10 Essential Tips for Full-Time RV Living with Kids
Full-time RV living with kids is becoming increasingly popular as telecommuting jobs and online work opportunities grow. Homeschooling resources are also more accessible, making it easier for families to hit the road and explore the world.
However, RV living, especially with kids, comes with its own set of challenges. Here are 10 essential tips to ensure your family’s RV adventure is as wonderful as you hope it will be.
1. Choose Your RV Wisely
Selecting the right RV is crucial. Look for a rig with a separate bunk room and master bedroom.
Doors inside the RV are a must, and ample storage space (as well as floor space for playing) is ideal. Some families might also want to consider a rig with two bathrooms.
2. Set Up an Outdoor Living Space
Even the largest RV can feel tiny at times, especially with the whole family inside. Setting up an outdoor living space wherever you park can provide a much-needed escape.
Include items like a Clam tent for extra work/play space, hammocks for relaxing, an outdoor rug, plenty of chairs, and some sort of lighting. Make it comfortable so everyone wants to spend time out there!
3. Purge, Purge, Purge
Regularly purging unnecessary items is essential for maintaining comfort in a tiny home. Kids tend to accumulate a lot of stuff quickly, especially when spending time with family.
Do a good purge of toys, clothes, and household items before moving into your RV, and set aside time to purge again at least every six months to keep clutter at a minimum.
4. Stay Organized, But Get Accustomed to Mess
Having a good organization system will help the space feel bigger. Choose an RV with plenty of storage space and find ways to make the most of it.
Bins with lids, hanging storage systems, and vacuum bags are all useful. Just keep in mind that there will always be some clutter. Learn to embrace the mess as a sign that your family is making the most of life.
5. Discuss Water and Electricity Conservation
If you plan on boondocking or camping without hookups, you’ll need to talk to your kids about conservation.
Boondocking means camping without any hookups, so electricity, water, and waste tank space are very limited. Teach your kids not to run water mindlessly or leave electronics running for no reason.
6. Dole Out Chores
Kids who live in houses have chores, and there’s no reason kids who live in RVs shouldn’t have chores too.
Assign your kids household tasks like wiping down countertops and sinks, helping dump tanks, and walking trash to the campground dumpster if they’re old enough.
7. Roadschool Your Way
Most RVing families opt for homeschooling, which offers flexibility and the opportunity to tailor your homeschool style to fit your child’s needs.
Weave your travel adventures into your studies and give yourself the freedom to create your own unique roadschool style. Don’t worry about conforming to any particular style of homeschooling.
Instead, pick and choose what works for your family and allow it to evolve as your family grows and changes.
8. Know Where to Find Traveling Friends
Nobody wants to go without friends for a long period, especially kids who crave peer-to-peer interaction. Fortunately, you can find friends for your kids and yourself while RVing full time. Thousand Trails campgrounds are always full of full-time RVing families.
Additionally, communities like Fulltime Families, Xcapers, and Republic of Nomads have events for younger RVers, meaning plenty of families with kids. Once you meet families that your family clicks with, get their contact info and make plans to meet up as often as possible.
9. Include the Kids in Planning
People tend to be much more excited about trips that they help plan. Within reason, try to give the kids a say in where you go and what you do.
Offer choices as often as possible and always take everyone’s opinions into account. This will help keep the whole family happy on the road so your full-time RV lifestyle can be as long-lived as you’d like it to be.
10. Take Things Slow
Learning to travel slowly will help keep you on the road longer. This can be challenging at first, since you start out wanting to see and do all the things. However, trying to live in vacation mode for more than a couple of months will definitely lead to burnout.
Instead, allow yourself a few weeks or even a couple of months to explore each area, keep travel days short and sweet, and allow plenty of days for work, school, chores, and simply hanging out at home. You’ll be glad you did!
Plan Your Next Family Trip
For all of your camping and trip planning needs, look no further than RV LIFE Campground Reviews and RV LIFE Trip Wizard. Campground Reviews is a trusted source of campground and RV park reviews offered by camping and RV enthusiasts just like you.
RV Trip Wizard gets you to your camping destinations utilizing RV-friendly routes specific to your RV and travel preferences.
Been to a campground lately? Don’t forget to leave a review! Reviews help other RVers like yourself, and they help the campground. Leave a campground review today!
By following these tips, you can ensure that your family’s RV adventure is not only enjoyable but also sustainable. Happy travels!
