Capable Family Camping Setup

**bagtagley** · 07-22-2016, 08:10 AM

I've been all over the place with this, and could use some experienced advice, anectdotes, etc. I'm done dealing with tents for anything besides backpacking. It's not just the setup, but all the shit that goes with it. I want something that's ready to roll with minimal effort. It needs to have sleeping for four, heat, and some way to cook. It needs to be capable/compact enough to travel on beat up Forest Service and fire roads.

Whatever vehicle drives this setup would be a daily driver, so I've (begrudgingly) ruled a kitted 4x4 van out. I desperately want a badass "expedition" van, but I don't have the money, time, nor skills to make it happen, and I don't want to drive my camper everywhere I go. So, I'm thinking pickup truck with a slid-in or a popup trailer. Popup is probably the easiest and cheapest option, but it would be nice to be able to tow something else like a boat. I also don't like the idea of a trailer on some of the tight, sketchy FS roads around here. Slide-in is more of a pain to install/remove, and height could be an issue, so I'd probably want a popup style. I realize I can fit a bigger slide-in in a bigger truck, but how much am I giving up going smaller and running a smaller truck like a Tacoma?

I'd appreciate any thoughts. I don't need fancy. I just need quick and ready and capable.

**jamesp** · 07-22-2016, 08:22 AM

I recently got a pop-up trailer, "off-road" version. it has bigger wheels & seems to have a more substantial frame & has a deck on front for a quad (I'll never have a quad on it). Hoping it goes ok on forestry roads around me, plan is to keep it ready to go so weekends away are easy. Came with a solar panel so don't need powered site.
I don't think the little pop-up trailers (with 13" wheels) would last long on forestry roads.
Can't imagine a Tacoma-size truck bed camper having room for 4.

**bagtagley** · 07-22-2016, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by jamesp

I recently got a pop-up trailer, "off-road" version. it has bigger wheels & seems to have a more substantial frame & has a deck on front for a quad (I'll never have a quad on it). Hoping it goes ok on forestry roads around me, plan is to keep it ready to go so weekends away are easy. Came with a solar panel so don't need powered site.
I don't think the little pop-up trailers (with 13" wheels) would last long on forestry roads.
Can't imagine a Tacoma-size truck bed camper having room for 4.

Yeah, I'd be getting an off-road capable popup trailer if I went that route. I think you're probably right about the Tacoma, but I was curious if anybody had any first hand experience with something that small.

**jamesp** · 07-22-2016, 08:36 AM

no first hand experience. We got the trailer for same reasons as you. Some friends (w' 1 kid) got a truck-bed pop up last summer & already want to get something bigger.

**Dhelihiker** · 07-22-2016, 08:40 AM

I think your budget is important. A 4x4 Sprinter or Sportsmobile would be choice but starting at $60k. The aforementioned pop-top would be the beer budget answer. A fridge is huge, not fucking with coolers and ice is everything. My fridge just died and its driving me nutz. A regular cabover camper is not as offroad capable as the other options however it is much better in the winter than the pop top.

As far as the size goes, in my opinion you should only be in it to eat and sleep and the odd cocktail party.

Thats all I know.

**Foggy_Goggles** · 07-22-2016, 08:44 AM

You know the answers. You are hoping that that some perfect affordable, compact yet spacious, 4x4, durable solution exists but it doesn't.

Hear is what I know. My friends that have young kids and pop-ups use them. They do just find on Colorado FS roads. They don't cost too much. They can be pulled by regular mid-sized SUVs.

Slide-ins, either soft side or hardside, are great self contained rigs for 1-2 people. I've spent plenty of time 4 deep in a slide in at hunting camp and to say it is tight is a giant understatement. Taking them on and off a daily driver is a giant paint in the ass.

Even if you had $100K it would not be enough for the holy grail of spacious off road capable RV for a family of 4.

My advice set a budget, decide what you would use it for most, and compromise from there.

**hawkgt** · 07-22-2016, 08:44 AM

whats the budget OP? Got a tow vehicle now or need to get a rig for that also?

**guroo270** · 07-22-2016, 08:52 AM

No real experience with what you are doing specifically, but from someone that has traversed the country in an RV a couple times, especially with anyone else around, as location, location, location is important in real estate, in campers it's size, size, size. Size is king.

