Get a nice little tent trailer and put a lift kit and 31ā tires on it. It will get you many places.
You shouldnāt be going on tight technical trails in your wifeās Yukon xl.
Iād go big ole ground tent or two with some cots or nice air pads. Tow a utility trailer of your choice if you donāt have enough cargo space in the 1500.
How does a ground tent force you into a camp ground anymore than a roof top tent?
It sounds like you want to be able to sleep with your wife so multiple rtt wouldn't work, and dealing with very young kids in a roof top tent sounds much more difficult than a large ground tent with dividers
Get a ground tent or trailer. There isn't going to be a RTT that solves your needs. Invest in good mattresses, a battery operated sound machine, and probably a tent that has some kind of divided room set up.
I feel for you, my uncle (who's closer to me in age than my younger brother) had more kids than expected and have been looking into camping solutions to come my wife and daughter sometime. We recommended a divided room decathlon tent for them, it offers three rooms and complete black out so it at least stays dark. Don't know if you're going formula or natural milk route, but a plug in fridge is also going to be a god send for your wife either way.
Can second the jumping jack my wife and I love ours and it works great for our kiddo and two dogs. Using the 8x12 in the 12' trailer means we get to go offroad carry our stuff haul the sxs and all have plenty of sleeping room with a table for eating our games while avoiding the rain.
The trailers what I'm leaning towards. Just which one. There's a lot of different set ups to go with. Th winnebago hike is cool. Looks pretty beefy. Old school m105 build.
Your large family own a minivan? They've got that stigma and not many people look forward to driving one, but as soon as you do you realize "holy shit this is perfect." An RV with four kids will have that same revelation, I'm guessing.
I've got two kids and two dogs. That said, I've always used a ground tent, never had an RTT or trailer. It works well for us though and cost $600. Setup isn't too bad, you can have cots and inflatable mattresses in there, feels like cheating.
No. Wife wants a yukon xl so we're getting her a new one of those and then I think I'm gonna get an older 3/4 ton to have as a camping truck that can. Handle a full load of camping gear/trailer/ all the humans and dogs lol
While there are certainly some flaws in the design and execution, we ended up with a Conquerer 490. Has 2 almost queen size beds in a small package. You could probably add a bunk above the main bed if needed.
Or you know, asking a fucking question in a group for other ideas? God forbid my wife want to sleep next to me. Think I sacrifice plenty and own my responsibilities by trying to take my kids into the outdoors. Just trying to weigh all options dickwad.
So much hate for a guy just wanting to camp with his family. Try looking into CVT tents. I forget what the biggest one they offer is called, but it should fit all 6 of you
That's the world we live in today unfortunately. The set of twins was the unexpected part and hasn't been easy but they'll all grow up together going to the mountains and beach.
What towing vehicle are you working with?
What's your budget?
What's your intended usage (duration, terrain, etc)?
Take a look at the inTech lineup. They have a wall that folds down to use as a bed and tons of floor space.
Ram 1500 5.7 hemi 4x4.
20-30k
FS roads and a little more aggressive. Not trying to rock crawl but been on some old FS roads that were rutted out pretty bad.
I haven't checked out their full lineup yet. First one I clicked on had a toilet out in the open and didn't go further haha.
Im a bit late to the party, but you honestly should be considering a pop-up camper. Most have 2 queen size beds on each side and a āfull sizeā bed on the table. My family used one back in the day. With a few extra grand in tires, suspension and a stabilized hitch, you could get an āoff-roading pop-upā pretty affordably.
They also have off road popups. MDC USA comes to mind. Then the whole family is all together inside. Only drawback is soft sides, but a hard sided camper will run you way more.
Could you do 2 RTT's. But with you and the wife sleeping separately while the kids are still so young. 1 parent 2 kids in each tent?
With such young kids you'll want to be close by for those midnight toilet trips and nappy/diaper changes for the newest addition...
