This summer photographer Kendall Ruth loaded up his family of four and took everyone on a Colorado road trip. After his trip Kendall had some nuggets of wisdom to share regarding the best camper van rentals for families.
If you’re looking for advice on how to get your family out on the road in a camper van, read on to learn which camper van features you should look for. Kendall also shares insights on the perks and challenges of traveling with a family in a camper van.
Mom and two kids play in a camper van rental for a family.Kendall’s top priority was finding a van that fit two car seats. This was little surprise to the GoCamp team because it’s one of the top questions we get asked by people looking to travel with kids. Ultimately Kendall chose Vanny McVan Van, a Ford Transit.
When searching for the best camper van rental for your family, start by filtering GoCamp vans for those that seat more than two people. In most cases car seats and booster seats fit in the vans. But please check with a friendly GoCamp counselor if you have questions about a specific van or a specific kind of car seat.
Additionally having sleeping quarters for the whole family was a priority. In the case of Kendall’s rental, Vanny McVanVan seats and sleeps four people. There’s a queen-size mattress for two adults. For the kiddos the back bench seat folds down underneath the queen bed. The result is a double decker sleeping situation that can accommodate four people.
Kendall has some great advice to consider when picking out a van for the fam. He says, “Think about where the kids are actually going to sleep. Most likely they’re going to end up in the bed with their mom, so realistically I’m trying to figure out where I will be sleeping.”
The Ruth family used their road trip to take a break from screens. Kendall emphasized the opportunity that travel time provides for stories. “Our kids are pretty well trained with road trips,” he says.
Even when the kids were tired on their recent road trip through Colorado, Kendall remarked that his son stayed engaged and asked a lot of questions like: Why is the mountain like this? Is that a buffalo?
“Just looking out the window creates an opportunity for kids to ask questions that they wouldn’t be asking if they were at home watching television,” says Kendall.
If you’re worried about finding enough things to do to keep the kids busy, check out GoCamp’s Top 25 Things to do While Renting a Camper Van.
Managing expectations while traveling with your family in a camper van is super important. New challenges arise each day. And if the kids are having fun, the onset of tiredness is inevitable. In the spirit of keeping it real, here are some challenges the Ruth family faced while traveling together:
Best camper van rental for families in Denver, Colorado with flip down bench and fully stocked kitchenThey did! It felt like a home on wheels to them. “We have our home with us. We can go wherever we want,” said Kendall’s son. The freedom that a camper van rental provides keeps a lot of people coming back to experience #vanlife.
GoCamp camper vans are fully equipped with everything you need to hop in and go. That means you can spend less time on the boring stuff like packing and more time planning your family adventure. To learn more about what is generally included in a GoCamp rental, read What Do You Need to Pack for Your Camper Van Rental With GoCamp.
Kendall also mentioned the ease that the van brought to different moments in the trip. For example, one afternoon the family decided to take a swim in a creek. Once they were done it was easy and convenient to return to the van and cuddle up inside.
Here’s a list of kid-friendly places the Ruths visited on their trip:
Kendall’s parting words of wisdom are simple: don’t have a plan. Or if you do have a plan, be prepared to stay fluid and go with the flow. And it never hurts to have some fun games in your back pocket. And bring snacks. Fill the onboard cooler or refrigerator with snacks for the kids.
In the case of Kendall’s trip, the Ruths chose a Ford Transit. Generally, Ford Transits are very spacious compared to other camper vans. Here are Five Reasons to Rent a Ford Transit Camper Van for Your Next Adventure. In second place for the best camper van rental for your family is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van.
Either way, you can’t go wrong. GoCamp’s beautifully curated fleet offers hundreds of camper van rentals that will accommodate the whole family!
Check out all the GoCamp camper vans that are made for family friendly adventures!