the layout is simple.

Real-World Garage Design Is About Tradeoffs

Every garage decision creates a tradeoff:

• More gear space means less living space

• Fixed storage means less flexibility

• Higher beds mean less headroom

After building a lot of vans, I never found a perfect solution – only better tradeoffs for how the van was actually going to be used.

That’s why I always came back to the same question:

What needs to live in this space every day (not every once in a while)?

If you can answer that honestly, the garage design becomes much clearer.

Final Thought on Garage Design

The garage is where most van builds either succeed quietly or fail slowly.

If it’s planned early, kept simple, and designed around real use, you stop thinking about it — and that’s the goal.

A good garage doesn’t draw attention to itself. It supports the rest of the van without getting in the way.

Frequently Asked Questions About Garage Design in Camper Van Builds

What is “garage space” in a camper van build?

In van builds, the “garage” typically refers to the storage area underneath the bed platform at the rear of the van where gear, systems, and larger items are stored. This space often houses electrical cabinets, plumbing tanks, and large gear — and it’s key to a functional camper layout. 

How much space do I need to store bikes in the garage?

Bike space depends on bike size and how you plan to store them. The safest way to figure this out is with your actual bikes and a tape measure. However, a decent rule of thumb is to plan for up to 5’ long and 3’ high for bikes standing up (without wheels). 

Are there common strategies for maximizing storage under the bed?

Yes — builders often use:

• Pull-out trays

• Slide-out storage drawers

• L-track tie-downs

These strategies help secure gear, keep items accessible, and use the available cubic volume effectively. However, as with all decisions in your van build, these come with tradeoffs: Two big ones are accessibility and weight. If this is your first van build, I recommend going simple, with a big open space in the garage for a few months before installing anything permanent. Make sure you really need it before you install anything that makes it difficult to get to the electrical and plumbing systems. 

How do I decide between fixed and modular storage in the garage?

Fixed storage is sturdy and simple, but modular systems (like those that attach with L-track) allow you to reconfigure gear space later. Modular setups typically age better and adapt to changing needs, especially if your life on the road evolves. I highly recommend not installing anything permanent until you’ve used your van for several weeks or months. 

Should I worry about access to electrical and plumbing systems in the garage?

Absolutely — leaving enough space to reach and service electrical components, fuses, and plumbing connections is critical. Accessible system placement reduces frustration and maintenance time, which aligns with best practices in van design. 

What role does garage height play in design?

Garage height drives what can physically be stored underneath the bed. Taller gear like longboards or bikes with wheels off will need extra vertical clearance. Planning bed style and height and garage height together ensures gear can be stored without forced compromises.

Is it better to design garage storage before building cabinets?

Yes — dimensioning the garage for what must fit before adding cabinets or fixed furniture ensures that storage and system components don’t compete for the same space. This idea reinforces the principle of designing around purpose, not aesthetics.

What are some common van garage storage mistakes?

Common issues builders encounter include:

• Building permanent storage that blocks access to systems

• Not planning for gear size (especially bikes or tools)

• Ignoring service access

• Overbuilding heavy cabinetry that affects weight and balance

These mistakes often make the garage (and the entire van) harder to use on a daily basis.