**riser4** · 07-22-2016, 08:57 AM

Heat is a req. But no AC? Is this a 4 season rig? The cold 3 seasons? or the hot 3 seasons? Pop-up is my recc. And my experience with mine is that having external and or pass-through compartments would be clutch regarding maintaining "ready to roll". That's something I don't have and want. Mine is used during the summer only. And I don't cook in it. I prefer to cook outside. Boiling water is about as much as I will tolerate inside without some fancy multi $100K rig with a proper industrial hood fan. And servants. Dialing in an outdoor kitchen set up that is modular and easy to set-up and take-down rocks. I'm not there yet.

**BmillsSkier** · 07-22-2016, 09:01 AM

There's only two real options. An AudiRS6Avant6mtDieselWithabox or a Subaru Outback (coexist sticker optional)

Either way make sure you get the red one.

**muted** · 07-22-2016, 09:02 AM

I sold my pop-up after too many maintenance headaches. Went back to the simple life of tents. Be picky when you buy a pop-up, otherwise it will be a different type of shitshow than tents.

I'm not against pop-ups, I know many people who have had good luck with them, I just need a long break from them. Fucking mold nightmares.

**bagtagley** · 07-22-2016, 09:05 AM

Budget is about $20K and I need a tow vehicle. I'm seeing Tundras for ~$10-12K and popups and cab overs for ~$6-8K, used, so it seems doable. We're used to tent camping, so I don't see us spending a bunch of time in it. Basically a place to sleep.

Foggy, "giant" pain in the ass?

I suppose there is an option to keep my POS Sonata as a DD, but that drops the budget by about $5K. That opens the doors to a non-DD van or RV, but I'm not seeing much in that price range that's capable and built-out.

riser, AC would be nice, but we don't do a ton of summer camping. Mostly because of the heat/humidity, though. Yeah, I'll be doing most of the cooking outside, but it's nice to be able to boil water inside when it's cold. A little coffee goes a long way towards getting up and moving.

**riser4** · 07-22-2016, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by muted

I sold my pop-up after too many maintenance headaches. Went back to the simple life of tents. Be picky when you buy a pop-up, otherwise it will be a different type of shitshow than tents.

I'm not against pop-ups, I know many people who have had good luck with them, I just need a long break from them. Fucking mold nightmares.

So. A DIY option is to start with a flat utility trailer. Wheels and suspension to suit where you want to go. Add custom boxes for your kitchen and gear. And a fold out tent platform. Best of both worlds. Also lighter than a pop-up. There are a lot of examples on the interwebs. There are even some pre-built that you can spend a lot of money on. DIY does require some skills or access to people with those skills. Or you can just sleep in a tent on the ground.

**muted** · 07-22-2016, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by bagtagley

Foggy, "giant" pain in the ass?

Whatever it takes to save some room while spooning.

**Dhelihiker** · 07-22-2016, 09:11 AM

http://www.gizmag.com/overland-expo-2016-gallery/43570/

**muted** · 07-22-2016, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by riser3

So. A DIY option is to start with a flat utility trailer. Wheels and suspension to suit where you want to go. Add custom boxes for your kitchen and gear. And a fold out tent platform. Best of both worlds. Also lighter than a pop-up. There are a lot of examples on the interwebs. There are even some pre-built that you can spend a lot of money on. DIY does require some skills or access to people with those skills. Or you can just sleep in a tent on the ground.

Fuck that. Throw up a tent and call it good. I'd rather spend my free time biking/skiing/camping than build anything like that.

**bagtagley** · 07-22-2016, 09:15 AM

IDK, this thing is pretty sweet.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...oad-trailer-FS

**Skidog** · 07-22-2016, 09:16 AM

I am pretty sure a lot of the tent traiilers can be modified pretty cheaply to handle a 15" or 16" rim. I think its either add a leaf or flip the leafs...do some searching.

**Danno** · 07-22-2016, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

You know the answers. You are hoping that that some perfect affordable, compact yet spacious, 4x4, durable solution exists but it doesn't.

