RVing with a baby is a wonderful thing. It gives a new and authentic meaning to a Toy Hauler. Ella was has only known the RV Life. She’s lived in 19 states in the the first year and through it all we’ve learned a few things about what’s worked for us in RVing Full Time with a Baby. 

Doctor Visits

If you’re stationary this isn’t an issue, but we typically move every 3 weeks to a new location so this was a bit of a challenge. To keep the same doctor we bounced around Florida and had the same doctor in Orlando. We got cleared to head to Minnesota for the summer and while there we found out there was a complication with the pregnancy and then were able to bunker down the rest of the pregnancy with the same doctor that we found by doing online research. It’s important to have a PPO Plan so you can visit a doctor anywhere you go.

Getting Prepared

You want to make sure to dial in the RV on how you think is going to be best when your baby arrives. We did a few things right, and made a few mistakes in this but the good news is that if you’re adaptable you’ll end up with things the way you want.

We originally thought I would keep my office to work in the Toy Hauler from the Campground or RV Resort and Ella would have her space in the living room area.

We removed 2 of our 5 chairs of our couch and setup a pack & play for Ella in the main area but we ended up never using it once.

We had Ella sleep in our bed with us for months instead. This made it easier to breastfeed and I think gave her more piece of mind knowing we were so close to the baby in the RV.

There have been a number of other things we’ve done in preparation for The Baby to Live in the RV Full Time with us. 

Some of them ended up being great ideas and some things we weren’t able to predict how they would pan out in our daily lives in the RV with the baby. 

The Delivery

For us it was a scheduled C Section because we had a complication with a Full Placenta Previa. It was nice to be able to have a set date where we could have family fly in for the birth.

We had a pretty neat experience with the Maple Grove Hospital in Minnesota. Not only was it top notch in every way. But after you’re released they send someone to your home to make sure you have all your questions answered and the baby is doing well. This was the woman’s first RV Visit!

Life with a Baby

Can I PLEASE GET SOME SLEEP!?!?! On top of not getting sleep with Ella we were trying to grow our business and I was working 14 hours a day.

Even though you’re busy and not getting sleep make sure you take time to go on dates. You’ve gotta make your relationship to each other a top priority because the baby will consume every other aspect of your life.

We left Princeton, Minnesota and headed down to the warmth of Sunny San Diego, CA. We were kicking off a 6 month Mega RV Surfing Trip where I would surf border to border from San Diego to Seattle. It was the perfect weather to get Ella into the outdoors and the Road Warrior’s RV Deck was perfect to enjoy the outdoors.

In fact our campsite at the Pio Pico RV Resort there was nothing between us and Mexico other than a mountain. You could hike from the RV to the top (I did it) and overlook Tijuana.

Making Space

We created extra room for her clothes and other stuff. One of the things that we found to work well was putting in a portable closet in the Toy Hauler. It added so much extra space for her stuff, it was easy to put together, and stored A LOT!

The challenge is when we move we have to make sure to take the top row of clothes down and strap down the closet from tipping/moving. We learned the hard way with it tipping over the first time.

RV Storage For Baby Foods

In our 5th wheel we had plenty of room for dry food, canned food, and anything else we needed to store in the RV. The RV Pantry was a game changer for us parents of an RV Baby. It allowed us SO MUCH great food while on the road for her and us. 

It’s common for larger RVs to have a big RV fridge and freezer.We added a small battery operated fan designed for RVs and recommend you do the same to help with the flow of the fridge. That way we always have the food we’re going to need for our baby stocked and ready to go to keep them well nourished as we travel. 

A few tips with the RV Refrigerator and RV Freezer. 

• It can take awhile to get to the temperature you want inside of the RV so if you’re coming with things that need to get cold quickly, Bring Some Ice or Buy Ice at the RV Resort.  The ice will help in the process of cooling the RV Fridge/Freezer quickly. 
• Keep the door closed as much as possible. When we’ve kept the doors open to “decide what we want” or when we’re filling it back up with RV Groceries and Food from the Campground General Store for your baby; the temperature warms up quickly and can take awhile to get cold again. 

RV Bike Storage for Riding with The Baby

There are many ways to store bikes on an RV Trip. We’ve had bike racks for our car, they make them for trucks, and RVs.

WIth our Toy Hauler it allowed us to easily move them into the rear of the 5th wheel to haul our bikes. 

That allowed me to take her on countless baby biking adventures as we traveled to places such as to the beach, the mountains or deep into the woods. 

Strollers That Store In The RV

We’ve got a number of strollers we travel with for different situations that we’ve accumulated to take our baby on our travels in the RV and locally in our truck or tow vehicle. 

Umbrella Stroller

This stroller is by far the most convenient when we’re looking to explore towns or cities or even out in the country because it’s so easy. Pull it out and go, it’s that simple. 

When we have one of the larger strollers it can be a pain to try to navigate through a busy crowd or inside some buildings. These are great for navigating your baby through a crowd. 

Regular RV Stroller

We used this when Ella was really small for trips to Walmart if we were just picking up a few things and didn’t need a cart (the below area became the cart), and most other places we’d visit.

Jogging Stroller 

It’s alwys a great idea to get out and walk aroldn the campground. It’s even better to go for a jog.

We LOVE taking Ella hiking with our jogging stroller. Usually Zoey runs along side and Bailey goes beneath but once Zoey gets tired she joins Bailey down below.

We take this out around the campground on our daily walk or on hiking trails. Because it’s more beefy, it navigates through areas of hiking trails that are more rugged. 

