My RV: Why We Love Our Aliner

“As a couple, Derek and I did a lot of camping and hiking. After having kids, we did some tent camping as a family, so our two oldest grew up camping with us, mostly in forested sites where we were able to cook over a fire and explore nature. They always loved it. Once COVID hit and we had a new baby, we decided, like many others, that camping road trips would be preferable to hotels and rentals, so we bought the Aliner in 2021.

Dual hard-sided dormers make for a comparatively roomy interior.

We looked at lots of different campers, but we wanted something we could pull with our Subaru and not a truck, something affordable, with room to sleep all five of us. The Aliner met all of those needs. The kitchen is outdoors, so inside the camper are beds that can sleep five, but we actually have our youngest in a small cot on the floor at night right now. It’s a tight squeeze but very cozy. The bonding we do while camping is unlike anything we experience at home, where we have more space to spread out.

Our first big camping trip was a three-week road trip from Ohio to Maine, our home state, and back again. We needed outdoor activities for the kids and materials for the adults to work remotely. Pop-ups are unique because you can’t keep anything permanently mounted or on shelves. We solved this with bins, soft woven baskets, and some hanging mesh bags that can come down when we transition and then be put back up easily. Functionality is the name of the game inside, but we added lots of pillows, including one long wedge pillow that makes the biggest bed more like a couch—great for laptop work and nighttime stories.

A screen tent alongside the camper is a must for extra play space.

Everything is in a ‘kit’ in the indoor and outdoor storage: First aid and cleaning supplies are together. Outdoor supplies, games, tools, and equipment are in the outdoor cubby. Cooking and dining items are together with the travel cocktail kit. Electronics, lanterns, and batteries are together. We have a checklist we maintain to prepare for the first camping trip each season.

We try to camp every six hours of driving. Or we do a midday stop for a hike and picnic. That’s how we’ve explored Maine, Niagara Falls, Toronto, the Catskills, and the Hudson Valley. In 2022 we camped our longest season so far: Easter at Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park through Thanksgiving week at Shenandoah and the Skyline Drive to the Smokies—we cooked turkey legs and roasted chestnuts on the campfire.

The 60″ by 82″ bed is slightly larger than a standard queen.

My biggest fear with toddlers was the campfire, but all three of our kids quickly learned fire safety and respect. Keeping them out of the sand and dirt while we set up the campsite is another story altogether! The Aliner’s outdoor shower is a lifesaver.

We’re excited to camp at the line of totality in Ohio for the April eclipse. Then our next adventure will be down to the Everglades. Our oldest really wants to explore there, and I have a conference that overlaps—a family trip in the camper is much better than everyone flying to join me.”

The salt-marsh view from Shore Hils Campground, a fave spot in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

Follow Kristy and Derek’s adventures (@familypopup), and tell us about the rig that’s shaped your memories at [email protected]. This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Owners: Kristy T. and Derek H., Columbus, Ohio
Rig: Aliner Family Expedition
Length: 18′
Miles Logged: ~10,000
Trivia: Aliner founder Ralph Tait built the first A-frame pop-up in his garage in the early ’70s.

This article originally appeared in Wildsam magazine. For more Wildsam content, sign up for our newsletter.

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