elizabethadventuresblogWhile planning a road trip with a toddler and a baby, I wanted to find a way to make roadtripping with kids as smooth as possible. At first, I looked into hotels because I was traveling with a two month old baby, so that seemed like it would make the most sense. I also really wanted to camp because it’s my preferred method of travel. That’s what landed me on traveling via camper van! It was the perfect mix of clean hotel amenities, with all the things I love about camping.
(This post is sponsored by Roadsurfer but all opinions are my own)
The Vehicle: Liberty Lodge
We took the Liberty Lodge model camper van on our 10 day road trip. This was the smallest option that would fit a family of four. It has two regular seats for a driver and passenger up front.
It then has a second row with two more seats directly behind the driver seat. The Liberty model includes a small shower room directly behind the second row seats, which has a compost toilet inside as well. Across from the shower/toilet room is a kitchen space which has a two stove burner and small sink.
At the back of the van is a convertible bed. It can be left up to provide extra seating or moved down to make a bed. We left the bed down the entire time so we had a place to easily change diapers, nap with the kids and keep my baby’s bassinet (which we brought from home).
The second bed is in the pop up tent. It is accessible between the two rows of seats. You simply unclip the safety straps and push the tent up. There is a ladder that attaches for safe climbing. My toddler son slept up there with my husband and it felt perfectly safe. We taught him to stay away from the opening right away and you can hear movement easily so we always knew if he moved.
There are plenty of cabinets to store food, clothes and gear throughout for a family of four. The doors all latch shut so nothing falls out while on the road. The side door and back doors all come with a bug net so you can enjoy fresh air without bugs coming inside. It also has black out covers for every window. The van stayed quite dark with them all on!
Where We We
San Francisco- St George Utah-Las Vegas-Alabama Hills-Lake Tahoe-San Francisco
We picked up our van for our 10 day road trip at the San Francisco location, which was perfect because we live nearby. You can also fly into San Francisco or Oakland and Uber to the pick up location. From there, we loaded up our van back at home and hit the road. Because we were traveling with a toddler and 2 month old baby, we made sure to take regular stops.
Our goal on day one was to simply drive as far as we could to make the next day’s drive shorter.We ended up making it to a rest stop just outside the small town of Tonopah, Nevada. We walked around town and let my oldest son play at a playground before beginning the drive for the day. Day two ended at Cathedral Gorge State Park.
We stayed at another rest stop near our planned hike on day three just outside of Cedar City, Utah. We then headed south towards St George for a few days of exploring places I’ve been prior and new places. We found a great park with a train ride and splash pad for my oldest to play at called Thunder Junction.
After two nights near St George, we headed out for Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada for an evening hike. We spent the night just outside the park so we could explore more at sunrise. Then it was off to Las Vegas for a pool afternoon for my kids. We also walked the strip so my oldest could watch the fountains at Bellagio since he is obsessed with water.
The next day we explored Red Rock Canyon State Park before heading back towards California. We planned to spend more time near Vegas but wanted to make the drive home easier on the boys. We found Red Rock Canyon State Park on our route to explore the next day. We then headed to the Alabama Hills to camp for the evening. We enjoyed a slow morning at camp before starting the drive up to Lake Tahoe. We spent the morning in Tahoe before making the final drive back home to empty out the van and drop it back off in San Francisco.
The Reality of Road Tripping with Kids
Every form of travel has its pros and cons. So I’ll share my personal list so you can have an honest take on what to expect traveling in one with a family. Keep in mind this is specifically for the Liberty Lodge model I was using. Every model of vehicle will be different and probably have its own list.
PROS:
Not have to unload and load a vehicle every day! Whether it be tent camping or a hotel, having to empty and load a car every day on a road trip gets exhausting quickly. Having the van means everything is self-contained and other than the initial pack into the
vehicle, everything stays for the remainder of the trip. This is a HUGE Pro for traveling
with kids.- Easy to drive. The size of the Liberty Lodge makes it so easy to drive and park
anywhere, which is so great when traveling with a larger vehicle. - The vehicles from Roadsurfer comes fully stocked with things you may need. Ours had two camp chairs so I only needed to pack my son’s, and a camp table. It also has an extra water container and a fully stocked kitchen box with items like dishes, mugs, cups, utensils, knife and mixing large bowl.
- Roadsurfer has a great support system. They have a QR code you can scan in the
vehicle that allows you to get support on the road as well as find activities and places to camp. - The van can be used at an established campground with electricity and water for more amenities, but also off grid at dispersed campsites, depending on what you are looking for out of the trip and your planned locations.
- The windows and doors all had blackout covers to keep it dark inside. The back doors of the van also had bug nets to keep doors open and bugs out so you can enjoy the evening breeze.
CONS:
- Limited space inside the Liberty Model. In the evenings while getting ready for bed, it could often feel cramped trying to navigate around with two adults carrying children. But I had to remember it’s a vehicle, not a hotel or tent. So the pros outweigh this con easily.Roadsurfer also has a larger model RV rental available.
- Filling up the van with fuel is expensive. Granted this will fluctuate on location, as gas prices differ, and the amount of driving. Just know you will be spending a decent amount on every fill. If you cover a lot of ground then you will obviously spend more. If you are staying in a closer range, the gas bill won’t be as high. But all road trips come with an added fuel cost.
- Washing dishes for a family of four is not always easy with a van. The van comes with a great kitchen box, which includes a collapsible cleaning container. But between that and a small sink it can be time consuming and not ideal with kids. But if you’re camping you would still be doing dishes, so overall it’s no added task from car camping. We purposely planned easy-to-cook/clean meals so we didn’t have as much to clean as well as eating out a few meals
So would I pick the Liberty Lodge Again?
Possibly! I think the size of it makes it so much easier to navigate roads and towns, but having extra space in one of the larger RV options would definitely make it easier for those evening hours. A larger RV might be more difficult to navigate or park depending on your comfort level.
It’s important to weigh things like driving the vehicle as well as the space it provides when youpick which size vehicle to get. I think I would either go with the Liberty Lodge or the Family Freedom model for family-friendly options, but both are great options for traveling with littles.
Want a discount?
I was able to snag a discount from Roadsurfer to share with you! You can use the code “ELIZABETH11” for 11% off your booking until June 22, 2025. Click here to check out their vehicle selection! This discount code cannot be combined with any other promotions.
In Conclusion
This was my first van experience for a road trip and I can say after years of car camping and hotel roadtripping, taking a van is truly the way to go for a family! It took so much headache out of the mix and just made spending time outdoors exploring easier. There was less time spent loading and unloading the car and more time outside as a family. Which to me is what family adventures are all about.
Happy Travels,
Elizabeth
