Traveling Light Reflections
10 Reasons Why You Need a Ukulele for Your RV
-
Passengers can play while traveling
-
Can take it on walks, hikes and some, even kayaking
-
Can store it in the RV easily while at camp and on the bed when traveling
-
They are small enough that a group can play inside the RV
-
Easier to learn than most other musical instruments.
-
Can be an inexpensive instrument to begin playing.
-
All styles of musics can be played on a ukulele
-
100s of songs can be played with just 4 easy chords.
-
Campfire sing-alongs and camping are meant to go together.
-
Multiple sizes for different sounds and different people.
Some Concerns and Issues You May Need to Contend With:
-
Heat and humidity
-
Choosing the right one
-
Addiction!
I will help with the first 2 concerns but for the 3rd, you are on your own. Medically this is called Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome (UAS) and there is no cure!
When heading onto the road for our 9 month RV trip, in fall of 2022, we decided not to bring any musical instruments with us. They would take up too much room and be a hassle to care for. However, when we left in fall of 2023 we decided to deal with the extra work in exchange for the joy of playing there large musical instruments. We took a guitar, a banjo and a tenor ukulele. The banjo and guitar took up floor space but the ukulele was so small that we hung it on a wall. We soon discovered that we could easily keep it in the truck on drive days. Whoever was in the passenger seat could easily reach back, grab the ukulele and jam for a while! This great little instrument fit very well into the truck. It was also small enough not to interfere with the driver.
The Inspiration for this Article
A tenor, a concert and a soprano ukulele for size reference
There are 3 main sizes of ukuleles. From small to larger, soprano, concert and tenor. The small soprano is about 21 inches long, The concert is around 23 inches and the larger tenor is usually 26 inches. There are other sizes, smaller and larger, but these three sizes are the most popular. The soprano has the highest pitch sound and the tenor the lowest of these three. These four stringed instruments are usually tuned GCEA. Personally, I think the concert size is a perfect size. However I do love my sopranos. It is noteworthy that the fret spacing changes relative to the size of the ukulele. The fret spacing on the soprano will be closer together than on the tenor. Each size will also have a different number of frets too. The larger the ukulele, the more frets it will have. This will not matter to most of us because we will never use most of the frets higher down the neck anyway.
Just how small are ukuleles?
Martin Jr size guitar with an Ohana concert and Amahi soprano size ukulele
One of the great things about a ukulele is that you can play all types of music on it. Another great thing is that it is easier to play than most other stringed instruments. There are a lot of chords that use just 1 or 2 fingers!!!! YouTube is filled with simple tutorials by a list of great teachers who are eager to get you started. See link recommendations below. Another excellent attribute of the ukulele is how easy it is to store. We have wall hangers all over our RV with ukuleles hanging on them. While remaining seated on our couch, I always have at least 2 within reach, without even getting up. I keep my favorites close. One last great allure to the ukulele is the cost. You do not need to spend a lot, to get a decent sounding, quality ukulele. In fact, in the next part, I am going to recommend that you do not spend an extravagant amount on your traveling ukuleles.
Keeping a ukulele in an RV or vehicle is not always an easy task. RVs and vehicles can cause harsh environments. The temperatures and humidities can change quickly. These drastic changes, especially when they happen quickly, can cause an expensive solid wood ukulele to break or crack.
Luckily we have some options! Ukuleles are made form some many different materials these days. You can buy solid wood (no laminate), laminate, solid wood tops with laminate sides or back, synthetics/composites or combinations of synthetics and wood. So many choices, but what's the difference? Generally, a solid wood ukulele will have the best tone. This is not always true though. The way it is built has the greatest effect on its tone. Some poorly built Amazon solid wood ukuleles sound dead. Some inexpensive laminate ukuleles sound incredible, some do not. Some of the newer synthetic ukuleles sound incredibly good. I have these in my recommendation list.
A major factor in the durability of a ukulele is the material it is built with, especially when using a ukulele to travel. Submitting a solid wood ukulele to the rigors of travels takes a lot of extra effort. Traveling with a laminated wood ukulele is much easier. Traveling with a synthetic or composite ukulele is very easy. I want to make an important note here. Just because your ukulele is made of a laminate or a synthetic material does not mean it will not sound great. You just need the right ukulele.
I am going to make some recommendations to help you make the best choice while choosing the best ukuleles to fit your needs. I have personally played almost every ukulele on the lists. I will note the ones I do not have personal experience with.
My personal choice of ukuleles based on the following 5 criteria.
-
Best all around for lowest price: Kmise Mahogany Soprano Ukulele
-
Best all around HPL! but discontinued, limited stock. Enya Concert Ukulele EUC-X1M
-
Nicest Looking: Journey J-uke Travel Ukulele
-
Best sounding laminate: Amahi UK660S Laminated Koa Soprano
-
Best sound for least cost durability not a factor: Enya Mahogany EUC 25D Ukulele
-
Best for all weather: Kala Waterman Or Enya Nova U
-
What other critria should I add?
Best Traveling Ukuleles
Best Synthetic, Carbon Fiber and Polymer Traveling Ukuleles
Best Wood Laminate Traveling Ukuleles
Kala Premier Exotic Ebony Concert Ukulele
Kala Premier Exotic Ziricote Ukulele
Kala Premier Exotic Macawood Ukulele
Donner Mahogany Concert Ukulele
Amahi UK660S Laminated Koa Soprano
​
Best Wood and Composite Traveling Ukuleles
Best Wood Traveling Ukuleles
Other Related Articles
Thank you for your support!
A small selection of the ukuleles discussed and shown in this article were donated to me to help support and sponsor our 2024 RV Rally in Texarkana, Texas. These ukuleles will be raffled off during the event to help support the costs of this RV Rally.
​
I want thank our sponsors for this article and for our RV Rally
Thank you Kala Brand for sending us 5 Waterman Ukuleles.
I would also like to thank Journey Instruments for sending us a Solid Sitka/Ebony Super Soprano Uke US490CTE.
Thank you also to Andrew from Four Chord Simple for sending us free ukulele courses for the winners of these ukuleles. He is also on YouTube
Additionally I would like to thank Outdoor Ukulele for their support!
Reviews will be coming for all of these soon!!!!!!!
​
