You may have tossed them aside once you outgrew “playing spies.” Or perhaps you quickly lost interest when that first cellphone landed in your hands. Whatever your reason, they remain a must-have for RVers: walkie-talkies! This low-tech wonder performs even when your cell signal drops. Walkie-talkies provide nearly instantaneous communication and can keep you connected no matter where you roam.
On the road
Here are some ways that walkie-talkies can help as you travel to your next destination:
- Roadway leader. I sometimes lead the way in our car while my husband follows with our fifth wheel. We use walkie-talkies to communicate when cellphone reception is unreliable. The walkie-talkie lets me alert my husband about debris in the road ahead, a narrow bridge, or any other road hazard so he knows to drive accordingly. We love the immediacy of communication—there’s no waiting for the call to go through—which is a great safety benefit!
- Caravan connector. When friends or extended family go camping with us, we make sure each vehicle has a walkie-talkie that’s been tuned to the same frequency. That way we can communicate with each other as we travel. If someone needs to take a break, s/he can alert others in our caravan. The lead vehicle can also alert others about upcoming turns or highway interchanges.
- Pass the time. Children especially love using walkie-talkies. Long trips feel shorter when you can communicate between vehicles. We frequently challenge players in other vehicles to trivia or other games using our walkie-talkies.
At the campground
Don’t leave the walkie-talkies behind once you reach your RV destination. Here are useful ways to use your walkie-talkies at the campground:
- Efficiently explore. Exploring unfamiliar places can be challenging. With walkie-talkies, your group can divide and conquer. While some RVers check out the campground, others can scope out nearby hiking trails, and still others can search out local attractions or points of interest. All the while you can communicate with one another and quickly learn the “lay of the land” more efficiently.
- Keep kids connected. Arm teen pairs with a walkie-talkie and allow them to explore the campground together. The walkie-talkie assures that they can contact you if necessary, and you can get in touch with them, as well. No cellphone needed.
- Protection. I like to carry a walkie-talkie while taking my daily walk. In more remote camping areas, cellphone connectivity can be iffy at best. I feel safer knowing that I can talk to someone back in the RV. I let them know where I’m walking and if I feel unsafe for any reason, they will know immediately and arrange for help.
- Connect with other RVers. We use walkie-talkies to communicate with friends who may be parked a distance away from our rig. Communications may include things like: “Laundry machines are available,” “I need yellow mustard. Anyone have some?” or “Bring your own spoons and bowls to site #34 for homemade ice cream tonight at 7.”
In the age of cellphones, walkie-talkies may seem outdated or maybe a throwback to your childhood days. To me, however, the walkie-talkie has become a “must-have” as we RV. What about you? Do you use walkie-talkies while RVing? Tell me about it in the comments below.
Suddenly finding yourself wanting a pair of walkie-talkies? As always, Amazon has you covered.
Gail,
It’s now 10:34 Central time. I have been at site 34 since 7:00 and no one is there. Went to all of the “30’s” and no one knows what I’m talking about. BTW, we are in St. Charles, MO. Even brought my radio with me and tried to reach you without any success. What gives????
Obviously you got there too late, Mike. All the ice cream was gone by then (or maybe it melted). Better luck next time.🤞 Have a good night. 😀 –Diane
Been using them in and around the RV for 20 years. They are great for remote areas, walking the dog, and helping to back in.
Cobra is the lightest and most reasonable brand. Not much luck with Motorola: weak battery contacts, and quit after just 1 year.
We just dropped our grandson off to his parents. We have spent two summers traveling with him. He enjoys the walkie talkies to communicate with the co pilot in front. My husband and I continue to use for fill ups backups when driving separately. When driving this is far safer than messing with any other device. Thanks for a good article
Thank you, Gail! These can be indispensable. Cell coverage in Alaska is poor, so we took walkie talkies when we traveled to Alaska with DW’s parents; we in our MH and they in their 5th wheel. We were able to stay in touch with each other when traveling between destinations. They had an accident while following us, but out of sight. The area had no cell coverage, but they were able to alert us though the walkie talkie. Anyone caravanning to Alaska should be sure to have all members equipped with a walkie talkie.
No, not everyone needs walkies. I travel alone so this is fake news
Really? Why in the h_ _ _ would you say something like that? It is NOT fake news. You sir need to keep your opinions to yourself. Just because you don’t need something does not make it fake news!
I agree with your comment 100%
When I am alone I talk to myself so they would be handy then.
Ah ha! So it’s not fake news!🤣 Have a good evening, Kelly. 😀 –Diane
Pierre would not have anyone to talk to since he seems antisocial…good thing he did not waste his money on a “frivolous” item.
We are CERT members, have hams, and walkie talkies. We use the walkie talking for backing when cell phones won’t work. Never thought of using the hams since we’d have to look up the frequency every time we stopped.
Use 146.52 simplex. For backing you do not need to use a repeater.
We use them for backing in to our RV site all the time. Much better than hand signals.
We “trial” our dogs-Jack Russell Terriers- and also help run some trials. Our trial sites frequently are in the “boonies” with erratic or non-service cell service. We go old school with walkie-talkies to keep things moving. No problems!
Get a Ham radio license and a real capable radio. FRS, GMRS radios have very short range. Unless you convoy bumper to bumper, you will run out of range quickly.
Ham community is massive across the entire country and the world.
Check out the ARRL web site for further information.
I do have several FRS and GMRS radios, but if I need to relay on an H/T, it’s Ham radio.
How bout a walkie talkie when the driver is backing into a space? It eliminates the need to yell.
Just this week, I ran out to see if someone got run over the scream to “Stop” was so loud.
Gail, you missed our most common use: when maneuvering into our campsite. Works so much better than yelling or crazy hand signals.