Baby Carriers

Baby carriers are AMAZING! Not only are they incredible for going hiking but Danielle also uses it at places like Walmart to do our grocery shopping. You can face them out or inward depending on the scenery and their mood. Usually when we went on hikes with Ella in the carrier she’d fall asleep.

We’ve had a number of different brands and types of baby carriers. 

Changes in the Living Situation

I’ve been spoiled to have the Toy Hauler as my office and the Deck off the back off my office in the most scenic areas of the country. Eventually when we realized Ella was done sleeping in the bed with us and sleeping in the living room wasn’t an option, we came to the realization that I’d have to share my office. During her nap time and at bed time I’d have to move into the other area.

After going through the inconvenience of moving things around in the RV each time she had to nap, and the fact that we weren’t comfortable with having the deck down to her room, we made the decision that we would move me permanently into the built in desk in the living room.

Shopping

Danielle LOVES to shop. Now that she’s got a baby she has another reason to justify the shopping. One of our compromises, is I told her she can shop more often if she goes to baby consignment stores. So she’s been going to once upon a child stores all over the country. This one in Portland, OR was on an island.

I think it’s been one of the things she looks forward to is to get to a new area and go shopping for new and exciting things for Ella.

Benefits of a Traveling Baby

One of the benefits of her being so young is we can go places and she’ll chill or sleep in the carrier and we can still do whatever activity without having to entertain or worry about her wanting to do something else. For example we can still visit a candy factory and since she doesn’t know what candy is, she was chill the entire time. 

Or cheese tours. She just sits and nibbles on her mum mums while we pick out and eat amazing cheeses.

Working with Her Schedule

One of the things we take advantage of often is I go hiking with Ella around her nap time. Typically we hike around the campground or take hiking trails from it.

We’ve been able to see some pretty awesome things and when we’re new to a Campground or RV Resort I’ll scope it out with her while she sleeps. 

She LOVES sleeping in the baby carrier during hikes and Danielle is able to get a quality nap while we’re away from the RV. It’s a total win/win.

A Toy Hauler RV

You don’t need to have a Toy Hauler RV to have an RV that hauls toys. This stack-able toy holder has been great to keep them all in one place and save space.

There are so many products that are out on the market that cater to the RV Life and also to Baby Life.

Being a Mom or Dad and travleing with a family in an RV is a lifestyle and as you find the systems and products that make being parents easier for you, the more you’ll enjoy it. 

Big Baby Adventures

The reason most people RV is to enrich your life. Maybe to explore new places or even revisit some and have new experiences. Whatever the specific reason, you need to get out and enjoy life. A baby can enhance your life and experiences tremendously, not hinder  and hold you back from getting out and seeking adventure. 

RV Baby in the Big City

Take this big city RV Trip with our baby to Seatle for example.

After wrapping up 6 month RV Surf Trip where I slowly traveled from the southern border in California all the way up the Western Unites States Coast in Washington State. 

We stayed for awhile at the Elwa RV Park. While we were there we took a day to walk downtown, visit the famous gum wall and the markets with our little one. 

Hiking with a Baby

Can you spot the tiny little baby among the Giant Redwoods? As a stay at home Mom it’s great to be able to get out and enjoy some fresh air with your baby but in scenic areas like this it’s on another level.

Attending Events with a Baby

You’ll see lots of events as you travel the country. Some of these have been some of our top experiences as we’ve been able to immerse ourselves into the local culture.

Small town events don’t have often been really unique with some of the traditions. 

This event in the picture was the famous dungeness crab festival on the Oregon Coast where they put on a great experience for famies to enjoy. 

Walking around the RV Park

One of the ways we’ve been able to stay active is we make a point to go out walking just about everyday at the RV Park with Ella.

This is great to keep us in shape and give us an excuse to get outdoors. One of the great things about moving every 3 weeks is that our scenery constantly changes.

It’s been fascinating to see how the various campgrounds and RV Parks built their properties up. The layouts, the amenities and the “things to do” that are catered to keep you entertained are plenty. Some campgrounds have a designated spot to congregate for the best view of the sunset. 

Go on Dates & Get Sleep

You gotta keep it fresh. If you’ve got someone you trust to baby sit for you make it a priority to get out and go on a romantic date. If not, bring the baby with!

One thing that we’ve noticed about us is when we get enough sleep, the added stress of having a baby doesn’t get to us. But as soon as we don’t take sleep serious we can both be guilty of being a little snappy.

As tempting as it is to clean up when the baby goes down for a nap, put first things first and catch up on some sleep whenever you can.

Just Hanging Out of The RV

With our Toy Hauler, we were able to step out onto the RV Deck and be outside, yet everything was conveneintly accessible for us. 

Sometimes the best moments are just every day things that happen in and out of the RV. The so many “firsts” that our babies go through like their first word, or their first step, etc. 

Make sure you have your camera or phone available to capture these because technology has never been better at being able to freeze these moments in time to reflect on forever.

Just Hanging In The RV

Modern RVs are so comfortable to travel to incredible destinations with your family within a close proximity to where you live. If you want to travel extensively RVs offer incredible benefits that add to a better and more enriched life.

Things we often take for granted like being in a temperature controlled environment, have power outlets readily available for all the things we plug-in nowdays for our babies and kids, etc. 

Roadside Pit Stops

If you’re searching for Roadside Pit Stops while mapping out your travels with your baby, there’s plenty around. If you take time planning what the best route is along your path while driving your RV, you’ll sometimes find small places of paradise where you just have to step out of your vehicle to see something amazing with your little baby. 

What about you? Have you gone RVing with your baby or are thinking about it? If you have any tips go ahead and add them into the comments. See you at the RV Resort!