Two Moms On Their Road Trip With Kids Tips

Family Activities

Thinking About A Family Road Trip? Read These Mamas’ Tips

Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano

Jul 2, 2021

When it comes to family vacations, 2020—and now 2021—will definitely go down as the summer of the road trip. With Covid restrictions still placed on the bulk of the country, taking one’s shelter on the road has become the safest—and oftentimes most economical—way to explore surrounding areas and farther flung destinations. If you’re thinking of renting an RV for the first time, taking your own vehicle on your journey, or just need a refresher on road life, we have not one, but two mothers (L.A.-based Priscilla Vega and S.F.-based Terra Becks) who have been vacationing via road trip for the past four years. Read their stories below, which include the ups and downs of life on the road, as well as their best tried-and-tested tips.

Want more on-the-road advice? Read Bionca Smith‘s Mom Talk essay about her choice to make #vanlife a way of life for her and her son…every single day!

Got a toddler on board? Be sure to read this advice on surviving a road trip with a toddler.

: The sweet San Francisco-based family.

: "Three trips and a total of 8,000 miles. On our first trip we went from San Francisco to Oregon to Washington to Canada, then back through Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and back home to San Francisco. On our second trip we went down the California coast, from San Francisco to Big Sur to Los Osos to Santa Barbara, and back up through Cambria, Big Sur, and Carmel. On our third trip we went through the Eastern Sierras in California—through Coloma, Donner, Wylder, Oh Ridge (June Lake), and Santa Cruz. This last trip we traveled with friends who have two kids the same age as ours. I highly recommend this experience if you can! After months of limited social interactions, it was really amazing for all of us to spend time with other humans."

: "The first trip we had a Quantum Mercedes Sprinter Van 2018 (25-feet long), our second trip was a View Mercedes Sprinter Van 2019 (26-feet long), and our third trip was a Ford Sunseeker 2019 (27-feet long). All of these worked well for our family of four and we probably didn't need one as big as 27-feet, but it was all we could find available to rent for our most recent trip."

: "The first year we decided to RV was 2018, when my daughter was 18 months old and my son 5. I was in between jobs and my husband had just left his job and he really wanted to go on a long road trip. So, we decided to embark on a 7-week road trip to Canada. I'm not going to lie, I was intimated and it felt like a long time to live in a camper van with two little kids, and also planning the whole thing felt daunting."

"My husband took control of booking all of our sites and mapping our route and has done so for most of our trips since. Once we got familiar with the camper and settled into road life, it was really amazing. We loved driving into a new campground or looking for a place to dry camp and then there's all the things to do along the way. My kids love the outdoors and it's really great to let them just roam and get dirty. This was a little more scary the first time we went, since my daughter was so young, but to this day she still talks about that trip and it makes me happy that they will have these shared memories."

: "I think RV'ing allows you the ability to disconnect completely in order to reconnect as a family. WiFi is usually spotty or nonexistent, which is such a gift, albeit sometimes really frustrating! This last trip I managed to finish two books in two weeks—I can't remember the last time I did that. We swam in rivers and lakes, went rafting, rode bikes, and spent a lot of time around the campfire. Overall, I think the simplicity and slowness of each day where your only goal is to eat, sleep, build a fire, and explore is something really special in a normal world, but especially during these challenging times."

: "1.) Car Seats. Most campers have lap belts only, but make sure you ask, as not all do. RV's are pretty secure, but obviously not the same as a car.

2.) Packing. I usually pack a week's worth of clothes for everyone, even for our 7-week road trip. Usually we need to do laundry after the first week. And I put the kids' clothes in plastic shoe box bins. It seems crazy, but it’s much easier to pull a bin out than deal with piles of clothing, especially with kids. And I may have labeled them the first time we went!

3.) The Kitchen. Bring a camping stove, as you won’t always want to use the camper van's kitchen—i.e. everyone might be asleep and you may want to sneak out and make coffee, which means a Bialetti or French press come in handy. Pots, and all the usual stuff you would want to cook with, oven mitts, and basic seasonings go a long way on the road! Stasher Bags or plastic bags are helpful for marinating and storage, and don't forget a can opener and an extra sponge!

: 4.) Planning. As much as possible, we like to avoid actual RV parks. They’re usually not as fun or remote, but lots of campgrounds have RV spots and hookups, and evening better is dry camping or ‘boondocking’ and using your generator if you need power. There are a lot of websites with information, as you don’t book RV parks, but it's good to do research in advance if you know where you’ll be.

5.) Plugging In. Just because you’re out in nature doesn’t mean you won’t want some screen-time! Download things beforehand because WiFi is usually terrible, and check your hot spot capability if you need to work...and pack DVD's!

6.) Laundry Tip. Bring cash and quarters for fire wood and laundry. And make sure to pack detergent and stain remover!

