At a Crossroads: Planning a Vehicle for Future Family Use

[ThePartyWagon]

Wow, such great insights from everyone. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences. So much to digest and so many things I never considered. I don't have many close friends with kids out west, I will be one of the first in our circle so this is very enlightening.

A compromise for sure, and no perfect answer. One thing to remember- the smaller the kids the more stuff you will be hauling. A true inverse relationship- toys, strollers, play pens, etc etc. So likely the ‘perfect’ setup will be elusive as your needs/interest/destinations/etc will change numerous times. There is certainly a good point made for a trailer as a base camp- especially when very young children are part of the formula. Our kids are late teenagers, and they love the simplicity of a hammock, and prefer the outdoors hands down. As mentioned above, the times/experiences you will have are priceless. Just try to not get bogged down with ‘stuff’ but rather go as much as possible. Lastly, as the kids learn they can certainly lighten the load by helping with everything from planning to setup to cooking/cleaning/etc.

The comprise will always be present, I can appreciate that. Hauling the "stuff" is also something I did not consider. The never ending pursuit of the prefect vehicle will be compounded by children, I assumed I could plan for it but reading through the responses here, it might be futile effort.

My original thought on space to stand, a heater and space for stuff would be the bare minimum. Lots of options when those are the things I cannot compromise on.

Thanks!

Just don't sink the ship trying to win the race.

Dr visits, diapers, daycare, baby gear etc will have to become a priority.

Dr visits and sick kids murder vacation/pto time with work.

Helping mom with little kids will eat into your project time too.

110% worth it but it is a game changer.

I worked on our camper from 11-1230 at night for like a month redoing the roof last summer after everybody went to bed, but he has a hoot with his "raner"

And don't be too proud for a ground tent, they are hard to beat for price and compactness. It is what we use for long distance stuff (pre kid even)

Also a good point, will be ultimately end up camping as much as I'd like to. Probably not. No kids yet but I'm already spending late nights working on things, I expect that time becomes more valuable in life, outside of vehicle projects. Thanks!

Sleeping for 6 is the killer. Plus stuff for 6 even if 2 of them are canine. I'd recommend at least a full size 3/4 ton, maybe a 1 ton. There are plenty of used pickups complete with campers for sale. Many low mile and stored inside.

With a 1/2 ton everyone would need to pack like a back packer and you'd need tents. In 10 years those kids will need full size everything. The big thing is can you pack and travel light.

Another option would be some kind of van conversion thing with everything inside, but that would be a dedicated camper. I doubt you'd want to drive it daily.

OR lots of families travel with 2 vehicles. Dad drives the regular cab pickup, camper and sets up camp, Mom shows up with the kids in a Volvo. Incredible how many families in Alberta camp this way. I say it creates a strong marriage.

I pitched the dual vehicle camping concept last night, probably a no go. I'm the driver, especially offroad. I was hoping to get away with a half ton but you're probably correct. I have the same conversations with customers, I should heed the same advice. Vans would be sweet, classic Sportsmobile, Sprinter, etc. It just comes down to the cost on those vehicles. We have other vehicles so I can dedicate one to camping, I just can't afford it. Maybe I should buy my old Toyota Previa back!

Nothing wrong with tents, I spend more time in a roof top tent now so I actually look forward to busting out a backpack and and a pad. It's nice to break up the camping experiences with different trips and goals. We camped in tents as kids, my future kids can do the same. We had great experiences without all of the fancy vehicle equipment, mine can too.

I will continue keeping an eye on fullsize trucks and campers. Thanks for the advice!

Travel style is important too. Do you like to travel daily and set up at a new campsite each night, or do you like to set up a basecamp for a couple of days and explore an area before moving on to the next location? Infants travel pretty well, because they like to sleep a lot when they aren't eating or pooping. As preschoolers, our kids did not like being in the car for more than an hour or two at a time. By about age 8 or 9, they seem to begin to ride long distances better; now they're content to play on their tablets without fussing too much when we need to knock out a long, hard, day of driving.

