When you don’t have a lot of space, living in a travel trailer with kids can be a challenge. There’s less room to run around, less room for peace and quiet, and—well, just less room in general. But living in a travel
trailer with kids can also be an enjoyable, adventurous way to live once you
figure things out. Here are a few tips for making things easier.
Make The Space
Work For You, Not Against You
When most people hear you are living in a
trailer, they might be surprised. “Really? How do you make it work without any
room?” But the truth is, a travel trailer can give you more room. Especially when you adopt a mentality of “the world is my backyard.”
The travel trailer is just that—it’s for
traveling. But if you can make a regular habit of visiting RV-friendly parks,
camp grounds, and hiking trails, you don’t always have to feel cramped. You
should also try to add a few upgrades that can make it easier to enjoy extra
space in all types of weather, such as:
- RV awnings.
Awnings can give you extra shade and protection from rain and still allow you
to open the door. - Tarps and waterproof materials. Enjoying chairs outdoors is great—as long as
you don’t constantly have to worry about their location. Try using
water-resistant and water-proof materials so you don’t feel so “tethered” to
your trailer.
Eliminating Things
You Don’t Need
Having a large, static house means having
plenty of storage space. You don’t always have to decide what not to keep—in
many cases, you can keep it all. But living in a travel trailer is different.
It will force you to make decisions about what you don’t need and what’s worth
taking with you.
That doesn’t mean you should eliminate
everything you can think of. You have to make choices here. For example, if you
pack an RV cleaning kit full of RV
cleaning products with you, you
might want to emphasize the most versatile products like the Suds
Gallon. That goes for
more than just RV cleaning—try to find versatility in kid-friendly items as
well.
Handling Day-to-Day
Challenges
Having kids around can be noisy. It can be
chaotic. And it can even make a vacation feel less like an adventure and more
like a job. But if you know how to handle the day-to-day challenges, it doesn’t
have to be that way. Here are just a few tips:
- Be respectful of your neighbors. Whether you’re pulling up to a
child-friendly park or an RV campground, you’ll want to have fun but still be
respectful of the needs of your neighbors, many of whom may be retirees looking
for peace and quiet. - Give your children an outlet. Being cooped up in a trailer all day isn’t
anyone’s idea of fun. Get outdoors! Take breaks under big skies when the
weather allows it. - Keep a running journal. If you think of any products or strategies
that can help you along the way, you don’t want to forget the idea.
For more help maintaining an RV to the best of
your ability, browse all the RV products
available here at RV by LIFE.