Capable Family Camping Setup

[Cruiser]

The more money you spend on the rig the more effort it'll take to keep it looking and running right. Consider how much time you want to spend packing the trailer, setting it up when you arrive, tearing it down when you leave, and then cleaning it and repacking it for storage until the next trip. I often found myself picking my trailer up from storage the day before a trip and then spending a couple of hours on Sunday unpacking and cleaning it up before putting it back in storage. Would have been easier if the trailer was stored at home but who really wants a big ugly trailer in their side yard?

Tent camping is much less luxurious but what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in ease. At least that was my experience with camping in a trailer vs tent camping with my kids. YMMV...

[riser4]

And yes, pop-ups do have certain headaches. Mine is slowly falling apart. And it doesn't have the exact features or layout that I would like. Research and inspect carefully.

[TAFKALVS]

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...B-Truck-Camper

I am sleeping adults 2 + 2 medium sized dogs and dig the setup I went with. Perhaps find an longer pop-up truck camper and throw a small tent in the rig for the kids to sleep in if they wish?

[Skidog]

right now we are still doing the whole pickup truck cap camping deal...right now it works with wife n 2 kids in back and if need be ill set up a tent and sleep on the ground. Typically its me and my 2 kids and we fit just fine. No heat...no "kitchen" but I have a sweet canopy and that helps.

[Danno]

One thing re size: you really need space for sleeping, and a small place for all to sit if the weather is terrible. You're supposed to be camping, ie outside, so there's no need for extra lounge space in the camper. As you said, it's for sleeping mostly, and making coffee (that's all we use our inside kitchen for).

The real reason to get a camper isn't to make setup easier or any of that stuff. You will be eliminating some of the "work" aspects of tent camping, sure, but be aware that you will be adding new work aspects, possibly more work, and certainly more expensive work (it's never just "buy it and we're done").

The real reason to get a camper is bad weather, pure and simple.

[jamesp]

The real reason to get a camper is the wife, pure and simple.

FIFY

[MagnificentUnicorn]

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...B-Truck-Camper

I am sleeping adults 2 + 2 medium sized dogs and dig the setup I went with. Perhaps find an longer pop-up truck camper and throw a small tent in the rig for the kids to sleep in if they wish?

This is what I would do. Buy a nice, used 1/2 ton that's reasonably fuel efficient and something like a Maverick from Capri http://capricamper.com/models/maverick/
You should be able to find a very nice 4x4 1/2 ton used and a brand new Capri Camper for under $20k.

Kids can pitch and sleep in their tent.

[TAFKALVS]

This is what I would do. Buy a nice, used 1/2 ton that's reasonably fuel efficient and something like a Maverick from Capri http://capricamper.com/models/maverick/
You should be able to find a very nice 4x4 1/2 ton used and a brand new Capri Camper for under $20k.

Kids can pitch and sleep in their tent.

I only paid $1000 for mine, and I've been seeing some close to new pop-up campers for $5000 - $7000 on craigslist. Buy an early to mid-2000s chevy 1500 or 2500 and you got a rig that kicks ass and will go anywhere for around $15,000.

[Tele'ndaboat]

Just got this setup in march for $20000 for truck and camper with less than 100000 on the odometer

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...863145&thumb=1

Here's my thoughts after about 25+ nights in it including trips to the Maze District of Canyonlands and the Sawtooths in Idaho:

For 3 of us it is freaking awesome(it does have a custom pull-out cot for the daughter built by the previous owner).

For 4 I'd get a used 250/2500 and a bigger Offroad camper. BUT, it wouldn't be the end of the world for 4 in our rig. Just annoying at bedtime when the kids bed would take up all the floor space.

If you get an in-bed a Tacoma will not be enough. I know many people do it, but I don't think vehicles do there best over time in edge case scenarios and 1000 pounds in the bed all the time for a Tacoma is edge case. Even with our truck it has airbags installed and they do a ton to help the suspension. Plus a tacoma cab will be small with 4 people.

