Weight management

[NorthbyNorthwest]

I'm curious to know how everyone chooses to deal with weight, especially if you travel with a family.

I have a 2012 Pathfinder, chosen specifically because it had just about the highest (legal) payload capacity I could find without going to a full size. However, even with +/- 1300 lbs payload, by the time I account for 2 adults, 2 kids, a roof top tent and basic camping supplies, I already find my capacity disappearing quickly. Factory roof rails, no armor, no power management, no winch...

My preference would be to avoid going to a 2500-series pickup or hauling a trailer. (1500-series crew cabs aren't actually much of an upgrade in capacity after factoring in all of the "extra" weight of a crew cab and four wheel drive)

Do you:

a) choose your equipment carefully but if you go over gvwr, oh well,

b) travel like a backpacker and go ultra-light everything or

c) go all-out, darn the consequences?

I'm much more concerned about insurance implications than the weight itself although I definitely notice the weight and don't like running unnecessarily heavy. I would like to add a couple of extra luxury pieces and some "just-in-case" armor/recovery equipment to better manage the risks of single-rig family remote travel (ie vehicle stuck or broke down has much higher consequences with my family than if I was by myself) but I'm 90% I'll end up over weight



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[comptiger5000]

I'd tend to say use lighter equipment where it's practical, strip out any weight / stuff you don't need (factory parts or otherwise), etc. Figuring on 600 lbs of people as a worst-case, that leaves you 700 lbs for stuff and added vehicle equipment. I'd expect it's quite possible to stay within that 1300 lb limit if you're a bit careful, as you'll likely be running out of space by the time you hit the limit.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Upgraded brakes and suspension also helps, and of course not driving like an idiot to avoid crashes.

 

[rickc]

You'd be surprised how quickly a truck can reach it's maximum OEM load weight (1330lb for my 2016 Colorado crew cab). When camping with me and three kids, I'm just teetering over the edge but 95% of the time it's just me so I'm OK. Kid camping is not off road and I do watch what extra stuff we carry to keep weight down. For me, I knew what I wanted as a platform and did the calculations up front so I knew what the limitations would be; all my bolt on goodies weigh 752lb. My discretionary camping goodies, fridge and house battery, add an extra 142lb so I'm just shy of 900lb before people, food, clothing and camp gear.

 

[NorthbyNorthwest]

I know exactly how fast weight adds up - that's the problem. After options, car seats and the tent, last time I drove over the scale, I was 200 kg shy of my gvwr basically unloaded. Not nothing, but not that much.

I'm tempted to upgrade suspension and gears and run slightly overweight to accommodate a few goodies, but I worry about the legalities of exceeding my gvwr.

I've tried my best to keep weight down but when it's 50 lbs here and 75 lbs there, it all adds up.

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[s.e.charles]

I think anyone over 25 should have gotten option "C" out of their system.

so you're left with A & B.

you probably got option "B" out of your system in your Junior Year Abroad.

so, I think you're left with A.

except for the "Oh, well" clause.

 

[Dan Grec]

I'm in a JK Wrangler, so I kind of have no choice on option A, and I try as hard as I can to keep option B in mind.

Living out of a vehicle is about compromise, and it's always worth remembering when choosing equipment, and what to bring and what not to bring.

It's great to have light equipment, but every given piece of equipment is even lighter when you don't bring it!

-Dan

 

[NorthbyNorthwest]

One of the things I find most difficult is adding weight to be able to add weight.

For example, I'd like to have a gas jerry with me as a backup but I don't want it inside the vehicle so I either have to add a swing arm (weight) or platform rack (weight) to add a bracket (more weight) to carry extra gas (a little bit of weight but not too bad by itself)

Same thing with drawers - it's weight added just to carry weight. I'm not looking for an extravagant build, but organized is nice, as is external storage for dirty stuff. I just look at the pounds adding up and cringe

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[s.e.charles]

the domino effect. but if you just upgraded your suspension, and lifted the body for bigger tires, you could put on a rear swing arm and trailer hitch so the . . . . .

and I think this is where 'perspective' needs to take a front seat. keeping things practical for the user instead of mimicking the cover of this month's favorite magazine or calendar. not that those water-resistant seat covers wouldn't be cool; heck with matching mats it would only add 11 pounds and then the little cooler that plugs into the console I've mounted with the safe for my watch that I got for college graduation - don't want some hobo to be snatching that, eh.

and so it goes.

