I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on the best setup for an expo rig to fit a family of 5. I have an FJ now so its just me and 1 or 2 of my kids when I go out. I would like to take us all. The excursion sound like the best bet as I like to offroad also. I have to contend with HOA rules so I think a Tundra with a camper would not work. Any thoughts?
Best setup for a family of 5
- Thread starter Cirrus
- Start date
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
i'm rockin a Jeep cherokee, with three small kids.
We just got back from two days at disneyland.
Stroller, two big bags, 2 deflated airbeds in a spacecase(westmarine) crate. very comfy for the drive up and back.
I think its a very easy thing to want something like an excursion, (no offense) but honestly I would ask yourself how big a truck you really need, and also I would look at what others around the world are using. I've seen lots of expeditions in diesel mercedes sedans, for example.
It's all about how you pack your gear and what you choose to bring.
We for example have a winch bumper/winch for recovery, an awning from camping lab for shade, and are going to put a thule rocket box (or 2) up top for gear storage on long trips. that'll leave the whole cargo area for food, water and cold storage. A swingaway tire carrier will hold a spare tire, tools, porta-potty, and possibly spare fuel.
point is, be realistic if you're set on getting a new rig.
but also consider if you really need to "offload" your fjcruiser. They're very
good rigs, IMO. With the proper storage system, I'd see no problem with one
for a family of five. (my inlaws have one, and we've fit 5 in there many times)
maybe also consider a small cargo trailer if your gear requirements are that
volumous.
We just got back from two days at disneyland.
Stroller, two big bags, 2 deflated airbeds in a spacecase(westmarine) crate. very comfy for the drive up and back.
I think its a very easy thing to want something like an excursion, (no offense) but honestly I would ask yourself how big a truck you really need, and also I would look at what others around the world are using. I've seen lots of expeditions in diesel mercedes sedans, for example.
It's all about how you pack your gear and what you choose to bring.
We for example have a winch bumper/winch for recovery, an awning from camping lab for shade, and are going to put a thule rocket box (or 2) up top for gear storage on long trips. that'll leave the whole cargo area for food, water and cold storage. A swingaway tire carrier will hold a spare tire, tools, porta-potty, and possibly spare fuel.
point is, be realistic if you're set on getting a new rig.
but also consider if you really need to "offload" your fjcruiser. They're very
good rigs, IMO. With the proper storage system, I'd see no problem with one
for a family of five. (my inlaws have one, and we've fit 5 in there many times)
maybe also consider a small cargo trailer if your gear requirements are that
volumous.
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BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
oh, and PS, I prefer a solid axle rig for offroad durability, though many good IFS platforms exist.
Also consider:
FJ80 (solid )
Isuzu trooper (IFS)
Mitsubishu montero 7seater (LS model I think) (IfS)
They're all of the same equation with four doors and a cargo area.
My cherokee is cheap to run, has bee 100% reliable in the year I've had it, and has excellent aftermarket support. That said, when my kids get bigger/older we'll likely look
to something with 7 seats with a small cargo trailer as stated above...(fj80/mitsu)
Also consider:
FJ80 (solid )
Isuzu trooper (IFS)
Mitsubishu montero 7seater (LS model I think) (IfS)
They're all of the same equation with four doors and a cargo area.
My cherokee is cheap to run, has bee 100% reliable in the year I've had it, and has excellent aftermarket support. That said, when my kids get bigger/older we'll likely look
to something with 7 seats with a small cargo trailer as stated above...(fj80/mitsu)
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R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
Brian, how do you get 3 kids in the back of the XJ? Are they all out of kiddy seats, but not full grown yet? I don't think I could fit 3 child seats across my back seat.
Cirrus, I think you first need to determine what exactly you want to be doing. An Excursion would obviously make an excellent large vehicle choice for many reasons, and is perfectly capable of driving around the world on dirt roads. But it is VERY big to take on many trails.
How about a 2004 Discovery SE7? 7 seats, but you'll have to have a trailer for your gear. Which, frankly, I prefer a trailer over a larger truck anyway because the setup is more flexible. You get even more space for stuff, and you can drop the trailer at camp and go "wheeling" if you want.
Cirrus, I think you first need to determine what exactly you want to be doing. An Excursion would obviously make an excellent large vehicle choice for many reasons, and is perfectly capable of driving around the world on dirt roads. But it is VERY big to take on many trails.
How about a 2004 Discovery SE7? 7 seats, but you'll have to have a trailer for your gear. Which, frankly, I prefer a trailer over a larger truck anyway because the setup is more flexible. You get even more space for stuff, and you can drop the trailer at camp and go "wheeling" if you want.
I love my FJ but my better half won't do a trip with the 5 of us(kids are 13,11,8). We are planning a trip up to the central coast this summer and plan on taking 2 cars, the FJ and her Buick Enclave. Its not that we don't know how to live with limited space, she and I sailed a small boat from San Francisco to Maine via the Panama canal for 2 .5 years. She just knows how she wants things to be when on "expedition". To her that means room for the kids to spread out while on the road. I love to wheel my FJ but if being able to have all of my family come with me on trips means a little less off road capability, its worth it to me.
