How to RV With Kids in 2021

We’ll be the first to agree that children bring so many positive changes to our lives - but they also make it just a little bit harder to get up & go whenever you please! Once you add kids into the mix, the days of slinging a backpack into the backseat and heading off for adventure are quickly replaced with packing, prepping and a lot more stuff. Take into account a second pandemic year, and we understand how RVing with kids in 2021 can feel like a huge undertaking.

The team at South Thompson RV is here to give exhausted parents everywhere peace-of-mind that it can be possible, and downright fun, to RV with the kids this summer! We’ve put together a list of helpful tips & tricks for RVing with kids in 2021, including how to manoeuvre local changes brought about by COVID-19, to help ensure that the whole family can enjoy a safe and memorable camping season.

South Thompson’s Guide to Surviving RV Camping with Kids

We can’t stress this point enough: planning is key! Doing things on-the-fly is already challenging when you’ve got kids in tow, but when you can’t count on restaurants, rest stops and other resources to be open due to rolling lockdown rules, it can throw a major wrench in your day. Planning ahead for things like meals, unforeseen emergencies and having enough clothing (on the chance that you can’t find a place to do laundry) will all help you avoid mid-trip meltdowns - from the kids and adults. Here are a few more tips on how to pull off a successful family camping trip:

• Reserve places to park and sleep in advance. There’s no way to predict how busy BC parks and campgrounds will be each year. What might have been a fun night spent under the stars when you were a couple can turn into a disastrous night of looking for a place to park, sleep and stay when you’ve got kids. Be sure to reserve a campsite before you hit the road.

• Consider an RV with enough space. When you’re travelling with kids, you’ll simply need to carry a lot more gear. Clothes, toys, food, the pack-and-play, diapers - the list goes on! If you’ve been thinking of purchasing a new RV, consider a model with enough space to comfortably house your family and all of their stuff. Considering trading up your current unit? Now might be the perfect time to get a newer model that has extra storage solutions for your growing family.

• Pack extra entertainment. Normally we’d say that being in the great outdoors is entertainment enough! But in 2021, you might show up to a campground only to find that the hiking trails, beach or communal spaces are closed. Consider packing extra entertainment that can keep the kids busy while staying close to the RV. We’re thinking things like lawn games, extra books and art supplies, musical instruments, board games, a blow-up pool or sprinkler, and a new camera for taking neat nighttime photos.

• Food. Food. Food. There is nothing quite like the wrath of a hangry child. Roadside restaurants and small grocery stores might be harder to find in 2021, so stock your pantry as if it’s the only food you’ll have during the entire trip.

• Bathroom upgrades might be necessary. Most BC campgrounds and parks have at least some sort of access to bathrooms - except, of course, during a global pandemic. You may want to upgrade your plumbing system to something more efficient, learn how to (safely and legally!) empty your waste tanks on your own, and pre-plan stops where you can refill your fresh water. This might also mean more, ahem, time spent getting up close and personal with the great outdoors, so a squatty-potty system with plenty of compostable toilet paper will come in handy. Trust us.

The First Rule of RV Camping With Kids? Have Fun!

Hopefully we haven’t scared you too much, because the honest-to-goodness truth about RV camping with your children is that it creates wonderful memories that your entire family is sure to cherish forever. Is it a lot of work? Yep! Can a lot go wrong? You bet! Will you yell “I’m turning this RV around” at least once? Guaranteed! But even the odd hiccups will be looked back upon with laughter and fondness one day, and you’ll never regret spending these fleeting moments with your kids while you still have the chance. So slow down, unplug and reconnect with your loved ones as you take on RV camping in BC this summer. And if you still have questions about RVs, packing, trip planning, compostable toilet paper(!), RV upgrades and just about anything else you can think of, South Thompson RV is here to see you through it. Browse through our inventory of new and used RVs, read our helpful and informative RV Blog, or simply give us a call today - we’ll help you get ready for an exciting year of RV camping with your family!