I’ll be honest – I love RVing with teens. I love travel of any kind with my teens.
I loved traveling with my kids at every stage. But traveling with teenagers is a wonderful reward after years of hauling around baby gear, or hiking with a toddler on your back, or changing diaper blowouts at rest stops in 100° heat.
RVing with teens means you now have extra people who are capable of helping with stuff! People who can pack themselves and go on longer hikes and try more adventurous activities. I miss my sweet babies, it’s true. But traveling with teens can be a whole lot of fun.
Of course, as the kids get older, there are challenges, too. Most of the challenges when traveling are the same ones everyone faces at home. Teens might complain about being bored sometimes. They want to be on their phones. They’re probably going to squabble with their siblings. Babies go wherever you take them, but teenagers have their own opinions about what they want to do … and what they don’t.
Add to that a much smaller living space on the road, and RVing with teens can present some difficulties along with fun family memories!
Plan Your Road Trip with Teenagers in Mind
I remember the first time we planned a family road trip, and I realized that I could actually consult with my kids on what to do. It’s a strange feeling to go from having the adults plan everything to including older kids and teens in planning a road trip. But it’s a great feeling, too! Your kids are growing and learning and hopefully developing the skills to travel throughout their lives.
Involving your teens in planning stops and routes, or even letting them pick your destination, makes them feel valued. Their opinion matters. Also, they have some pretty great ideas! We took a camping trip to Bryce Canyon National Park once, because my 9-year-old saw a picture of the hoodoos and asked, “Is that on Earth?” So we went to check them out.
By the time the kids were in high school, they were helping plan our trips and schedules in more detail. Because teens are so tech-savvy, you might find that they suggest stops or routes you didn’t even know about.
Since we have four kids, we usually begin our planning by checking in with everyone. All the kids and all the adults get a chance to share one thing they’d like to do, or one stop they’d like to make on our trip. That way, everyone gets heard and no one feels ignored. We don’t end up leaving a destination with someone who’s upset because they didn’t get to do something I didn’t know they wanted to do.
I also think it’s important to include the things the adults want to do, too! It’s part of balancing everyone’s needs and opinions as a family. We all get a say.
Family RV Travel Entertainment
Our usual screen limits go out the window while we’re driving. It’s not like I can send everyone outside to play! We try to generally take breaks and talk. The teens get some time to make fun of their dad’s music choices (or sometimes sing along!). When we stop on our drive, phones go away unless people are taking pictures.
But we use tech to make the trip more fun, as well. My daughter has been in charge of our family Spotify road trip playlist for several years now. She has a general road trip playlist, but she also has playlists tailored to various destinations, and she adds to them for months before our trips. We listen to podcasts together (one on the Donner Party, while we were traveling over Donner Pass was particularly memorable!). The kids also listen to their own podcasts or watch movies. Sometimes, they’re assigned summer reading, and they can listen to audiobooks and get a jump on their work. And when we arrive at a destination, we often use our phones to look up more information about what we’re seeing.
Even when we let the teens have unlimited screen time, everyone has a natural limit for how long they want to be online. They’ll stop and play road trip games – teens playing “I Spy” can get wildly competitive! Sometimes they journal or draw. We bring along plenty of snacks and drinks for everyone, and we try to have a blend of special road trip treats and healthy options.
Of course, they also document our trips with plenty of selfies, group photos, and videos. They share things on social media. They make ridiculous TikToks. It’s so much fun to see their creative, goofy posts and videos. Those also help them stay connected with their friends during long breaks from school. Our extended family also likes tracking social media updates from our trips.
We actually broke down on a lonely highway last summer, and it took three hours for us to make it to the nearest town. I’m so grateful that this happened when our children were teens instead of little kids! They took silly pictures and made videos pretending to be lost in the desert. And when two of them had to hitch a ride to town in a police car … well, they had a field day posting about that.
Activities at Campgrounds & Stops
Once we take a break from driving, teens can find plenty of stuff to do at campgrounds or during other stops. Here are a few of the activities that are great options for teens.
- Swimming: The wonderful thing about teenagers is that you can send them to the campground pool without needing adult supervision (assuming they know how to swim). I usually go anyway, though, because I need the exercise as much as they do after a day on the road. Swimming is a great way to cool off, get some activity, and wear everyone out for a little bit.
- Biking: If you bring along bikes, that’s another great way to stretch everyone’s legs after a day on the road. It also lets your teens explore the area.
- Hiking: The wonderful thing about hiking with teens is that you can go farther and try more strenuous trails than when they had short, little toddler legs. In fact, at some point, most of my teens had a lot more energy and stamina than I did, and now they usually pass me up on the trail.
- Outdoor Adventures: It’s also easier to plan things like rafting, ropes courses, backpacking trips, and other more strenuous activities. Teens are usually up for adventure, and they love exciting activities that might be hard for younger kids to handle.
- Campground Amenities: Many campgrounds also have amenities like basketball courts, gaga ball pits, or rec rooms where teens can hang out. And, of course, there may be game rooms or WiFi zones where they can connect.
Teen-Friendly RV Travel Trips
Over the years of traveling with teens, I now have tips to make sure they (and their parents!) have a smoother trip.