Hear is what I know. My friends that have young kids and pop-ups use them. They do just find on Colorado FS roads. They don't cost too much. They can be pulled by regular mid-sized SUVs.

Slide-ins, either soft side or hardside, are great self contained rigs for 1-2 people. I've spent plenty of time 4 deep in a slide in at hunting camp and to say it is tight is a giant understatement. Taking them on and off a daily driver is a giant paint in the ass.

Even if you had $100K it would not be enough for the holy grail of spacious off road capable RV for a family of 4.

My advice set a budget, decide what you would use it for most, and compromise from there.

This is pretty much the correct answer. We have a small hard side trailer right now and have owned a pop up trailer. Neither is a good choice for forest service roads, unless they're mellow. Sure, the "rough road" style pop ups can get a little further in, but you're still not going to be able to go anywhere really rough. And fuck, the last thing I want to be doing on a narrow rough road is pulling a trailer. Meeting another car where there isn't room to pass would be a nightmare, for one. Turning around if the road got too rough would be ugly. Bottom line to me, is if you really want to regularly go down forest roads, a trailer is not the way to go. Also, when it comes to pop up trailers, you're "ready to go" mantra is kind of a myth, unless you're incredibly organized. IME, every camping trip involves opening and closing the damn thing 3 times. Once to pack, once at the campsite, and once at home to unpack and clean (if you're organized AND camping a lot, you can use this time to pack for the next trip). Popup are great for families, but not because they reduce the work over tent camping. They just increase the comfort.

A hard side trailer can definitely reduce the work, but it has the same issues with rough roads (actually worse, as there really aren't any "rough road" options). You also need a stronger tow vehicle for a hard side as they are heavier and much bigger wind sails. We feel mostly relegated to campgrounds with it, which kinda sucks, but it does make camping both easier and more comfortable.

A slide in truck bed camper is really the only way to go on rough roads, but I think the size will be limiting for you, and to go bigger, you'll need a bigger truck. I have never owned one so commenting further is beyond my pay grade. But since I have owned two hard side trailers and one pop up trailer, happy to answer more questions on those.

**hawkgt** · 07-22-2016, 09:21 AM

hybrids might be a solution, the hawkgt clan picked up a off road clearance once this past spring for about $7k. easy to set up and break down

not ours but example.
https://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/5668846634.html

**Pegleg** · 07-22-2016, 09:24 AM

I spent a couple of nights in a slide-in on a Tacoma with my wife and daughter. It was really tight - wouldn't recommend trying to fit more than that.

Have lots of friends with pop-up trailers. They love them once they're in place and set up, but they bitch about everything else related to them (setup, takedown, driving with them, backing them into place, maintenance, repairs, storage, etc.). I thought hard about getting one, but in the end the disadvantages of a $3000-$5000 (used) popup over a $400 tent outweighed the advantages in my calculation. A new popup would probably have less maintenance and repair issues, but would also run more like $10K, which seems a little ridiculous unless you're using it literally every weekend in the camping months, which I'm not.

**Foggy_Goggles** · 07-22-2016, 09:24 AM

Seriously Bag, layout what the use looks like Friday afternoon to Sunday night. Where are you going? how long is the drive? Whats the weather? What are the activities?

For the families I roll with easy wins over everything else. Pull behind pop-up are great for this. 100% ready to go Thursday PM & just drop it Sunday PM.

If you are ready thinking slide in be aware of a few things. As mentioned, they are not that four wheel friends due to construction and attachment to the pickup and they are small. Put your family in there, pretend it is raining and think about cooking dinner, playing a game and then transitioning to sleeping. It's not exactly elegant.

1/2 tons and slide ins work but you usually end up paying more and you have to be really weight conscious.

Trailers work really well as base camp. It's nice to not have to break down camp to drive to the shitter, go do the daily activity, run into town for supplies etc.

**spankthepow** · 07-22-2016, 09:30 AM

Make the kids sleep in a tent. Get a topper for your truck, simple sleeping platform for the adults and store everything underneath. 5lbs propane tank with a Coleman stove for cooking.

Toyotas are great, but pricy as shit. At the time, my 2013 F150 was the nearly same price as a 07 Tacoma with 3x as many miles. I'm super happy with my F150. No issues in the 60k miles I've put on in two years.