Campervan Kitchen Setup for Full-Time Van Life

When I started designing my campervan kitchen setup, I knew I didn’t want a basic weekend camper kitchen.

This van was being built as my full-time home.

That meant the kitchen had to do far more than make coffee in the morning or cook the occasional easy dinner. It needed to let me store enough food for remote travel, cook proper meals every day, eat healthy on the road, save money, and live comfortably without relying on takeaway, bakeries or caravan park kitchens.

For me, the campervan kitchen layout was one of the most important parts of the entire build.

Not just because it looks good, although I do love how it turned out, but because food is a massive part of full-time van life. If your kitchen is annoying to use, too small, badly laid out or constantly getting in the way, it affects your daily routine very quickly.

After living with this setup on the road, I can honestly say it is one of the best-designed areas in my van.

This article is not a generic list of campervan kitchen ideas.

It is a real-world breakdown of my campervan kitchen setup after living in the van full-time, including what I chose, why I chose it, what works every day, what I’d change, and what I think actually matters when building a van life kitchen setup for Australia.

My Campervan Kitchen Setup Overview

My campervan kitchen setup is built around full-time living.

The main components are:

• Bushman DC130-X 130L fridge/freezer
• Bushman heavy-duty drawer fridge/freezer
• Thetford K1520 cooker with oven, stove and grill
• Cefito 30cm x 45cm black stainless steel sink
• Decaura pull-out 360-degree swivel tap
• Recycled 32mm Tasmanian Oak benchtop
• Ikea Metod base cabinets and overhead cabinets
• Custom 3D printed cutlery tray
• Premium wheat straw dinnerware set
• Small dish drying rack
• Airtight pantry storage containers
• Custom spice rack
• CAROTE pots and pans set
• Philips 2000 Series air fryer
• 4kg gas bottle supplying the oven, gas hobs and hot water
• MaxxAir Fan Deluxe above the cooking area
• EuroVision window beside the cooktop for airflow

The kitchen is split across both sides of the van.

The main cooking side has roughly 1900mm of bench space and is 600mm deep. This is where the cooktop, oven, sink and main food prep area are located.

The opposite side has around 1250mm of bench space and is 400mm deep. That side is used more for general van life than cooking. It is where I change camera batteries, organise bags, use the air fryer, lay things out and keep the van functional day-to-day.

That split depth was one of the best decisions in the whole kitchen.

Originally, I thought about using 600mm cabinets on both sides. That would have given me more storage, but it would have made the walkway too narrow and the van feel much more cramped.

Now, because one side is 400mm deep, there is room to move. Someone can stand in the kitchen while another person walks behind. Drawers can open without smashing into the fridge door or rubbish bin. And on rainy days, the van still feels open enough to live in.

That matters more than people think.

A beautiful van life kitchen setup is pointless if it makes the rest of the van uncomfortable.

Why I Built a Full-Size Kitchen in My Campervan

My goal was to build a kitchen that felt as close to a normal home kitchen as possible, without taking over the entire van.

That balance was important.

I wanted a full-size fridge, proper oven, gas cooktop, deep sink, useful bench space and enough storage to carry food for at least two weeks. But I also didn’t want the kitchen to consume 80% of the van just because I wanted every appliance possible.

Living full-time in a campervan changes how you think about food.

I am vegetarian, eat pretty healthy, and spend a lot of time in remote places. That means I rely heavily on fresh produce, dry food storage, frozen meals, meal prep and being able to cook properly no matter where I am.

For me, the kitchen was never just about convenience.

It was about freedom.

If I have enough food, enough water and enough power, I can stay remote for longer. I can camp on a quiet beach, spend a week in the Flinders Ranges, or work from the van without needing to drive into town every couple of days.

That was the whole point of the build.

The kitchen needed to support that lifestyle.

How My Campervan Kitchen Layout Works

The layout of a campervan kitchen setup matters more than people realise.

It is not just about fitting things into the van.

It is about flow.

Where do you stand when cooking?
Where do you chop vegetables?
Where do dirty dishes go?
Can you open the fridge while cooking?
Can someone walk behind you?
Can you access drawers when another door is open?

These small details become huge when you live in the van every day.

My original kitchen layout had the sink, then the cooktop, then the preparation space. On paper, it looked good. It felt open and balanced.

