Well, fam, we’re two years into camper ownership and this year we made some pretty big changes, learned a lot and, most importantly, made a lot of memories and had big adventures as a family! We took our adventures out of the Ozarks and found out just how much we love spending time in our camper!

First Up, 14 Months In to Camper Ownership, We Upgraded Campers

We already loved our first camper, but after we took our first 9-day camping trip to Big Bend National Park and we looked ahead to plans to travel in the camper as long and as far as we can, we saw how a separate room for our kids would be a huge benefit and that a larger kitchen space and living space would allow us a lot more comfort. Okay, obviously, this was not a necessity but because we had the ability to do this – even though financing another camper wasn’t in our plans for 2024 – we do also know that we want our kids to love and look forward to experiences in the camper, so their comfort is really important to us and we are so in love with this new camper of ours.

Our Second Year As a Camper Family at a Glance

Days Spent Camping: (45) We spent more time on the road this year than we did in our first year. About 45% of our travel was in the camper, which is pretty cool!
How Many Campgrounds Did We Stay At? (12) Bar J Hitching Post in Sweetwater, TX, Big Bend Station in Terlingua, Texas, Wichita Falls RV Park in Wichita Falls, Texas, Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park in Ponca, Arkansas, Double J Campground in Chatham, Illinois, Starved Rock Family Campground in La Salle, Illinois, Petit Jean State Park Campground in Arkansas, Timbuktu Campground in Echo Bluff State Park, Missouri, Linn Creek KOA in Linn Creek, Missouri, Wanderlust RV Park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Driftwood Campground in Quincy, Illinois and Dell Pines Campground in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
States Camped In (5): Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin. This was a huge improvement from last year. We also passed through Oklahoma in the camper.

Check out how this compares to our Year One Roundup Here!

Three Things We Learned In Our Second Year as a Camper Family

I think that we will continue to learn and grow each year that we attempt to do this more and more. In our second year of camper ownership we certainly learned a lot.

Be Mindful of the Distance vs. Time We Have

Something I’ve learned a lot about is the length of trip vs. distance. I pushed for us to have more experiences than just the Ozarks a lot this year. I wanted to explore areas I’d heard about and having those experiences in the camper was, of course, what I had in mind. So, I found places in Illinois and Wisconsin that I really wanted us to visit. We have zero regrets about the adventures we had, but we learned that we need to be mindful of how far we want to go for a 4-day weekend, because we need to be able to actually enjoy the destination. It takes so much longer to tow a camper than just drive because we have to drive a little slower and gas stops are more frequent towing a 36-foot camper. So, we’re still looking to go farther, but also learning to take longer chunks of time – especially if we can work out ways for Matt work from the road. Speaking of which….

We Will be Kicking Off Camper Year Three with Wifi!!! Because, Well, We Need It!

We were initially trying to plan destinations around co-working spaces nearby, but ended up deciding that getting Starlink was going to be our best option. As much I as I personally hate the idea of giving Elon Musk a penny of our hard-earned money, using Starlink will allow us to move a step closer toward our dreams of being on the road at least 50% of the year by the time Liam is of kindergarten age. (I don’t know if Matt knows quite how grand my goal is, so don’t tell him. ha!) So, we got our Starlink setup in December and we cannot wait to test it out! Because it is quite expensive for their monthly unlimited plan, we’ll only use it around times that Matt will be working. But that’s a feature I love about Starlink – you can shut service on and off. We’ll for sure be busting this out in June when we take off for “Nomad Summer“.

Location and Amenities Matter When it Comes to Campgrounds

We’ve learned a lot from visiting multiple campgrounds. We’ve definitely found if we’re going to be in a place for quite some time these two things are super important. If we have space for our kids to play outside, that’s a game-changer for our experience. If there are activities for us to do as a family, those things turn into core memories. Location is also huge because you don’t want to have to drive all day to be able to grab a bite or get to your destinations. Obviously, it isn’t always going to be possible to do that, but it does make a huge difference to be close to part of your destination or at least in a central location to several destinations. Of course, if you’re just looking for a place to rest your head en route to a longer-stay destination. The amenities don’t matter as much, but the location is still important. We like to look for RV sites right off our route so we’re not having to veer off our route when we’re tired and ready to rest or when we’re looking to get back on the road easily.

Three Purchases that Upped Our Camper Game in Year Two

Because I think we learn all of the time on this journey, I have definitely found that we make purchases that change the camping game for us! There are a a few that stand out from year two, though.

A Blackstone

Okay, so admittedly, Matt does a lot of the cooking not only in the camper, but at home too, but even so, I didn’t really get it. Why do we need a Blackstone? I mean, I guess the real answer is we don’t, but my god, am I sure glad that we got one! This purchase upped our camper meal game so much since getting it. Matt makes bomb fajitas, chicken and even hibachi on it! I love that the cooking surface is so much larger and its relatively easy to clean too! Also, if you invest in the Blackstone, you should also get the tabletop that it fits on top of. It’s just nice to not have to depend on a tabletop or other surface at the campground you’re staying at.

An Easy-to-Pack Telescopic Ladder

This ladder would’ve literally saved us $400+ dollars on our camping trip to Ha Ha Tonka. We had an awning issue that was, honestly, all we needed to fix it ourselves was this ladder. And now, we don’t go anywhere without it thrown in the back of the truck.

A Dehumidifier

Matt did a ton of research about all the things we need to know about camping in the wintertime since we upgraded to an all-weather camper in April. And he discovered that all of the camper experts recommended having a dehumidifier so that you don’t build up a lot of condensation in your little tin can of a home and have a mold issue. So, Matt found this one, which I like because it’s small enough that it doesn’t take up a lot of surface area and it isn’t so loud that it annoys me.

What’s Coming in Year Three as a Camper Family?

This is the year that we take our very first multi-week adventure in the camper. Matt has dubbed it Nomad Summer. We have a 24-day road trip in the camper where we’re spending at least a week in 3 different destinations: 1- Ouray, Colorado, 2- Moab, Utah (yes, again!) and 3 – Estes Park, Colorado. Plus, we’ll be taking our normal 3-5 day weekend trips. Also, we’re making my Mothers Day dream come true by camping over mothers day! We’ll be going to South Dakota on a week-long trip! I cannot wait to spend the day that celebrates my mama-hood in a way that is so meaningful to me. It’s going to be another beautiful year of adventures, big and small, in our camper.

Also, I’m thinking of making Camper Diaries a little bit of a series. Writing a little more about what the time in our camper looks like, what we have happen that goes right and wrong for us. Just all the the good, bad and in-between. We love this camper lifestyle and I just want to show more behind the scenes, day-to-day, and tips for being in the camper as a family of four.

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