6 Ways Our Family’s RV Trip Was The Momcation I Really Needed

The first vacation we took when my oldest was a toddler was a nightmare. There was screaming on the plane, no sleep, and worst of all, Uni — a beloved stuffed unicorn — was lost. By the time we got home, I was seriously ready for a vacation from my vacation.

Then we had more kids, and suddenly the cost of booking flights and hotel rooms plus entertainment and food for all of us brought the realization that we could either send these kids to college someday or go on a vacation that none of us would fully enjoy.

But no vacation seemed like a bad choice, too. So we thought about staycations or nearby getaways, but nothing really appealed to us until we decided to rent an RV.

GAME. CHANGER.

This time, vacation was relaxing, fun, low-key, and a genuine joy. Here’s why.

1. Back to Nature But With a Glow Up

Before kids, my husband and I went tent camping frequently. But the first time we took our oldest, it was a disaster. There was the near-fall into the fire, the black eye from the corner of the picnic table bench, and NO SLEEPING. But the RV gives us shelter, literally, while also letting us be in the outdoors we love. It’s like vacation adulting.

2. Yes, You Can Have Chicken Fingers for Dinner AGAIN

All kids go through a phase where they are only willing to eat three things that you can’t cook over a campfire or in a hotel room. Trying to feed kids at a hotel restaurant only works if your idea of a good time on vacation is an overly tired hungry kid rejecting their dinner, AGAIN. The RV we rented had a fridge, a stove, and blessedly, a microwave.

3. Keeping It Cool Instead of Sweltering

I don’t know if you’ve ever had the pleasure of trying to sleep on a rubber air mattress in a sleeping bag in a sweltering tent on a hot July night, but it’s the worst. To be honest, this was my fave thing about the RV: We didn’t have to suffer on the nights it was super sticky and hot. We could just flip on the air and cool the space down in a few minutes. RELIEF.

4. Campgrounds Are Basically Resorts Now and Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

Okay, there aren’t many waltz lessons, but have you seen modern campgrounds? Swimming pools, awesome playgrounds, game rooms, snack bars, and even minigolf can be found at campgrounds where you can hook up your RV to water, sewer, electricity and even Wi-Fi. Plus, there are all kinds of fun kid-friendly activities. My kids were NEVER bored.

5. FaceTime IRL Is Pretty Much the Best

While we could use Wi-Fi at most campgrounds, we found that we all preferred doing outdoor things during the day and then relaxing in the evenings around the fire. We told ghost stories and ate s’mores, and it was EVERYTHING. And unlike a hotel room where we felt like hostages in a dark room once the kids were asleep, my husband and I stayed up by the fire just talking while the kids slept inside the RV. Literally perfect.

6. Cash Me Outside

We saved SO MUCH MONEY. Literal thousands of dollars not wasted on flights, by not eating out for every single meal, and even more by not having to pay for multiple hotel rooms so we could all fit. On top of that, we didn’t have to pay for entertainment either because the campgrounds had everything. We added it up and the amount we saved was staggering. Choosing to vacation with an RV offers so much flexibility when you want to have fun but also can’t afford to splurge.

Our RV vacation felt like an actual vacation. Even when the weather wasn’t ideal, we had so much fun hiking in the rain or staying in the RV to play cards or even watching a movie together. It was totally worth it. And the sunsets? They were take-your-breath-away amazing.

I’m so happy our family drove down the RV road — and we can’t wait to head out again this summer!

At Go RVing, you can discover all the reasons to pick up and go on an epic road trip. Whatever your interests, wherever you want to explore, whomever you want to take along — an RV is the best way to travel. Check out some of the top reasons to Go RVing.