My kids like to camp, and they prefer sleeping in a tent over any other accommodation (other than their bedrooms). We use a ground tent and set up a basecamp for a 2+ days at a time, explore from there, then move on to a new location. For cross-country road trips, we stay in a hotel on the driving days, just to maximize our drive time & distance, then set up the tent and camp when we get to the destination area. Even then, I try to plan somewhere interesting to stop at during each long road day so that we get a chance to stretch our legs and take a break from riding.

Looking at your long-term goals, for 4 people plus dogs, it would be hard for me to not recommend sticking with a full-size SUV and pulling a trailer. A rough road capable hard-side pop up, A-frame trailer, should get you into plenty of sites down rough FSRs (but not jeep or serious 4x4 trails) while allowing you plenty of interior vehicle space for small humans and dogs. If you get a truck, where do you envision the dogs riding once you have children? Would you want to separate the dogs and put them in the living quarters? Four humans and a couple dogs is a lot to pack into a crew-cab truck.

Also, consider going used, 3-5 years old, to limit your losses if you find out that the setup you bought just isn't working for your family. If you buy too old, you limit the resale market, and if you buy new, you eat all the depreciation.

I traditionally do not spend time in one place. Most of my trips involve fishing daily or exploring trails which means packing camp each day. Sometimes we end up back in the same spot, sometimes we don't either way, we pack and leaving camp for daily activities. I expect more of a basecamp and a slower pace while camping with kids, as many have described. This further compliments the trailer idea. River trips won't be happening with tiny children off the bat so the more I think about it, the more the boat is not a major concern. Would be most interested in something like an A-Liner, space to stand, hardside, heater, space. I've also looked at smaller fiberglass trailers like Scamps and Casitas.

Another vote for the trailer!

Thanks!

 

[ThePartyWagon]

Congratulations
Hey your getting way ahead of your self on vehicle stuff. Since you already have a Sequoia keep it. Consider it your 4x4 Sienna with a real spare tire.
Focus on the other more important things like wedding costs, financial planning for two kids. Housing and job stability.
My kids are 9 and 12. What we do today is a few shades of grey different than what the Wife and I did before kids. Some of it due to what it takes to plan an activity for 4 vs 2. Its not 2x as much its more like 3.5 times more stuff and work in most cases.
Kids interests also impact your activities. My oldest (Team sport kid) is super sporty and thrives on competition. So 2 weekends out of the month are typically taken up by one club sport or another. My youngest is into different more individual sports, so those get fit in when the parents split each taking a kid. Example yesterday my youngest and I spent the day crewing for a friend racing a sailboat every 1st Sunday of the month October- March. Wife took my oldest to volleyball skills workout. Next two Sundays both kids are JR sailing oldest then splits with mom to afternoon vball. Saturday’s often times we are playing tennis or Mt Biking as a family both kids play tennis during the week after school.
Summers we are on swim team, hiking, biking, sailing and 1-2 camp trips.

Wife and I sold our racing sailboat didn’t have enough time to race it. Kept the family cruiser which we do short trips between other stuff.
We also sold my motorcycle and our road bikes way to many friends wiped out in recent yrs and kids change your perspective on unnecessary risk activities lol didn’t have time for that stuff anymore anyway.

Vehicles? My youngest arrived when we had two daily drivers 2001 Jetta and 2001 Legacy GT (our suv basically) I picked up a cherry J80 in 2004 to give us 5+ seating capacity and more hauling capability. 2011 we needed truly 5+ seats not 5 and 1.5 seats in a pinch so got the 2007 Sequoia and sold the J80.

Today the Sequoia is with my dad, and we run a loaded Expedition seats 8 and typically runs 4-7 people 3-4 times a week sports, sailing with friends etc. Camping trips last few yrs typically one 10-12 day trip end of June then 1-2 short trips the rest of the yr all due to various club sport schedules and job constraints etc.

Dads toy car? Sure!! I inherited grandpas SLK350 with 28,000miles. I drive it 1-2 times a week when kids aren’t a factor. The rest of the time its the Expedition bus.

you have at minimum 2-3 yrs where your only vehicle issue is rear seat space for car seats and if your knees are rammed into a dash because you can’t get the seat to slide back. The old Jetta sucked ass lol. The Legacy was pretty good but not super roomy. The Sequoia was great. The Expedition is awesome

as for camping? When we sold our racing sailboat which we raced on lakes during the summer and ocean in the winter, we trailered the boat and stuffed it with our camp gear. So I bought the original Life Time 4x6 camp trailer/ utility trailer. Two Queen beds that has done 12 day 3500 mile trips Yellowstone, the Utah 5 etc. It also gets used to haul boats and bikes about 2x a month.
Today I’m looking to add a Escape 17b and setup a front bunk bed system so older kids have their own bunk and we can target regions and seasons where tents don’t work.

