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Family-Friendly RV, Forest River Salem 273QBXL, Keystone Arcadia 3570LT, Lance 2185, RV Storage Space, RV travel, RVing with kids, The Best Family-Friendly RV, Thor A.C.E 32B, Tiffin Allegro Red 38 KA, traveling with kids, Winnebago Minnie Winnie 31H
I’ve spent the past couple of months looking for a new RV for our family of four. Doing this has made me think hard (once again) about what we are really looking for in an RV. If you’re in the market for a family-friendly RV for the first time, you may not really know what you’re looking for. That’s why we’re here today.
In this article, I will talk about the most important things to consider when choosing a family-friendly RV. I will also provide a short list of my favorite newer family-friendly RV floor plans.
What to Look For in a Family-Friendly RV
Let’s start by talking about what you’ll want to look for while shopping for a family-friendly RV. Knowing this will help you narrow your options and find the best fit for your crew.
Type of RV
First, think about what type of RV you’d like to have. While most RV types can accommodate a whole family, there are very few, say, class B camper vans that will be comfortable for more than a couple of people. Teardrop trailers and other tiny trailers are probably a no-go as well.
Instead, weekenders may want to look for medium-sized bumper-pull trailers or driveable class C RVs. Meanwhile, full-time RVers should consider a larger bumper-pull, a fifth wheel, or a motorhome of some sort.
Sleeping Accommodations
Sleeping accommodations are a super important thing to consider. If you use your RV often, you may not want to have to convert the dinette or the sofa into a bed every day. In this case, dedicated sleeping spaces for each member of your family might be a must-have.
Remember to also think about (1) bed size, (2) whether your kids are willing to share their sleeping space, and (3) the weight capacity of each bunk.
Bathroom Options
What do you need in your RV bathroom? Are two entrances necessary? Do you have young kids who need a bathtub? Maybe you have a large family and require a bathroom and a half, or even two bathrooms. Know your needs going in!
Seating Availability
Depending on how much time you’ll spend inside your RV, not having enough seating for everyone can be a real problem. Take a look at the living area of any potential rig.
Is the couch high enough for everyone to sit and enjoy movie night? Can the whole family fit at the dining table? These things may not matter to you, but they could also be a game changer. That’s something only you can decide.
Storage Space
Camping means lugging a lot of stuff with you, and kids only add to the amount of stuff you have to have for a successful camping trip. For this reason, storage space is incredibly important when it comes to choosing a family-friendly RV.
Pay attention to the cabinet and drawer space inside the RV. Will your clothes, dishes, and pantry foods fit inside? Also, look at the exterior storage. How much space do you have for camping chairs, sports equipment, and other bulky gear?
Our Favorite Family-Friendly RVs
Not sure where to begin when looking for family-friendly RVs? Take a look at the floor plans listed below to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Forest River Salem 273QBXL
At 33¼ feet, this bumper-pull trailer is on the longer side. That said, the extra length provides loads of benefits for families. Our favorite features? The Versa-Lounge allows you to configure the living room seating however you see fit, and the large bunkhouse that sleeps 4 or 5 kids.
Lance 2185
Looking for something a bit smaller? This Lance trailer is just over 26 feet long, making it an ideal option for weekend campers. We absolutely adore the triple bunks that are set opposite the master Murphy bed, providing a large amount of sleeping space as well as plenty of living space. It’s also pretty cool that the bunks can fold out of the way, providing storage space for bikes, kayaks, and more.
Keystone Arcadia 3570LT
As far as fifth-wheel trailers go, we recommend this Keystone Arcadia. An enormous 39½ foot rig, this trailer is amazing for families with teenagers because the bunkhouse includes two full-size beds—one set in a loft and one under the loft. The RV also has one full bathroom plus a half bath, something many families will appreciate.
Tiffin Allegro Red 38 KA
If you’re looking for a driveable family-friendly RV, this Allegro might just be the nicest option on the market. With three slides, the living space feels enormous, and the biggest slide includes a couple of single bunks that are perfect for younger kids.
