I have always wanted to get an RV or even just a pop-up for our family to help put some ease to our travels. Road trips and overnight stays would be much easier and cheaper. I have decided to partner with Shelley Trupert from Outdoorsy to bring to all travel loving moms out there these RV travel hacks. I hope you enjoy it and that it helps you on future family travels.
RV TRAVEL HACKS FOR MOMS
Traveling with your children in an RV is one of the best ways to see the world and yet feel like you still have all of the comfort of your own home. As a family, you have certain requirements that can make travel feel tricky. An RV takes care of these issues with everything you need right there with you. No need to worry about where you are going to try to have a potty break, and an easy transition for children with their beds, pillows and stuffed animals right there at the end of an exciting day exploring new destinations.
An RV is really a mom’s best friend for any trip because let’s face it, taking a vacation should be fun and relaxing. For moms that means being able tos it back and enjoy the ride. With televisions, DVD players, and tables for board games, there are so many ways to keep the kids entertained while you travel between destinations. Nap times are easy and you also don’t have to stop every hour for bathroom breaks. It’s truly a win-win for everyone. But traveling in an RV doesn’t come without a few challenges. These RV hacks will help simplify your travel and make for a smooth vacation that everyone will enjoy!
Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post. You can learn more about this in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for using our links and for your support.
CAR SEAT SAFETY
If you are traveling with little ones, car seats might be your biggest annoyance. Depending on the type of RV you are riding in, there are a few different options for car seats. Trailers of fifth wheels are a great option because everyone travels in their regular vehicle seats. Some campervans are also setup to easily allow car seat installation. Motorhomes are trickier because there is not always a safe place to install a car seat other than the passenger seat. If you only have one car seat that works well, as the view is usually enough to keep little ones occupied (or asleep) for hours. If you are renting an RV, look for a newer model that are designed with car seat installation in mind.
CREATE YOUR OWN STORAGE
Finding spots to store all of the stuff that you bring along can be difficult. As a mom, the ease of having everything on hand in an RV is balanced by the frustration of constantly tripping over it. Prepare beforehand and pick up some over the door organizers. These usually come in multiple sizes and have pockets to make it easy to store everything just where you need it. Hang one over your bathroom door and you will have space for shampoo, soap, toiletries, a first aid kit, wipes and extra toilet paper. That way it is easy to grab while also being out of the way.
Related Article: Eco-friendly Female Hygiene Outdoors
There are many other different ways that you can create storage to maximize your space in the RV. Whether you choose to add some hooks at the door for jackets, a shoe rack, a hanging organizer in the closet, or baskets under the beds, the options are endless. This is extremely important when you find your container to keep their personal belongings, that way everything has a place and you can enjoy the trip without constantly wondering where to put everything.
BUG SPRAY + SUNSCREEN
Let’s be honest, it can be tricky to get your children to stand still long enough to put sunscreen on, let alone bug spray. If you’re camping in the forest or near a lake, it’s pretty easy to get bitten by mosquitoes all while getting a sunburn. Neither are ideal. Luckily, you can find bug spray that has added SPF. They’re often DEET-free and water resistance which means no more struggling.
Make a point to put it on at the beginning of the day and reapply before every meal. This serves as a good reminder and ensures your children will be protected throughout their daily activities. Wearing long clothes and a hat is a must. Teach your children to keep a hat on their head by allowing them to pick it out. They can choose their hat but that means they have to wear it. This stops any arguments before they start.
FREE CAMPING
Vacations don’t always go as planned and there might be a time where you need to stop overnight unplanned. Finding a campground at the last-minute can be tricky, especially if you’re looking for free camping. If you need to stop overnight, you can always stop at a Wal-Mart parking lot overnight for free. It’s always best to get in contact with the store manager for permission.
Another great option is boondocking which is free dry camping with no hookups. This is a great option if you are looking to save some money. Traveling with kids can get expensive and some campsite charge extra for families. If you are trying to keep the budget low and are not wanting to travel beyond your daily limit, look at ways to camp for free safely. There are RV groups on social media where people trade camping spaces and free opportunities are available.
A word of warning on this hack is to be careful. Free camping is not always safe. If at all possible, look up your options before you get to a destination. When traveling with children you want to have a safe space available so you might want to stick with the free government land sites and more public area. Private camping and online arrangements should always be approached with caution. With that warning made, free camping can be a great way to travel while saving for some of the more fun attractions.
Related Article: Tips For Entertain Your Kids During Camping Trips
Looking for more FREE things? See how you can get a FREE RV on this post by Camper Smarts
STOCK UP BEFORE YOUR TRIP
If you’re renting an RV there’s a good change that it has everything that you need. But there might be times where you’re missing a few things. This also goes for when you buy a new RV. Nothing is more draining than spending hours upon hours packing. In order tos ave you some time and a headache, keep an eye out at garage sales or thrift stores. Collect cups, bowls, silverware, bedding, etc. Then when it comes time for your trip, all you have to worry about is your clothes and food!
Packing food is going to make you love RV life. Although small, you will likely have all the essentials of a kitchen. Buy good ahead of time to save money and know that you have all your kid’s favorites. You want to really rock the road trip, bake treats and prepare meals ahead of time that way you have zero meal prep and lots of delicious snacks and meals for the trip. Since you have a fridge, freezer, storage space and often a stove, oven, and microwave, there is nothing you cannot make. When you have hungry kids at the end of a long day exploring, you will be thankful to come back to the RV where everything is ready for you.
Related Article: Road Trip Boredom Busters For Kids
LAUNDRY
Doing laundry in an RV can be quite the pain, especially if you aren’t staying at camps with laundry facilities. Traveling with kids, especially outdoors, can lead to a lot of stains. Keep laundry products like Downy wrinkle remover, Tide pens, and Febreeze fabric refresher on hand to help keep clothes refreshed, smelling good, and clean in between washes on long trips.
To save your sanity have separate outside and inside clothes. That way kids can get grubby exploring the beach or the playground and since they charge when they come in, everything remains cleaner and sand free.
Though there are hundreds of travel hacks, these few will help you survive your RV trips and make them a whole lot easier. Creating your own storage, getting smart with laundry, stocking up on goods before you go, and more will help your trip go over smoothly and efficiently which means you get to enjoy making memories with your family.
Have you been RV’ing with your kids before? What travel hacks do you have? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear what you do to make your family vacations easier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shelley Truper works for Outdoorsy, an RV marketplace for consumers and pros. She has been camping for almost 20 years and is always looking to find the next hike, off the beaten path. While she used to enjoy tenting in the wilderness, she prefers to camp in an RV now – whether it is a Class C or a teardrop trailer – to enjoy a little comfort after a long day outdoors and the ease of travel it provides. Her goal is to hike in all of the national parks in North America.
You can check out more of ourgear and kid-travel tips here if you like. Also, if you enjoyed this article feel free to sign up for our newsletter here (Free 21 page Camping Planner when you sign-up and full access to our TWM Tribe Resource Library which has monthly freebies and activities for you and your family) or follow our adventures on Instagram so you can stay up to date on upcoming travel adventures, tips, gear reviews, recipes and more. Don’t forget to share or pin to save it. Thank you for reading.
