Ideal Overland setup for family + dog?

[Comanche Scott]

Another thing about the Syncro / Eurovan camper is it has forced air heating and easy access to fridge/stove even with the top stowed down.

Every time I took friends/family to go play in the snow, or to San Francisco/beach, I'd turn on the heater, and we'd come back to a nice warm van. Could even use the stove to make hot chocolate / soup without popping the top
It was a real crowd pleaser. :victory:

 

[Hnoroian]

2 adults 2 kids + 1 big dog, vanagon syncro and your limitations are budgetary
https://www.google.com/search?q=van...ved=0ahUKEwiW9-H7jdjPAhWMNx4KHSI1AnUQ_AUIBigB

+1

 

[Comanche Scott]

Found out last night, not all Syncros had the forced air heating. Not sure if it was an option, or if it was something people installed after they got them.
So that may be something to look into. The FAH in the Eurovan Camper was awesome with the automatic thermostat. It was loud when trying to sleep though.

Sorry, didn't mean for this to become a Syncro thread... As you can tell, I'm a bit enamored with them. lol
Some great YouTube videos showing their competency off road.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Syncro

I'll stop now. :elkgrin:

 

[calicamper]

Syncro us cool for the solo guy that likes to tinker. I know three people with em. Big $$$$$, lots of tinker time, super cool rigs. Terrible family trip machine. Kids dont tolerate unexpected vehicle issues very well. That and a wife having to entertain kids while you tweak or fix something on the side of the road is going to cash in all your hubby credits the first time you have some VW work on the road side.

Go with a modern rig that requires as little attention as possible. Spend more time with the kids..

Figure out what type of trips work best. For us the base camping approach vs multi location trips changed our trips from tiring and never again drives, to fun relaxing trips.
Time of yr / season vs needed shelter also plays into what works best.

 

[Darwin]

Syncros are sexy, and will make you instagram famous for how trendy they are, but true to their reputation you will be left seeing america one mechanic at a time. Expect to pay 85k, yes, that's 85 thousand dollars to be in the cool kids club. I am biased but for 20k I find my set up far superior in just about every way. At a cost of 20k vs 85k, you get a truck with real 4wd, 400 hp, 21 mpgs empty, 16 mpgs with the camper, a camper with full queen size bed, 6 ft couch folds out into a bed, refrigerator freezer, shower and toilet.

 

[calicamper]

Syncros are sexy, and will make you instagram famous for how trendy they are, but true to their reputation you will be left seeing america one mechanic at a time. Expect to pay 85k, yes, that's 85 thousand dollars to be in the cool kids club. I am biased but for 20k I find my set up far superior in just about every way. At a cost of 20k vs 85k, you get a truck with real 4wd, 400 hp, 21 mpgs empty, 16 mpgs with the camper, a camper with full queen size bed, 6 ft couch folds out into a bed, refrigerator freezer, shower and toilet.

^ what he said
Your in socal right? Parking can be a major pain in the ******** for full sized rigs especially if its your primary DD. Same issue for us. The rig choice plays into what kind of trips really fall into realistic family schedule, and how much pavement you would realistically cover to get to key destinations.

We did 6 days Eastern Sierras based camped at Virgina Lakes two yrs ago. 5hr door to site was about max effort with the kids and wife. We did 6hrs this summer North Coast door to camp. Again its about the max limit.
Multi location trip? Our whole setup would need to go from a tent trailer to a RV like rig with fast setup and tear down. Which is a big reason we do base camp in one location for several days. Then do local exploring from the base camp. Or simply take a break and spend a day hanging in hammocks and goofing off in camp. Wiffle ball game with camp kids etc.

 

[Comanche Scott]

Syncros are sexy, and will make you instagram famous for how trendy they are, but true to their reputation you will be left seeing america one mechanic at a time. Expect to pay 85k, yes, that's 85 thousand dollars to be in the cool kids club. I am biased but for 20k I find my set up far superior in just about every way. At a cost of 20k vs 85k, you get a truck with real 4wd, 400 hp, 21 mpgs empty, 16 mpgs with the camper, a camper with full queen size bed, 6 ft couch folds out into a bed, refrigerator freezer, shower and toilet.

I wasn't going to post again on the Syncro, but that is just too ignorant a statement to leave alone. BTW ignorant not in the personal negative sense of the word, just the very uninformed sense. I get it. There are a lot of people who see things, and parrott others, since they don't have first hand knowledge.

As to pricing:

http://syncro.org/vw-syncro-for-sale/
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=55
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Volkswagen-Vanagon-d206

The list of sites with them for sale goes on. But they are limited and value goes up every year. I bought my Eurovan for $16K, and sold it for $21K a few years later. Similar situation with the Syncros. Try that with your Dodge.
Yes, Go Westy (the most expensive group in the world for Eurovans and Westies/Syncros) advertises them for $80K plus, but even they note this is just "asking" prices, not actual sales prices.

