Jeep JK Unlimited big enough for family of 4?? Or just get a trailer??

[csjk]

I have a Jeep JK 4-door that is modified for moderate rock crawling, but moving toward family expedition trips. We will be mostly doing long weekend trips in Colorado with occasional weeklong vacations. We are expecting our second child next spring, so I'm planning ahead for our vehicle needs.

I'm trying to decide if our 4 door JK is large enough to carry all the gear for a family of 4. I'd like to add a drawer system (about a foot tall) in the back with recovery gear, spare parts and some of the camping gear, plus a food cooler, kitchen box, and clothing/camping gear store on top of the drawer. Also planning on getting a full-length roof rack with RTT for the adults. Is this enough space for a family of 4? Can I fit most of our gear in the back with overflow on the roof rack?

Alternatively, I could get a sweet Adventure Trailer or Sierra 4x4 Trailer. Super nice, but super expensive. It would be nice to be able to drop the trailer at basecamp, but also a pain to haul it around on the trails.

So, anyone have experience with this? Cram it all in the 4-door or just throw it all in a trailer?

 

[McZippie]

FWIW the JK Unlimited will be overloaded, consider getting a trailer.

 

[PNWINFERNOPRO]

Yep, trailer.

 

[PNWINFERNOPRO]

I just went with a trailer, 3 people and a dog.

 

[Hannibal USA]

Running 5" lift and 37's in my Rubicon Unlimited its me the wife and 3 kids, is fine for 1-2 day trips anything over that we use our Sierra 4x4 Trailer Gen 2 model which is the same track width as the JK

 

[Vince1]

Family of 4 with dog here. Small M416 trailer really helped clear room in back for dog. Without dog, we could go on 3 day trips without trailer. Have a Gobi rack with ARB RTT...good for 2, but have 2 cots in annex below. Previously had SUV style tent, worked well for 4, but on- ground.

 

[nwoods]

I too recommend a trailer, and there is a really good one for sale on this forum for $5k or thereabouts, which is a smoking hot deal. However, you can absolutely fit all your gear + 4 for moderate trails. It will be heavy and ungainly on hardcore trails.

I've got a funny photo of all the gear my family of 4 packed into an LJ. I'll post it later (tapping on phone right now)

 

[Colorado Jeeper]

I have a JK unlimited with a Gobi rack and Little Passenger Seat third row seat. The wife, five kids and I have no problem fitting enough gear on the rack for two days and one night. Anything over that and we take the trailer (it's a spruced up 3x6 military trailer). Keeping the cab of your rig clutter free will make for a better traveling experience, not having to load things on a rack will save your back and cause less stress while driving. I think before I purchased anything I would give it a go with what you have. After a trip or two your needs will be pretty clear.

 

[Calilove1]

I went with the trailer and no longer need the roof rack... the roof rack just wasn't quite enough for the adventures we go on and the amount of stuff that comes along to entertain the kids. I went with an inexpensive M101A1 trailer. Its too heavy and I'd much rather a cool Adventure Trailer but for under $1000 on one that was pristine it wasn't a hard decision.

 

[5Runner]

I will do whatever it takes to not every go the trailer route. I started my kids out camping rough and I am thankful I did We pack as minimal as possible and let the mountains provide us the rest. I've learned many tricks to packing light, yet still having good food to eat and "enough" comfort. We use backbacking gear, like thermarests and mummy bags.

We used to camp for 4 night trips with 2 adults, 1 big dog, and 3 kids in a 3rd generation 4runner (about the size of your JK i'd say).

I admit that with three kids it was too small and underpowered (the roof was loaded), so I went to a 100 series landcruiser. We fit completely inside now, with no gear on the roof but a shovel and fishing poles.

Think about how a trailer will limit your adventure and spoil your kids (and wife), and then reconsider what you "need" to bring with you. Besides the essentials, food, water, recovery, tools, tent, etc. Each member of the family has one small backpack. If they can't fit their stuff in it, they don't get to bring it all.

If you're even thinking that you don't want to bring a trailer, then DON'T. At least give it your very best effort to make it work without, and I bet you can.

I think the simplicity and lack of city comforts is a big part of the joy I find in our adventures. Family says the same. (yes, I admit I have a refrigerator, but more than comfort, that's a huge space saver, NO ICE)

Not to knock those of you with your trailers, we all have our own expectations, but I had to give him at least ONE voice of DON'T DO THE TRAILER.

