Child-friendly travel tips from a young full-timing family.
By Jennifer Ingram, F485755
July 2019
RV travel is a wonderful way to see and experience the world in which we live. Having children along can greatly enhance this experience, but it also can be a headache. RVs seem to act as amplifiers, making good experiences greater and bad experiences more stressful.
The Ingrams limit daily travel time and take frequent breaks, which helps keep their son, Tucker, content
Although there is no perfect road map to follow when RVing with children, my husband, Jesse, and I have discovered many ways to keep our own young adventurer comfortable and happy, while keeping our stressors to a minimum. We hope some of these ideas help you on your next RV journey. If nothing else, you’ll know you are not alone when you face situations such as your own littles deciding to share the amphibian they caught in a mud puddle just outside your RV, which until recently had clean floors and no amphibians inside.
About two years ago, we began the process of moving into our 2002 American Eagle motorhome for full-time living. We had an ideal transition process, as our 40-foot RV was parked and plugged into utilities outside the home we were preparing to sell.
Does anyone enjoy moving? It’s serious work. And, like many people, during the move our lives already were busy. While we sometimes miss the extra space a stationary home affords, we don’t miss those hectic times. Without a hard-and-fast deadline to transition from home to RV, we dawdled, moving items here and there as time permitted.
Family moments are enjoyed on the road.
We decided to renovate our kitchen before selling the home. After all, it was a chance to move into the RV and ensure everything in it would suit our needs before we set off into the sunset. The very day we committed to moving everything into the motorhome, our son, Tucker, decided to meet us.
As a general rule of thumb, I do not recommend moving into an RV while 8 months pregnant. Babies, it turns out, abide by their own schedules and may decide to grace you with their presence early — a whole month early, in our case. This threw a major wrench in our timeline for getting to know the RV before the baby came.
With help from my mom, we tidied up our messy coach and created a safe home for our baby boy. We’ve lived full-time in the RV ever since.
Although it’s not easy learning how to be a mommy and daddy while adapting to life in an RV, we somehow made it work. We experienced every stage a baby goes through in those first two or so years as we spent time in 14 states; crossed through several time zones; and lived in Baja, Mexico, for three months. We found a doctor to administer our son’s next round of shots in a state we previously had never visited, and dealt with issues such as “He outgrew his bed, and nothing else will fit in the RV!”
Based on our experiences, here are a few tips and tricks I’ve found to help make RV living with littles a bit easier.
Jennifer and Jesse turned the bedroom closet in their motorhome into Tucker’s sleeping quarters.
Be practical with your, and their, space. RVs are small, but it’s important that everyone in the RV has his or her own area. We live in a Type A motorhome with no bunk beds — just one master bedroom and one bathroom. We initially used a travel-sized portable playpen as Tucker’s bed. It fit him perfectly and nestled well into a small area in our bedroom, so long as the slide was out. But whenever the slide was pulled in, his bed suddenly became very much in the way of the shower, bathroom, and hallway. We soon realized the bed was not practical for our sanity, or for his sleeping. Great planning, right?
After trying every conceivable option for bed relocation or modification, we decided it was time to rip off the bandage, so to speak, and make some serious changes to the RV interior. We spent two nights in Eugene, Oregon, in a Home Depot parking lot, where we modified our precious closet space and created Tucker’s new bed.
Limit the drive time on travel days. This sounds like a no-brainer, but we found that our ideal drive time is two to three hours, four hours max. Any longer than that and Tucker gets irritated from being confined in his car seat, and I find it hard to keep him happy. We stop every hour or so to give us all a break and to stretch our legs. Jesse and I had been so accustomed to driving as long as possible before parenthood that traveling shorter distances seemed inefficient at first. It wasn’t until we spent time with RV friends that we learned many full-time RVers don’t travel long distances in a single day if they can help it — especially those with children!
Have a “home base” pediatrician if you can. I absolutely loved Tucker’s pediatrician in Oregon and was sad to leave him, and his care, behind. When we explained our travel plans, he indicated he was open and willing to accept phone calls and to answer simple questions by email. It eased my mind knowing that while I searched for a pediatrician wherever we were, I also could speak to him with any concerns if need be.
Rotating children’s toys makes them appear new.
Rotate their toys. I have to credit Sandra of 1st Class RV Adventures with this one. Her family also lives and works full-time in their RV. She explained that their two kids lose interest in their toys every few weeks, so she’ll grab a different bin of toys and swap them out. I started doing this for Tucker right away, and I was floored by how well it worked! He had “new” toys every week or so, and it didn’t cost a dime or take up extra space.
Try out your RV before leaving. If you have the time, spend a night in your RV before taking off on a trip. Build up the excitement, and use the opportunity to educate your littles about how things work in the RV. We dread the day that Tucker learns he can quickly empty our fresh-water tank by holding down the toilet lever. I see some RV families who even enlist their children’s help in prepping their RV for travel, such as giving older kids the joyous task of coiling up the sewer hoses (high five to those parents who have achieved this one).
The Ingrams use a child carrier/backpack that provides them hands-free movement and positions Tucker up high so that he, too, can enjoy the scenery.
Tips aside, the number-one product we recommend when RVing with littles is a combination child carrier and hiking backpack. We use the Osprey Poco AG Plus to take Tucker on outdoor adventures, carry him through stores, and hold him when we’re cooking. He’s comfortable and seems to enjoy being up high while we’re happily hands-free. This item is available in retail stores and online. We snagged ours at an REI Co-Op “garage sale” event for the price of a box of diapers!
If you travel with children, we would love to hear your thoughts and any great tips you have!
For more about the Ingrams’ full-time travels, go to www.outsideiscalling.com, or find them on social media (search “Outside Is Calling”).