Right now,because of school,sports,etc. I am doing lots of 1 nighters to Anza Borrego. In the summer we can do longer trips, as I work from home and can do the same on the road. I do enjoy wheeling but my truck is stock so I don't do too much crazy stuff. South Coyote Canyon is about the max for me if you are familliar with Anza Borrego.
R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
Well, sounds to me like what you need for sure is 3 rows. Your kids aren't so little anymore, and they certainly aren't getting any smaller. I'd go out on a limb and say that a Disco SE7 is probably going to be the most capable 3 row truck you're likely to find. Unless you're talking about finding some older obscure truck like a Troopie or something.
A Disco can probably do anything you want it to do stock. With a good set of tires, it's capable of anything "not crazy" right out of the box. But, space will be a problem. You could probably remove one of the rear jump seats and strap down a cooler there, but not much beyond that. That leaves you with a HUGE roof rack load, or a trailer. As I said, I like the trailer option.
Can you get 3 rows in a Land Cruiser? Probably can, but they're also a bit bigger than a Disco I think. There's also the Jeep Commander to think about.
Other than that, you're probably looking at a full size SUV. Suburban or Excursion.
A Disco can probably do anything you want it to do stock. With a good set of tires, it's capable of anything "not crazy" right out of the box. But, space will be a problem. You could probably remove one of the rear jump seats and strap down a cooler there, but not much beyond that. That leaves you with a HUGE roof rack load, or a trailer. As I said, I like the trailer option.
Can you get 3 rows in a Land Cruiser? Probably can, but they're also a bit bigger than a Disco I think. There's also the Jeep Commander to think about.
Other than that, you're probably looking at a full size SUV. Suburban or Excursion.
jim65wagon
Well-known member
I'd run a Double Cab Tundra (1st Gen), room for five and a bed big enough to haul multi-night camping gear. We have 2 kids (13 & 14) and the Access Cab is cramped in the backseat (not really my problem though, is it?:sombrero
. A DC could fit 3 kids in the back fairly easily.
You could potentially run with just a tonneau cover, an open bed, or go the bed cap route, depending on how gear dependent your family is. We use a lot of gear, but it's one of our ways to enjoy everything we do.
We run with two Cabelas Quad tents (one for us, one for the kids) and use cots to keep everyone off the ground (no grumps because someone slept on a rock all night).
Full kitchen setup, tables, camp chairs, hiking gear for four, lots of food (especially with a 14 year old boy), recovery gear for the truck, etc, etc.
With good tires and some armor the Tundra is a capable and comfortable, multi-use rig.
.
. A DC could fit 3 kids in the back fairly easily.You could potentially run with just a tonneau cover, an open bed, or go the bed cap route, depending on how gear dependent your family is. We use a lot of gear, but it's one of our ways to enjoy everything we do.
We run with two Cabelas Quad tents (one for us, one for the kids) and use cots to keep everyone off the ground (no grumps because someone slept on a rock all night).
Full kitchen setup, tables, camp chairs, hiking gear for four, lots of food (especially with a 14 year old boy), recovery gear for the truck, etc, etc.
With good tires and some armor the Tundra is a capable and comfortable, multi-use rig.
.
Yes, yes, yes. Even if you don't take an additional passenger sometimes, its great to let one or two kids escape to the back-back on a long trip.
Pskhaat
2005 Expedition Trophy Champion
FWIW, we have traveled many miles in our FZJ80 and UZJ100. Occasionally we'd arrange the kids in some fashion in the 3rd row. My 3 are younger than your 3.
Just personal comment, but the 80 & 100 for us are just on the side of being too small for food and bedding and miscellany. Longest trip thusfar was 5 weeks and grossly painful. For instance, we ended up dumping the large water tank and putting gallon jugs on the ARB just to make more room. Trailer would have been a godsend.
Every time we take an extended trip I tell myself how much more room we'd have in an F250 (but wouldn't work for the dog we often cart about). Excursion however does sound pretty darn nice as it would give you an enclosed cab the whole way and loads more room than the mid-sized wagons.
Just personal comment, but the 80 & 100 for us are just on the side of being too small for food and bedding and miscellany. Longest trip thusfar was 5 weeks and grossly painful. For instance, we ended up dumping the large water tank and putting gallon jugs on the ARB just to make more room. Trailer would have been a godsend.
Every time we take an extended trip I tell myself how much more room we'd have in an F250 (but wouldn't work for the dog we often cart about). Excursion however does sound pretty darn nice as it would give you an enclosed cab the whole way and loads more room than the mid-sized wagons.