Great insights, and thanks for the reality check. We're excited but maybe I'm focusing on the entirely wrong things while planning for a future family. There's no way to plan what older kids will be into but either way, it's going to cut into camping availability and feasibility. I have a couple customers who have nicely built out Expeditions, a 7.3L Excursion is what my in-laws hauled my fiancé and their family around in. Could be an option. It's larger but we would not be camping/driving trails the same way we do now.

Thanks!

Fast forward 3 years and that’s where I’m at. Two kids (1 & 3). Two dogs (75 and 40 lbs). First gen tundra double cab with an OVRLND camper on order. The plan is for most of our hangout time to be outside. Cooking outside, playing outside. The cab over is bigger than a queen size bed and the bottom will convert to a bed for the kids and dogs. When the kids get too big we will kick them out and into a tent. Payload is a serious concern. No bumpers, lightweight aluminum camper buildout and we will probably be just under GVWR. Of course I’ve already got Load E tires and I’m planning on a custom leaf pack and brake upgrade. If I was to do it again I’d order an F250 Tremor (despite my love for Toyota).

Honestly, travel is very different with kids. Everything is twice as hard, takes twice as long, and you get half as far. The days of 12 hour long hauls turn into a max of 6-7hr driving with extra stops and that’s the exception. I shoot for 3-4hr max in the car. More staying at a base camp.

With all that said, it feels good both knowing that the kids are getting great experiences from a young age and knowing that as parents we’re still getting after it despite the added difficulty and compromise.

One last note, if I were you, I’d spend my money on travel instead of a vehicle. Sounds like you have the rigs to do it. Get out there with your fiancée before the kids show up.

Good luck!

This is much closer to what I have envisioned for my future. Tundra, camper shell, modest interior with heat. In the long run, you could still tow a trailer for expanded space. Two up, two down for the sleeping arrangement but the 1st gens are limited in aftermarket support and payload, like you mentioned. Then comes the argument for a large truck, more expense, etc.

Thanks for the insight, you are the closest example to what I had in mind. Glad it's working out for you. Also, fair point, enjoy what we have now and we'll cross the vehicle, family camping bridge when we get there.

^
To add ns7i

We found that base camping was the only way we were going to make camping trips work. Setting up for one night then tearing down and moving on sucks. On long highway trips like our Yellowstone trip we did a hotel room 10 hours in, then noon arrival in Yellowstone base camped for 9days in the same spot, but had short days with in camp games interspersed with long days day trips to Grand Teton etc.

The very rare occasional one night spot is ok but not as a normal practice. The kids hate it and I become nothing but the pack/unpack mule not fun.

I got super serious about the truck camper idea when the kids were much smaller. But after talking to lots if families with older kids I scrubbed the idea. Between payload needs something you learn grows as fast as your kids and the fact that our region really makes living with long vehicles like the extra long Suburban/Expedition and the full sized crew trucks a massive pain in the back side. Even more so today with camping options really impacted the bigger the site needed for your rig.
So the fact that the Expedition is nearly identical in length to the old Sequoia but packs a big load capacity and tow rating was really important.
Last Saturday we had 6 Mountain bikes on our LOLO hitch rack. Its crazy how heavy that thing is. I can take 8 but need to toss two bikes on the roof. Truck would be nice but not for 6-8 and definitely not as compact.

We also have always had at least one Doberman. Currently a big Doberman (biggest I’ve had ever 100lb and a COvid orphan 12lb Chihuahua/crocodile mix. The camp trailer setup works great especially given its used a bunch as a gear hauler also.

We have two German Shepherds, I don't see that changing when we have kids. Out here in Utah, I foresee more time spent with kids in the desert than anywhere else. Fortunately, that means no real size constraints. Fitting everything is another concern.