Encourage their independence
The feeling you get when you realize you don’t have to pack for teenagers like you do for younger kids … well, you might just shed some happy tears. I make one packing list for the whole family (because I forget things, too!), and then it’s up to everyone to pack themselves. I also give them a departure time and let them figure out what they need to do to be ready to go. You and I worked so hard to teach these kids how to take care of themselves – now it’s time to reap the benefits!
Other ways to encourage independence include having teens help with camp chores. Let them plan dinner or other meals. Have them take charge of a day of family activities and plan a hike or other outing. If they have a learner’s permit or license and you have a suitable vehicle, teens often love driving in new places! Let them shop for souvenirs and make other decisions without you.
Teen Road Trip Essentials
Here is a packing list of road trip essentials for teens.
Bags
- Duffel bag or suitcase for clothing
- Backpack for road trip entertainment items
Clothing
- Pajamas
- Short-sleeve shirts, T-shirts, or tank tops
- Shorts
- Long pants
- Rain jacket
- Sweatshirts or sweaters
- Sneakers and/or hiking boots
- Flip-flops or slides
- Hat (sun hat or baseball cap)
- Underwear
- Socks
- Bathing suit
- Winter hat & mittens (depending on weather)
Toiletries
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush/comb & hair ties
- Face wash & moisturizer
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm/chapstick
- Feminine hygiene products (if needed)
Personal Items
- Sunglasses
- Prescription glasses/contacts & case
- Refillable water bottle
- Phone & charger
- Car adapter
- Wallet w/ ID, teen debit card
For the RV
- Pillow, blanket, stuffed animal
- Books or e-reader
- Laptop & charger
- Homework if necessary (sorry, kids!)
- Headphones/earbuds
- Small games, cards, other activities like knitting
Give them their space
Yes, being together as a family is wonderful, and I treasure it every time it happens. But teens need their own space. As they get older, they start pulling away more and more. It’s normal, and it’s part of growing up and getting ready to be on their own. If you can, make sure they have a bed or other area where they can retreat when they need some peace and quiet. Let them set up their space, and bring things that make them feel comfortable and right at home.
And when they’re in their space … try not to invade too much. That might be the toughest part for me!
It can be hard when you want to soak up the remaining time with them that feels like it’s slipping away. But also – remember when you couldn’t even go to the bathroom without them right there with you? You get a little break now! They’ll come find you after they recharge, and they’ll be in a much better mood, too.
Give them downtime away from family
I have one son who has always needed his Alone Time, especially after a day of being in a vehicle with his whole family! Anytime we arrive somewhere for the night, he needs to go off on a walk by himself. Now that he’s a teen, I let him. He has a cell phone, and he tells us where he’s headed. And then we leave him alone.
Actually, I need this a lot of times, too!
You can let your teen go on a walk or sit at a nearby scenic spot. They can go to the pool on their own or for a drive by themselves. We establish when they’ll be back, and we make sure we can reach them by cell phone if we need to. But they appreciate time to themselves. I think it also helps them develop skills to be on their own as they get older.
Schedule free time
Our work and school lives can get really busy! So one thing that’s really important to us is to make sure our road trips aren’t overscheduled. Definitely hike to the iconic spots and see amazing things. But leave some time to just chill out. One great thing about RVing with teens is that you can let them sleep in at least some days, without needing to be up and packed by checkout time.
Let teens explore a quaint downtown shopping area. Sit by a scenic lake and just relax for a while. Let everyone split up at an amusement park or historic district and arrange to meet back at a certain time. Give them time to wander a campground and check it out.
Vacationing with teens is a mix of making great memories as a family and letting them begin to do things on their own without their parents nearby at every moment.
Life Skills & Responsibilities
Along with giving teens agency in planning trips and letting them explore on their own, we can get them to help with all the hard work that camping inevitably brings. One of the perks of having teens is that they’re just as capable as adults of doing campground chores (although I’m not sure my teens would call this a perk!)
Teens are old enough to help level rigs and assist with hookups and setting up camp. They can unpack and set up beds and cooking areas. And they can help cook and clean up after each meal.
You can divide chores in several ways. For example, I have one teen who loves campground cooking and makes much better breakfasts than the instant oatmeal I bring along! You can have a teen who enjoys one chore take charge of that area. Or you can have everyone rotate. Sometimes, we’ll have each person in our family take a night to plan and make dinner on our trips.
This is a great opportunity to help teens develop camping skills that they’ll hopefully use as adults. And since everyone is part of this family, and everyone is enjoying this trip, everyone gets to help make it happen. They may moan and groan (no? Just my kids?), but hooking up an RV or making a meal the whole family loves builds their confidence. It might kill them to admit it, but they’re usually pretty proud of themselves when they do a good job.
RVing with teens can conjure up images of sulky teenagers buried in their phones or fighting with their siblings. And let’s not sugarcoat things – sometimes that’s the case! But a lot of times, RVing with teens is a great experience. Giving them a mix of structure and freedom, time with family and time on their own, is a huge step towards helping them enjoy a road trip. Embrace the adventure of older kids who can do so many more things, and enjoy the flexibility of traveling with them. You can create lasting memories, and hopefully they’ll even come back to travel with you after they’ve flown the nest.
