"mkbruin, Atlas VP" (mkbruin)
02/20/2018 at 13:29 • Filed to: None
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"mkbruin, Atlas VP" (mkbruin)
02/20/2018 at 13:29 • Filed to: None | 1
| 12 |
I’m thinking ahead towards summer, and I want to spend more time camping with my boys and wife this year. We’ve got a Sienna and my Tundra, and I’d love to make the Tundra more camp-ready.
It’s my daily driver, so I don’t want a full camper as pictured. I’ve got two normal tents, but that’s such a pain in the ass to set up and tear down. I’d love to make a simple setup with the Tundra where I have a camping go-tote packed with the basics (lantern, cooktop, propane tanks, tools, etc); a camping cooler ready to go, the air mattress and sleeping bags ready to go. I’d love a setup where I can throw the Go-tote in the truck, swing by Kroger on the way out of town, and be on the road.
What’s the best way to simplify family camping? In my yout, it was far easier. Now that my boys are getting older I’d love to get them out camping far more often...
HammerheadFistpunch
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 13:50 |
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A trailer. Seriously, having all that stuff ready to go in the trailer and needing only food, clothing and bedding simplifies it. But I suspect you are on the right track sans trailer. As for what you can do to make the Tundra better at quick egress?
hmm, not sure. Sounds like you’ve got the basics covered. You could do an RTT to speed things up for setup but it would mean traveling full time with an rtt. What my buddy does is hang his above his truck in the garage on a frame he built, so he just lowers it, throws stuff in the back and goes, but it still takes time.
With family skiing the bins theory has played out really well for us. For camping it’s never that simple. even with the trailer we pack differently for a quick trip to Moab vs a quick trip to goblin valley. Having the essentials packed and ready to roll does help though. I suggest getting Plano rolling boxes and organize into
kitchen
sleep and shelter
camp essentials (tools, and other non-kitchen hard goods)
Then you are about on par for a non-camping family outing
Disclaimer, we are heavy campers and bring more than we need so its hard for me to make suggestions for maximum efficiency.
BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 13:52 |
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Carry one of those nice fancy tents and all supplies mentioned in the trunk and here’s your answer. A sedan is also available.
hedbutter
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 13:52 |
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What about something like this ? I thought about it when I had my truck, but you’d be losing storage while at the site/have to take it down before driving. I talked to two guys that had them at Lime Rock last summer, and they liked them.
jkm7680
> HammerheadFistpunch
02/20/2018 at 13:53 |
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Exactly that ^
If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 13:53 |
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Get a high-roof bed cap and a mattress. You and wifey can sleep in luxury while the kids sleep on the cold hard ground. That way you only have to set up one tent. All your stuff will fit in the back still and you don’t have to worry about it being secured on the highway.
It won’t be cheap but it should cost less that an RTT or full camper since it’s a general use item rather than a specialty product.
Urambo Tauro
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 13:57 |
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Easy, delegate tent setup and teardown to the boys.
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HammerheadFistpunch
> hedbutter
02/20/2018 at 14:00 |
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Those never made any sense to me. it’s all the hassle of a tent with none of the convenience of having your shelter be separate from your truck. I mean, you load up the bed with gear, take off and when you get to your camp site you have to unload your truck, then setup a tent. You have shelter but all your gear is on the ground and you can’t take the truck out for day trips. Why not skip the truck unloading bit and just setup a tent on the ground? You can get a really nice canvas 10x10 for $500 and its WAAAY more comfortable and habitable than this with non of the unloading drawbacks.
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 14:13 |
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Get a second truck to put the camper on, then the truck is always ready. Come home, hop in the other truck and go.
Otherwise just get a cap for the back
nermal
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 15:14 |
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What’s your budget, and where do you plan on camping?
A trailer is really the best option, as long as you can swing it. I have to rent a parking space for mine, which runs about $60 / mo. It may not be that out of reach cost-wise, especially if you do a 180 month loan on a new one.....
Go to Lowes / HD / etc and get a few contractor-grade storage bins for storage. They’re square and they can stack easily.
If you’re sticking to tenting it, the OzTents seem pretty neat, just expensive and heavy. Will be cheaper than a trailer though.
vicali
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 15:33 |
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Small tent trailer (Haha HHFP - don’t hate) is going to be the best.
Camper is going to cost as much as a decent trailer, take up room when it’s not on the truck, and make the truck drive like a pig when it’s on. Plus you won’t have that much more room.
Tent trailer can sit loaded up and ready to go, but then you’ll go camping in the rain and want a real trailer- with a bathroom.
DipodomysDeserti
> mkbruin, Atlas VP
02/20/2018 at 22:38 |
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The easiest way to simplify camping is to bring the least amount of stuff as possible. I’ve been camping using backpacking gear for several years now. We go out every other weekend so our routine is very established. After a few trips you’ll figure out works and what doesn’t.
What kind of tents do you have? My four and seven year-old help me set up my Kelty in about 5-10 minutes. Might take a few trips but the kids will get the hang of it quick. Maybe bring one tent and get a cap for the truck. I usually put my kids in the Jeep so momma and I have the tent to ourselves. The kids will probably screw around for an hour before going to sleep, but it’ll give you time to sit by the fire and sip whiskey.
I’m thinking about doing a quick write up on my camping routine. It’s worked out well for us over countless weekend trips and a few 4k+ mile multi week trips. We will be camping for a week in Hawaii this summer which really forces us to cut put the crap we don’t really need.
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hedbutter
> HammerheadFistpunch
02/21/2018 at 07:56 |
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Yep- makes perfect sense. I wasnt sure if you were a get there, setup, and not move for the trip or not. I just knew that people at Lime Rock and the Carlisle Spring/Fall shows like em a lot (granted, they also had a popup tent to keep everything else in while they slept.