Why we RV

My husband and I, with our then 2 year old daughter, 9 month old son and mini Aussie shepherd, Flash started RVing for vacations back in 2021. This was during the time when COVID policies have somewhat loosened but the vaccine mandates for travel continued. My husband and I didn’t want to deal with the added stress of masking our small children during the plane ride and endure additional restrictions imposed in our destination. So we decided to find another way to travel which would not only be affordable but also keep us sane. I cannot remember the details of how RVing came to my mind but I remember finding out about RV Atlas, a podcast by a couple Jeremy and Stephanie Puglisi. I bought their book See You at the Campground and started following their FB group. I found out that Stephanie started camping  with their children when their twin boys were really young and now that they are older, camping has helped them enjoy and appreciate the outdoors and made their family closer. Camping with children can be intimidating but according to Stephanie, it can be a lot of fun not only for the kids but also for the grown ups.  I decided I wanted that for my own family and reading about her experience inspired me to do the same. I wanted my children to have an appreciation and respect for nature, to see the beauty of our country and I wanted us to be a family that really enjoyed each others company. 

When we bought our Grand Design Imagine 2910BH, my daughter was 2 years old, my son was about 9 months old and I was expecting. We chose our trailer because it had ample space for all of us and it wasn’t so big that it would limit from staying in national parks if we chose to do so. Our first trip was close to where we live, Lake Thurmond RV park. We were not picky. We wanted something nearby in case we have any issues with our new trailer and tow vehicle. We also wanted our kids to adjust to a longer than usual car ride. Our second trip was at St. Petersburg Campground, less than an hour away and that same year we ventured into our farthest trip yet, Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge, Georgia, an hour and half drive from our home.

RVing with small children poses a number of unique challenges. I remember the first few nights on the campground. My husband and I will usually be sleep deprived because the children are still trying to get used to the trailer and the new environment. There is also a learning curve in parking and setting up the trailer and so in the beginning because it took us longer, the children will be crying in the backseat which would frazzle both me and my husband. There is more additional baby stuff to bring that can cramp up an already limited space in the trailer. There is also the need to baby/toddler proof both inside and outside the trailer and you are limited to choose from campgrounds that are mostly kid friendly. But even with these challenges, we have come to enjoy RV camping. It just takes some planning, preparation and flexibility. 

My daughter is now 4, my son is 2 and my youngest is 18 months and we have taken them to Pirateland in Myrtle Beach, James Island County Park  in Charleston and just recently this past March at Huntington Beach State Park and I can see how our trips have become less stressful and more enjoyable. I attribute this positive change in being more adaptable and learning to let go of wanting to always be in control. Things do not always go according to plan (the weather, children not feeling well, water is not working etc) and that to be angry at your husband and to be resentful for not being able to do what you plan to do defeats the purpose of becoming closer as a family and building fond memories. The best thing to do in a seemingly bad situation is to find the good in it. I have also learned to set realistic expectations. Sometimes we go to a campground thinking about all the fun activities (hiking, swimming etc) we want to do with our kids and when we cannot do them we may feel we wasted that day etc. We, adults, also cannot really be as active as we would like going camping because our children are still young and not physically ready to do some of the strenuous activities. We might just end up playing with chalk or collecting rocks. We forget that children can have fun even with the most mundane things… think of the random water bottle or the buckle on the car seat. Case in point, when asked what her favorite part of our recent camping trip was, my toddler said it was making the campfire. These seemingly undesirable and unforeseen situations do not really deter us from teaching our children about the beauty of nature, to be grateful about the simple things in life and to give greater importance to the people we are with than the activities themselves. Any activity, whether it be hiking, swimming, going for a picnic, sitting together talking or just taking a walk or watching the sunrise or sunset can be done with love and that makes them great memories.