How many of you camp with young kids?

[tiniree]

Two years ago when my husband and I first REALLY started noticing Rv's, we loved the idea of having an AS. The problem was the floorplans didn't seem very "family friendly", that is camping with small kids.

Now that our kids are older 4 & 8 we started thinking about selling our 92' 31ft Hi-Lo for something smaller. We have looked and looked at everything new out there. Bunk models, Hybrids, you name it, we've looked at it. Two weekends ago my husband noticed an AS parked in the driveway of a man in a small town. He called and looked at it. Wanting me to see it we went last weekend to look. This is a 25ft Tradewind International. From our quick inspection, the interior seems in pretty good shape. The bathroom was immaculate which surprised me! Since the gentleman didn't have any warning that he would be showing it, he didn't have time to "spruce it up". It is missing one half of a tambour door. All bins are there and he said he even had the original brochure and paperwork. He bought the AS 5 years ago and has been using it yearly for two weeks each year locally camping.

This floorplan has a front dinette that makes into a bed (very large, we folded it down!) and also the couch in the middle across from the closet/entertainment unit that makes into a bed. My feeling is that the kids could share a bed at this point! Heck, my family tent camped when I was little and my sister and I shared a double sleeping bag while we were small.

My husband and I like the Hi-lo but DH isn't too thrilled pulling 31ft behind us! Also that length does limit our CG site selection.

I just can't get out of my head the inferior quality of the new trailers we looked at compared to this 25 year old Airstream!

How many of you decided to forgo the "newer" trailer for your AS and camp comfortably with your kids????

[ALANSD]

I bought my 20 year old Airstream after my then 9 year old son and I saw one in a field. We have enjoyed using it with a now almost 11 year old and a 15 yr old. We found it was better to seperate them at night, and they take turns sleeping on a mat, and on the fold out couch.
My wife and I use the back twins.

The two kids and the dog have a terrific time every time we venture out to some new spot, and we have discovered a lot of new places to go and things to do; we take bikes, skateboard, roller blades, fishing rods, frisbees, the dog's tennis ball and more!

[airstreamcaravel]

My Wife, two kids, 10 and 7, In a 17' Caravel.

Camping is supposed to bring the family together!

IT is cozy and snugg .... but then so was tent camping!

DMC

[kamadeca]

While we didn't forego a new trailer for an Airstream, we bought a new Airstream. We take delivery of our Safari 25 SS on Friday!

We will be camping with our 16 and 12 year old boys, as well as our hyperactive Cocker Spaniel. We figure wife and I get the bed, one boy gets the dinette and one boy gets the couch - the dog gets everything else!

We plan that once the boys have left (if they ever do!) the 25 foot will be perfect for the three of us well after I retire. We plan on keeping this trailer for a long time (unless we get footitish)

Malcolm

[ViewRVs]

We camp with our 12 and 9 year old. The 12 year old breaks down the sofa and sleeps there with the dogs. The 9 year old breaks down the dinette for himself. We sleep in the back.

We have a great time! We keep games under the sofa.

Our 345 MH is plenty big enough for us. One of our concerns was that our boys will grow into men during our ownership so we wanted something that they could grow into! After that, there will be plenty of room for just me and the dear wife!

[59toaster]

When I was a kid we had a VERY small pop up camper. To give ou an idea how small well pulled it with a 1973 VW station wagon. I slept in the bunk with my dad and My sister slept in the bunk with my mom.

We have two kids 10 and 2. Both girls. They will be sleeping on the Goucho on our 22ft 1959 Caravanner. It was a recent aquisistion so this is "the Plan". We will see how this works LOL. I'm sure that by the time it gets to be a real problem the oldest will probably not want to camp with us much and will be old enough to be locked in the basement while we are gone LOL.

We are redoning out AS and we had thought about putting a Dinette in for a bit more bed area for the girls. There was a trade off in that with the goucho we can fold the table away and there is some "Play room" on the floor for the girls if the weather is not condusive to being outside. So we plan to stick with the goucho for now.

[Silvertwinkie]

I just got back from a trip to down around Louisville to help my girlfriends grandparents on the farm....her niece (9) and her nephew (5) made a total of 4 in the Bambi. We had plenty of room, however, we only had them for one night and didn't have to pack a bunch of clothes and food for them too. I am sure it could be done, but I will say that as long as the kids stay 5'5 or shorter, they can easily and with great comfort, sleep on the dinette bed.

Growing up we had a 17' Lark and all 5 of us camped very well. We upgraded to a 24' Jayco and the grandparents came too, so we were then up to 7. Of course we were 13 or younger and fit in the bunks pretty easily..... It's all what you make of it I suppose.

Eric

[Jabba]

We are embarking on the maiden voyage in 2 1/2 weeks and are looking forward to having some room for once! We've been camping with 3 boys 4-8-12 in a small pop-up and can't wait to have some room to move (not to mention all the storage we now have)! We are going with the usual setup, 2 on the couch and one on a fold up cot. I think everyone will be much happier (especially Mom)!

[tiniree]

Thanks for all your responses! Our floorplan does not have a "main bed", just the dinette and the sofa bed. It has the full rear bath.