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Hoosier 45
Adventurer
We are able to get my family of 5 in a '03 DC Tacoma. I have put a bed platform about 9" off the truck bed. I then put all the camping gear in large black plastic totes and slide all of our clothes under the platform, in clear plastic totes that are ment for sliding under a normal bed. We have driven from Indiana to Cape Hatteras twice like this. Last year I took the two oldest 3500 mile to Moab and the San Juans. Three is easier than 5.
We are small people, I am the tallest at 5'7". My kids are 5, 10 & 12.
We are small people, I am the tallest at 5'7". My kids are 5, 10 & 12.
KLAKEBRONCO
Adventurer
Fullsize Bronco, Fullsize Blazer, Tahoe or Suburban.
Plenty of room and some can be pretty comfy which the wife will appreciate.
Plenty of room and some can be pretty comfy which the wife will appreciate.
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
3 childseats, Rob. Works just fine...
Cirrus, I understand more having read your responses. I think that 3 rows are definitely in order, and I'd reiterate what someone said, that fj80's and fj100's, montero's, etc. aren't much bigger inside for more mature kids, than my XJ is for our 3 small girls (5, 3, 9months)
If I wasn't going with a third row seat'd SUV I'd probably jump to a fullsize pickup like a mid-90's f250 crewcab with the 7.3L diesel, or a 4x4 GMC sierra crewcab with the 454 motor.
My mother-in-law has the GMC, and I know it well, to be a comfy, strong, reliable truck. You simply sacrifice turning circle and mpgs.
The f250 would return a decent 15-19mpgs, and are known for being very comfy with the four full doors. One kid will always have "middle", but you could also snuggle with your wife next to you, and a kid in front, leaving space for the two in the rear.
In both situations, you could have a bed full of camping gear & supplies or you could have a Lance, or similar camper mounted up for indoor living. :victory:
KLAKEBRONCO
Adventurer
I'll elaborate a little more on my recommendation.
As you might guess I have a Bronco.
There is plenty of room for three kids in the back....We have put both older boys (5 and 8) in booster seats, and our 9mo old in a car seat in the back seat. Those booster and car seats take up allot of room.
Mine currently also has a front Bench seat. Not all of them do, but most Ford truck seats will interchange. Some with a folding middle seat that doubles as a console.
They ride pretty nice, for a short vehicle. Though good shocks are recommended. The suspension, despite what some say actually works pretty well, and for what you would use it for it would work great.
Rock solid reliable too. There isn't a longer lasting more durable V8 than a Ford 302 either. And I'm not really a Ford fan. The later versions of the E40D trans are a stout trans, and the axles are plenty strong.
Interiors can be pretty spartan to pretty plush depending on model and equipment.
If any downside it can be a little small inside for cargo. Compared to some HUGE. And for that matter, compared to a 3rd row seat vehicle as good or better. Those 3rd seats really cut into space BIG time. IMO that is a good idea to forget the extra size, and weight of a 3rd row seat vehicle. 'IF' the inside doesn't have enough storage you can always add a roof rack and then you would be set.
With our family I'm confident that a week of camping gear will fit inside as long as I can move the cooler, water jugs, and maybe lantern to the outside. These are big items that take up allot of room.
I'm going to build a rack that goes above the spare that will hold the cooler and water jugs. If down the road I need more space I can add a roof rack.
They don't get great mileage 13-15 is normal, with a few select modifications, there are guys on fullsizebronco.com that have gotten 20mpg.
As you might guess I have a Bronco.
There is plenty of room for three kids in the back....We have put both older boys (5 and 8) in booster seats, and our 9mo old in a car seat in the back seat. Those booster and car seats take up allot of room.
Mine currently also has a front Bench seat. Not all of them do, but most Ford truck seats will interchange. Some with a folding middle seat that doubles as a console.
They ride pretty nice, for a short vehicle. Though good shocks are recommended. The suspension, despite what some say actually works pretty well, and for what you would use it for it would work great.
Rock solid reliable too. There isn't a longer lasting more durable V8 than a Ford 302 either. And I'm not really a Ford fan. The later versions of the E40D trans are a stout trans, and the axles are plenty strong.
Interiors can be pretty spartan to pretty plush depending on model and equipment.
If any downside it can be a little small inside for cargo. Compared to some HUGE. And for that matter, compared to a 3rd row seat vehicle as good or better. Those 3rd seats really cut into space BIG time. IMO that is a good idea to forget the extra size, and weight of a 3rd row seat vehicle. 'IF' the inside doesn't have enough storage you can always add a roof rack and then you would be set.
With our family I'm confident that a week of camping gear will fit inside as long as I can move the cooler, water jugs, and maybe lantern to the outside. These are big items that take up allot of room.
I'm going to build a rack that goes above the spare that will hold the cooler and water jugs. If down the road I need more space I can add a roof rack.
They don't get great mileage 13-15 is normal, with a few select modifications, there are guys on fullsizebronco.com that have gotten 20mpg.
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