AUTHOR: Maureen Nicol @williethewayfarer
As a Black mom with a toddler, I find it necessary to model to my curious 15-month-old, Adi, that she is deserving of everything in this world. Therefore despite the lack of visuals and resources for how Black people, Black moms, and Black families with a toddler and camper van, do it, we decided to try it.
Thanks to Naomi Grevenberg’s work with Diversify Van Life, I had some courage and inspiration to call the Charlton, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, our temporary home while we explored our tolerance for the unknown, how to exist in a small and cozy space, and of course all of the splendor of Oregon.
With my toddler, I also wanted to partake in vanlife to explore what it means to temporarily live a life of adventure and new horizons. We were not inhibited by time or space and could really explore whether this method of travel is just an “aesthetic” or if it’s more nuanced than polished Instagram photos would have you believe. Additionally, I wanted to know what the experience would look and feel like with a toddler?
After a week exploring Oregon in our van the Charlton, I can now say you can camper van with a toddler. It is possible and wonderful and hard and full of treasures of new knowledge.
Why the Charlton and why Oregon?
To begin, Adi and I were living in New Orleans for the summer. I decided to camp and venture through Oregon because the weather would be cooler. The state has it all: beaches, mountains, and forest. It is also very family friendly. Because of Oregon’s natural beauty, the state has over 250 state parks, 50 of which offer camping.
I found myself overwhelmed with choices. It took about three weeks to research destinations, our route, travel times between routes, and campsite facilities. A lot of these decisions were fundamentally easier to make because of the amenities of the Charlton and having clarity about a few things.
Our van came equipped with:
- Fridge
- Induction stove
- A sink with water hook-up
- All the lighting
- USB hookups
- Cookware and dishware
- One queen-size bed and one full-size bed
- An extra row of seats for us to hook a car seat in that is not in the main cabin. A lot of vans do not have this.
- There was enough storage for two large suitcases, a stroller, and cabinet space for all the things (diapers, clothes, and the list goes on).
The Charlton was a no-brainer because I knew that with a young kiddo I could feel stress-free about always having a warm, dry place to sleep, a way to store food, prepare food, a source of water, and electricity from the solar panels.
Non-negotiables and routines
Given the age of my toddler and our needs concerning the van, there were a few non-negotiables my co-parent and I outlined when traveling with my now 15-month-old.
- Travel times from one destination to the next could not be more than two hours.
- Campsites needed to have a spot for the camper van. All reservations were made for a regular campsite, not an RV hook up, ahead of time.
- Campsites needed to have a bathroom and warm showers.
- Campsites needed to have water hook up to fill the van’s water storage.
- Though there is a lot to see, I would still keep to a routine with Adi.
- We would move at our own pace and do what felt right and leave room for modifications.
- Campsites should have a playground.
Our route
With these parameters in mind, this was our route:
Day 1: Fly into Portland and pick up the van
Fly into Portland, spend the night, and set up the van. Organize and get ready for the road the next day.
This was a big push. Since we flew in we needed time to put Adi down to sleep after a long day of travel, eat dinner, meet with the van owner for a 30-minute tutorial, and then spend about 2-3 hours unpacking groceries and getting our suitcases organized.
Memaloose State Park: Day 2
- Hood River
- Lavender Farms, Fruit Loop, and Vineyards
Cove Palisades State Park: Day 3
- Bend
- Smith Rock
Silver Falls State Park: Day 4
- Salem
- The last day: McMinnville then Portland
- It took us about an hour to clean and unpack the camper van before returning it.
Budget and Food while in the Camper Van
To be budget-conscious before the trip, I made a thorough packing list and menu. I cooked weeks leading up to the trip and froze portions of food for the trip in advance. We ended up taking a freezer bag of essentials and meals.
All other items were picked up via a curbside Target pickup. Our Target shop was about $80 and we ate out twice (first night in, and breakfast bagels in Hood River, and the last night out). Once we discovered the excellent grilling facilities at the campsites we bought materials to grill and make s’mores. I would say in total we spent about $200 on food including eating out, groceries and coffee runs.
Everything else was prepared in the van following the menu below.
Camper van menu for six days for two adults and one toddler
- Breakfast: Oatmeal, pancakes, eggs, fruit + granola + yogurt
- Lunch: tacos, salad, PB&J, bagels
- Dinner: grill, chili, salad, salmon
- Pantry: fruit, Adi’s animal crackers, and bars, chips + salsa + guac, tea, coffee, hummus + carrots, fruit and applesauce pouches for Adi, wine, cider, and milk
The camper van is a gas guzzler and took about $70 to fill up on diesel. We had to fill the vehicle up about three times for our six-day trip in which we drove about 500 miles. Aside from food and gas, we did not spend any money because the backdrop of Oregon was our entertainment. It felt incredibly special to pull off at viewpoints and onto hidden lookouts to have lunch and pause when we needed to.
Camper van lessons learned, tips and tricks
- If you are flying to a destination, I would arrange for airport pickup and have the campervan waiting for you at the airport after a long travel day.
- Download All Trails to find nearby trails that align with your capabilities and desires. I needed easy hikes with Adi, no more than one to two miles with views, bathroom facilities, and picnic tables to pause and snack.
- Every day you spend in the camper van it will get easier. It is a small space to exist in and there is a learning curve to figuring out storage and understanding how to move through and function in it. Give yourself grace here.
- Wherever you land, find something that really grounds your little one when things get hairy. For us, it was the playground. When she was fussy we took her there and also made sure to give the playground a visit before bedtime.
- Before booking a camper van, I recommend asking the van owners about car seat hook ups and the general space so you can determine how your kiddo will explore and sleep safely.
- Because of our camper van, we were able to have a comfortable and chill journey through the beautiful and varied landscapes of Oregon. It was a complicated learning experience but it grew easier with each passing day as we learned how to make the van work for us.
If you hope to see the outdoors and can afford the experience, it is a Godsend not to have to camp in a tent, and this van provided us with a premium camping service, which is even more important with a toddler. The combination of nature and a toddler means there will always be elements you cannot control, but traveling in the van offered control and agency in ways that mattered.
About the author
Maureen Nicol shares her motherhood journey, personal pursuits, travel adventures, style, and lifestyle with her Instagram community. After her 2021 trip in the van called Charlton, Maureen was more motivated than ever to help people experience vanlife. And you can start your journey with GoCamp!
This post originally appeared on Outdoorsy in April 2021. It has been edited with permission from the author.