We have discussed taking out the "'entertainment center" and putting in the two twin beds (instead of the couch across from the EC) thereby giving us the two twins and the larger dinette bed.

The only thing I do know is that my husband is not thrilled pulling our huge 31ft this summer, and if he's not happy about towing it, we won't be using it! Better to be a little cramped in the mountains with a beautiful view than stuck at home???

[COArgosy78]

We have a 22' Minuet and camp with a 12 and a 16 yr old boy, plus one 10lb dog. It is a bit cramped for sleeping - we are still working on who sleeps where - but overall, it is working out nicely. Sometimes, our boys still want to sleep in a tent close to the trailer. It sounds like your kids are still too young for that, but, should be small enough to sleep together on the side gaucho. By the way, we too have the side gaucho and front dinette arrangement. Leigh

[montanaandy]

The main reason that I/we purchased the trailer was to camp with the kids (3). We used to be die hard tent campers but the bear problem in this area has become worse over the years and I enjoy the amenities that the trailer offers. I will say that it is difficult to have all 5 of us in the trailer at the same time (my wife & I pull a "Ricky & Lucy" with the split-twin beds and 2 of the kids sleep on the sofa pull-out and one sleeps on the floor between the kitchen/front of the trailer on an insulite pad. On many occasions I will take the kids to our property near Yellowstone to get the kids out of the house for the weekend/give mom a break. We boondock and use our trailer as "base camp" while we enjoy the amenities that the area has to offer (fishing, hiking, etc.). Montanaandy

[zamboni]

Wife & I started bicycling/tent camping together with friends in College...moved up to a Sears 4' X 8' fold out "camper" (really a tent on two pieces of plywood)...first child born...12' Rockwood pop-up (wife & I slept on one slide out, daughter in port-a-crib or on other with bed rails)...second child born...28' AS Excella Classic MH (kids in back bedroom, wife & I on fold out couch)...My wife is always amazed at all the "stuff" we "need" to go sleeping in the woods and how we ever survived before the AS.

[JaceBeck]

Wife, two girls (3 & 9) and 11 year old female shetland sheepdog & they all love Dad (for now). I'm in heaven.

[64GT]

19 foot, '64 Globe Trotter with a husband, 2 girls - 13yo and 4yo - two gauchos. Generally I'm the one taking the girls camping and I share the bigger bed with my 4yo and my 13yo takes the front bed - usually with a tag-along friend. It is a little tight when all of us go but we love it. Four is the limit - you can't do five, we tried once. I love to rig up a bunk in the back for the 4yo, but haven't figured that one out yet. Give me time!

My sister caught the Airstream fever and they now have a '74, 25' with the same set up you described. Mom and dad take the dinette bed and the three children - 13(g), 11(b) and 8(b) share the larger bed with was modified to add an extra 18". I think they go head to toe in sleeping bags. They figure eventually someone will complain and then there is always the tent!

[trumpwer]

We are spoiled. We put the kids in the pickup camper on our tow vehicle and we have the 31' to ourselves. Our 9 year old boy is in scouts, so often we set up his tent for him (he has not wanted to do it in the Theodore Roosevelt North Unit since he woke up surrounded by buffalo), but the girls would not sleep on the ground! And they have their own bathroom!

[joe hall]

but the set-up is not the best when our 15-year-old son wants to include a friend. We take the rear bunks which we prefer. The boy is fine on the front couch/bed. However, now that he is older, he prefers taking a friend along, which most parents will understand is usually agreeable. He is too big to share the bed, which puts either himself or a friend on the floor. Have you ever tried to get teenagers out of bed in order to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning? The alternative is to turn the back bedroom over to the boys, and we share the front couch/bed. It is a little too small for ideal comfort, plus I can't remember the last time you could get two boys to go to bed early enough to accommodate the parents privacy. Seldom is there a perfect solution. On the other hand, we will have the mint trailer for years, and the boy will want to go his own way long before we wish him to go.

[LuminumTraila]

This information is great! We're planning on camping with our two small daughters and I've been curious about what size trailer works best for the family. Would any of you care to start another thread on the best camping places for kids and families? I've only read a little about some of the not-so-good ones.

Thanks again for sharing this information.

[InsideOut]

Two 15 year old boys....I say bring along a small tent for them!

Shari

[nayl]

My six year old and I go camping in our 22’ International AS and we've had some great times camping together. I generally sleep on the bed in the front of the trailer and we convert the dinette for my child. When we have someone else along, the guest gets the dinette and my child and I share the bed.



This works out for now, but in the future I think that the trailer will comfortably accommodate just the two of us. I have been considering my options. At that time I will probably have to consider moving up to a 25’ trailer with twin beds. I really don’t want to do that since I really love the layout of the AS, especially the kitchen. That also necessitates the purchase of a different tow vehicle, but we’ll see when that time comes.

[swebster]

We got our 345 so we could go family camping and traveling. Three kids (3,4,8) and two dogs. Love the floorplan of the 345. Two girls on the fold out couch, my son on the dinette, the dogs will sleep anywhere and Suz and I in the back queen. My son is already asking about taking a friend and I think we could make it work.

Looked at many many new RV's but just loved the look and quality of the AS's.