Then I went away and tested it.

Very quickly, I realised it did not flow properly.

When you actually cook, you want prep space between the sink and cooktop. You want to chop food, move it straight to the pan, and throw dirty utensils or dishes into the sink without constantly reaching across the kitchen.

So I changed it.

The final layout has the cooktop and oven on one side, the main prep area in the middle, and the sink next to that. It works far better in real life.

That is why I keep saying the same thing throughout this van build series:

Build a basic version first, then go and use it.

You will learn more in one weekend actually cooking in the van than you will from weeks of staring at measurements in the driveway.

My Fridge and Freezer Setup

My main fridge is a Bushman DC130-X 130L fridge/freezer. You can read my full review why this is the best upright fridge for full-time travel in Australia.

I also run a Bushman heavy-duty drawer fridge/freezer in the rear garage, which I use as my proper deep freezer.

I have nothing bad to say about these products. That’s why I recommend them as campervan essentials for full-time travel.

They are more expensive than some options, but for full-time van life in Australia, I think they are worth it. They are efficient, quiet, Australian-made, and have handled everything I have thrown at them so far.

I have camped in 40-degree-plus heatwaves, and the Bushman setup has never struggled in a way that worried me.

The main 130L Bushman is mostly used as a fridge. It does have a freezer compartment, but I would not treat it like a true long-term deep freezer. It freezes some things well, especially if they are positioned correctly, but it is not the same as having a proper -18-degree drawer freezer.

That is where the 30L drawer freezer comes in.

The drawer freezer is used for long-term frozen food. Frozen berries, spare meals, ice cream, extra chips, backup food and anything I want to keep properly frozen goes in there.

At first, I thought 30L might be too small. But for me, it has been spot on.

In summer, it sometimes feels a little small when I want to stock up on too much ice cream, but in hindsight, that is probably a good thing.

Because I am vegetarian, fresh produce is a big part of my diet. I also use produce pods to help vegetables last longer, and they genuinely work. With the fridge setup and produce storage, I can usually carry fresh food for 10–14 days without too much trouble.

That makes a huge difference when travelling remote.

My Oven and Cooktop Setup

The oven and cooktop are one of the biggest talking points in my campervan kitchen setup.

I use the Thetford K1520 cooker with oven, stove and grill.

It is fully gas, extremely efficient, and something I would absolutely buy again.

A lot of people would say a full oven is overkill in a campervan.

That is fine.

It is my van, and it suits the way I live.

If I was building a weekend camper, I probably would not install a full oven. I would save the money and use a portable gas stove or a much simpler cooking setup.

But this is not a weekend camper. This is my full-time home.

I use the cooktop almost every day, sometimes twice a day. The oven gets used for bigger meal prep, roasting vegetables, cooking pasta bakes, baking muffins, making cakes and preparing food I can eat throughout the week.

Once a week, I will often do a big cook-up. Roast veggies, bake something sweet, prep meals and make food that helps me avoid buying expensive snacks or takeaway while travelling.

The oven is not fan-forced, so it does take a little bit of learning. Cooking can take longer, and you need to understand how the heat works compared to a normal household oven.

But once you know it, it is brilliant.

The gas setup is also very efficient. I usually fill the 4kg gas bottle every couple of months, depending on how much I am showering, cooking and using hot water.

The only downside is space.

The oven takes up a lot of valuable kitchen room.

But for the way I travel, that was a very easy compromise.

Gas vs Electric Cooking in a Campervan

If I built another van tomorrow, I would still seriously look at gas.

I know full electric setups are becoming more popular, and I completely understand why. No gas bottle, no gas locker, no refills, less safety concern and a cleaner all-electric system.

But there is always a compromise.

For me, gas keeps cooking separate from my electrical system. That matters because I work from the van. Some days I need Starlink running, my laptop charging, camera batteries charging, the fridge running, lights on, and the TV at night.

I do not want to be thinking:

Can I cook dinner tonight, or do I need to save battery for work tomorrow?

That is why gas still makes sense for my setup.

I do have a Philips air fryer and a portable induction cooktop, so I can cook electrically when it suits. But relying on electric cooking as the only option would require a much larger battery system.

If I went full electric, I would probably want over 600Ah of lithium battery capacity. Roasting vegetables, baking a cake or running an air fryer for long periods can chew through power very quickly.

