RVing with a big family can be really fun but it’s challenging at the same time. Going from place to place with more than one or two people requires a lot of energy and dedication for the trip to be successful.
With the right mindset and lifestyle, it can actually be EASIER to travel with kids in your RV. Whether it be full time RVing or just taking a 2-week road trip together, I want to assure you that you can RV with a big family.
It’s been 2 years since we’ve started RVing with our four kids full-time and we couldn’t be any happier! Here are 10 ways to make RVing with a big family work for you!
1. Don’t Stay In Your RV All Day
One of the challenges for full-time RV living families is the lack of space. But, I swear, a small space is just fine because RVs are only supposed to be used for sleeping, taking breaks, and cooking!
Instead of staying inside your camper or motorhome for all day, explore the outdoors or the new area you are visiting.
This way, even if you have a big family that makes the RV feel a little cramped, you won’t have to endure it for long periods of time. The fun it gives to the adults and children is also worth it.
2. Invest In Gear For Everyone
When traveling with a lot of people, especially with kids, it can be hard to keep track of who gets a turn with the fun hiking CamelBak or what gear you might need for cooking outdoors. Invest in getting the best gifts for RV owners before you set out, and be sure everyone in the family is covered.
This is what we thought of when we bought camelbacks for all four of our kids and our favorite grill that travels well to cook outdoors. It was exciting to hit the road with fun things we wanted or needed.
3. Learn How To Boondock
Many people ask if RV living is expensive. It depends, actually.
For a family of 6 like us, you’d think that following this lifestyle would be very costly. But we’ve learned through our experiences that we can always find cheaper options during our travels.
Boondocking, camping without any hook-ups, is a great way to save money on camping. It’s not always free since some campgrounds charge a small fee like the one we paid for when we camped overnight in Glacier National Park’s campground. But it is free when you camp on BLM land, public land available out West.
So my tip is to learn how to boondock and have fewer expenses on accommodations while you are RVing.
4. Get RV Community Memberships
Your big family can be even bigger when you join RV community memberships.
These communities conduct meet-ups and caravans where you can introduce your kids to other kids and let them have their fun! You can also learn from other families’ RV living tips, especially the ones who’ve been on the road for years.
5. Plan Your Meals
Planning, in general, is a key technique when you’re in a big family. But one of the most important things we have to manage while on the road is our meals!
We can’t always find our favorite markets and stores wherever we go. Making weekly meal plans has helped us know what we NEED to have in our cupboards and refrigerator before we set out on another week of adventuring someplace else.
6. Make Friends With Other RV Families
Sometimes, while visiting a national park or a rally for RVing families, we meet other families with our kind of lifestyle. Socializing with other families can give you several tips on some RVing concerns you may have.
One of the best experiences we’ve had concerning an RV family friend is leaving our kids with them for a short time while we go on dates or get more ‘me-time’.
7. Stay In Touch With Your Relatives
We enjoy the thrill of visiting places we’ve never been to every week or two but we also miss being close to our relatives.
To keep our big family from being too homesick, we stay in touch with our relatives that we had left behind when we decided to make RV living a full-time adventure.
So, if you’re thinking about RVing full-time or for an extended period of time, then plan weekly phone calls or Facetime to stay connected to the grandparents and friends.
8. Communicate With Each Other
Communication is key in any relationship. Know how all of your family members feel about sleeping in an RV, traveling for a period of time and where they want to go.
This way, you can fix some problems before they get bigger and your ties will be much tighter than they were before.
9. Use RV Planner Apps And Tools
To avoid the stress of planning for many people, rely on some remarkable RV planner apps and tools.
Knowing how to use these can make finding campgrounds, planning routes, and even great gas prices so much easier.
10. Plan trips with everyone in mind
When planning, you should consider each and everyone’s interests. Make sure that the destinations you’re visiting are enjoyable for everyone in the family. Talk it over with your kids ahead of time and really listen to their ideas.
We travel with our family not just to fulfill our own dreams but also to spend more time enjoying life with each other, so always consider everyone you’re with. It will make a huge impact on how everyone in the family will adjust.
Make RVing With A Big Family Work For You
Every family and travel style is different. These tips are intended to help get you started on reaching your dreams. Whether you want to RV full time with your family, buy an RV for weekend getaways, or think about taking a 60-day road trip, be sure to communicate with each other about your dreams and goals.
I can talk all day about RV living and traveling tips, but it all comes down to communicating with your family and living the life that you want to live.