7. Camper Size. We have rented a 25, 26, and 27-foot camper and all were plenty big/cozy for two adults and two kids. Outdoorsy is great for rentals, and HipCamp is great for unique spots to make camp."

: "The biggest challenge for us was too many transitions, especially the first time we went RV'ing because we were trying to drive to Canada and back in 7 weeks, so we usually only stayed at a site for one night. This was hard on the kids and also on us, as there's a lot to pack up and unpack. Also, it's not necessarily a challenge, but we would need to get groceries every 2-3 days, so I had to make sure we were going to pass through a town and coordinate stopping on our way. I usually mapped out where we would stop beforehand and tried to avoid busy town centers if possible. Driving a camper in a crowded area is a recipe for damage (we tore our sun shade trying to park in Bend, Oregon) or at least some disagreement with your partner!"

"My husband might say his biggest challenge was doing all the driving. He drove the whole time except for on our first trip when he got an infection (cellulitis) in his knee and I had to drive him to the ER—it wasn't that bad! He also handled all the sewage, water, and hookups, which I have to be honest, is gross but somebody has to do it and I will happily let him handle it."

: For more on Terra, be sure to follow along on her Instagram feeds @littleroadtrippers, @mapamundikids, and @terrabecks.

: The sweet Los Angeles-based family.

: "I've lost count, but I would say somewhere in the 25-30 range."

: "We haul a 2017 25-foot Airstream with a 2016 Chevy Tahoe."

: "We've been traveling with our Airstream now for 3 years. Mostly throughout the summer, we'll adventure out at least once a month for extended weekend trips, taking advantage of all the incredible places within a 3-4 hour drive of where we live in Los Angeles, with 1 bigger trip a year. The bigger trip is usually 1-2 weeks long and somewhere out of state. Because of COVID-19, we've been heading out more often and decided on two bigger trips this fall."

: "1.) Entertainment. Since we're pretty limited in space, I like to dedicate an entire art bin for activities. I'll stuff it with stickers, paints, and Play-Doh. We also pack a bag of Magna-Tiles and when we get to our site, I'll lay out a mat with their activities and let them have at it. The kids love collecting rocks and pinecones to paint. We also bring along a tiny pop-up tent. Even though we have the trailer, the kids like hanging out in the little tent during the day and sneaking in one last time at night to tell stories or giggle away from mom and dad. I personally love seeing the tiny tent from the outside shaking with laughter.

2.) Picnic Tables. Most camp sites will provide a picnic table, some are 6-feet and others are 9-feet. We have 3-piece fitted picnic and bench covers for both sizes. They're super easy to throw on top of dirty and dusty tables.

3.) Pop-Up Tent. Our trailer has an awning, but since we spend the majority of our time outside, the E-Z UP is nice for extra shade over the picnic table so we can keep the area under the awning for play and cooking prep.

: 4.) Cozy Fires. My favorite part of camping with the kids is the fire at the end of the day. We have a Solo Stove, which we love because it's easy to transport and when we're not on the road, we set it up at home. Some sites don't allow for wood-burning fires, so we have a portable gas fire pit as well.

5.) Clean Feet! It's so easy to drag dust, mud, and beach sand in and out of the trailer. We have a portable Stokke tub we keep just outside for a quick feet dip. The kids also take advantage of the tub of water by rinsing off their rocks and treasures they find around the site. Side note: when they were babies, we used to use the tub to give them bedtime baths outside. Sadly, those days are over, but I love that we continue to use the tub.

6.) Boxed Wine. They make some good enough rosé in boxes these days and I'm grateful for it.

7.) A Diffuser. We have a Vitruvi diffuser and keep it running for a sweet subtle scent in the trailer, but also just fill it with water at night for a nice cool humidifier throughout the evening."

: "When my husband first recommended we become a camping family, I was NOT on board. But he managed to convince me to give it a shot when he started throwing out the word 'Airstream.' We spent about a year researching before finally deciding to pull the trigger. The freedom of taking off whenever we want and the excitement of planning a trip is all so absolutely magical. We both work from home, so it's easy to get consumed by our professions. The road forces us to unplug and reconnect as a family. Another unexpected benefit of life on the road is that it really makes you appreciate every little thing. Since becoming a road-tripping family, we've really scaled back on all the things at home. You can say we sort of accidentally became a minimalist family by our appreciation of tiny space living on the road."

: "Because our youngest is 3-years-old, he's still not totally happy in the car for extended periods of time, so we're a bit limited to 3-4 hour chunks of driving time. For example, we're about to make our way up to Santa Cruz, which is a 7-hour drive, but we're stopping in Ventura for a couple days to break up the drive. As the little guy gets older, we'll make our way out for trips up the Pacific Northwest or towards the Rocky Mountains. For now, the shorter trips are limited to the easier-to-access locations around L.A."