Van vs Truck & trailer Family Edition

Wife and I are expecting and want to retain some of the freedom our van affords, but we are unsure that the van is the right solution.

Anyone out there have thoughts on adding a seat to a van vs selling the van and getting a small travel trailer for weekend and once a year week-long climbing trip once the kid comes along?

Right now we just have a car my wife commutes in and I daily the van for commuting and also use it for weekend trips. I personally would like to get something else to commute in that could also tow a small trailer. We generally climb on the Sierra East Side, but do go to Yosemite (Valley and TM) and Tahoe crags somewhat frequently, which means a trailer could be cumbersome at times.

John Clark wrote:

Wife and I are expecting and want to retain some of the freedom our van affords, but we are unsure that the van is the right solution.

Anyone out there have thoughts on adding a seat to a van vs selling the van and getting a small travel trailer for weekend and once a year week-long climbing trip once the kid comes along?

Right now we just have a car my wife commutes in and I daily the van for commuting and also use it for weekend trips. I personally would like to get something else to commute in that could also tow a small trailer. We generally climb on the Sierra East Side, but do go to Yosemite (Valley and TM) and Tahoe crags somewhat frequently, which means a trailer could be cumbersome at times.

Congrats my wife and I are also expecting. My largest takeaway from my friends with little ones is the sheer amount of stuff they kinda need, so your sprinter might feel cramed with toys, books, chair for them to eat, food for them, etc. Long term how would you sleep with a 3 year old sleep in the sprinter?

it is so nice to be able to drop the trailer & take the truck place a van can not go. I don't have to worry about everything getting bounced around & I come back to everything in place & ready to cook.

I really like the trailer option. Leaving my living space behind for the day is very convenient. Plus my little diesel Colorado does quite well on mileage when I’m not towing. Plus it has a shower, which is a large upgrade from my buddies van.

Obviously the van has upsides as well but I’m happy with the direction I went. 

We used an 8 foot truck camper for our first kid, however with two dogs and three humans, that space felt adequate but cramped. We are expecting our second any day now and have sold the camper with the intention of buying a slightly larger trailer in the near future to accommodate our growing family.

Once you go past a capacity of 3, vans don’t seem to be a good option. We have had 2 different trailers, a chalet A Frame and a 19 foot conventional trailer.
Being able to separate the two if some people want to get an early morning start is pretty key. Tons of models with bunks, dinettes, additional beds that you could never get into a van, and generally significantly cheaper than a new vehicle.

I do covet truck campers though, I think if you want sleeping for 4 and a bathroom, an 8 ft truck camper works better than a van.  The other thing that would rock is the AWD transit Class C’s but the market is limited and expensive at this time.

As everyone has mentioned, YNP with a trailer is the crux. 

Having done the van, as well as various camper trailers, and RVsetc , 

for use with one or two adults plus 2 kids (no pets) I have settled on the “alpine” fast and light equivalent of just going with my crew cab F-150 with long bed outfitted for comfort.  It goes anywhere anyone can go, and no hassle or risk of towing stuff.  

All options have pros and cons, but for weekends and a few weeklong trips a year, my F-150 is the overall winner and the best modern day version of a hassle free Conestoga wagon 

Trailers for the family all day, space helps a lot, light weight and lots of clearance are top priorities.  Having a big base camp works really well for the family. Especially as they get older and can come and go from the trailer as they want.

Puppy Lovr, thanks for having faith in my income being good enough for a sprinter van, but it is a 159 ext promaster that was one used car salesman’s pen stroke away from having been a salvage title.

Frumkin, that was what I thought would be the main pro at places like Owens, Indian Creek, etc. Leaving the living room at a site seems like a luxury, even if it means giving up that easy instant overnight anywhere in the van.

I’m not too concerned about having a bathroom in the vehicle. The truck camper seems cramped compared to my van as it is right now. Anyone have experience with the smaller pod-like trailers?

I didn’t read all the other comments but I had a bench seat that folds flat to a bed installed in my econoline and built out the rest myself. It’s been great with my son and can easily sleep 3 people. The width is just over 6’ so it works great for me. Super nice having all of that functionality when it’s raining or cold. Never bothered me but with a little one, it’s nice to be able to play board games, have a heater, not worry about muddy shoes, etc. super happy with the decision. 