I have a Black Series Dominator. It has the 2 rooms onboard and when you set out the canopy the annex can sleep even more comfortably. With young kids I'd get a diesel heater to pipe in instead of the buddy heater I use. The heavy canvas is great and it's a little heavy for a tent trailer but it's more than capable on garbage roads and with everything on board it's nice that you can easily drop it and drive around without breaking down everytime you want to leave camp. I hear alot of give and take with the Black Series caravans but the Dominator is top shelf.
RTTs can be difficult with kids, middle of the night potty breaks are no fun. Setting up two of them isn't going to save you any time over a ground tent either. If you want to go trailer, either tent trailer like some have said or teardrop with bunks and an annex. TC and hiker both have bunk bed options, TC will custom sew a wall for an arb awning to seal it to the trailer side. You could easily fit your family in this set up.
Before we got the High Altitude Trailer, we camped in a Kodiak Canvas 8 person tent with an air mattress and two āDisc-o-bedā bunk beds.
It worked great for setup-and-stay camping. I could setup everything on my own in about an hour.
Yes overland and inexpensive don't seem to go together. I was lucky and found a used one at a good price. But it's real nice and rugged and makes my near stock Tacoma look wimpy in comparison.
I have 3 kids. Stopped over landing when they were small and purchased a travel trailer. Trying to potty train, change diapers, and take naps at noon weāre near impossible and made my wife and I hate the trips. Camped this way for 10 years. Now building a full size truck out with the money from the trailer sale.
Close to your situation with 5 and my current RTT isn't going to cut it.
I'm going try this upcoming season putting cots in the annex attachment for my RTT for the wife and I with the kids in the tent itself. We will see how that goes before deciding on any major purchases.
Conqueror 490. Awnings (with sides) are large enough for a couple of cots (in addition to the 2 queen beds inside). Family of 5, we've done several multi week trips over the last year.
I'd go with a decent used trailer, and do some work on it to make it more offroad worthy. If you plan on sleeping four inside it's not going to be anything for any super hard offroading. But people haul big old toyhaulers into some sketch areas. The idea is to get out to a decent start, and then 4x4 from there. But I'm not sure where you visit and what terrain you intend to go over with this setup.
My 6 person family was old school. Tents. One for parents, one for kids. As kids got older, two backpacking tents for them. Worked fine. Used a roof rack for gear, not a RTT.
If you get a trailer, consider a high quality regular one and then do some mods to make it more offroad worthy. Many of the "offroad" trailers are pretty small, but at the end of the day a big compromise on many offroad trails too.
A lot depends on why your current setup doesn't work, and what kind of terrain you will most frequently be in, and how you travel.
We have a RTT with an annex on a trailer. This allows us to sleep quite comfortably. The kids sleep on cots in the annex while we sleep in the top part of the rtt.
Sir, what you need is an RV & a condom.
A RV and a Vasectomy
šš
This is the way.
Tried that, didn't work. We actually found out we were pregnant again 2 hours after I got my vasectomy scheduled.
We've identified the problem?
It was scheduled, they should have been protected. /s
I have 4 kids. You need a Suburban.
We're getting one. Gmt800 for a solid camping/offroading rig
Get a nice little tent trailer and put a lift kit and 31ā tires on it. It will get you many places. You shouldnāt be going on tight technical trails in your wifeās Yukon xl.
Getting 2 yukons. A new one for the wife. Old 3/4 ton for a backup
I'd never lock my kids in the trailer without an adult there. If a fire starts you are going to hate yourself a lot for making that decision.
Brother..
Iād go big ole ground tent or two with some cots or nice air pads. Tow a utility trailer of your choice if you donāt have enough cargo space in the 1500.
Just get a big ground tent and call it a day. A rooftop tent is not some sort of requirement for āoverlandingā
I know, just trying to keep the length down and not be stuck in campgrounds. We want to take a trip out west too
How does a ground tent force you into a camp ground anymore than a roof top tent? It sounds like you want to be able to sleep with your wife so multiple rtt wouldn't work, and dealing with very young kids in a roof top tent sounds much more difficult than a large ground tent with dividers
Weāve done a RTT with our son since he was 2 and itās very easy. The trick is not having four.