As far as durability goes, you are wrong. Unless they are abused, or just flat out used up they are pretty reliable. I've had friends run around the U.S., Canada and Mexico in them with nothing more than normal servicing. Take a $25K Syncro, and put $25K into it (which would include a Subaru swap) and for $50K it is one heck of a reliable vehicle. I sold my Eurovan with a bit over 115K miles. It only saw regular maintenance, throughout it's life. The person I sold it to, has just put over 100K miles more, and still only standard maintenance items.
My Grand Cherokee which I loved (a Chrysler product like your truck), had many mechanical deficiencies that had to be repaired, along with standard maintenance, and it was just a "Soccer Mom" vehicle with the same mileage as the Eurovan when it was sold.

As to not being a real four wheel drive. Again you are wrong. Syncro is a real 4WD to include a low range gear, and they can even come with a locker. That's about as real as it gets.

Yes you are biased. Not a bad thing, unless you turn that bias into a slam against something you don't know. I'd like to see your dodge with camper on some of the same trails I've watched these Syncros run. You'd need that winch, and probably a chain saw.

Again, it's not the perfect vehicle for everyone, but it definitely has it's place. Just like your truck fits you, and your family. :beer:

 

[calicamper]

I wasn't going to post again on the Syncro, but that is just too ignorant a statement to leave alone. BTW ignorant not in the personal negative sense of the word, just the very uninformed sense. I get it. There are a lot of people who see things, and parrott others, since they don't have first hand knowledge.

As to pricing:

http://syncro.org/vw-syncro-for-sale/
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=55
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Volkswagen-Vanagon-d206

The list of sites with them for sale goes on. But they are limited and value goes up every year. I bought my Eurovan for $16K, and sold it for $21K a few years later. Similar situation with the Syncros. Try that with your Dodge.
Yes, Go Westy (the most expensive group in the world for Eurovans and Westies/Syncros) advertises them for $80K plus, but even they note this is just "asking" prices, not actual sales prices.

As far as durability goes, you are wrong. Unless they are abused, or just flat out used up they are pretty reliable. I've had friends run around the U.S., Canada and Mexico in them with nothing more than normal servicing. Take a $25K Syncro, and put $25K into it (which would include a Subaru swap) and for $50K it is one heck of a reliable vehicle. I sold my Eurovan with a bit over 115K miles. It only saw regular maintenance, throughout it's life. The person I sold it to, has just put over 100K miles more, and still only standard maintenance items.
My Grand Cherokee which I loved (a Chrysler product like your truck), had many mechanical deficiencies that had to be repaired, along with standard maintenance, and it was just a "Soccer Mom" vehicle with the same mileage as the Eurovan when it was sold.

As to not being a real four wheel drive. Again you are wrong. Syncro is a real 4WD to include a low range gear, and they can even come with a locker. That's about as real as it gets.

Yes you are biased. Not a bad thing, unless you turn that bias into a slam against something you don't know. I'd like to see your dodge with camper on some of the same trails I've watched these Syncros run. You'd need that winch, and probably a chain saw.

Again, it's not the perfect vehicle for everyone, but it definitely has it's place. Just like your truck fits you, and your family. :beer:

Only a handful of syncros were ever sold in the US. The price for a good one vs clapped out restore project is stupid high today.

I get it you like em. But that doesn't mean a 10+ yr old, rare, compact, specialty vehicle is a great choice for a family of 4. A Sprinter can be had for the price of a clean syncro. And a Sprinter is a far superior size and reliable ride for a family of 4.

 

[rayra]

$50 grand for a used hybrid franken-camper? You can get a real nice condition used large SUV and a sweet ground camp setup for under $10k and spend $40k traveling.

/I just don't get the brand / model fetishization in 'overlanding'

 

[tgreening]

No real dog in the brand/model thing but I have put on a fair number of miles with the wife/2 kids/2 big-ish dogs and I can say this. You REALLY don't want to be too squeezed for space while traveling. My dogs are great travelers and relatively unobtrusive to the kids, but conditions aren't always perfect and kids (or wife) can get cranky real fast when subjected to a lot of cramped seat time on the road.

I don't think e OP (where'd he go?) would be ill served with a CC short bed with a pop top slide in. A good quality boot between the 2 for a pass through and the dog has somewhere to hang out. On road repairs are most likely much less painful with something domestic where parts can be found just about anywhere. In the case of Ford even in vehicles abandoned along the road.

I can't imagine doing ANY long trip with his stated passenger load in a Tacoma. Maybe with a chihuahua.

If I didn't want to tow, and knowing what I know about MY family and the amount of gear required for their happy level, I'd probably look for a used 4x converted full size camperized van. For the stated $50k buy in for a quality but most likely decades old niche vehicle like the Westy (?) I think you could do way better for features, space, and ease of on the road maintenance/repair.

