How to Campervan With a Baby: 13 Easy Tips!
We LOVED traveling by campervan with a baby and toddler and we will 100% be doing it again and again. It is such a great family friendly way to travel, but there are some tips and tricks you should know to help your trip go as smoothly as possible. We’ve got you covered with where to find showers, what to do with your dirty diapers, and other tips you may not have thought about!
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And if you decide that campervan travel is for you – check out Native Campervans or Roadsurfer, they are our two FAVORITE campervan companies and have family friendly vans (and even fit two carseats!) Check out our Full Review of Native Campervans and Review of Roadsurfer for Families!
1. Set up a Safe Sleeping Arrangement
Safe sleep is important! And it will be a little more challenging in the campervan, but not impossible. Depending on the layout of your campervan (you’ll want to check this ahead of time), you may be able to fit a pack and play or bassinet on the floor of the van.
Our kids were 18 months and 3 years at the time, so in our campervan rental (from Native Campervans) we had one kid sleep with me in the queen size bed and the other with Dane in the rooftop tent. The bed is also big enough if you have a bassinet that will fit on the bed for the baby.
Plan ahead so you won’t be stressed or surprised about your sleeping arrangements. Our campervan company had layout maps on their website of each van build. They were also really responsive to questions – so take advantage of their expertise!
2. Bring a Bag for Dirty Diapers
Because the campervan is pretty close quarters and where you’ll be sleeping and driving, you won’t want the whole thing smelling like dirty diapers. Bring a bag that seals or ties tightly to store your dirty diapers until you can find a garbage.
If you’re staying at a National Park campground or another non-remote camping area, you will probably have access to garbage cans. But if you are staying on BLM land or something more remote, you will definitely want a good sealing bag or something you can tie tightly.
3. Check the Car Seat Installation Before You Leave
This is a no-brainer for any road trip, but when you’re installing your car seat in a new vehicle, double checking the installation before you leave is a good idea. The Squad campervan that we LOVE from Native Campervans has the capacity for two car seats which makes it the perfect rental for our family!
Here are some tips on car seat installation!
4. Bring your Hiking Pack
One thing most campervans do well is optimizing storage. We had a ton of extra room for our luggage and space to bring a hiking backpack for our kids! It was SO nice to have on our trip to Death Valley so we could do as many hikes as we wanted.
Here are our favorite baby carriers for every age:
- Best Baby Carrier for Newborn Age
- Hiking front pack for babies with good head control and young toddlers
- ALL TIME Favorite hiking backpack for toddlers and small kids
5. Find a Shower
A downside of staying in a campervan is not having access to a shower. Depending on your tolerance for not showering, and the total duration of your trip, it’s a good idea to map out a place to shower ahead of time. Some campgrounds will have you covered for showers and bathrooms with running water. However, you can also search for nearby hotels with day access to pools, car washes or laundromats, a day pass at a gym, or even find a nearby lake that you can dip into.
Native Campervans also has a portable outdoor shower that you can rent! We haven’t tried it, but that’s another option for a shower.
And we’ll give you all the insider information in our post about the Pros and Cons of Campervan Travel with Kids!
6. Pack a Few Comfort Items/Toys
While there are a ton of “toys” to be found in nature, it’s probably a good idea to bring a few comfort items from home for a sleep routine or for times when the baby needs a little extra entertainment. We usually bring a toy car and a familiar stuffed animal for each of the kids.
7. Plan a Few Stops on the Road
In most campervan rentals, the back row of seats is going to have a little bit of distance from the front seat where the adults are. With out layout (because it was so spacious), we couldn’t reach the kids in their car seats from the front seat. Plan for a couple extra stops along your drive to get the baby what they need to have a comfortable ride.
8. Make a Grocery List
One of the biggest mistakes we made when traveling by campervan with a baby was not making a grocery list ahead of time. While I had a rough idea of what I wanted to buy at the store, I didn’t have an official list. Unfortunately, our kids were tired and melting down a bit while in the grocery store so I forgot half of what I needed.
We made it work, but our campervan meals could have been much better if we had come prepared with a list of good snacks for the baby and meal ingredients.
9. Rent a Campervan With a Dishwashing Station
An awesome feature of the campervans from Native Campervans is that they have a dishwashing station in the kitchen area. We found this to be so helpful for rinsing out bottles, and washing other dishes so we didn’t have to walk to the faucet or the bathrooms every time.
10. Park at the Trailhead for Nap Time
A hard part of traveling with kids for me is not getting to do some of the bigger or less kid friendly hikes. During our trip to Death Valley, we parked the van at a trailhead for nap time. Dane and I took turns doing a solo hike and it was so peaceful! One perk of traveling by campervan is the kids can nap ANYWHERE.
11. Bring a Noise Machine
Depending on where you are staying and if they have quiet hours, you could run into some noisy neighbors which could interfere with your baby’s sleep. Native Campervans have excellent batteries, so we used an iPad to play a white noise soundtrack through the night, and were able to charge our devices through the day – even when the van was off.
12. Make a Packing List (and Check it Twice!)
Usually, when you’re traveling by campervan with a baby – you’ll be somewhere at least a little ways away from a Walmart (hopefully anyways!) So if you forget the essentials, it will be pretty inconvenient for you to go find them.
We always make a comprehensive packing list a week ahead of time. We also make a list of last minute items like a sleep sack, toothbrushes, phone chargers, etc.
13. Get outside
Obviously, you probably enjoy getting outside if you are traveling by campervan. Even if the weather is a little bit suspect when you are traveling, make sure to get outside anyways! If you stay in the van too long, you might feel a little cooped up. Our kids always do better than we think in inclement weather and it beats sitting inside.
I hope this guide to tips for traveling by campervan with a baby. Let me know in the comments what your trip was like and if you would do it again! Happy travels and click here to book your family campervan adventure!
