Has Anyone Done A Trip With The RV & Other Family Members In a Car??

Hi,

Long title. Don't know where to exactly post this but thought I would try here in the newbe's section. Anyone who has had experience with this and if you would  care to comment, would appreciate it, and getting tips of how to handle this.

My wife and I, along with my Son and his Wife and three kids have given some thoughts of doing a trip together sometime.
They would only have three weeks while we could stay longer. Some problems I have thought of are: campgrounds would require two spaces and would charge extra for more than two people on a camp spot. Ideally we would get a tent spot and sleep most in the motorhome. They would lead us or follow sometimes. Probably would follow us in to the trucker's area for lunches. They would probably pull off more for fuel.

They could probably stay in the RV with the kids for sleeping and we could stay at relatives during the time they are with us. We would try to take in national parks and general things to do while with them. After the two weeks, they would head back home for work and we would remain. We could take some of the items they wanted to take to give them more room in the car. When they head home, they would take just what they need and we could drop off their other items on return.

Figured on getting the kids something to distract them while they were traveling. Cost would/should be better than motels.

Over the many years we have sort of done traveling with relatives  who weren't in our RV.

We've stayed at motels with them, we park our coach in the lot but rent a room. There are many RV parks, KOA for sure, that rent cabins to people that don't have an RV. 

When raising our three girls we took a tent for them and they loved having their own space away from the grownups.

So I think it is certainly doable with some planning.

We have met our kids and grandkids and then stayed together. When the GKs were really little, they stayed in the trailer. Now they might want to stay in a tent, just like my kids preferred. We all cooked together and hung out together, but slept in different spots. It takes some planning to find a campground with both tent or cabin sites plus a RV site, but it can be done.

As a general comment, State Parks can accommodate you, they usually the allow 6 per site, a sleeping quarters, and 1 car.  I see tents all the time with RV's.  Worse case, you might have to put the car in the overflow lot.  But do indeed try and pre-plan best you can.  Weekends are busy time in the Summer, and the more popular destinations fill the soonest.

Yes we have done that. At FL state parks, we got two sites as close to each other as possible. One for the rv and one for a large tent. At Ft Wilderness, we only needed one site since their larger sites have space for an RV and also a tent pad.

Hello,

I appreciate the comments! I would try to plan this out pretty far ahead. I've already looked at some of the costs. I agree you would have to find camping spots that would be on route so you could have both RV and Tent camping. Trying to make this fairly cost effective and pleasant trip. Will have to see what things we want to do in route.

While it is easier for a couple to plan, it take on a whole new dynamic when you add two more adults and children. Any other comments would be welcomed!

There's a local camping group here. Though most have a self contained RV, a couple use tents, and one lady rents a cabin when they go out together. Everyone seems to make out fine.

My suggestion is for you and your wife to get a head start and meet them at the first scenic place you want to stop at for a few days.  First, they will be able to drive faster and more miles per day in a car than you will in your RV.  Second, following or leading is a pain in the neck. 

Then, you can travel together for a few days, and they can head for home, while you take longer to get back.

I have kids and grandkids in Ohio and California, so have done this several times.  A couple of times, my son and grandkids came with me and his wifr drove car a couple of days later because she has a rougher work schedule. Then that son got a trailer and sometimes I have co-camped with them and even taken the kids in my rig for the drive for a day. (Parents love peace and quiet, and I enjoy kids.)  Last June, I met my other son in Grand Canyon, except I got there a week early, and he and his family stayed in a hotel while I stayed in Trailer Village after they arrived.  Ditto for two nights in Zion.  This summer we are doing something similar in Yellowstone.

Depending on their ages and interests, you might want to take a kid or two with you on the way there or on the way home.  That might make big points with parents who will have fewer kids to deal with.

Oh, and a lot of state parks are adding yurts and cabins for people who want to stay indoors but don't have RVs.  I think you have to bring bedding, however, and a small electric heater might be appreciated as some are not heated or have plumbing.  And many RV sites also have tent sites on them.

I know that some state parks in Missouri and South Dakota (two states where I have seen this) have sites dedicated to two families like 2 RVs or 1 RV and one tent.  Check ahead and you may find several of these.

Bill

Did it during our last outing.  My son and my MH were in two spaces, side by side.  During our three days of camping other family members totaling some 20 plus in separate cars came and pitched tents. Memorable weekend.

Hi,

Thank you for all the suggestions. I plan to use some of those. Don't know if the trip will materialize or not but if it does I will be a bit more prepared!

I agree, don't try to follow/lead..... don't try to stay together.  It's a pain and can be dangerous.  better to just plan meet-up points.

I agree with not trying to stay together.

Several years now I've had my sister and niece camp with me. My sister would drive her van and the niece would decide which one she wanted to ride with.

A couple times we managed to coordinate a lunch stop together, but more often it was me heading straight to the campground, and them stopping along the way to shop or just see the sights.

Make sure you check if tent camping is permitted. We have been to RV parks where tents were not allowed. These were mostly private, so the State Parks etc are probably ok, but I just wanted to mention it.

Hi Jackiemac and all,

Thank you for the advice and I will before heading out check to make sure we can find camp in spots we can camp both families. I'll be doing some calling ahead before hand as I don't want to get in and find out we have no spot. As Arch Hoagland said, you can always grab a motel and stay if the need is there.

I would have thought that traveling together would have been an O.K. thing to do but from the sounds of it, better to not travel that way. We'll make plans to meet up at certain localities and at night for the stay over.

Any other ideas of helpful tips as I am interested in those! Many thanks!

I tried it.

Never again.  (

I would have thought that traveling together would have been an O.K. thing to do but from the sounds of it, better to not travel that way.

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I've done that with some small groups (but not for more than 20-30 miles, or so), and sometimes it works fine, but the leader must actually consider everyone in the caravan, keeping the speed at or below the speed limit and/or down to what the slowest driver will do. An inconsiderate leader, or one whose attention to followers lapses for a few minutes, can cause those depending on that leader's direction to get lost. In a similar vein, each follower must pay careful attention to everyone ahead, especially the one or two immediately in front.

When the inevitable traffic separates the caravaners, some followers try way too hard to catch up instantly.

So though there's nothing wrong with more or less running along together, each individual driver needs to know where to meet up, whether it's a specific rest area, a particular restaurant, or a campground for the night, and should understand that too vigorous an attempt at catching up can be dangerous at times.

CB radios in each vehicle can help, if you MUST run together (FRS has too short a range for very much separation), but extreme care is needed.

My wife and I often travel in seperate vehicles. She really likes to stay together, but I keep trying to tell her it's too much of a pain, and to just get to where we are going, or meet at a predetermined spot down the road. That doesn't get through to her, and she still tries to stay together. An easy way to stay in touch is just talk to each other on the phone. Bluetooth is a wonderful thing.

On short trips, 30-50 miles or so, the wife usually prefers to just drive the toad and take a couple of the animals with her to keep them from wandering around the coach (read-under the drivers feet).  Saves a lot of hitching/unhitching time.

Bill

Have done this several times with the in-laws.  They're retired so they often leave a day ahead of us and set up, then we bring the kids.  This is why they bought the bunk house.  The kids love it.  I am looking at a smaller TT because while it can be fun, I'd like to have a couple walls between all of us after about the first day.