The Ultimate Freedom: Why Class A RVs are Perfect for Young Families

This is an exciting time for your family as you’ve decided to buy an RV, congratulations!  Now the fun of deciding which one to get begins.  The decision may seem a bit overwhelming at first when you look at how many different types, models, and floorplans are available these days.  There are literally thousands of possible options.  Before diving into the plentiful options, it would benefit your search to have a short list of RV must haves and then a few nice to haves.  To help you narrow your search, we are going to share all about why a Class A motorhome is one of the best options especially for young families!

 

We’ve been where you are now, so we understand the excitement as well as all the considerations. Our family has been living full-time on the road for almost three years! At the time of our departure our son was 3 years old, he is now 6, and our family has recently grown with a newborn daughter. Traveling with a baby on board has only continued to reinforce that we made the best decision in choosing to travel in a motorhome. Yes, that’s right we are traveling with a newborn. Hopefully we have piqued your interest by now. Keep reading because in this blog post, we’ll delve into the reasons why Class A RVs are such a good choice for families with young children.

 

Living Space

 

When we first walked into our Vacationer (it was actually the first A Class we looked at) it immediately felt like home!  Kristi will tell you she knew it was “the one” within the first 2 minutes of our tour.  And she wasn’t wrong.  The first thing that jumped out was the beautiful living area and how the floorplan made such good use of the space.  As we envisioned our family living in it, enjoying meals together, snuggling up on movie nights (inside or outside), and sleeping comfortably in our own bedrooms, we knew we were going to love it.  Many Class A floorplans offer 1.5 or even 2 full bathrooms which is a must for young families.  We did not know that was an option when we started our search, and now we don’t know how we’d live without that additional half-bath.  With a 6-year-old and a newborn, it makes life so much easier.  We also love that we have good counter space in our kitchen when cooking meals.  And nothing speaks to the amount of space like hosting guests!  At one point we hosted Spencer’s brother’s family of 4 for six days in Montana!  There were 4 adults, 3 kids, and giant dog all enjoying time in our Vacationer!

 

If you too plan to host family or just enjoy room to stretch A Class RVs offer it all. We are talking a king size bed, bunkhouses, comfortable living space, driving chairs that swivel into said living space, two bathrooms and some even offer a hide-a-loft. Essentially a bed over the cab area.

 

Storage Space

 

In addition to living space, storage space is another big reason to get a Class A for your young family.  Class A motorhomes, especially the diesel models, are unmatched in their storage capacity.  Given that we live our Vacationer full time and love spending time outdoors, we have all sorts of gear to live the outdoor lifestyle.  From inflatable SUPs and kayaks to sports equipment and bikes, to our griddle for cooking and tables and chairs to enjoy outdoor meals and campfires.  We have room for it all and love being able to enjoy all our favorite activities!  The underneath storage areas also give us the ability to switch out our clothing by season so the snow gear can be stored out of the way in the summer, and vice versa.  And the storage on the inside is great too.  There are plenty of cabinets and drawers for everything you need.  For families with several kids of different ages, you know each one wants to have their own toys!  Not a problem when you have a Class A.  The biggest challenge will be to not accumulate more!

 

Travel Days

 

Travel days become so much easier when you travel in the comforts of a Class A motorhome. Probably the biggest deciding factor for us, was having access to our own bathroom and kitchen when on the road.  Even though we try to keep travel days to around 4 hours, we typically don’t stop.  And with young kids (or expecting mothers), not having to stop frequently for potty breaks is huge.  Not to mention having access to the pantry and the refrigerator for road snacks.  No need to pack a cooler or pre-make all the lunches. Additionally, books, games, and toys are all within reach as well to occupy the little ones when they get restless.  And mom can plug in and get a little work done while the kiddos are napping

 

Another huge bonus and one favorite travel day related perks about our Class A is that we can be fully operational without having to go outside.  There have been a couple times that we have arrived at our campsite after dark and/or in the rain.  But with the auto-leveling system, being able to start the on-board generator from inside, and some water in our fresh tank (we always keep 20ish gallons in it), we don’t have to worry about going out in the dark and the rain to set up or move the kids from truck to trailer.  You can simply enjoy your evening with ease and worry about fully hooking up in the morning!

 

The Driving Experience

 

Driving a Class A motorhome can seem intimidating to most.  There’s no denying that they are very large vehicles and the thought of maneuvering such a beast through campgrounds and gas stations can give people pause.  But I’m here to tell you that it’s not nearly as difficult as you might think, and its actually quite enjoyable, not to mention, extremely convenient. With a little practice in a large, open parking lot, you can get quite comfortable with the turning radius, backing up, and finding your sight lines. While on the road, you’ll be able to focus on driving while your family is comfortably seated in the middle of the coach. And with a bathroom on board, you won’t have to stop for bathroom breaks. You might even be so lucky to avoid the “Are we there yet” question with access to your kids’ books, games, toys, and favorite movies.  The Class A windshield is easily one of my favorite parts of travel day, especially when rolling through scenic areas.  It’s like having an IMAX movie screen in front of you with as much view as your eyes can handle. If you have children old enough to ride in the passenger seat, be sure to give them the opportunity to enjoy the view. It really is an experience unique to Class A’s that can’t be matched!

 

 

Cost-Effectiveness:

 

Contrary to popular belief, traveling in a Class A RV can be a very cost-effective choice for your family. You can find lengths and floorplans to fit just about any budget.  And keep in mind, with a Class A, you aren’t also buying a tow vehicle to pull your rig.  When making a cost comparison to a motorhome vs. a towable RV, this is a big consideration if you also need to purchase a tow vehicle.  For us, not having to buy an RV and a tow vehicle was the biggest factor in our Class A purchase. For us it made so much more sense to invest in our home on wheels vs. a tow vehicle. Speaking of towing, having a more economical, fuel-efficient vehicle to drive around town or to adventures has been a much better option for us.  We tow a Jeep Wrangler behind our Vacationer, which is not only a better get-around vehicle than a big truck, but we can also have some fun and go off-road with it as well!  Overall, when looking at our options, we wanted to put the majority of our budget into the RV itself, and that brought Class A motorhomes within range.

 

Class A motorhomes really are a great choice for young families.  Hopefully the reasons we talked about either confirmed what you were already thinking, or gave you some new things to consider as you search for your RV.  And whether you’ll be using it for vacations or are taking the plunge to live life on the road, add “Class A” to your search filters and keep them in mind.  Our Holiday Rambler has been a fantastic home for us over the past three years and has us looking forward to what the future holds on the road for us!