For a family of 3, so far, a van has been great for us. Baby #2 is incoming so we'll see what happens. We might experiment with various folding seat-bed options or hammocks down the road. Also, an Organic Simple Pad fits perfectly on the floor. Big enough for 2 toddlers? we'll find out.

For now, our van has enough open space to just set a up a bassinet or pack n play on the floor. the "instant sleep" is huge for us on late fridays as compared to setting up a tent. Also, an outdoor shower is clutch for hosing down muddy children. Toilet has not been necessary.

As for you, i think it depends on how hard adding a seat would be to your existing build. You see some janky builds out there that purport to have seatbelts but I wouldn't trust them with my child in an accident. I definitely wouldn't use a build with a side-facing seat; car seats aren't designed for impacts like that. If you have the factory attachment points for a second row still available and accessible, that could help the decision.

Make sure you have room for bouldering pads in your setup, whatever you do. Bouldering with kids is much easier than rope climbing. 

Some of the questions around a one-unit setup (van, truck camper) v. two-piece setup (trailer) have been discussed above. one point worth thinking about this is that in an early start scenario, you're almost certain to have another party involved--either someone watching your kids so you and your wife can climb, or a partner for you or your wife while the other watches the kid. In either scenario that third person might have a car you can drive.

Congrats!

John Clark wrote:

The truck camper seems cramped compared to my van as it is right now. Anyone have experience with the smaller pod-like trailers?

You are concerned that a truck camper is too cramped but you are looking at teardrops? My 8 foot TC had way more room than a typical van setup.

This is what I am working with now, which is nice, but doesn’t have a 3rd seat.

Dylan, teardrop being an option only if I paired it with a truck with a built out/slide into bed camping setup. And that probably once the kid is a bit older. Just trying to brainstorm and get opinions from people who have different setups for climbing trips with kid(s).

Great thread!  I'm still cramming the 4 of us in the back of my Ram1500.... I think it's time for an upgrade.  This is what a good night's sleep looks like:

Yeah, looks like adding a third seat to that rig would be a pretty big project.

Jason Antin wrote:

Great thread!  I'm still cramming the 4 of us in the back of my Ram1500.... I think it's time for an upgrade.  This is what a good night's sleep looks like:

Upgrade your Ram to an F-150!  
more comfy, and more room

Mark Pilate wrote:

How many you sleeping in there Mark? Looks legit.

Jordan Wilson wrote:

How many you sleeping in there Mark? Looks legit.

Haha, Okay, only legit for a 44’ sailboat.  Here’s the  real F-150…more like Jason’s 

One small consideration of a trailer vs a vehicle, is using that trailer to "claim" your camping spot. Unless you're bringing a tent, if your "camping" drives off when you do, your spot might also disappear.

Best, Helen

Mark Pilate wrote:

Upgrade your Ram to an F-150!  
more comfy, and more room

Yer mean.

But funny!

H.

We had a 2002 sprinter already built out when we had baby #1. We renovated to solve a lot of the prior build's issues, and added a fold-up seat at that time. We took the time and paid the money to get a full-on seat, and I'm glad we did. That van was wrecked while my wife was pregnant with baby number 2. While most of the cabinetry came apart as the van rolled, the jump seat, car seat buckled to it, and the 1 year old it held all came through unscathed.

Wrecking van #1 was a blessing in disguise, as it gave us the chance to build out a new van (hurray insurance pay outs from being completely blameless), and we bolted down double seats during the build.

The van is so much more convenient than a trailer for so many things. Gotta change a diaper on the side of the road? There's plenty of room. Infant needs to nurse? You've got loads of privacy, and a handy place to lay down, all without leaving the vehicle. Our cassette toilet is a great potty-training size, and the refrigerator and sink really simplify basic child maintenance. All, again, without leaving the van.

The other thing is versatility and maneuverability. We took a 6 week road trip between leaving the Bay Area and moving back to the PNW and had a great time. I wouldn't recommend anyone else driving Titus Canyon in Death Valley in a sprinter (the high center of gravity made it more exciting than I really wanted) but the short wheelbase made it possible. The van's getting pretty cramped now that baby #1 is almost 4, baby #2 is just 2, and the dog refuses to sleep on the floor, but the kids are starting to get excited about sleeping in tents, so it'll be fine again pretty soon.