 

[s.e.charles]

substitute "vehicle" for "workbench":

 

[Happy Joe]

When we were doing the family camping thing (in CJs, Cherokees and mini-pickups) before the kids left, everyone was limited in what they could bring ( a small canvass duffel). We developed ways to do laundry for longer, more than weekend, trips; for part of one summer we towed a home built off road trailer (CJ camping)... a number of times we brought the gear and family in 2 vehicles.
The tent was (and is) a ground tent. Wore out one nylon dome and tried many others.
Cots used too much space & weight; mostly it was ground sleeping on, well insulated, air mattresses.
Cooking was mostly done in/on the campfire, or a backpacking stove... eventually we went to a 2 burner Coleman which used quite a bit of room..
Toilet gear was an E-tool and roll of TP.
No gear was carried on the roof, to keep the center of gravity low, and to keep the trees from forcibly removing it.
Gear was selected with weight and packability in mind (think; individual, moderately light weight backpacking).
When the kids got old enough they started bringing their own vehicles; reducing (temporarily) our load... Gear will, and did, inevitably expand to more than fill the available space and weight...

Enjoy!

 

[TernOverland]

I think the first step to dealing with weight is in your mind. I say this from a lifetime of backpacking, most of it solo in rugged and remote areas. My very first packing trip, at age 14, was 4 days and I carried a 75lb+ pack. By age 19 it was 38 lbs. Today my 5 day pack weighs 19lbs 8oz, and I have everything I need to enjoy my time in the mountains. Some of that reduction is the use of high tech materials and equipment, but the bigger factor is that I no longer fear travel. I trust my ability and resourcefulness. Fear drives so many decisions about what we feel we "need", and most of that is measured by how much our travel differs from our daily lives. We fear being too cold, too hot, breaking down, getting stuck, getting lost, getting robbed, going hungry, being uncomfortable in any way, or just being out after dark without a megawatt of light. We build rigs that look like a swiss army knife with 50 blades. At some point the knife is so fat that it is unusable for any task.

Another way to approach travel is to embrace the fact that uncertainty is the opportunity to test ourselves, or teach our kids the art of self reliance. It's the old adage that adventure begins when your plan goes south. I'm not suggesting that you plan stupidly or recklessly. I'm saying that for most of us, the line between "need" and "want" is far lower than we think. If the adventure of travel is REALLY what we are looking for, then we become free to travel light. If we are really looking for the safety and comfort of home with a view, then better budget for overlaod springs.

I'm not placing a value judgment on any style of travel. I'm just saying that traveling simply and light, has to start with mindset.

 

[Buliwyf]

B. Travel like a backpacker. Less is more. The more truck and trailer you have, the less you get to explore. Leave the house at home.

Backpackers have an efficient system, start there, and increase gear as needed. My fullsize is mostly so I'm ready for anything. Hardcore trails fall to my bike.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

My truck is going into the body shop today (hit and run while it was parked), so last night I cleaned out the interior. Jackets, flashlights, spare change, knives, batteries, radios, gloves, first aid kit, towels, TP, etc., all loaded into plastic tubs for the week. Did not weigh it, but probably 300 pounds of assorted crap. This morning I have to pull the toolbox in the bed, probably more than 300 pounds with the straps, shackles, Hi-Lift, wrenches, scissors jack, shovel, etc. Need to consolidate some of this stuff, but it's all stuff I need every once in a while.

 

[Buliwyf]

Yeah, I have to remove my chainsaw and chains from my recovery tote, so that I can lift it. I use 55g Stanley totes in my bed.

Each tote has a purpose. 1 for recovery gear, 1 for camp gear, 1 jet sky tools and supplies tote, 1 empty. So I can quickly packup, not all trips need each of them. My recovery tote isn't needed for camping next weekend, just some ratchet straps.