"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
03/08/2015 at 20:13 • Filed to: None
3
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"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
03/08/2015 at 20:13 • Filed to: None | 3
| 17 |
I bought my WRX to replace my truck because a) I always wanted a fast car and b) I always needed the hauling capacity of a truck. Everyone says a fast wagon would give me most of the best of both worlds. This weekend, I found out the truth.
My son is in Scouts and we go camping regularly, so one of the reasons I’ve held onto my old truck was to use it for camping. This all changed this weekend when I started preparing for this weekend’s trip. The truck has been a little balky about starting if it isn’t started weekly, so I figured that it would be a good idea to make sure it was ready before I packed since it has been several weeks since I started it. It was a good thing I did - it !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! shortly after it fired up. I managed to put the fire out and the damage seems minor, but I thought it best to go over the truck before taking it on a trip.
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My only option was to take the WRX camping.
If you haven’t experienced Cub Scouting, you should know that much of the camping is car camping, not backpacking. Scouting parents pack all of the amenities of home into their vehicles and use them to create a small tent city in the woods. A typical campsite includes a tent that could sleep a family of 10 (with at least one air mattress), a pop-up canopy, at least one table for food prep, a two-burner stove, chairs for sitting, and a wash station.
The more elaborate sites include a full kitchen with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (using the same tank you use on your backyard grill), outdoor carpet under the canopy, and even a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
My typical loadout includes two tents (the boys in our group are old enough to set up their own site), an air mattress (for me), two sleeping bags, a backpack with my clothes and bathroom kit, my son’s backpack, a couple of ground tarps, a canopy, a folding table, a small stove, and two camp chairs. Our kitchen supplies are contained in two 18-gallon totes and an ice-chest. One tote holds our hard supplies like the dutch oven, frying pan, coffee pot, plates, utensils, etc. The other contains staples (think flour, sugar, spices), paper goods, and foil, and things you might need when dealing with fires like heavy gloves, a hatchet, etc. It’s a LOT of supplies, but it makes life in the woods fairly easy.
I thought you might like to see how a WRX is loaded out. The pictures that follow are from packing for the trip home. I was in a bit of a rush on the way out and didn’t get pictures then. Before you ask, yes those are bathrooms in the background. Not every Bear takes a dump in the woods.
This is the WRX all opened up with the back seats laid flat and one of the ground tarps in place to protect the interior.
The next pictures shows the table with one of the totes. I found that clear totes are really handy since you can quickly assess the contents when you are looking for that essential ingredient as your dinner is burning. At this point I’ve also loaded the tents, canopy, one of the sleeping bags, a lantern and a bag with four propane tanks.
The final shot shows the rest of the supplies loaded. Visible are the other sleeping bag, a collapsible garbage can (invaluable when you are dealing with the trash generated by 10 Cub Scouts), the air mattress, a small tackle box, my bag (no backpack this weekend), and the cooler. The fishing poles on the ground were loaded last. What you can’t see are the 5-gallon potable water tank behind the driver’s seat and the extra box with Sunday-morning breakfast supplies since we were in charge of that meal this trip. It was sitting on top of the first clear tote.
I was surprised it all fit! I did have to leave the bikes at home for this trip and there wasn’t much room for much else. But I’m looking into solution for mounting stuff on the outside of the car. More to come....
bob and john
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/08/2015 at 20:22 |
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sea sucker car rack. that is all.
https://www.seasucker.com/product-catego…
I have the mini bomber (the FIRST ones. when they were still white)
I had my car into triple digits with my bike on top. bitch stuck there.
and it held on for a 8 hour drive to one of my races. its grerat because you can transfer from car to car and you dont need a full roof rack.
Ferrero1911
> bob and john
03/08/2015 at 20:36 |
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I came here to say this, and I'm shocked to see someone else already did! I can mount 2 bikes on the back of my Abarth. Note: bikes in photo are not as close to the ground as they appear.
OPPOsaurus WRX
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/08/2015 at 20:43 |
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that sounds more like temporarily relocating the inside of your house than camping. Here's my WRX camping
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OPPOsaurus WRX
> bob and john
03/08/2015 at 20:44 |
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wow I would be really nervous driving around with that. I'm amazed it works like you say.
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bob and john
> Ferrero1911
03/08/2015 at 20:44 |
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I used to work in a bicycle shop, and we were the first in canada to carry them. AWESOME product.
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bob and john
> OPPOsaurus WRX
03/08/2015 at 20:46 |
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it does require a bit of prep and cleaning. (windex and what not) and in those 8 hours, we kept a eye on them from the sun-roof to make sure they were losing vacuum. but yea, awesome product.
we put one up against the wall and hung both me AND my boss on a bike suspended from it. we got off quick because we thought the bike would break LOL.
HammerheadFistpunch
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/08/2015 at 20:47 |
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I had a foster xt (2005) and while it worked okay as a camp car for my wife and I, even adding a single kid made it tight and with the scouts? Nope (current scoutmaster). The cruiser is a much happier camp car.
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HammerheadFistpunch
> bob and john
03/08/2015 at 20:51 |
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I would trust that none percent after a few years
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Ferrero1911
> bob and john
03/08/2015 at 20:52 |
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They really are great. I bought mine on the way home from picking up my car because I knew my regular bike mount wouldn't be able to go on the hatch. We knew they would work because people in the film industry use the same vacuum cups to hang cameras from cars. They're marketed under a different name, but they're the same.
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bob and john
> HammerheadFistpunch
03/08/2015 at 20:53 |
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as long as you store it right its fine.
I've had mine....5 years now. still works great.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> OPPOsaurus WRX
03/08/2015 at 21:01 |
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It really is. I'm looking forward to him being in the Boy Scouts. We start backpacking then, so the loads in the car will be much lighter.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> HammerheadFistpunch
03/08/2015 at 21:02 |
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The WRX is ok for two of us, but on family campouts, we take the Explorer.
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OPPOsaurus WRX
> bob and john
03/08/2015 at 21:14 |
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that would just be part of my fears. One of my buddies had the typcial truck mounted rack and it dented the rear of it. I'd be afraid of that and it putting too much pressure on the window andn the window breaking too.
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bob and john
> OPPOsaurus WRX
03/08/2015 at 21:16 |
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you CANT put too much pressure...
there is a tiny button with a spring that acts as the vacuum pump. once it get to the correct pressure, the spring simply wont retun. if it LOOSES pressure, the button comes out (and the button is marked orange so you know when its losing pressure)
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OPPOsaurus WRX
> bob and john
03/08/2015 at 21:20 |
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i was thinking more the weight of the bike on the window than the pressure of the suction
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> bob and john
03/08/2015 at 21:22 |
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I saw those a while back. Nice to see an outside endorsement.
I have cargo bars on the way. My plan is to mount those up top with a box and a tow hitch with a bike rack out back. Here's some inspiration:
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bob and john
> OPPOsaurus WRX
03/08/2015 at 21:22 |
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uness you bike weight like 60 lbs you shouldnt have an issue
plus, you can get them for roof mounts (see mini bomber)