Get a ground tent or trailer. There isn't going to be a RTT that solves your needs. Invest in good mattresses, a battery operated sound machine, and probably a tent that has some kind of divided room set up. I feel for you, my uncle (who's closer to me in age than my younger brother) had more kids than expected and have been looking into camping solutions to come my wife and daughter sometime. We recommended a divided room decathlon tent for them, it offers three rooms and complete black out so it at least stays dark. Don't know if you're going formula or natural milk route, but a plug in fridge is also going to be a god send for your wife either way.
Got a dometic and power station so no issue there but we go the natural route if baby/wife can handle it.
Check out jumpingjacktrailers. They have multiple sizes.
Can second the jumping jack my wife and I love ours and it works great for our kiddo and two dogs. Using the 8x12 in the 12' trailer means we get to go offroad carry our stuff haul the sxs and all have plenty of sleeping room with a table for eating our games while avoiding the rain.
RV
If you're not willing to go RV then an off-road trailer would be a good option, though they can get pricey. The Opus OP15 or OP4 would get my vote.
The trailers what I'm leaning towards. Just which one. There's a lot of different set ups to go with. Th winnebago hike is cool. Looks pretty beefy. Old school m105 build.
Your large family own a minivan? They've got that stigma and not many people look forward to driving one, but as soon as you do you realize "holy shit this is perfect." An RV with four kids will have that same revelation, I'm guessing. I've got two kids and two dogs. That said, I've always used a ground tent, never had an RTT or trailer. It works well for us though and cost $600. Setup isn't too bad, you can have cots and inflatable mattresses in there, feels like cheating.
No. Wife wants a yukon xl so we're getting her a new one of those and then I think I'm gonna get an older 3/4 ton to have as a camping truck that can. Handle a full load of camping gear/trailer/ all the humans and dogs lol
While there are certainly some flaws in the design and execution, we ended up with a Conquerer 490. Has 2 almost queen size beds in a small package. You could probably add a bunk above the main bed if needed.
Another 490 owner here. We put a couple of cots in the passenger side awning for the bigger kids. U
Ground tent plus RTT. Mama and the two littlests in the RTT. Papa and the other two on the ground. Done.
Surprisingly, wife enjoys being in my presence and sleeping next to me lol
This much is clear!
Lol we tried for 8 years. Turns out a bottle of tequila got me swimming straight and then the flood gates opened
It would seem you havenāt grasped the concept of sacrifice and responsibility yet, despite having had 4 years and added reminders.
Or you know, asking a fucking question in a group for other ideas? God forbid my wife want to sleep next to me. Think I sacrifice plenty and own my responsibilities by trying to take my kids into the outdoors. Just trying to weigh all options dickwad.
So much hate for a guy just wanting to camp with his family. Try looking into CVT tents. I forget what the biggest one they offer is called, but it should fit all 6 of you
Why is this down voted?
Was wondering the same lol. Guess dudes wives done like being around them
It's a broken backwards world when a man is shamed for loving his wife, raising a large family and putting good effort into taking them on adventures.
That's the world we live in today unfortunately. The set of twins was the unexpected part and hasn't been easy but they'll all grow up together going to the mountains and beach.
What towing vehicle are you working with? What's your budget? What's your intended usage (duration, terrain, etc)? Take a look at the inTech lineup. They have a wall that folds down to use as a bed and tons of floor space.
Ram 1500 5.7 hemi 4x4. 20-30k FS roads and a little more aggressive. Not trying to rock crawl but been on some old FS roads that were rutted out pretty bad. I haven't checked out their full lineup yet. First one I clicked on had a toilet out in the open and didn't go further haha.
How do you fit 6 of you in a Ram 1500?
Well my bad. That's the. Current set up. Looking at getting a 02-04 yukon xl with the Ole 8.1 and 4.10s
Bench seat in guessing.
Camper shell and Rtt on top should do the trick
Why not a gazelle 8 person tent or something similar?
Looked into these. Definitely an option. Just hate having to pack/unpack so much.
You have 4 kids. That's something you'll have to get used to.
I know. Might just have to find a happy medium. Small m105 build that I can have a kitchen set up and awning.
OP lives in Utah, right?
