We’ve now completed four RV road trips with kids ranging from 2-5 years old. Our first was a Southwest road trip visiting the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon and more. After its success we went on two more, a Nevada road trip and one through Southern California exploring Huntington Beach, Oceanside, and Anza Borrego State Park. Our first time RVing we had a lot of questions beforehand. Would RVing with kids be inconvenient or would be fall in love? Here’s everything you need to know about vacationing in an RV.
How to Rent an RV
You do not have to own an RV to take an RV road trip vacation. We rented our RV on Outdoorsy, which is like Airbnb for RVs. Sign up here for $50 off your first rental and see below for rentals in your area.
Cooking and Eating in an RV with Kids
Driving and living in an RV made snack and meal time very easy as a family. Before getting on the road we stocked the fridge, freezer, and cabinets with food and drinks. Whenever the girls wanted a snack it was easy to give it to them.
When we wanted to stop for lunch we were able to pull into a rest stop or parking lot and make sandwiches. This saved us a lot of time and money as eating out for every meal on a road trip can get very expensive.
You can make almost anything you could at home in an RV. Our Class RV came with a 3-burner stove. We were able to make pancakes, eggs, and oatmeal. In the evenings we were able to make spaghetti and meatballs, pan roasted chicken and other meats. Our RV also came with an oven, it was small but you could bake chicken or other foods in there. It also had a microwave to pop popcorn or warm up food.
The girl’s favorite part about cooking in the RV was the ability for us to cook and eat outdoors. All of the RV Parks we stayed at had benches right next to our RV and some at had fire pits and grills. We made s’mores one evening and it was nice to keep all the messiness that comes with it outside the RV.
You May Be Interested in Reading: How to Plan the Perfect California Road Trip
Showering in an RV
While RV’s come with full bathrooms they aren’t the biggest. However in a Class C RV like we had the shower is a decent size. It was large enough for me, a 5’ 2”, 135lb woman, to shower with one of my daughters in there with me. It is also large enough to fit a baby tub if you need to use one.
Sleeping in an RV
Our Class C RV had four different beds. It had a traditional Queen size bed in a bedroom that could close off from the rest of the RV for privacy.
The dining room table folds down into a bed which is the perfect size for little kids. The couch also folds down into a bed and can easily fit a shorter adult or kids.
The last bed is a bunk above the front seat. It’s about the width of a full size bed but longer. Depending on the RV you are renting or purchase you can add a railing to prevent kids from rolling off. You can also choose to install a curtain to block out the light from the rest of the RV or provide privacy.
Sleeping in an RV with an infant? With the slides out there was enough space to put a pack n’ play or travel crib. We were able to fit a travel crib in front of the dining table.
Is There Room to Play in an RV?
The amount of space for kids to play inside the RV will depend on the size your rent or buy. In our Class C RV with the slides out our girls had quite a bit of space to play on the floor. They also enjoyed playing and watching movies in the bunk. In addition to that space we were able to play board games as a family or the girls could color at the dining table.
We never felt cramped since the RV parks have so much space outside. Whether the girls were running around or playing at the park that some RV parks have they were able to get their energy out. Our trip was during the winter so we didn’t experience swimming but a few of the RV Parks we stayed at also had pools.
We really enjoyed our RV road trip, driving and sleeping in the RV with kids. Now every time our girls see an RV on the road they get so excited. We will definitely be planning another RV road trip soon. Here are tips for surviving road trips with kids. Did you find this post helpful? Please share it!
This post is sponsored by Go RVing. All opinions are my own and true, after all since this trip we’ve taken two other RV trips, we might be addicted!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I have a question. How did mileage work? Did you find one with unlimited miles or were you allotted a set amount per day for the RV rental?
You’re welcome! On Outdoorsy all the listings said the mileage allotment. Ours was 130 miles per day and then $0.35 per mile over. We went over by 400 miles and ended up paying an additional $145 but it was worth it. I saw some that only offered 100 miles per day and some that cost up to $0.50 for mile over. I’m sure it’s something you can negotiate as well, maybe depending on the person.
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