Fishing Pole Mount Installation

Camping and fishing are practically synonymous terms for many RVers including me. When I camp I like to do so near the water not only because I like the view, but also because I like to fish. There’s nothing like waking before the crack of dawn, casting your rod in the water, and catching the big one. Obviously, that means having my fishing pole and tackle ready to go at all times. The problem what that approach is that a fishing pole isn’t the easiest thing to pack away in a 16 ft long truck camper, especially if you have a one-piece, 6 ft long fishing pole like mine.

Like most problem solving ventures, I usually turn to the Internet for solutions. Internet forums like the RV.NET Truck Camper Forum are a gold mine of information because more than likely someone else had this particular problem and came up with a solution that worked. Sure enough, a couple threads were dedicated to this very topic. One guy’s solution was to mount his fishing poles to the ceiling of his camper using broom clamps. While I liked the idea of using broom clamps I didn’t care for mounting them in plain view. Who would want to look at fishing poles hanging from the roof all day and night? Another guy’s solution was to build a fishing pole carrier out of a PVC pipe and mount it outside under one of the wings of the camper. I liked this idea, and almost went this route, until I got another idea that I liked even more.

The Fold down bunk/overhead storage unit in my camper is a pretty neat option I installed shortly after buying my camper. Not only does it work well as a bunk for children, but it also makes a great overhead storage area for linens, towels, books, and tools. Fortunately, this 78-inch long storage unit had massive unused voids near the ceiling where I could mount the fishing pole completely out of the way. With the where out of the way, the next problem for me was the how. After looking at several options, I opted to use the aforementioned broom clamps to mount the pole to the wall (these were just $2.50 a pair at Home Depot). Rugged and sturdy, these clamps are large enough to support another fishing pole mounted in the opposite direction if I choose to go this route at some future time.

View showing the pole stored away.

Storage bunk folded up with all contents hidden.

What makes this solution so appealing is that the pole is completely hidden from view when stored away and takes up zero storage space. One thing I learned from my time in the submarine service is to make use of all “dead space” in voids for storage. You can never have enough storage space in submarines; the same goes for truck campers. This solution uses a previously unused void in my fold down bunk/overhead storage unit and allows me the option to fish whenever I get the whim.

The picture above showing the mounted fishing pole reveals another problem I need to solve with the overhead storage unit. I need shelving up there. There’s more dead space that I can use and some kind of shelving I think will accomplish this. On to my next project…