Family of 4 + 2 dogs - RTT on van or add a trailer?

[hyperboarder]

Looking for some advice, we've been talking about a camping setup of some sort for a while and have settled on a roof top tent, RV's and travel trailers are off the list. We were set on building out my van (short 92 E250 cargo, 2wd low mileage 5.8L) but a cheap overlanding trailer just popped up locally. Trying to decide what to do, both have their pros and cons.

There are 4 of us, my wife and I plus 2 and 4 year old daughters and a couple good sized dogs. The most extreme we'd see would be fire roads, no crawling in this rig. Not considering the 4x4 route at the moment, just don't need it. The van is currently set up fairly well, I'd want to build out a simple modular kitchen and storage setup in the back plus obviously the rack and RTT (CVT Mt. Adams or Mt. McKinley FWIW). Kids would sleep in the tent with us, dogs in the van. The big question marks are water and propane at the moment, water would be part of the kitchen and propane is still up in the air, possibly just a 20lb tank in a rack on top (seems like the safest exterior place aside from a more expensive tank attached to the frame).

The trailer would simplify those two items, it's barebones at the moment but comes with a tent (that I'd probably still replace with a bigger one) and seems like a solid base to build off. This is obviously the more expensive option, but not by a ton. Registration in Idaho is easy, I think it's $40 for 10 years, the van can tow it without issue, and I have room to store it.

My wife prefers just the van at this point. I'm truly on the fence. Any advice?

 

[kmlacroix]

I vote trailer

 

[hyperboarder]

I vote trailer

What's your reasoning?

 

[simple]

Does the trailer have a roof top tent on it? What are the advantages to a rooftop tent in our area other than off the ground if it's really rainy? And if rainy, it wouldn't be that nice to pack up.

 

[hyperboarder]

The trailer has a smaller RTT on it, though I'd likely swap that out to a bigger one. Advantages are many IMHO, all-in-one solution, super quick setup and teardown, better airflow in the hotter months, and so on. Lots of discussion on that in the RTT forum.

 

[simple]

One advantage to the trailer is you can leave it set up at camp and then go on a drive with the van. Would the tent on the trailer also be lower down so you wouldn't have to climb such a high ladder?

 

[hyperboarder]

It would, but it would be low enough that the annex space isn't really useful, so it's a compromise really. Plus the awning mounting would be trickier.

 

[boardrider247]

After doing the RTT thing first on top of a pickup then on a trailer. I will say the trailer was preferred. The benefits of being able to leave camp set up and having mobility outweighed the negatives of towing a trailer. However we did not have a annex or awning to consider.

 

[MANUCHAO]

if you set up the trailer with some legs and struts to raise up once you get to your destination you could make good use of that annex space

 

[normal_dave]

For us, the vote became trailer, after reading about cargo conversions.

4 kids, (no dogs), already had a '95 passenger van with the 5.8L. We camped out of two tents, hauled mountain bikes, and/or canoe and kayaks. After we built the trailer, I can't believe I spent all that time loading (and unloading) stuff on top of that van!

As far as van vs van/trailer, echo above, trailer makes a great base camp, more room in the van for the trip, yes some planning ahead when turning around on the forest service road. Bottom line, the trailer is so handy, we even haul it on day trips when kayaking, because our gear can be easily secured when you make a stop to eat, and you have your own changing room after a day on the water. I was worried about overkill taking the trailer, but now my wife doesn't want to leave it at home for most trips, and it really isn't too hard to manage parking, Our rig will fit neatly into any two inline standard parking spaces.

I think the best part is that the trailer is always loaded and ready to go except food supplies, and I don't have to work out the puzzle of getting that van loaded so that the stuff fits in in there properly, and there is still room for the kids.

Reasons for trailer can be best stated here in our build thread:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=48345

Here's another good thread about the benefits of a trailer setup:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=56125

I've always been intrigued with the RTT idea, but looking back with our kids, the novelty of climbing up/down (for every bathroom trip) or for whatever they forgot...would have gotten old after a few trips, and the rainy ones, well the trailer will dry itself on the way home. I realize this idea isn't exactly what you are thinking, but to me, your questions were all too familiar, so you could shrink our trailer concept to fit your family needs.

Good Luck either way.

 

[kmlacroix]

A trailer top tent like what Kakadu Camping sells has built in room, plus you can add space. The trailer can be ready all the time, just add food and water. Easier to get in and out of, lightens the vehicle.

 

[hyperboarder]

Thank you all for the replies, much appreciated. Still no closer to a decision seemingly .

The trailer in question is bare bones, not even a lid, but a solid platform. Comes with a Mt. Bailey tent, looks like I can get it for under $3k. Bolt pattern for the tires doesn't match the E250 FWIW. With that tent the kids would have to sleep in the van I think. Not a deal breaker but a bit trickier. It does save me $600+ on a rack though, which is nice. And I think CVT has a trade in program if we wanted to go bigger.

 

[hyperboarder]

To close this out I bought the trailer last night. Wife wants to try a trip with the RTT on the van and one on the trailer to compare. Should be a fun summer.

 

[simple]

Cool! Sounds like your wife is into science. You'll have to report back once you collect your data.