No offense to those so inclined (it ain't my money) but I'm guessing the Westy thing is what it is because a lot of these niche hobbies are full of little clubs, each with its own thing. The Westy club, the Landrover club and its subsets, the Adventure Biker club and their inability to sit down on any terrain that isn't freshly paved concrete or asphalt, etc.

I asked a biker buddy of mine why Harley riders all seemed to look and dress like old, fat, grey bearded pirates and he just laughed and told me it was a Harley Thing and I wouldn't understand.

Nope.

 

[Dalko43]

I wasn't going to post again on the Syncro, but that is just too ignorant a statement to leave alone. BTW ignorant not in the personal negative sense of the word, just the very uninformed sense. I get it. There are a lot of people who see things, and parrott others, since they don't have first hand knowledge.

As to pricing:

http://syncro.org/vw-syncro-for-sale/
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=55
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Volkswagen-Vanagon-d206

The list of sites with them for sale goes on. But they are limited and value goes up every year. I bought my Eurovan for $16K, and sold it for $21K a few years later. Similar situation with the Syncros. Try that with your Dodge.
Yes, Go Westy (the most expensive group in the world for Eurovans and Westies/Syncros) advertises them for $80K plus, but even they note this is just "asking" prices, not actual sales prices.

As far as durability goes, you are wrong. Unless they are abused, or just flat out used up they are pretty reliable. I've had friends run around the U.S., Canada and Mexico in them with nothing more than normal servicing. Take a $25K Syncro, and put $25K into it (which would include a Subaru swap) and for $50K it is one heck of a reliable vehicle. I sold my Eurovan with a bit over 115K miles. It only saw regular maintenance, throughout it's life. The person I sold it to, has just put over 100K miles more, and still only standard maintenance items.
My Grand Cherokee which I loved (a Chrysler product like your truck), had many mechanical deficiencies that had to be repaired, along with standard maintenance, and it was just a "Soccer Mom" vehicle with the same mileage as the Eurovan when it was sold.

As to not being a real four wheel drive. Again you are wrong. Syncro is a real 4WD to include a low range gear, and they can even come with a locker. That's about as real as it gets.

Yes you are biased. Not a bad thing, unless you turn that bias into a slam against something you don't know. I'd like to see your dodge with camper on some of the same trails I've watched these Syncros run. You'd need that winch, and probably a chain saw.

Again, it's not the perfect vehicle for everyone, but it definitely has it's place. Just like your truck fits you, and your family. :beer:

So you're calling one poster "ignorant," and then you go onto promote an 80's era, limited availability VW van as a better alternative to a modern full-size pickup? That just seems a tad "fanboyish" in my book, which one could argue is indicative of ignorance. We are all have our own preferences on this sort of thing, so there really is no need to turn this into a mud-slinging contest.

 

[RMTWELL]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the perspective.
A 4x4 van with a pop top is a great solution, one that I will seriously consider.

I currently have a 4 door Frontier 4x4. Add the dog in with the kids, it gets small quickly! However we have had several week long 4x4 trips. Im just dreaming about more room and more trips!

 

[calicamper]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the perspective.
A 4x4 van with a pop top is a great solution, one that I will seriously consider.

I currently have a 4 door Frontier 4x4. Add the dog in with the kids, it gets small quickly! However we have had several week long 4x4 trips. Im just dreaming about more room and more trips!

Seat room or camp room ;-)
Neighbors new F150 4dr is really plush and roomy. But dang is that thing wide...

 

[MOguy]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the perspective.
A 4x4 van with a pop top is a great solution, one that I will seriously consider.

I currently have a 4 door Frontier 4x4. Add the dog in with the kids, it gets small quickly! However we have had several week long 4x4 trips. Im just dreaming about more room and more trips!

I had a van for a while, it wasn't 4X4 but we used it to pull a camper. Mine was very comfortable and well appointed. When traveling the kids could not even reach each other, this is a big deal with young kids. They could plug in their Xbox, each seat had its only controls for radio, front and rear AC, not just vent controls but an entire extra air conditioning system. It even came with its own vacuum. It was like rolling around in my living room.

It had enough room for people to move around inside, even while driving.

It was large and awkward and drank gas but for comfort and mental stability (mine anyway) a nice big van is hard to beat when it comes to long distance travel.

 

[Comanche Scott]

So you're calling one poster "ignorant," and then you go onto promote an 80's era, limited availability VW van as a better alternative to a modern full-size pickup? That just seems a tad "fanboyish" in my book, which one could argue is indicative of ignorance. We are all have our own preferences on this sort of thing, so there really is no need to turn this into a mud-slinging contest.

The only mud slinging is from my tires, and you are over reacting.