Camper Van and RV Entertainment Essentials for Long Road Trips

You have a camper van or other recreational vehicle and you’re rearing to go. The open road beckons after months of being mostly cooped up at home. You want to drive, feel the open country, and camp under the stars. Since you’re fully geared up, you’re not just a camper – you’re a glamper! But are you? Without good entertainment on the move, something will surely be missing from your magnum opus road trip. Alternatively, you can choose to stay close to home while camping with an RV, that may also prove to be fun. In any case, entertainment is pivotal.

Great entertainment adds a whole dimension to road trips. Beyond the joy of traveling, seeing the sights, experiencing roadside dining, and hanging out with people you love, entertainment plays a major role. You don’t have to leave hobbies like movies, TV, music, and gaming at home – unless you really want to. You can take them to go with you on the road thanks to modern technology. From portable projectors to game consoles and streaming boxes, there are lots of devices now that are easy to pack and that don’t eat up too much power, so they’re perfect for road trips and camper vans.

Think about it, after a long day of taking in landmarks and driving, you pull into a rest area or campsite. It’s night, and you want to relax. Fire up the projector and watch a couple of movies or play some games. Don’t deny yourself these comforts, they’ll help keep your energy up over a long road trip and are definitely good for everyone’s spirits. Ergo, good entertainment on the road isn’t a “nice to have”, it’s actually more of an essential. 

As we all know, it’s the journey that counts more than the destination. And that journey begins when you start planning a long road trip. By long we mean an itinerary that will take you, your camper van, and whoever accompanies you across over a thousand miles and therefore most likely a couple of weeks of total travel time if you take it easy. And that’s the minimum. So now you have a better idea of why entertainment is so important. Since you’re traveling by camper van or RV, you don’t want to stay at hotels or motels, and thus need to bring your fun with you.

If you’re OK with knitting or playing board games that’s great, we won’t judge. But we find most people prefer to have digital entertainment these days. There’s a reason humans developed movies, TV, and games – they’re so rich and deep and full of stories. They’re entertainment evolved. To be blunt, without them a long road trip may get boring quick, which won’t be good for morale. Naturally, you may opt to fully upgrade your RV or camper van with a professional entertainment setup, but those cost a lot and commit you to a certain type of road trip. Sure, it’s very glamorous, but not exactly rustic.

In a sense, going with portable digital devices allows you to pick and choose with much greater flexibility than if you buy into a super duper setup that totally reshapes your vehicle. Not only do deluxe RVs cost a lot, they also do attract more attention and somehow detract from the uniqueness of being away from home, traveling light in roaming fashion across the land. 

Whether taking a long evening to unwind or simply parked at a campsite because it’s raining and you don’t feel like driving for the rest of the day, the various devices you can easily bring with you prove extremely helpful and enjoyable. Let’s take a look at some highlights.

Smartphones: a given, you’ll have at least one with you. While reception may not be great everywhere you go in the wide outdoors, it should be fine in most places these days. Do you happen to be a podcast fan? There you go, smartphones with 4G or 5G are the most convenient way to tune in. Laptops work too, but they require Wi-Fi, unless you have a cellular network adapter for them. Just stick with your phone. You may be on a road trip, but you don’t need to give up on the latest topics. You can even use the time to learn new things and educate yourself.

Bluetooth speakers: pair seamlessly with your smartphone and playlists to provide virtually endless audio entertainment. Start a singalong at a campsite (but do consider other people nearby), or indulge in goose bump-inducing tracklists while driving. There’s nothing like good music as the world flashes by while you drive. As a side note, do remember good portable projectors incorporate Bluetooth speakers for double duty efficiency.

Laptops and tablets: most organized campsites and rest areas now have Wi-Fi, so if you’re parked in one of those you can use a tablet or laptop to stream TV and movies or just watch YouTube for hours on end. Even better, Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube all offer download options for offline viewing if Wi-Fi isn’t available. So in the planning stage you can pre-download a bunch of content and then enjoy it while on the road even if no connection’s available.

Kindle and Kobo: e-readers prove their worth for book fans on the long road. Don’t leave your literary enjoyment at home and deprive yourself of nightly (or daily) reading sessions. Pack a Kindle from Amazon or a Kobo from Rakuten, as each one easily holds thousands upon thousands of books. Even if you’re road tripping all the way to Mars you won’t run out of stuff to read. 

Portable projector: modern, well-designed portable projectors are made for extended road trips. They’re light, they’re bright, and they’re crafted to resist the elements with good water protection and shock resistance. So even if it rains on them or the road’s extra bumpy, they’ll be fine. Good portable projectors display on nearly any surface, meaning you don’t even need to buy a special screen. Just use the side of your camper van or a blanket hanging from a clothesline. And just like that, you bring a retro-flavored cinematic experience with you. When the weather’s good, pull up a few party chairs, sit next to your camper van, and commence a proper movie night. That’s the perfect way to wrap up a long day of driving, especially after a nice meal. Yummy. 

Nintendo Switch: sure, gaming on smartphones is a thing. But not as much of a thing as a proper games console. An Xbox or PlayStation may prove a bit much for a camper van, as they depend on high resolution screens and do need more power and space than the Switch. We think the Switch offers a perfect middle ground, with lots of good games to enjoy on the road. In handheld mode, the Switch needs very little power and obviously takes up scant space. In docked mode, plug the Switch via HDMI to your portable projector and enjoy very big screen views of the same games you enjoy so much. Versatility!

We come once again to the conclusion that entertainment and camper vans/RVs go together like gas stations and….camper vans/RVs. Entertainment is an essential, do not forget to get that squared away before setting off, or you’ll end up with a much less enjoyable experience. Again, thanks to the ready availability of modern, portable technology, stocking up on means to keep yourself and your companions happy while traveling is very easy and rewarding. Safe travels!