I have looked at the Camec 28L microwave, air fryer, oven and grill unit as a possible future option. It could potentially replace a few appliances in one compact setup. But I have not used one, so I would need to research it properly before saying it is better.

For now, gas works.

It is efficient, reliable and does not compete with the power I need for work.

Bench Space, Sink and Washing Up

Bench space is one of the biggest reasons I love my campervan kitchen layout.

The main cooking side gives me roughly 1900mm of bench space at 600mm deep, which is more than I have had in some small apartments around the world.

That sounds ridiculous for a van, but it makes a massive difference.

I can prep food properly. I can use the cooktop without feeling cramped. I can have dirty dishes in the sink, ingredients on the bench, and still have room to move.

The opposite bench is 1250mm long and 400mm deep. It is not mainly used for cooking, but it is incredibly useful. I use it for camera batteries, drone gear, organising hiking bags, using the air fryer, laying out food, or just dumping things when I am getting organised.

The sink is a 30cm x 45cm black stainless steel sink.

It is deeper than a typical caravan sink, and at first I was worried it might waste water. But after living with it, I think it is the perfect size.

As a solo traveller, I can stack dishes in there throughout the day and wash them all at once. Sometimes I will get away with doing dishes every two days, depending on heat and flies.

The tap is a pull-out 360-degree swivel mixer with two spray modes. It makes cleaning up easy and can be moved out of the way to make the space feel bigger.

One of the biggest water-saving tricks is using baby wipes to wipe plates and pans before washing them.

It saves water, stops food scraps going into the grey water system, and makes washing up much easier.

Simple things like that matter in full-time van life.

Food Storage and Pantry Setup

Food storage was a huge part of the kitchen design.

I have one overhead cabinet dedicated to airtight food containers. This holds things like sugar, rice, gnocchi, panko crumbs, chia seeds, mixed seeds and ground coffee.

On the opposite side, I have larger airtight containers for granola, rolled oats, dates, protein powder, powdered milk and pasta.

I also built a custom can holder that stores around eight cans. That is usually corn, lentils, bean mix, baked beans, chickpeas and similar backup food.

Then there is the classic “this does not have a home” drawer. Everyone has one.

Mine originally had a more organised plan, but now it holds the random extras: salt, pepper, chicken salt, oils, packets, bits and pieces, and things I grab when I need them.

For tea, coffee and sugar, I built a magnetic setup on a decorative kitchen shelf. It looks good, but more importantly, it works really well. That shelf also holds plants and the paper towel holder, which helps brighten the space and make the van feel like a home.

With the fridge, freezer, pantry containers and dry food storage, I can carry food comfortably for two weeks. If I am fishing and catching fish, I can stretch that longer. With frozen food, tins and dry food, I could probably push toward three weeks comfortably and maybe longer if I really had to.

That is exactly what I wanted from this campervan kitchen setup.

Food storage equals freedom.

Cooking Full-Time on the Road

My cooking routine is pretty simple, but it works.

Breakfast is usually Weet-Bix, overnight oats, granola, fruit, frozen berries and Greek yoghurt. It is easy to store, healthy and quick.

Lunch is often tuna wraps. The hardest part is keeping salad mix fresh for long periods, but honestly, that does not last much longer at home either.

When the weather is good, I love making pancakes or crepes with blueberries, banana, yoghurt, cinnamon and maple syrup. That is one of my all-time favourite van life meals.

Dinner is where the kitchen really gets used.

I probably rotate through about 30 meals. When I do a big shop, I usually know what I am eating for the next two weeks. Then I can top up with fresh food as needed.

I like planning meals because it removes the constant decision of “what’s for dinner?” It also means I waste far less food.

One of my favourite meals in the van is pumpkin pesto pizza.

Cook that while parked near the beach on a warm evening, and it feels pretty hard to beat.

The other favourite is date cake.

I have a sweet tooth, and being able to bake something in the van means I can avoid spending money every time I pass a bakery.

Although, I will admit, bakeries are probably still my biggest weakness on the road.

Ikea Cabinets For Campervan Kitchen Storage

I used Ikea Metod cabinets and overhead cabinets throughout the kitchen.

A lot of people might question whether Ikea cabinets belong in a campervan, but honestly, they have handled van life surprisingly well.