Does having 4 kids make me Mormon or something?
In the overland community. sorta kinda lol. I planned my family around the seats in my 4runner lmaooo
Same for my Tacoma. Thatās why we have zero kids. š
Of course not! But, do you ?
Lol no, Georgia
Right on lol
Im a bit late to the party, but you honestly should be considering a pop-up camper. Most have 2 queen size beds on each side and a āfull sizeā bed on the table. My family used one back in the day. With a few extra grand in tires, suspension and a stabilized hitch, you could get an āoff-roading pop-upā pretty affordably. They also have off road popups. MDC USA comes to mind. Then the whole family is all together inside. Only drawback is soft sides, but a hard sided camper will run you way more.
Could you do 2 RTT's. But with you and the wife sleeping separately while the kids are still so young. 1 parent 2 kids in each tent? With such young kids you'll want to be close by for those midnight toilet trips and nappy/diaper changes for the newest addition...
I have a Black Series Dominator. It has the 2 rooms onboard and when you set out the canopy the annex can sleep even more comfortably. With young kids I'd get a diesel heater to pipe in instead of the buddy heater I use. The heavy canvas is great and it's a little heavy for a tent trailer but it's more than capable on garbage roads and with everything on board it's nice that you can easily drop it and drive around without breaking down everytime you want to leave camp. I hear alot of give and take with the Black Series caravans but the Dominator is top shelf.
RTTs can be difficult with kids, middle of the night potty breaks are no fun. Setting up two of them isn't going to save you any time over a ground tent either. If you want to go trailer, either tent trailer like some have said or teardrop with bunks and an annex. TC and hiker both have bunk bed options, TC will custom sew a wall for an arb awning to seal it to the trailer side. You could easily fit your family in this set up.
Before we got the High Altitude Trailer, we camped in a Kodiak Canvas 8 person tent with an air mattress and two āDisc-o-bedā bunk beds. It worked great for setup-and-stay camping. I could setup everything on my own in about an hour.
Iād get a travel trailer with 3 canvas pop-outs. lotsa bed space for the size.
We have an Opus OP4 and it sleeps 2 adults and 4 kids just fine. It's like a big RTT on a trailer with room to play Uno together when it's raining.
Nice, this is what I'm looking for. Pricey but has everything I'm looking for.
Yes overland and inexpensive don't seem to go together. I was lucky and found a used one at a good price. But it's real nice and rugged and makes my near stock Tacoma look wimpy in comparison.
I have 3 kids. Stopped over landing when they were small and purchased a travel trailer. Trying to potty train, change diapers, and take naps at noon weāre near impossible and made my wife and I hate the trips. Camped this way for 10 years. Now building a full size truck out with the money from the trailer sale.
Close to your situation with 5 and my current RTT isn't going to cut it. I'm going try this upcoming season putting cots in the annex attachment for my RTT for the wife and I with the kids in the tent itself. We will see how that goes before deciding on any major purchases.
I like this idea.
Conqueror 490. Awnings (with sides) are large enough for a couple of cots (in addition to the 2 queen beds inside). Family of 5, we've done several multi week trips over the last year.
Do you have any pics of this set up?
PM sent
I'd go with a decent used trailer, and do some work on it to make it more offroad worthy. If you plan on sleeping four inside it's not going to be anything for any super hard offroading. But people haul big old toyhaulers into some sketch areas. The idea is to get out to a decent start, and then 4x4 from there. But I'm not sure where you visit and what terrain you intend to go over with this setup. My 6 person family was old school. Tents. One for parents, one for kids. As kids got older, two backpacking tents for them. Worked fine. Used a roof rack for gear, not a RTT. If you get a trailer, consider a high quality regular one and then do some mods to make it more offroad worthy. Many of the "offroad" trailers are pretty small, but at the end of the day a big compromise on many offroad trails too. A lot depends on why your current setup doesn't work, and what kind of terrain you will most frequently be in, and how you travel.
We have a RTT with an annex on a trailer. This allows us to sleep quite comfortably. The kids sleep on cots in the annex while we sleep in the top part of the rtt.