Camping Van

[limbs]

My wife and I have our own vehicles. I drive a truck and she drives a compact car. A friend of ours has a minivan for sale and has offered it to us at a good price. It is in good shape and runs well. My wife wants to get it as our camping van. However, I don't think we need a third car, especially one for camping. Do you have a designated camping vehicle? Her reasoning is that it could be ready to go at any time. What do you think?

 

[bsmit212]

I dont but know people that do. Most of them are paddlers thought that have a sperate truck from their everyday cars that they use just so that they dont get their everyday cars wet and muddy. They will use it for paddling and camping.

 

[Pathfinder1]

limbs;My wife and I have our own vehicles. I drive a truck and she drives a compact car. A friend of ours has a minivan for sale and has offered it to us at a good price. It is in good shape and runs well. My wife wants to get it as our camping van. However, I don't think we need a third car, especially one for camping. Do you have a designated camping vehicle? Her reasoning is that it could be ready to go at any time. What do you think?[/QUOTE]




Hi...


Well, I won't say that is a BAD thing to do. Of course, there will be another vehicle for maintenance and insurance.

Have you considered a full camper shell, or even a tent camper for the back of your pickup?

And, no, I don't have a designated camping vehicle...at least not in the traditional sense. I have only one vehicle, a UTE, and I use it for everything.

Did you want to sleep IN the vehicle, or just use it to get from campsite to campsite?

 

[danny28]

No we do not have a separate vehicle for camping. We just use our truck to pull the camper. Do you have something that you can pull the camper with?

 

[Hikenhunter]

If I could afford a seperate vehicle to use just for my outdoor recreational pursuits I most definately would. I know a couple of guys who have vehicles that they use for camping, hunting, fishing, and to haul lumber and such and they have a seperate vehicle for their everyday driving to work, or the grocery,etc...

 

[Grandpa]

Grandma drives the newest car. We also have a heavy pickup for farm use but gas mileage sucks so I don't leave the area in it anymore. I buy old beater cars that I think I can squeeze another few thousand miles out of. I bought the last one for $2000 and have added another 110,000 miles to it. It still gets around 30-31 MPG and I'm not afraid to take it up and down the canyons on the bad roads. So for that once a year big trip a visit to hertz is cheaper than another years insurance and registration.

 

[TroyS]

We actually have our own Motorhome that we take with us whenever we go camping. It does give us the convenience of just having everything there so that when we want to go camping, we're pretty much all set. Also, since it's dedicated just for camping and going through all those rough roads and stuff, it pretty much saves our car from repairs and problems that can be caused by driving it to those areas.

 

[carmen]

My sister in law has this 3 auto chain going on too and while it works for some it would not work in our household. Think about it logically, can you afford a 3rd auto, how much use are you really going to get out of it?

 

[ppine]

i have gotten by with one vehicle for the last 10 years. A Ford F-350 diesel. It gets 24 mpg on the flats and can tow anything legal.

I have rented vans a few times to haul field crews on long trips and they are very comfortable. I like the Dodges. Vans were cool in the 60s and 70s, now people think only soccer Moms drive them. They are still highly functional. You can take the seats out to sleep in them, but I would never own a vehicle only for camping.

 

[alex k]

Have a teardrop trailer that is packed and ready to go ( just add food and beer ). Light weight and can be vtowed with any vehicle
did the rv and truck camper thing , but then you don't have the advantage to move once set up , unless its within a bike ride .
I agree that the extra insurance / registration / repair cost do add up after a while if you dont use it a lot .
Check out " cheap rv living .com " for van conversion ideas if you are thinking of doing it .

 

[eyebp]

Have a teardrop trailer that is packed and ready to go ( just add food and beer ). Light weight and can be vtowed with any vehicle
did the rv and truck camper thing , but then you don't have the advantage to move once set up , unless its within a bike ride .
I agree that the extra insurance / registration / repair cost do add up after a while if you dont use it a lot .
Check out " cheap rv living .com " for van conversion ideas if you are thinking of doing it .

I've always wanted one of those. Mega cool.

 

[Grandpa]

Here ya go, ultimate light weight teardrop. Tow behind about anything. A real grandpa type outfit.

[/IMG]

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

No dedicated vehicle. My pickup has a bed cap on it which I can sleep under in a pinch. That gives me plenty of room to stow my gear, too. All my gear is organized in milk crates and Sterilite hampers so I can just grad what I need and go.

I also have a ulility trailer to carry the canoe and/or kayak, and there is a lot of space there as well.

My next building project is likely to be a modified teardrop trailer which will be able to carry the boats on top. I'm considering building this as a module I can just drop on my current trailer.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Last year I bought a cheap pop up that really wasn't good enough to use as a camper any more. The trailer it self is very sturdy and the roof has no leaking issues. All my car camping stuff is in the trailer and we towed it behind my Astrovan to go camping several times last year.It serves as a place to store everything, Tents, coolers, chairs and other camp furniture. My camp kitchen including all of my dutch ovens. It worked great. This year I will be adding a 4 bike bike rack and a kyack rack. This is a cheaper way to be ready and packed to go without tghe need and expense to take care of a third vehicle.