SW x RV
This was a doozy! In September 2020 and burnt out of being at home in lock-down, we were itchin’ for an adventure. So we came up with the idea of renting an RV and heading out on a road trip. It was still hot so we didn’t want to camp and have the hassle of daily setups and tear-downs. And we wanted the safety of four walls if we didn’t feel Covid-safe while out on the road. We explored the new-to-us services that were like AirBnB for RVs. But we couldn’t find anything that ticked off all our boxes because everyone else in America had the same idea. But being road trip and camping enthusiasts, I had seen my fair share of Cruise America — you know, those big, super tacky RVs with the 360 degree branding. It seemed campy and therefore hysterical which just added to the adventure. I also liked the idea of a big brand on the other side of the phone if we had an accident or repair situation. That just seemed easier than dealing with a new company and a private RV owner. The prices changed dramatically in the months we researched and planned. I don’t remember where we landed but do remember gasping when my husband told me the final cost after the trip. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t rent those RVs. But we didn’t have a lot of options. One of our biggest needs was the space for our baby to sleep in a travel crib and only the largest RV would allow us the space to do that.
Big Betty
If you’re here for my review of RVing with young kids, skip ahead! I’ll post it at the bottom …
This is the route we took. You can see my inspiration on my Pinterest board here, my Google maps saved places, andmy Roadtrippers map of ideas here.
Bottom line, we were over zealous. I’m not surprised because there’s always so many ideas and not enough time. But this was extra because the RV was slow and bulky. I thought the first day would be about 7 hours and it was double that. Oops.
Seven Magic Mountains
VALLEY OF FIRE
This seemed like a quick off-the-main-route stop but ended up being a much bigger side trek. It’s longer than I thought and it’s also way more interesting and beautiful than I thought! I’d love to go back here to dig into more.
The Pastel Pink Canyon Trail was super fun! Our only slot canyon of the trip even though I thought we’d see dozens. It’s pink! Here's the exact coordinate for how to find this. It’s not on an official map and there’s no sign. There’s barely a place to park.
Zion
We pulled into Zion in the middle of the night and couldn’t see a thing. Read all about that experience here and why I don’t think it’s a good place for young kids. But … IT’S STUNNING. Truly a gorgeous, under-the-radar beauty. Definitely go!
Bryce
This was the reason we got an RV. We changed our plans and left Zion without a reservation in Bryce. We pulled into a site — the last one! — in the middle of the night. There was no work to do to set up camp. We could just get in bed. Peace of mind.
I’m so glad we didn’t listen to many who told us not to go to Bryce. They told us it was out of the way and meh. And I beg to differ! It was amazing! I wish we stayed longer. It’s up high so it’s definitely colder. We even got an amazing thunderstorm that I think is so fun. The hoodoos are unreal. And the tall pines were gorgeous. Photos don’t do it justice. I thought the drive from Zion to Bryce was gorgeous and it made me want to explore living in that area with horses.
I expected more stops like this, I’m not sure why we didn’t see more. We got soft serve — I mean, it’s a road trip staple, right? But the same stop also included an ecectic assortment of crystals, dinosaur fossils and local treasures. I loved it.
Coral Dunes Sand Dunes State Park
I loved the idea of this place but it was just too hot for us in the middle of the day. The color is unreal! I refused to explore out to dunes in the heat.
WAHWEAP BAY / POWELL LAKE
We pulled into our spot in time for evening fishing. The colors were stunning. It was all a surprise as I thought this was just an obligatory place to see horseshoe bend the next day.
Horseshoe BEND
Not an easy stop with kids! Or for anyone afraid of heights. It’s about a mile hike in the heat. Not fun with cranky kids who want to be carried. When you get there, it’s gorgeous but terrifying. I couldn’t believe the amount of people who walked straight up to the edge and turned around for a photo. One time mishap and you’re going over. This was as close as we could get. I envy the people who were able to photograph this so beautifully. Not me! Too scared.
