yes, i like it. obviously, if i have the choice, i take the wife smaller Honda pilot for kids school pick up but overall, the Transit is a great commuter and i get about 18-19mpg dirving easy on it. Parking is a little harder then a small car, similar to driving a supercrew long bed truck.
Modern truck camper for an adventurous family of five?
- Thread starter MontyMontero
- Start date
McCarthy
Is it riding season yet?
5 people in a truck camper? To be brutally honest that sounds more like prison than camping... Actually, I looked it up, prisoners in cells have much more room than that would provide. Lol.
I would recommend something like a black series if you have the budget, or a Jayco Baja package travel trailer if you don't, and a crew cab F150 to pull it. Great commuter and can easily pull what you're looking for.
I would recommend something like a black series if you have the budget, or a Jayco Baja package travel trailer if you don't, and a crew cab F150 to pull it. Great commuter and can easily pull what you're looking for.
I say popup camper. I have a family of 7 plus dog and we all fit (rather snug). Wr have pulled it over 50,000 miles. This is our 4th season. It sucks at times. Putting up in the rain, but we are short enough towing wr have parked at trailheads etc…. It is a 10ft box and expands out to over 20ft length. Only invested $5,000 in it. When kids are gone we will get a truck camper or 4wd van etc… when there are two of us. We have been snowed on at Yellowstone. We use elec heaters when have elec hookups. Also been up to 9,500ft in March in Colorado. Sleeping bags and it was fine.
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Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
We did the tent trailer thing for years. Your right, set up and take down sucks. Especially when you have to do it more than once per trip. Set up to pack... put down...set up at site and take down.... set up to unpack then take down..... Just got a hardwall a few years ago and wouldn't go back. If storage is not an issue I'd go this route. Our tent trailer was 24' long set up. Our hardwall is 23' hitch to bumper so we can still get in the same size sites.
Buddha.
Finally in expo white.
grindmonkey
Member
We have a family of 5 in a f350 and hallmark cuchara. Is it tight.....? Heck yeah. But I can drive it to work or pick up the kids from school (all within 5 miles) and have it on the truck to go camping at any time. If a meeting runs late I have a fully stocked kitchen on the back of my truck to grab lunch before my next appt.
We winter camp near or at ski resorts and can still park at the resort in normal parking without dropping 1/2 our stuff somewhere. It comes in handy when some are finished before others. Having a "lounge" that doesnt require fighting for seats or paying $30 for a hamburger is incredibly convenient.
Our kids are 13,9,6. They keep growing and it gets tighter. But as long as we all fit in the dinette to eat we will make it work. The camper is not a 5 star hotel room. It is solely a place to eat, sleep, and store some items to make our adventures possible.
You have to make certain rules in this setup:
No unnecessary items
1 person standing at a time
No jumping around
Poop at the resort or campground (if possible)
While it is tight, the benefits of having this setup with its capabilities far outweigh the tight quarters.
We winter camp near or at ski resorts and can still park at the resort in normal parking without dropping 1/2 our stuff somewhere. It comes in handy when some are finished before others. Having a "lounge" that doesnt require fighting for seats or paying $30 for a hamburger is incredibly convenient.
Our kids are 13,9,6. They keep growing and it gets tighter. But as long as we all fit in the dinette to eat we will make it work. The camper is not a 5 star hotel room. It is solely a place to eat, sleep, and store some items to make our adventures possible.
You have to make certain rules in this setup:
No unnecessary items
1 person standing at a time
No jumping around
Poop at the resort or campground (if possible)
While it is tight, the benefits of having this setup with its capabilities far outweigh the tight quarters.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
Three neighbor families are 5 all three run custom vans. Two are long whb tall vans one is a merc duelie and one is a Ford transit high top duelie. The 3rd is a mid height shorty Merc with pop top. They all do ski stuff in the winter and summer trips.
All three have over $160,000 into their vans and have dedicated parking behind a gate in their side yards. All three dads daily drive nice cars, Porsche, Audi, VW RS etc. Moms all drive nice rigs Kia Tellurides and Honda mini van.
I have 4 and we do it differently given we have a different set of hobbies. Instead of a high value 3rd dedicated vehicle ie VAN. I run a top kitted Expedition and use a trailer. Instead of a van we have a sailboat we use the boat more than our friends use their vans. 2-3 times a month yr around. Friends use their vans about once a month average yr around.