Have an older kid as well? Go for the optional drop-down bunk that sits over the cab and provides an extra dedicated sleeping space without eating up living space.
Thor A.C.E 32B
A more budget-friendly class A option, the Thor A.C.E. bunkhouse is also a good option for families. This one only has a single slide, but it is an enormous slide that houses a set of single bunks. This rig also offers an optional drop-down bunk over the cab, so you can fit as many as four kiddos in the RV without ever converting the sofa or dinette.
Winnebago Minnie Winnie 31H
Prefer a class C? There are family-friendly versions of those as well! We particularly like the Minnie Winnie bunkhouse, which uses two slides to maximize living space. One slide houses a set of single bunk beds, and the other plays host to the couch and stove. A U-shaped dinette sits opposite the couch, providing a nice large extra bed should you need it, and the over-cab bunk is also quite roomy.
By now you know pretty much all there is to know about choosing the perfect family-friendly RV. Why not get out there and start touring some rigs in person so you can find the perfect one for your family?
About the author: Chelsea Gonzales
Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.
You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.
Thomas Z. ~ “Unbelievable service, and from the time we called in till he showed up 40 minutes. Super! Follow-up calls. Excellent experience. Kudos to Coach-Net”
This tip comes into play before you ever even step foot in a national park. And no, I don’t mean you should all sit down with workbooks and textbooks and spend hours doing boring research. Instead, find some cool books and videos that give information on the park you’ll be visiting. 
Do you have kids who are reluctant to join in your adventures? It could be that they would benefit from being involved in the planning process. Not only will letting your kids help plan get them more excited about the trip, but it will also help them gain skills such as budgeting, time management, and route planning.
As mentioned above, traveling with an RV means traveling with your kitchen. It also means you’ll have a bathroom and your own beds anywhere you go. This is amazing news for parents everywhere, as it makes pit stops a cinch.
Getting kids involved in whatever you are doing is key to ensuring they have a good time and learn a thing or two during your trip. There are many ways to go about this, and the options we’ve mentioned so far are a great start.
Kids plus camping equals a mess. For this reason, you will definitely want to skip the nice clothes and reach for the older, more worn-out clothes in your kids’ drawers. Sure, it’s tempting to pack those cute new summer outfits for your family vacation, but having those brand new clothes ruined will only lead to upset, and asking your kids to stay clean restricts the amount of exploring they can do.
My family has been on the road for over 4 years now. During this time, we’ve been road schooling our son and have met countless other families doing exactly the same thing. I was also homeschooled as a child, meaning the world of learning at home certainly wasn’t new to me when we jumped in.
Camping has always been something families do together. However, until recently, living and traveling in an RV fulltime was something that was primarily done by retirees. Now thanks to the internet, more and more young people are able to find mobile work and take their families on the road.
Obviously, if you’re going to be traveling fulltime, you will have to do some sort of homeschooling or 
When you move into your RV, be sure to set very clear boundaries for the kids from the beginning. For instance, our son is not allowed to leave our campsite without permission. He also isn’t allowed in anyone else’s RV without us. Setting these clear and unchanging boundaries will help keep your kids safe while you see the world.
RV homes are quite small. For this reason, it’s important to get out of the RV and stretch while all giving each other some space.
Summer and camping go hand in hand, and there is nothing quite as wonderful as sharing the summer camping experience with your kids. Part of the reason my family lives the RV lifestyle is to spend more time experiencing camping and making memories together, and I think every family should have the opportunity to do the same.
Hunting for treasure is fun for everyone. After all, it gives the hunters a great opportunity to pretend they are pirates, and who wouldn’t love to have that chance?
Many RVers have taken up painting and hiding rocks in the campgrounds they visit. The rocks are then found by others, who have the option to keep the pretty decorations or hide them somewhere else for other lucky campers to find.
Swimming is a big part of camping for most people. This is especially true during the hot summer months when keeping cool becomes difficult. Why not make your camping swimming sessions even more fun by playing some water games?
After the sun goes down, most campers can be found sitting around campfires telling stories and singing songs. While you will definitely want to have the classic campfire experience, there is nothing wrong with mixing it up on occasion.