Here's an extra I bet you never thought you'd need: 2 way radio for RV travel and camping.

Cell phones don't always work when you are way out in the boonies. And we do a lot of boondocking.

So we just added pair of small little walky-talky 2 way radios and a powerful mobile transceiver that can greatly expand the range and create a communications network that is like a combination of the old Citizens Band Radio and the longer-ranged amateur radio service, 

We also got a receive-only unit that we think is a must-have for any RVer.

If you are counting, that's four radios in all, all from the folks at Midland Radio, the U.S. affiliate of an international conglomerate that has been making 2 way radios for over 50 years, This year, they are making a major push into the RV market and sent us several of their units to review.

I'm a big-time radio junkie, a licensed amateur radio operator (ham call K8ZRH), a CB radio user from back in the 70's and a fan of all forms of electronic communication. And since I have been seeking an alternate to CB radio for RV use, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Here is the video review of the radios, including a section on the install. After you watch it, scroll through the rest of this article for details and links.

Let’s start with the radio that just receives.

The Midland ER210 Emergency Radio

It’s the emergency weather crank up radio Model 210. We plan always keep this in the RV as we travel. It runs on batteries and, if they should die, the crank will charge them and provide power. It receives NOAA weather radio and regular AM and FM broadcasts.

Weather is the biggest unknown in camping and this radio will keep us from being caught unprepared.

Plus it has a flashlight, that can also be charged with the hand crank.

This is just a good, basic thing to have in case of any emergency, or for everyday use. It costs about $50 on Amazon.

2 way Radio for RV – the XTalker FRS handheld radios

We have two of the XTalker handheld units – helpful and affordable 2 way radio for RV accessories.

There are all sorts of RV uses for these.

When we’re backing into a campsite, especially if there are trees and things to navigate around when we’re boondocking, Jennifer can stand in back and help direct me. You can watch the video to see an example.

 When we have friends following in another RV behind us caravan style, we can give one to them and communicate.

The range is between one and 5 miles, depending n the terrain.

These operate on what is known as the Family Mobile Radio Service. They cost about $80 for a pair of them. No license is required. They can scan NOAA weather radio. They can be set to any of 36 different channels and routinely, we can get a mile or sometimes EVEN more range from them.

2 way Radio for RV: The Midland MicroMobile transceiver

And that takes us to the fourth 2 way radio for RV that we have: A 15-watt radio that is mounted inside the RV with a small little antenna.

It’s the Midland MicroMobile and it is extremely compact. The microphone controls everything. All the controls are built into mic. And this unit covers both the Family Radio Service and the General Mobile Radio Service.

The handhelds work on the low powered Family Radio Service.

But the MicoMobile 2 way radio for RV works on both services.

The difference: More power is allowed on the GMRS. The transceiver we have is a 15-watt radio that Midland claims can communicate up to 50 miles. I'm a bit skeptical of that claim but there's little doubt 15 watts gets out further than the low powered handheld (less than a watt). The full power capability of the MicroMobile is used on GMRS. It drops back to lower power automatically when used on the FRS.

You are supposed to apply to the FCC for a license to operate on the GMRS, by the way. But there’s no test and its basically just some paperwork (and a $70 fee) you need to file for license good for 10 years.

But what is so cool about the MicroMobile is that it is cross-compatible, meaning it can communicate with the small low powered walkie talkies on the Family Radio Service frequencies, too.

And on the highway, it can go to high power to talk to other General Mobile Radio service transceivers at distances that are usually way more than CB radio is effective. Increasingly, truck drivers are adding GMRS radios to their rigs, supposedly hanging out on Channel 7. Jeep owners, ATVers, and offroading enthusiasts have also been using radios like this for several years now. 

The reception of clear and crisp without the static and squeals of CB radio. It reminds me of ham radio in that regard.

Installation of this 2 way radio for RV is not overly challenging but does take some effort, especially when getting the external antenna to work on the fiberglass roof of our RV. (See the video).

We’re going to give all these radios a good test over the next couple of months and see just how applicable they are for RV use.

Stay tuned.

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On this RV Lifestyle Travel blog, our RV Podcast and our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel, Mike and Jennifer mention all sorts of RV-related products and gear that they use, So they created a special page that lists all the different items they talk about and show. CLICK HERE to go to it directly.

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