Our biggest disappointment of the trip was Antelope canyon being closed. Covid devastated the people living on native lands and even though some places were open, this was not. It was a big shock, however, to be driving on a two-lane highway and casually glance over and see that we drove over it (!!!!) From what I read, I thought you had to travel in 4WDs and dune buggies to get to a remote place. Nope. They paved the road right over it! The parking lot appeared after that. We were close but yet so far! I can’t wait to go back. It’s a dream of mine to photograph it.
Monument Valley
WILD HORSES! I brake for Wild Horses. I actually brake for any horses. This made my heart sing.
Dinosaur Tracks. Legit! It’s a fun quick stop for your dino obsessed kids. You’re supporting a local tribe when you visit.
Outside Flagstaff
Sedona
And for my review: the first thing that’s hard is the size of this beast. I called her Big Betty. It’s their largest size which we needed to fit the travel crib for my baby. But that meant it’s hard to turn around and it’s hard to pull over quickly when you see something and want to stop. Not great for adventurers or photographers who gasp when they see something and want to stop immediately.
The internal design of Big Betty was mind boggling. There’s no way a woman or a mom designed this thing. I started joking that the designers were sexist. The cupboards where you could store things were too high for me to reach, and the sink was too cramped for my husband to do dishes. Big man puts things high, little woman do dishes … that’s what we joked about in our best caveman impersonations. There was no space for trash. The food cupboards were low and super deep so you can’t see everything. You can’t see in the cupboards that were up high, either, now that I think about it.
It’s impossible to communicate with your kids when they are strapped in their carseats in the back. We rattled down the road like a tin can — we discovered in the first 10 minutes that the acoustics were TERRIBLE. Even if my kids were crying and yelling for me, I couldn’t hear them. I got out the walkie-talkies thinking that would be so much fun but my son couldn’t coordinate the buttons and talking to make it reliable.
The kids setup was uncomfortable and inconvenient to put it mildly. My baby sat backwards but couldn’t see out the window — his view the entire trip was a trash bag. My older son couldn’t see out the front window so anytime we were yelling out things to look at, he couldn’t see them. His legs also had to be out on the table in front of him because there was no space for them to hang. There was no cupholder or system for him to keep his drinks or snacks readily available let alone things like crayons and a notebook. I think I had visions of lounging at the table with them and going to-and-fro as we drove. But that was super unstable and even though I recall doing that as a kid, it did not feel safe now. Halfway through our trip we finally found a Walmart and bought a booster seat for my older child so he could be a bit more comfortable, even though he was technically was too small. We survived!
I don’t know the specifics about the car seat installation and the overall safety ratings of RVs but it’s not good. Despite many online searches and calling the company about car seats, they did not attach easily or securely. We ended up securing them tighter with rope, then just drove as safely as possible and hoped for the best.
Even though our RV was a 2019 model, it has hookups from 1986. There’s only an am/fm radio and a tape deck, if I remember correctly. And no jack for your phone. But there was a cigarette lighter, and luckily we found an adapter at a truck stop where we jimmy-rigged a phone to listen to music. I’m not sure the kids could hear the music well from their spots as the speakers were just in the cab. The other thing that was only in the cab was the AC! Don’t quote me on this but the AC in the whole RV only works when you’re stopped and using the generator, it doesn’t work outside the cab when you’re driving. I had a major backache from the poor seat posture and my feet burned up from feeling the engine beneath me. I cannot make this up!
Some more random tips — bring a broom because it gets quite dirty inside. But next time I’d bring a dust buster. A friend also did a similar trip and had the genius idea to bring an essential oil diffuser to keep things smelling fresh. And lots and lots of wipes. We brought our own bedding and an extra blanket to put under the sheets because the bed is like a rubber plastic. There’s definitely a ton of storage space in the trunk — I feel like we brought a ton of stuff and barely filled it up. I wish that was smaller and there was more space inside.
Here’s some visual examples of what I’m talking about. Plus, the bunk over the cab is really fun but I don’t think it’s realistic for little kids to sleep there if you’re not with them because it’s easy to fall out. Also, note the useless review mirror that’s broken and in the way because there’s no backwindow to use it. Indicative of the design.
Bottom line, RVs were not made for babies or young families. Seems like there should be a market for that, no?