078 What You Need to Know About Taking an RV Trip with Your Family

Now that we will be traveling closer to home for the next few months, a family trip in an RV is becoming a popular vacation option. If you’ve never rented an RV, you will want to listen in as Lisa talks with Shauna Kocman from Family Travel Fever about everything you want to know to make your family RV trip a success. We discuss the benefits of an RV trip, things you will want to pack, how to manage the food, where to rent an RV, how to find great campgrounds, and great places to go in an RV.

Join Lisa and Shauna to learn everything you need to know before setting off on your family RV adventure.

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“RV trips allow you to unpack once, move a lot of people, and stay in a clean place.”

— Shauna Kocman

Benefits of RV Travel

No unpacking!
Move a lot of people in one vehicle
Stay in a place that you have cleaned (unlike a hotel)
Stay in friends’ or relatives’ yards when you visit. You have your own space but still get to be close to people you are visiting.
Cooking en-route and saving money
Space for lots of kids and noise
You can bring your pets

RV Rental Options

National Rental Companies

Cruise America (in the US) and CanaDream (in Canada.)

Look for specials and pay attention to what is included. Oftentimes the linens or dishes cost extra.

Sharing Economy (like Airbnb for RVs)

RVshare and Outdoorsy

You get insider information since you are renting from the person who owns that vehicle. If you are staying in the area, ask the owner for tips on places they like to go.

Things to Consider When Renting

Know your RV types - motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer
Are there length limits are the campgrounds you will be visiting?
What type of electric power is offered at your campsite? Make sure it matched what the RV has.
Know how many seats and seatbelts you need

What to Pack

Check out this great packing list on Shauna’s site.

In addition to the regular clothes and toiletries you pack on vacation, consider adding the following to your RV packing list.

Safety - Roadside emergency kit with flares or triangles
First aid kit for camping
Small toolkit
Cleaning supplies and a little vacuum or dust devil
Small fan for cooling and noise
Electric appliances like a skillet and Instant Pot
Camping necessities that you enjoy - life jackets, camp chairs, hiking gear
S’mores ingredients, flip flops and fold down scooters
Camera, electronics and charging cables

RV Food Tips

When traveling near home and under a week, prep things, precook what you can, and add to the fridge and freezer in the RV. For example, bacon should be precooked - so difficult to cook without the fire alarm going off.
Bake everything in the large oven at home and then freeze.
If flying in or long road trips - Make a menu plan for the entire time. Start off with some food and then shop.
Costco is a great place to get food if you have space in the RV. Grab pizza there for lunch for the family while you shop.
We eat in the camper along the way for lunches and dinners. Find a park, look at the Google map for parking, pull up to the park, and eat warm dinner.

How to Find Great RV Campgrounds

You can use a mix of public, private, and boondocking (no services.)
Start with a Google search and find review sites and lists. Also, look at a topographical map and zoom in to see campers.
Call the local recreation and federal lands offices and ask.
Public lands like Forest Service and BLM on the government websites
State Parks on state sites
County and City Campgrounds will be on the local government websites
Private campgrounds will be listed on review sites and their own
For Boondocking, use a good map with property ownership like OnX app map.

Favorite RV Trip Destinations

Shauna shared all about tow of her favorite places she’s gone in an RV with her family.

Oregon Coast - state campgrounds right on the beach and a private campground on a lake.
North Platte, NE has one of our favorite little campgrounds I80 Lakeside Campground. You can read more from Shauna about this location here.

Thank you, Shauna, for sharing all of this helpful information! I hope this helps families get out and explore in an RV.

Connect with Shauna:

Family Travel Fever Website

Instagram

Stop by our NEW SHOP to check out our custom travel t’s, stickers, and travel journal.

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