The Family Daily Driver ExPo Rig Thread!

[fifthcircle]

So, with all the really cool rigs AND PEOPLE on here, I figured this would be a great place to have set up's and pics with info for all those with families out and about!

IMHO, THE BEST DAILY DRIVER AND OCCASIONAL CAMPING and/or VACATION ROAD TRIP VEHICLE WOULD BE _________.


I had a big paragraph typed up with tons of info about my situation, but lets keep it much more simple....list your pro's and con's with your set up. Don't forget some good 'ol pics with the whole Famn Damily out for a trip :ylsmoke:

-5th

 

[eric1115]

I went 4Runner/Landcruiser. I've had a Toy reg cab, a 1st gen 4Runner, and now an FJ60. I think that for a broad-brush family expedition rig, an FZJ80 would be just about ideal. Third row seating if you have a big family, crazy offroad capability potential if your backcountry adventures look more like rock crawling, tons of aftermarket support, comfortable for DD duties and long-distance highway cruising. Only two downsides as I see it are power and fuel economy. I could easily live with the modest power output, as I am currently easily living with a vehicle with even less.


This is the closest I've got to a "whole damn family + rig" shot. My son Bridger is a year and a half now (just over a year old when these were taken); our family is my wife and I, Bridger, and our Lab. Never know how big it's going to grow, but we're leaning towards one more. A third sort of sets off a chain reaction. We'd probably want a third row of seating, which means a new vehicle. 80 series? Third row also cuts severely into cargo space. So, trailer time?

But, they're so much fun...


talkin' about man stuff...

 

[OutsideFamily]

I voted for "massive SUV" as we recently bought a Yukon XL (Suburban). Most of the places we go for family camping is not too far off the beaten path, so off-road capability was not as important to me right now. The kids are 5, 3.5 and 1, so hopefully in the future when they are a little older that will change. We had been DD/camping in a Jeep Grand Cherokee (I would classify as a mid-size in your poll). It was ok with two kids, but with 3, and one being a baby, it was a bit cramped. Quite a bit more off-road capability though.

 

[r_w]

We are 9 plus dogs, so my choice is pretty much made for me. Shortbus for us...

 

[Colorado Jeeper]

The wife and I have five kids, six and under the options are limited. We have a suburban that is our true everyday rig, takes the kids to school, pulls the TT on trips and get us to the mountains on weekends in comfort. Last fall I bought a 2010 JK Unlimited and installed jump seats in the rear, we now have room for seven. The Gobi rack makes up for the lost interior space. It's not as comfortable as the suburban but it will go more places and the kids have a blast riding in it.

 

[jim65wagon]

IMHO, THE BEST DAILY DRIVER AND OCCASIONAL CAMPING and/or VACATION ROAD TRIP VEHICLE WOULD BE _________.

....list your pro's and con's with your set up. Don't forget some good 'ol pics with the whole Famn Damily out for a trip :ylsmoke:
-5th

I picked Fullsize Truck in the poll, since mine is technically a fullsize, but I like to think of it a petite fullsize.....

IMHO, THE BEST DAILY DRIVER AND OCCASIONAL CAMPING and/or VACATION ROAD TRIP VEHICLE WOULD BE a 2003 Toyota Tundra access cab.

Daily drives me to work, handles hauling duties for DIY projects (sand, stone, lumber, mulch, etc) and gets decent mileage doing it with a nice dose of V8 passing power when needed.

Pros: V8 baby! That Toyota V8 is one of the best engines ever produced.
Hauling capacity: enough for a family of four for a week in the woods(that's with teenagers) or a ton of pea gravel
Size: It's big enough to do it's fullsize truck duty (drywall fits between the wheelwells) but small enough to fit through some tight places in the woods, and easy to park at the mall.
The Kit: 2 tents, 4 cots and sleeping bags, 2 endtables, Triton Hot Shower unit, custom chuckbox, Yeti Tundra cooler, 10lb propane tank, 21 gallon water tank, large folding table, First Up gazebo for kitchen, 4 camp chairs, 4 aluminum ATV boxes (truck gear, backpacking kit, food box, general supplies - flashlights, hammer, lanterns, etc); that's what it takes to keep 4 different people happy and comfortable for a week. Some say Glamping like it's a bad thing - I say they haven't tried hard enough yet...

Cons: Size: It's too big for some places that I thought I might want to go, but it's on the small side for hauling two teenagers in the backseat (they want me to get a DoubleCab like their Uncles, but that ain't happenin' - this truck is paid for and only has 162,000 miles on it)
The Kit: limits us to a mostly basecamp style of camping. We can and have done one-nighter-move-on stuff but even setting up a limited camp (2 tents and a basic kitchen) still takes time.....but basecamping does work for us; we tend to hike and explore an area thoroughly.

Loaded and ready for a week on the beach!...well that trip turned into a forest trip.....



The fam at Tea Creek Campground (one of the few CGs we've used in years)

All that gear on the back of the truck looks like this setup

exploring.....

 

[eric1115]

We gotta go to the crappy town where I'm a hero.

Everywhere I go, his eyes keep followin' me...

 

[matt s]

It comes down to seats. We need six and while the K5 and the tahoe cut it most of the time when the whole fam dam heads out we either take two rigs (wife is NOT a fan of that) or we borrow my brothers suburban.

A DD suburban replacement for the tahoe is planned for this spring.

 

[murryconst]

The wife and I have five kids, six and under the options are limited. We have a suburban that is our true everyday rig, takes the kids to school, pulls the TT on trips and get us to the mountains on weekends in comfort. Last fall I bought a 2010 JK Unlimited and installed jump seats in the rear, we now have room for seven. The Gobi rack makes up for the lost interior space. It's not as comfortable as the suburban but it will go more places and the kids have a blast riding in it.

Do you have photos of the jump seats

 

[Stan the Man]

With the family in the rig, I would pick an SUV over a pickup. During long trips, I like having the cooler in the rig because it lets a person in the back seat hand me ice cold sodas


My bronco wheels pretty good too

 

[fifthcircle]

Do you have photos of the jump seats

I am guessing he has the TerraFlex third row kit.....
http://www.fourwheeler.com/departments/products/129_1012_december_2010_whats_new/photo_04.html

 

[gloriavoxdei]

We have a 96 Cherokee and an 01 Yukon XL 2500. The Jeep is great for trips of a couple hours but we have 3 kids under 5 so for the longer stuff we take the Yukon with our 17' TT.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

I voted minivan because I've actually taken it on the closest thing that could be called an "overland" trip - lots of highway with some sketchy forest service roads.
But I've grown up with minivans since I was a young lad, and I REALLY appreciate the huge interior volume, and now that I am the one paying for the gas, I don't mind how economical it is either.

My wife and I just have one child right now, but working on no. 2 and maybe no. 3 n the future. For 2 kids, either of my XJ's (one lifted on 33's, the other stock) will be the preferred option if we go off-highway. My wife is what I would consider overly cautious with our son right now, so the off-highway trips will likely be kept to a minimum for a few years still...

 

[nwoods]

Everywhere I go, his eyes keep followin' me...

I loved that show.

 

[eric1115]

I loved that show.

I know, right? I think we've all had a Firefly moment showing a new project vehicle to the wife.

Let me show you the rest. And-and try to see past what she is and onto what she can be.
... What's that, sir?
Freedom is what.
... I meant, what's *that*?
Oh, yeah, just step around that. I think something must have been living in here.