need to buy a family camping vehicle - Sequoia? F150? Land Cruiser?

[tacuba]

Hi everyone,
My wife and I both drive smallish SUVs (I drive a Ford Escape; she drives an Acura MDX), and now that we have two kids (3 and 1 years old), camping (or, more accurately, DRIVING TO A CAMPGROUND WITH ALL OF OUR WORLDLY POSSESSIONS) is getting to be impossible given our relatively small cars. Last time we went out, we actually had to suffer the indignity of taking TWO CARS, one for momma + kids, the second loaded to the gills with papa, our two dogs, and OMG SO MUCH STUFF. Tricycles, ride-on toys, pack n play, super-giant-but-super-comfortable sleeping pads, you name it. We aren't light packers.

So, my dilemma is: I want to get a larger vehicle that will be handier for camping. My budget is about $10k. I'm sort of (DEFINITELY) a cheapskate, so I am only really interested in very reliable vehicles. I've narrowed the choices to:

- an older (late 90's to early 2000's) Landcruiser/Lexus LX
- a mid 2000s Toyota Sequoia
- a mid 2000s or later four door Ford F150

Couple more details: we own a 12 cu. ft Yakima rooftop box. We might have a third kid down the line, but definitely (HOPEFULLY) wouldn't have more than that. We live in Phoenix, so would mostly do stuff in AZ and California. Since we live in Phoenix, super cold A/C is a must. Would mostly stick to family-friendly campgrounds, and I have no pretensions about becoming a hardcore offroader. Whatever vehicle I get would probably become my DD, but I have a really short commute (5 miles each way on city streets).

Any comments on the above vehicles? Any other suggestions?


Also: I posted here, rather than in any of the vehicle-specific subforums, because I wanted to get more of a balanced range of views rather than "80 SERIES OR GTFO" type responses.

Thanks in advance!

 

[collk22]

The dogs makes this interesting - seems like an SUV (dogs in the cargo area where they can benefit from the AC) with a small trailer to haul the gear might be your best option. If the dogs are small and can ride easily with the kids then it's probably a wash between larger SUV vs. Truck.

 

[ghostingrey]

If you really only need the extra space when camping then a small enclosed cargo trailer would probably be your best bang for the buck.

If you truly want a bigger vehicle then I would go with the Sequoia. I bought a 4th gen 4Runner a couple years ago and still kick myself for not buying a sequoia instead. The third row seating would make life much easier. Also, lightly used sequoias can be had much cheaper than landcruisers, they seem to be very popular with the soccer mom crowd.

 

[madmax718]

You know what you need. A minivan/van.

 

[Burb One]

With the dogs, I think an enclosed area for them to be is a necessity on long trips.

I'm jaded and will say suburban(GMT800's in great shape on the west coast can be found for around 5k with 150k miles, throw in 3-5k in mods/preventative maintenance, and you will be good for many years, there are a few of us with them on here and many of us have over 250k miles on stock, orgiinal, strong engines 5.3 or 6.0),

However, a pickup truck with shell may provide you with more usable space to store, and give the dogs some space with adequate ventilation.

I would say the sequoia/ cruisers are too small. With kids, dogs and stuff, you need a fullsize. The mpg hit is nonexistent or negligible as well between the trucks you are looking at.

 

[hyperboarder]

+1 for van, Chevy or Ford full size. We have 2 kids and 2 dogs in an E250, everyone is happy.

 

[calicamper]

I like our Sequoia but 99.9% of the time we use our subaru.
4yr old + 7yr old and a 65lb Doberman. It only works given our camping rig and gear goes on the 4x6 trailer we tow. Subaru is just more enjoyable to drive. And it typically gets 20-21mpg on our trips. The Sequoia is 15mpg on our one or two trips its done.

I say set up a 4x6 trailer for the MDX and go!

The F150 is nice my neighbor just got one. Three kids and they just started doing dirt bikes on weekends. So 4-5 seated and three bikes in the bed. It never moves during the week. Stricktly a Sunday bike day truck.

 

[tacuba]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I have to admit, I hadn't even considered vehicles larger than a Sequoia, I had originally felt silly for considering a vehicle as large as a Sequoia considering we only have two kids. Glad I'm not the only one who feels like they need space!

Calicamper, what kind of 4x6 trailer do you use/recommend?

 

[calicamper]

Picked up a Costco LifeTime trailer. Love it. Great family camp rig, great house project dump run trailer. Small footprint.

 

[nwoods]

Instead of spending $15k replacing a perfectly good vehicle ($10k plus tax plus maint & upgrades), why not budget about $2k and buy better, more compact gear? The MDX is a great touring vehicle, and you've already got a skybox. Get a bike rack, and downsize your gear and be happy.