Kids change so fast from 0-6 years that any long term planning you think you’re doing is virtually wasted. The stuff you need now is different than what you needed 6 months ago and different than what you will need in 6 months. Ask the crates of outgrown snow clothes in my closet how they came to be.

Focus on close to home, base camp, short trips. Focus on good food and micro-experiences. Don’t forget that mama needs vacation too. More than 1/2 of my “cool” camp gear is authorized because I take the kids away for long weekends and let her reset sanity at home.

Also a good point. I thought I could get ahead of my near future and make some smart choices while I have some funds available and time to spend on projects. Maybe, it's not that simple.

Love the thoughts on mom, she will be a rockstar mom but even rockstars need a break. Good point!

Thanks,

 

[ThePartyWagon]

I just want to say thank you to everyone who responded. You all have incredible insights and first hand experiences that we look forward to having ourselves.

Also, I appreciate the kind words and congratulations. We're very excited for the next chapter in our lives and I hope that continues to incorporate continued camping and travel.

There will be plenty of lessons learned the hard way but I didn't want to make a vehicle purchase one of those lessons.

I have a potential buyer lined up for the Sequoia but maybe I'll hold off on that for now. I'll update the thread if anything changes.

 

[calicamper]

Full sized for sure?. Trailers are great especially for multi use family hauling stuff. Utah? You have epic big country stuff every direction go for the most comfortable seating and most flexible rig option. Honestly a truck camper for a family with lots of activities not just “camping because its dads thing” just didn’t pencil out for me when I was super into researching it. I was looking flatbed pop up on 1 ton’s idea. Given just from my early trips with one kid, bikes, boat etc gear weight was very real.. Heck just going from little kid bikes to two more full sized MT bikes to pack and haul pose’s a constant challenge.
Wander the west hard core truck camper folks are all couples and singles I followed them for years. Even went to a few places they suggested.
Truck camper for 1 or two is ok but not 4lol.
We take the dog on some trips not the NP trips. They get to board at a friends place. Works way bett. But dog gets pretty good at getting stuffed into a tight spot layered ontop of gear in the back lol

 

[calicamper]

Even where vehicle cost isn’t really a problem including dedicated camping rigs. Several families in our hood are running vans but they are dedicated rigs only used for camping / Skiing yr around stuff. Daily drivers are typical stuff, SUVs, Jeeps, vws etc. But we’re talking about parents in their peak income years mid - late 40’s who bought their house 10-15 yrs ago and have kids college funds already setup, no more $3500 month daycare bills etc.

Three families same age kids as mine 9-12. Two built out high top duelie custom 4x4 camp vans for 4.
One custom Merc mid top with pop top on singles built out for 4x4 stuff. They do desert trips about once a month 3 kids two parents. They stack two kids under the pop top, one on a cross width short bunk across the back parents on lowest bunk.
Porta bucket outside facilities

The two high tops are more ski parking lot rigs, heavy insulation, wet locker/doubles as porta bucket/shower space. Both high tops have stock 2nd row 3up bench, then two up high fold down pipe cots, short bunk width wise across the back over the main bunk down low.

All three are $140,000+ rigs that get used all yr but are not daily drivers.

Wife and I talked about it, but rather buy another rental property so the Fiberglass Escape 17 or 19 is my target plan. Better interior space and layout for kids bunk space than the Casita?

 

[billiebob]

I will continue keeping an eye on fullsize trucks

Consider plain jane commercial, municipal trucks which no one wants but are often well maintained bargains.
Vinyl mats, vinyl seats are pretty care free.

 

[phsycle]

I’d keep it simple. Keep your Sequoia. Get a trailer. You can get an enclosed 6x12 trailer and do a simple build for under $10k. ie Trailer for around $5-6k. Prob cheaper used. Plenty of cargo space and enough room to stand.
https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/66756938

Epic offroad ventures or crazy rock crawling outings won’t happen much with small babies/kids. But there are lots of places to explore that you can go with the suv/trailer.

 

[XJLI]

Even where vehicle cost isn’t really a problem including dedicated camping rigs. Several families in our hood are running vans but they are dedicated rigs only used for camping / Skiing yr around stuff. Daily drivers are typical stuff, SUVs, Jeeps, vws etc. But we’re talking about parents in their peak income years mid - late 40’s who bought their house 10-15 yrs ago and have kids college funds already setup, no more $3500 month daycare bills etc.

