Can you still function in a trailer without opening the slides? The answer: No, you probably can’t. In fact, in the first trailer we looked at, as the slides slowly closed, we had to step away, toward the door. And after they were shut, the dinette was snugged up against the kitchen cabinets, and there was no access whatsoever to the bedroom or bathroom. The smiling salesperson informed us that this was the reason they’d put in a second entrance door in the new models, so you could still reach the bedroom when they were shut.
Worse, whenever we asked if they had anything without a slide, salespeople tended to look at us as though we’d slipped a cog. In the end, this was one of the many reasons we chose Airstream, because its trailers are slide-free. (Airstream only uses slides in its Atlas touring coach.) We decided that slides were against the laws of physics, and just weren’t for us.
Traveling with kids
When it comes to space, there isn’t a more important issue at the decision-making stage than whether you’re traveling with kids.
There’s a big difference between a pair of retirees with wanderlust and a family of five living on the road, even for a short time or on a seasonal trip. You may think that someone trying to live long-term in a travel trailer with three kids and a dog not only is attempting the impossible but may be in need of psychiatric help.
But it can be done, like most things in life, with planning and effort. Good parenting on the road is something we’ve watched with awe and admiration. We’ve seen homeschooling going on around the picnic table, and history and science lessons being taught in the national parks and at national historic sites. In fact, we’re beginning to think kids on the road have it better, because they’re learning so many life lessons while they’re seeing the country — and learning to be flexible to boot.
Kids are happier on the road when they have a space, no matter how small, that they can call their own. In fact, kids love having a small space — they’ll set up their personal camp in the upper bunk or on the platform bed above the driver’s seat without complaint. It’s like building a snow fort in the backyard!
Top of the convenience ladder is the bunkhouse model, with a little room just for the kids. And you don’t have to go with a giant fifth wheel to get family space. Many toy haulers have a bunkhouse room, and trailers do as well. For example, take a look at the Grand Design Reflection, the bunkhouse model, with a generous bunkhouse room for the kids at the opposite side of the kitchen and living room to the parents’ bedroom, very much an echo of a fifth wheel. You’ll see there are trailers out there with a very doable floor plan for a family.
Speaking of safety, another thing you’re going to want to look for is a step well cover. In our trailer, two little steps get us to the ground, but a Class A has a lot of basement storage, which means that at living level, you’re pretty high off the ground. Depending on the rig’s design, when the door is shut, you may be looking at a stairwell — an open space with several steps — and kids can easily take a fall into them. Even pets can take a tumble, especially older ones not made of rubber anymore. Websites like DoItYourselfRV (www.doityourselfrv.com) have instructions for making one yourself, but nowadays many rigs come with some sort of covering for the well, including an easy push-button type.
Traveling with pets
People love having their pets with them on the road. Apart from just dogs and cats, you’ll see literally every other kind of pet imaginable in RVs: birds, ferrets, hamsters, rabbits, even the occasional potbellied pig. Of course, pets don’t require as much preplanning when shopping for an RV as kids do. No one homeschools their Schnauzer. But when you’re shopping, you may want to stop to consider potential pet issues.
In the last decade, the United States has become far more welcoming of dogs, and an amazing number of places don’t mind if you bring Bowzer along on his leash. More than 50 percent of RVers travel with a dog, and it’s the rare RV park that won’t allow you to have one. Many of them have fenced-in dog runs and bark parks, which even pop up here and there in truck and rest stops. KOA puts dog playgrounds or runs in all of its campgrounds. But every campground insists that you keep your dog on a leash when not in a fenced-in area. And you must always clean up after your dog. Often, you’ll find a plastic bag dispenser already there for you, if you forget to grab one before your walk.
Many people on the road are only looking for space for a Chihuahua, and a lap will do. But you’ll see plenty of folks with multiple pets. And if you’re trying to travel with two Golden Retrievers and a Great Dane, space in your RV for them should be something you think about when you’re shopping. Most vets and trainers say that dogs, like children, feel more comfortable if a small area belongs to them, and they should have a dog bed there. If yours is crate trained and loves being in it, be sure you’ve got somewhere in your rig where the crate will conveniently fit without crowding the spaces you need to get to regularly. You should also consider your tow vehicle if you’re using one, and where your pet will ride.
Maybe our dogs have just been odd, but we’ve traveled over the years with several different breeds, and they all want to be in the recliner or the bed along with us, while the dog bed sits empty. Our present dog, Sophie the Power Poodle, a difficult handful at home, is a dream on the road, maybe because we started traveling with her when she was a puppy. Our SUV tow vehicle has one rear seat designated hers, with a generous platform dog bed that gives her a safety line while letting her look out the window — a great idea, and she loves it! The dog previous to her, Wiley, was more difficult, and because of various health problems, he was happier on travel days with a mild tranquilizer. But before you resort to pharmaceuticals, give nature a chance: A typical dog loves being in the car and looks at a road trip as an adventure.
You don’t have to buy a trailer at Camping World to use their very large RV stores. You’ll find lots of options there for your pets, including all sorts of outdoor beds and containment systems. There’s such a thing as handy portable dog fencing, and you can set up a little area as part of your normal campsite, like a large playpen.