In-beds will make you pack less(unless you want to have to unpack a ton just to set up).

You don't want to be taking it in and out of the bed. Ours will come out in October and go in in April. But it isn't too bad driving around with it in a small town.

You still have prep time before you leave, but setup at camp is 8 minutes if you don't have it loaded with crap you have to move. Literally 8 minutes to cooking or bedtime.

Short story is I love it, but not sure what it would be like with 4. If it is not enough space for you if you only have three, then you should probably just stay home and watch tv.

The guy who sold it to me had a family of 4 and was replacing it with a sprinter.

[bagtagley]

Plenty to ponder, thanks folks.

Thanks for the link, Leavenworth. Not sure how I missed that the first time around. The FWC popup was what first sparked my interest in cab-over campers. Stepping over the kids sleeping in the dining room isn't ideal, but isn't a deal breaker. Winter camping isn't my main priority, and winters here are pretty mild.

[riser4]

The real reason to get a camper is bad weather, pure and simple.

I don't like sleeping on the ground anymore. Especially in bad weather.

[hutash]

I didn't read the whole thread, but used sportsmobile type van sounds like the best answer. Two wheel drive does fine on most FS type roads if you use a bit of common sense. I have had mine a lot of places. You can add heaters or other extras if you don't find one with all the attributes you want. Mines a '92 Dodge Ram, so I don't mind beating it a little. Not super roomy for 4, but doable as long as you spend a lot of time outside.

[Danno]

I don't like sleeping on the ground anymore. Especially in bad weather.

you don't need a camper to not sleep on the ground. A giant car camping tent will accommodate a cot or a queen size air bed. A pickup truck with a topper will provide off-ground weather protected sleeping. Figuring out how to sleep comfortably is an issue, sure, but it doesn't require a camper.

But when the wind is howling and it's raining sideways at 5pm, having a warm dry comfortable place for the family to sit and hang out, well, that's where the camper earns its stripes.

[Tele'ndaboat]

Danno speaks the truth

[FormerKnuckleDragger]

A lifted Eurovan camper would do the trick. Probably around the limits of your budget, but assuming you find one in decent condition (around $20,000 and 100,000 miles), the lift itself is pretty much DIY (polymer spacers for the rear and torsion bar adjustment up front) and ~8 or 9 inches of ground clearance if you do the 1.5" lift.

Downsides: pain to drive in the city with the blindspots and turning radius. Automatic transmission is a known issue, but if the transmission has gone past 100,000 miles without obvious issues, you're probably good for a while. Fuel economy isn't great (15 city, 20 highway), and it's 2wd.

On the plus side, you pull into your camp spot, pop the top, swivel the chairs, and you've got everything you need (furnace, sink, stove, fridge, water, storage). We take our two small (3.5 year old) kids and dog camping in the thing and have a great time doing it. The beds are snug, but it's so nice to sleep on a 4" thick foam mattress, rather than the ground.

[bagtagley]

I have soft spot for VW vans. Grew up with Vanagons, and spent plenty of time in Westfalias. Guy I camp with has a cherry 70s Westfalia, which, in large part, has driven my decision to ditch the tents. However, I'm not willing to drop ~$20K+ on a 15 year old VW van with over 100K miles on it...and that's on the low end of pricing I've seen. There was a Weekender for sale here a couple of years ago for around $13K with pretty low miles. If I could find something like that again, I'd probably jump on it.

[BC13]

I've got two 8 year olds and bought a used pop up last year. The pop up is great for sleeping (2 king beds) and has a small dinette slide out which gives us enough room when weather keeps us in the camper. It is also great to be able to pop the furnace on and get the dampness out when it is 50 and raining.

However, as has been mentioned before, do your homework. Take a good look at the seams where the vinyl you and canvas sides come together, as that is where many leaks occur. Also, certain models have well known problems which you can discover with a few key strokes. I erred in trusting the sweet old man (my wife loved him) who sold us ours and told us it had never leaked. Well, it did leak. Parts of our first two trips involved me and a shit ton of swam grip sealing every roof seam. Now it is dry, but it was a pain in the but to discover it leaked.