 

[JPK]

Depends on what you do when you get where you're going.

Say, flyfishing - Trailer works better because of waders, etc...
Rack crawling - mild is ok loaded, but serious crawling is too much for a loaded JKU, trailer to get the Jeep light...
Hike - no particular need for lots of gear or a light Jeep, so just the JKU works fine...
Tour to see different territory - if the terrain is mild a trailer can limit packing and unpacking or at least make it quicker, but it can also be a pita; if the terrain is rough the trailer is a liability...

So, consider what you're going to be doing when you leave town. IMO, with young kids, I'd go trailer and base camp. Easy for naps and for all the gear for young kids, their toys to entertain them, the clothes to keep them warm, or cool, the different kid friendly adult unfriendly food. From experience I can say that young kids require more stuff to keep them and the wife happy than older kids.

As for base camping, even with my older kids, ages 14 and 11, and my wife, base camping is easier on me and more fun for all, since we often do different things. Like a hike for my wife and one or two kids, fishing for me or maybe my wife heads to town and I take the kids on a hike or fishing. There is something to be said for how the family and wife react to "coming home" after a day filled with some activity. And something to be said for coming home and kicking back instead of setting up.

There is a middle ground too, but it limits your destinations, more than a trailer. I sometimes use a front reciever mounted cargo carrier with a storage box and a rear reciever mounted cargo carrier. You can get cargo carriers with up to about an 8" rise to help with approach and departure angles, but you are still limited. I have a roof rack but find using one a pita, especially if the gear on it gets used frequently.

BTW, I have an AEV suspension on my JKU and it handles weight very well, well enough to pack enough gear to do the camping, but JKU room is more limited than the AEV suspensions weight carrying ability.

Here is a phot of my Jeep with the front storage box in the carrier, which has no rise. With this box and the rear carrier we we able to pack enough gear for a twelve day trip including rock crawling in Moab and fly fishing in Colorado, though we didn't camp.

 

[Awkragt]

I've got a 2 door and a 15 month old. After a 12 day camping trip to Moab and the San Juan's I'd say it's really not big enough. There is too much kid stuff that doesn't pack down enough. The hitch basket didn't hinder it that much but it was such a pain to load and unload that thing 12 days in a row. You need a convenient system to really camp comfortable. We are going to head the LR3 route, and keep the JK as the "Dad and Kids only" camping rig for roughing it and serious jeep trails. In your case since you've got a 4dr I think the trailer route is the way to go.

 

[Beowulf]

I don't see why everything could not fit in a 4 door unlimited for a family of four. I have a 2006 unlimited without a roof rack for a family of 3 and have very little problems fitting everything I need for a week unsupported in the desert. This includes a a waeco cf25 fridge. I'm not sure what all you need to take that would not easily fit into the back of a JK especially if you had a drawer system.

 

[Harmgrissom]

I have a Cherokee and just got back from a 3 day trip up on the Mogollan Rim with the family. I haven't had a roof rack, trailer or anything but the jeep. For 6 it was a hair small.

I grew up packing minimalistic for trips and have tried to imbue that to my kids. With a small tent it was ok but you add in everything else and it starts to add up. the entire back of the jeep was packed - with just a small area I could see behind me through the rear view mirror - we had stuff under the kids feet, between my wife and I in the front seat and at the passengers feet. It was our first primitive camping trip since our older girls were babies.

For the time being I plan to get a roof rack to make things easier for trips. But my kids are younger 8 months - 9 years old. They get too much older and we won't be able to make that same kind of trip in such a small vehicle without some major changes.

I know a lot of folks LOVE their trailers - but I just can't get there. I'm thinking we'll end up with a larger 4x4 within the next 2 years probably a lot sooner if we can swing it -

 

[Rocket Ship]

I think it really just depends on your expectations. Some people go hiking and camping for a week with nothing more than what they carry on their back. That same gear for a family of 4 will fit into a JK with no roof-rack. If you're happy camping like that, lightweight gear and bare minimum of luxuries, then you don't need a trailer. Or a roof rack even. Yeah, that means no Fridge. Those things take up way too much room.

You can take a fridge, a larger canvas tent, nicer sleeping pads and bags and some extra clothes and kitchen equipment, etc, if you use a roof rack. But, your truck will be overloaded. Some people care, some don't. You'll still probably have to do without things like a kitchen work surface, table, chairs, etc. If you want those things, then you need a trailer.

It's really just that simple.