I’m likely upgrading our 4x6 trailer to a Geo pro 19FBTH in the next 15 months. Will add a upper bunk for two separate kids bunks. Trailer will be used about once a month average for the yr. $18,000 ish invested. Kids are 10-12. We have a few more NP trips on the planner. Plus some regattas where the trailer would serve as home base for a weekend of racing. Once kids hit 3rd yr High School we’ll sell the trailer and likely upgrade our 1986 sailboat to something bigger and more modern $120,000-$200,000ish investment. We have had our 1986 sailboat since 2006 and use the heck out of it. $24,000 buy on that in 06. We’ll probably sell it for close to its 06 purchase price. Maintenance costs are just that cost of having and using it etc.
Best bang for your $? Get a used trailer.
All three have over $160,000 into their vans and have dedicated parking behind a gate in their side yards. All three dads daily drive nice cars, Porsche, Audi, VW RS etc. Moms all drive nice rigs Kia Tellurides and Honda mini van.
I have 4 and we do it differently given we have a different set of hobbies. Instead of a high value 3rd dedicated vehicle ie VAN. I run a top kitted Expedition and use a trailer. Instead of a van we have a sailboat we use the boat more than our friends use their vans. 2-3 times a month yr around. Friends use their vans about once a month average yr around.
I’m likely upgrading our 4x6 trailer to a Geo pro 19FBTH in the next 15 months. Will add a upper bunk for two separate kids bunks. Trailer will be used about once a month average for the yr. $18,000 ish invested. Kids are 10-12. We have a few more NP trips on the planner. Plus some regattas where the trailer would serve as home base for a weekend of racing. Once kids hit 3rd yr High School we’ll sell the trailer and likely upgrade our 1986 sailboat to something bigger and more modern $120,000-$200,000ish investment. We have had our 1986 sailboat since 2006 and use the heck out of it. $24,000 buy on that in 06. We’ll probably sell it for close to its 06 purchase price. Maintenance costs are just that cost of having and using it etc.
Best bang for your $? Get a used trailer.
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AbleGuy
Officious Intermeddler
Wow, tons of conflicting confusing advice, some based on actual real life personal experience, other suggestions based on supposition…all too head spinning perhaps, OP radio silent for 2 months. Wonder what he decided?
But it’s sad so many folks assumed traveling with kids would be so challenging. Well behaved kiddies would do fine in crowded environs. Hopefully they’d be outside playing and exploring most of the day anyway and be too exhausted at night to be problems.
My mum and grandma for many years would travel on long summer and spring trips with us four kids and one or two dogs, with no big headaches or drama, first in a station wagon and tenting, then the SW and a pop up tent camper and finally pulling a 17’ travel trailer.
We all quickly learned the required patient ballet of taking turns to move about in the campers and had no embarrassment about potty use or changing clothes or bathing in front of each other.
My wife’s family travels were similar… mum, dad, three kids in a single bench seat pickup with a 10’ cab over camper on the back. Again, no big deal!
The OP’s plans are certainly doable. Advice as to getting a 2500hd or 3500 pickup is spot on. Hopefully he’ll still plan to venture out equipped as simply as possible and just resolve to make things work.
But it’s sad so many folks assumed traveling with kids would be so challenging. Well behaved kiddies would do fine in crowded environs. Hopefully they’d be outside playing and exploring most of the day anyway and be too exhausted at night to be problems.
My mum and grandma for many years would travel on long summer and spring trips with us four kids and one or two dogs, with no big headaches or drama, first in a station wagon and tenting, then the SW and a pop up tent camper and finally pulling a 17’ travel trailer.
We all quickly learned the required patient ballet of taking turns to move about in the campers and had no embarrassment about potty use or changing clothes or bathing in front of each other.
My wife’s family travels were similar… mum, dad, three kids in a single bench seat pickup with a 10’ cab over camper on the back. Again, no big deal!
The OP’s plans are certainly doable. Advice as to getting a 2500hd or 3500 pickup is spot on. Hopefully he’ll still plan to venture out equipped as simply as possible and just resolve to make things work.