Or, as an alternative, take that $15k and take a look at LR3's. They have a lot more usable room than you'd believe. They are much bigger inside than they are on the outside. They hold a ton of gear.

All this gear (family of 4):

Fit in here, with the back seats totally free and usable:

And goes anywhere:

Another option in liue of a Sequioa, with a bit more room and a lot more power would be a Nissan Armada.

 

[calicamper]

Lots of votes to figure out the MDX. If your doing epic big trips multiple times a yr then chances are you'll be thinking about what sort of set up fits the family interest. I'd go MDX with small trailer for a season or two and see how it goes.

We did 5 trips last yr one long trip 7 days and a bunch of 3 day trips. The type of things we've done is as nwoods noted. We perfected our gear, bedding etc. Which simply streamlined our packing and set up time. That and we basically have 3 modes. Ultra basic light mode 3day trips, medium mode long trips but at campgrounds with showers, then heavy mode pit toilet remote unimproved sites etc. Some gear stays and goes depending on mode etc.

But the Subaru or MDX sized rig easily handles 4 and dog. Its when we take cousins, friends etc then minivan err Sequoia is used. Which case most of the trips we've done other families are taking their own set up. Or were just doing the familiy escape.

 

[tacuba]

brief update:

I really like the trailer idea, but the wife shot it down as to the MDX. The MDX could easily tow a small trailer, but she definitely doesn't want the MDX to become our camping vehicle, as we just bought it recently and she doesn't want it to get thrashed with muddy shoes, red Arizona hiking trail dirt, etc. Happy wife happy wife, pick your battles, etc. I think objectively, the MDX with some sort of trailer is our best option, since it's relatively new (under 40k miles), reliable, has a high tow rating (5,000 lbs) relative to our intended purposes, comfortable, etc. It's just a matter of convincing the CEO.

The Escape is a hybrid and only has a max tow rating of 1,000 lbs AND has crappy air conditioning (the single air compressor has to serve double duty, cooling both the cabin AND the hybrid battery pack) which means that, in the AZ heat, it wouldn't be a good choice for our tow vehicle. The crappy A/C in the escape is another reason why I wanted to get a new vehicle, so that I could sell the escape and have a DD with good A/C. Driving home in a car that can only cool down to about 85-90 degrees isn't fun!

This weekend I'm going to spend some time looking at the other vehicles you guys have suggested. I'm also going to show her pictures of the Lifetime tent/trailer thing that calicamper suggested (looks like they no longer sell it at costco, but I think they sell it at Sam's club now) and see if that changes her mind re the MDX. Hopefully I can get this resolved soon. Thanks so much everyone!

 

[calicamper]

Grr edit wiped out my post
Original lifetime trailer is two queen bunks each side of the 4x6 floor. 900lbs empty.The newer one might be two singles check on that.
The original Jumping jack is same exact idea but 6x8 with queen sized bunks 1200lbs empty. This is another option exactly the same idea just a little larger.

The escape is a tough combo for sure mainly just a commuter. My wife never hauls the kids. My job is the flexible one, so my daily driver is the Subaru. Our Sequoia never is used. Actually my neighbor just borrowed it to get a new water heater. Lol first time its moved in two weeks.
Trying to convince the wife we need to sell it.

 

[ChuckB]

I have a 2004 100-series LC/LX with 3 kids (twin 3.5 yos and an almost 2 yo). I also have two dogs but I'll leave them out of this. Also have a skybox that we use occasionally.
We haven't done a ton of camping yet but on one occasion we did rent and tow a Coleman pop-up trailer and had a blast. With two or three kids I know the car seats take a ton of space. Not sure if the MDX can fit 3 across in the second row but the cruiser does it easily (Britax Frontier Click-tights). That leaves the entire back for stuff or use the third row as needed. Probably a good time to mention that the '99+ LCs have rear AC!!
I will say after doing numerous road trips around Spain the rear cargo area gets pretty full even when staying at an AirBnB place without all the camping necessities onboard. I'm torn between eventually getting a trailer because I love my Cruisers or going up to something like an E350 van. Separating the kids, especially as they get bigger, is definitely appealing and should improve our sanity on long trips. Each has there pro and cons so I'm trying not to make an emotional decision.
Check out the 100-Series section on ih8mud for more info than you could possibly imagine http://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/100-series-cruisers.26/

 

[nwoods]

I really like the trailer idea, but the wife shot it down as to the MDX. The MDX could easily tow a small trailer, but she definitely doesn't want the MDX to become our camping vehicle, as we just bought it recently and she doesn't want it to get thrashed with muddy shoes, red Arizona hiking trail dirt, etc. Happy wife happy wife, pick your battles, etc.

MDX is all wheel drive too...... What if you offered to buy good quality foot matts?