Three families same age kids as mine 9-12. Two built out high top duelie custom 4x4 camp vans for 4.
One custom Merc mid top with pop top on singles built out for 4x4 stuff. They do desert trips about once a month 3 kids two parents. They stack two kids under the pop top, one on a cross width short bunk across the back parents on lowest bunk.
Porta bucket outside facilities

The two high tops are more ski parking lot rigs, heavy insulation, wet locker/doubles as porta bucket/shower space. Both high tops have stock 2nd row 3up bench, then two up high fold down pipe cots, short bunk width wise across the back over the main bunk down low.

All three are $140,000+ rigs that get used all yr but are not daily drivers.

Wife and I talked about it, but rather buy another rental property so the Fiberglass Escape 17 or 19 is my target plan. Better interior space and layout for kids bunk space than the Casita?

That sounds like a nice neighborhood.

I agree with the camper, a couple friends have nice flatbeds and campers but they're too small for 3 real sized people.

 

[Todd780]

Would be most interested in something like an A-Liner, space to stand, hardside, heater, space. I've also looked at smaller fiberglass trailers like Scamps and Casitas.

We had two tent trailers prior to our current trailer. I suggest if you want to be able to move daily, the set up / tear down of a tent trailer can get old fast.

Also, it can be a pain if you realized you need something from inside the trailers once it's folded up. Go for one of the fiberglass trailers you mentioned.

Plus, you can always get a rack for your vehicle to take your boat with you as well....

Epic offroad ventures or crazy rock crawling outings won’t happen much with small babies/kids. But there are lots of places to explore that you can go with the suv/trailer.

Yep. Agreed, base camp.

But to each their own. Find what works for you and your family.

 

[Martinjmpr]

You say you are "planning" for a future family and looking for a vehicle setup for that?

Reminds me of an old saying: "If you want to hear God laugh, make a plan."

My point being that neither me, nor anyone else here, nor you, knows what you will need in the future. There simply is no way to know until you get there.

So IMO the better idea is to keep your plan loose and don't invest too much into going one way or another. Keep it simple, keep it cheap, save your money for other stuff. Don't get too enamored of the rolling catalogs festooned with every gadget known to man. Most of us grew up "camping" in an old station wagon or single-cab pickup.

No matter what ideas you have now, once you get to the point where you have kids, your priorities and interests are going to change, guaranteed.

 

[Todd780]

Most of us grew up "camping" in an old station wagon or single-cab pickup.

Yep!

 

[SPACE Trailers]

I tow a drift boat and we fish and camp as much as possible so a trailer has never really been much of a consideration.

Hey PartyWagon! I know you said that a trailer isn't a consideration, and we may be a bit biased, but our SPACE Trailers could be a good solution for you and your growing family. I know that you may not be able to take the drift boat, but it would be compatible with either vehicle and you could design your camp and kitchen set up to meet your needs.

 

[dman93]

Congratulations on the upcoming changes in your life! When we first had kids, over 30 years ago now, we had a 4wd SuperCab (rear jump seats) Ranger and a Vanagon Westy pop top with stove, water, fridge. Since acquiring the VW we had rarely tent camped since the van was so handy, and quite capable off pavement for a 2wd vehicle, and that continued with one kid and for a while after the second came along. But with two toddlers that changed. If we were inside cooking or changing, the kids wanted to be there too. It was hard to get them to play outside when we were in camp and the van always seemed crowded with gear. We sold it, bought a used FJ80 in 1995 and a big cheap family tent. Much more fun. Even with the 80 (similar to your Sequoia in size) we soon added a rooftop carrier. This was fine for 2-1/2 season (cool nights, summer evening showers) usage in the West. Today the kids are grown and gone (as is the 80 ), and we have an AWD Transit conversion which is pretty nice; like the Vanagon surprisingly capable off-road but it’s size is a limit. Never had a truck camper but I believe the interior space constraints would be similar to the Westy, so I say keep the Sequoia and invest in a nice big tent. But in the end do what’s right for you … and let the kids learn to love the outdoors.