It beats the heck out of tent camping!

[FormerKnuckleDragger]

Check the Samba classifieds - the prices are usually a little more reasonable there. And a nationwide Craigslist search can help search places with lower demand (hint: don't look for a deal in the SF bay area).

The good news is that whatever you spend on the van, you'll probably get back when you sell it a couple years later. Or not, if VW decides to rehab its image and certify the T5 California for U.S. sale.

[Timberridge]

I have soft spot for VW vans. Grew up with Vanagons, and spent plenty of time in Westfalias. Guy I camp with has a cherry 70s Westfalia, which, in large part, has driven my decision to ditch the tents. However, I'm not willing to drop ~$20K+ on a 15 year old VW van with over 100K miles on it...and that's on the low end of pricing I've seen. There was a Weekender for sale here a couple of years ago for around $13K with pretty low miles. If I could find something like that again, I'd probably jump on it.

[FormerKnuckleDragger]

Actually, here's one that will probably sell for under $20k. Manual trans so you don't have to worry about the $6k auto trans failure, but this is the weaker (140?) hp engine. That said, you could do a TDI swap on the 1995 model year, and even convert to 4x4 (check CaveVan.com for more on this) if you really wanted to have the ultimate non-sportsmobile sportsmobile. Total conversion cost would be around $10k.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5686493287.html

[Dantheman]

Went camping once with my BIL's family and their fairly new (to them) tent trailer. The lift mechanism broke during setup and they couldn't fix it so they spent the weekend in a motel. I have no idea how common of a failure that is but that convinced me I never want one. IMO, upgrade your tent or get a real camper.

[TAFKALVS]

Plenty to ponder, thanks folks.

Thanks for the link, Leavenworth. Not sure how I missed that the first time around. The FWC popup was what first sparked my interest in cab-over campers. Stepping over the kids sleeping in the dining room isn't ideal, but isn't a deal breaker. Winter camping isn't my main priority, and winters here are pretty mild.

I steered away from the FWC because I didn't feel the need to spend the extra to have the burlier aluminum frame and such. There are lots of other pop-ups on the market that are cheaper - some good, some bad. I personally love ours so far - I only spent $1000 on it - basically the cost of a couple fancy tents.

[El Chupacabra]

X2 on the above comments about pop-up tent trailers (PITA to set up), off-road tent trailers (yes, there's ground clearance, but they're still poorly built and a PITA to tow on rough roads), putting kids in a tent (if they're old enough to set up their own tent, I recommend this option), internal space in a truck camper (can seat 4 to 6, but crammed in there).

I've had two pop-up trailers (one old one, normal ground clearance, and one new one with "offroad" stuff), and one pop-up truck camper (fullsize truck, 8' bed). I like the truck camper far more than the pop-up trailers. Much faster setup, can get into the interior with the roof down (cannot do that with a pop-up trailer). PITA to install or remove from the truck -- figure on 30 min load, 10 min unload.

If the kids have to sleep in the camper with you, rather than in their own tent, another option is a pop-up truck camper that has a fold-out external bed. Not many out there, and you'll pay for it.

http://www.campinglife.com/rv-and-tr...tar-tc-800-xb/

I think Outfitter does something with a bigger fold-out bed too.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I steered away from the FWC because I didn't feel the need to spend the extra to have the burlier aluminum frame and such. There are lots of other pop-ups on the market that are cheaper - some good, some bad. I personally love ours so far - I only spent $1000 on it - basically the cost of a couple fancy tents.

Some people will say that a wood frame camper is better off highway because it will flex more than the aluminum. That's Capri"s philosophy.

[BmillsSkier]

This camper looks like it could fit your bill, and it already appears off-road so no worries there either.

He says the price is firm so maybe try and get him to throw in the A/C unit.

https://mobile.craigslist.org/rvs/5639671916.html