It sounds like a Tahoe or Ford Expedition would fit your stated requirements. The 2015 Expedition is coming out soon and will have the Ecoboost V6 standard. http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2015-ford-expedition-photos-and-info-news
Next vehicle - lessons learned - help me get it right next time?
- Thread starter Ultralite
- Start date
Any medium to large pickup should suit you. Avoid the bling and start with a cheaper base model, then customise it to your own requirements and taste:
Choice of gas/ diesel and auto/ manual, cab size, 2wd or 4wd etc.
Fit a set of drawers to the bed for heavier cooking gear, tools and the like. Set up a mattress on top, then a vented canopy. Most of the advantages of a van, just minus the headroom and walk-thru.
The aftermarket supply to these vehicles is huge and resale value is high as they can be used for cheap trade vehicles once they accrue lots of miles.
Choice of gas/ diesel and auto/ manual, cab size, 2wd or 4wd etc.
Fit a set of drawers to the bed for heavier cooking gear, tools and the like. Set up a mattress on top, then a vented canopy. Most of the advantages of a van, just minus the headroom and walk-thru.
The aftermarket supply to these vehicles is huge and resale value is high as they can be used for cheap trade vehicles once they accrue lots of miles.
Rosco, I appreciate the different point of view and oddly enough I once owned an Outback and loved it. And yes, I did sleep in the back of it, I fit just barely. Plus, I have some friends at work who just did the same thing with their new Outback.
A bit of an update to my plan, not that anything has really changed (I still plan to replace the Suburban at some point). I'm currently building prototype "bunks" for the back that can sleep my family of 4. This is to experiment with space and to see what is workable. I finished the frame up tonight. I call these "knock down" boxes because we're only going to use them a night or 2 to prove proof of concept. If everyone likes it, I'll rebuild it all proper and may even bring out the welder!
In the spirit of going with what you got, I'll try this with the Suburban now and see what is doable from a packing and sleeping point of view. Factored against comfort and fuel economy. This might turn into a short build thread for me.
I took the center console out as well as the "40" of the "60/40" second row. So technically we can "pass-thru". Since I tend to go camping even when the weather is rough, I like the idea of being able to park and lay down if needed.
A bit of an update to my plan, not that anything has really changed (I still plan to replace the Suburban at some point). I'm currently building prototype "bunks" for the back that can sleep my family of 4. This is to experiment with space and to see what is workable. I finished the frame up tonight. I call these "knock down" boxes because we're only going to use them a night or 2 to prove proof of concept. If everyone likes it, I'll rebuild it all proper and may even bring out the welder!
In the spirit of going with what you got, I'll try this with the Suburban now and see what is doable from a packing and sleeping point of view. Factored against comfort and fuel economy. This might turn into a short build thread for me.
I took the center console out as well as the "40" of the "60/40" second row. So technically we can "pass-thru". Since I tend to go camping even when the weather is rough, I like the idea of being able to park and lay down if needed.
Just to update: we've taken the Suburban camping twice lately.
Right after my last post I finished the "bunks". We slept a family of 4 in the back if the Suburban. I'm still amazed by it. Each person had a full length bed with about 22 inches in width and 22 inches in height for turning over. I was thinking of submarine beds as I built them.
I had a camp toilet positioned right behind the front passenger seat that the ladies could use at night.
We rigged a tarp to cover the Suburban to create some dry space right outside the truck in case it rained (and it did). But, I replicated the same space as some of the awnings you can buy for SUVs.
Finally, I have a hatch tent that fits my VW Westy and oddly (to me at least) it fit the Suburban perfectly. With a solar shower bag laying on top of the Suburban right next to the hatch door, you can run the hose between the hatch and truck, and then shower inside the hatch tent.
I think a Suburban outfitted with an awning, rear sliding drawer system with bed on top, and then whatever comforts you want to add like showers and camp toilets would work great. I'm surprised I don't see more people build these. Seems like it would fit the needs nicely for so many people. Quiet highway ride, decent fuel economy, very spacious, and could be quite "stealthy" for certain sleeping situations.
Right after my last post I finished the "bunks". We slept a family of 4 in the back if the Suburban. I'm still amazed by it. Each person had a full length bed with about 22 inches in width and 22 inches in height for turning over. I was thinking of submarine beds as I built them.
I had a camp toilet positioned right behind the front passenger seat that the ladies could use at night.
We rigged a tarp to cover the Suburban to create some dry space right outside the truck in case it rained (and it did). But, I replicated the same space as some of the awnings you can buy for SUVs.
Finally, I have a hatch tent that fits my VW Westy and oddly (to me at least) it fit the Suburban perfectly. With a solar shower bag laying on top of the Suburban right next to the hatch door, you can run the hose between the hatch and truck, and then shower inside the hatch tent.
I think a Suburban outfitted with an awning, rear sliding drawer system with bed on top, and then whatever comforts you want to add like showers and camp toilets would work great. I'm surprised I don't see more people build these. Seems like it would fit the needs nicely for so many people. Quiet highway ride, decent fuel economy, very spacious, and could be quite "stealthy" for certain sleeping situations.