They are heavy, which is the biggest downside, and they are more expensive than building everything from scratch. But the finish is excellent, and it is a level of quality I would struggle to recreate myself.

The major challenge was modifying them to fit properly inside the van.

I had to custom cut and alter the backs of the cabinets heavily so they could be screwed into the chassis of the vehicle, fit around the fridge, oven and other components, and work within the curved shape of the van.

That process took a solid couple of weeks. But now they are in, I would use Ikea again.

They saved me a heap of time, the finish looks great, and if something ever breaks, I can go to an Ikea and find a replacement.

For latches, I use simple black push-style cabinet latches. They were easy to install and have worked perfectly. I have never had an issue with drawers or overhead cabinets flying open while driving.

To reduce rattles, I stuck 1mm cork to the bases of drawers and overhead cupboards. That has helped a lot with noise. The only small issue is pots and pans sliding around in one overhead cabinet, but overall, the kitchen is much quieter than I expected.

Rattles were something I really cared about in the build.

There was no way I wanted to drive 20,000km around Australia listening to squeaks, bangs and cabinet noise every day.

What I’d Spend Money on Again

The three things I would 100% spend money on again are the fridge, freezer and oven setup.

Those are the core of the kitchen.

You need a fridge, and I think buying a good-quality one is worth it. If a cheap fridge dies while you are remote, you are in trouble. You lose food, money and possibly days of travel trying to fix it.

The Bushman fridge and freezer setup has been excellent for me.

The Thetford oven and cooktop are also worth it for my lifestyle. It is much more expensive than a portable gas stove, but this is my home, not a weekend setup.

I also love the recycled Tasmanian Oak benchtop.

It gives the van warmth and character, and because it matches the table setup, the kitchen and living area feel connected.

The large sink and swivel tap have also been excellent.

They are simple, functional and make daily washing up much easier.

What I’d Change About My Campervan Kitchen Layout

Honestly, not much.

As of writing this, the kitchen has been finished for around two years, and I am still extremely happy with it.

The one thing I would research if building again is whether a compact all-in-one electric cooking appliance could replace part of the gas setup. Something like a microwave, air fryer, oven and grill combination could be interesting.

But that would create a flow-on effect.

I would need more battery capacity, more power management, and I would need to think carefully about winter travel, cloudy weather and my work needs.

Right now, the gas setup means I can cook without worrying about battery levels.

That is valuable.

The biggest mistake I made was buying some kitchen items too early.

When you get excited during a build, it is easy to start ordering plates, cups, cutlery, coffee gear and storage before the kitchen is actually finished. But in a van, every millimetre matters.

Wait until the important things are built, then buy items that fit the finished space.

I learnt that the hard way.

The custom 3D printed cutlery tray is probably the most ridiculous example. Because the 400mm drawer setup did not fit normal cutlery organisers, I paid someone to design and print one to suit exactly what I had.

It cost over $400.

Call me crazy.

Because I am.

It works, but wow, that was an expensive bit of organisation.

The other thing I really wish I had is an outdoor table or food prep area. On beautiful summer nights, cooking outside would be amazing. I have the induction cooktop and the power setup to make it work, but I do not have a permanent outdoor table.

That is one of the bigger regrets from the overall build.

Final Thoughts on My Campervan Kitchen Setup

I love my campervan kitchen setup. It is one of the best parts of the entire van.

It looks good, but more importantly, it works. It lets me cook proper meals, carry fresh food, stay remote longer, eat healthy, save money and feel like I am living in a real home rather than just camping in a vehicle.

That is the difference between a weekend campervan kitchen setup and a full-time van life kitchen setup.

A weekend kitchen can be simple.

A full-time kitchen needs to work every day.

For me, that meant spending more money on quality appliances, building enough bench space, creating a layout that flows properly, and making sure everything had a home.

The best advice I can give someone planning a campervan kitchen setup is this:

Before you finalise anything, go away and use it.

Cook a meal.
Wash dishes.
Open the fridge.
Use the sink.
Make coffee.
Try to move around while someone else is in the van.
See what feels annoying.

You will learn very quickly what works and what does not. The best campervan kitchen layout is not the one that looks the prettiest online.

It is the one that makes life on the road easier every single day. For me, this campervan kitchen setup does exactly that.