Davydd
Minnesota
Senior Member
Joined: 11/27/2005
View Profile
 Offline
|
As far as I can tell only Roadtrek is set up to sleep only as many as four people. With the capacity of the holding tanks (water, gray, black) four or more people is a stretch for any length of time camping. With having the four seats up front in a Roadtrek quite a bit of storage space is sacrificed as well which is the exact opposite of need. I would think a passenger van would make more sense because you would more likely have to pitch a tent anyway and have to use park toilet and shower facilities. Then to do that, tent, sleeping bags and all, you would need the storage a B van could not easily provide. Of course the other option is an A or C class RV.
Davydd
2005 Pleasure-Way Plateau Sprinter B Camper Van
Davydd is the Welsh spelling for David with an English twist using a v instead of an f.
See Our Pleasure-Way and my pork tenderloin sandwiches
Visited states in an RV
|
jetrier
Sun Prairie, WI
New Member
Joined: 12/21/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
David R:
If you really mean just daytrips and something to camp in but still carry 4 kids, I had a similar problem and I went with a regular full size van so that everyone had 3 point seatbelts and were facing forward, then I added a Sportsmobile.com poptop. The wife and I sleep up top and the kids sleep down below in the van. Everyone is safe while traveling and safe at night. We can pretty much park it anywhere and pop it up in an instant. We pull a little trailer to carry our gear and bikes or canoes. Simple. Plus, it makes a great second or third vehicle when you need to really haul stuff.
Good Luck
2006 Chevy Express with a Sportsmobile Poptop, DIY inside and DIY gear trailer
|
rbrogan
Perrysburg, Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 12/05/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Davydd wrote:You lost me on Airstream. I don't see a plan where you can seat six or eight legally.
Mine has seat belts for SIX so I guess if would be legal... I stated that and there is room to seat 8 which is also true! Maybe legal for eight becuse I am not sure riders in the back are required to wear seat belts.. Sorry Davydd
 Rbrogan@hotmail.com
|
embrau
Los Angeles
New Member
Joined: 10/28/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
The Pleasureway Lexor RL-4 may work for you.
http://www.pleasureway.com/chevrl4.html
|
antiquedrose
Texas
Full Member
Joined: 01/17/2008
View Profile
|
Nice, Jetrier. Sounds like you and your family have a some great times.
|
|
|
OkeeDokee
Davis, CALIFORNIA
New Member
Joined: 08/07/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I found my first ad for a class B with a tent trailer search. It suggested you pull a tent trailer (purchased used they are light and inexpensive and great fun for kids old enough to be in school and an adventurous personality). You put the kids to bed in the tent trailer and mom and dad get the comforts and privacy of the van.
We are buying a used 22' Airstream Interstate, diesel engine, 21,000 miles, 2004 for $49,000 plus sales tax. We think this is a great deal. It has an odd floor plan, with the kitchen in the back. The layout makes it seem smaller than the more common couches in the rear but we think it will work for us. With the couch in the rear and the tall bathroom closet behind the driver, my husband and I were going to use cell phones to talk to each other--or a CB or a megaphone. Someone said the couches/bed behind the driver's seat or mid-van was inconvenient because the driver had to crawl over the bed (when made out) to get to the bathroom. Turns out the two couches, when made into a bed, have a narrow aisle between them. There might be less snuggles but I have bad knees and it really helps to get in and out of bed without crawling on my knees. I'll let you know how it works after our first trip.
OkeeDokee
|
dogcomestoo
Massachusetts
Full Member
Joined: 08/19/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
When I was a kid and teen, my brother and I slept in an actual tent, and loved it. Our parents slept in the very small TT. That experience is why I'm sure a class B will be big enough for my husband and I, but husband's not so sure. I'm really pining for tent camping but he can't really do that. So I'll have to convince him about the B. We aren't retiring for 5 years, so I have plenty of time. And he used to backpack a lot!!!!!
|
McK
Arkansas
New Member
Joined: 07/05/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Are any of the four children still using car seats?
Just because a particular van has belts for six does not mean that car seats can be safely used. Does the van have the required attachment points for car seats?
|
OkeeDokee
Davis, CALIFORNIA
New Member
Joined: 08/07/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
In my family, the female longs for the tiny tent trailer and the hubby wants the class b. My solution is to let him buy the Airstream Interstate (on Monday) then go for a couple of trips and decide we need more room to store things. Then I'll buy one of the tiny micro tent trailers and we'll pull it. Okay, that may be extreme but we do have a shade structure and I have a comfy cot. When I start to feel like a sardine, I move outside. We used to back back in Montana, cycle 4 or 5,000 miles a year and just the normal stuff like re-roofing, laying sod.....nobody tells you all those knee injuries are cumulative!! My knees are so close to surgery, they just do not go on the ground. Its hard to leave those things behind you thought you'd be doing when you were 60 or 65. You get old, things wear out. Consider the alternative!
In answer to the car seats for kids, I know lots of models have 4 captain's seats with regulation seat belts. Naturally you have to ask the manufacturer but I think they meet all the safety standards of a mini-van. A little known fact (which may now be out of date) is that mini-vans did not have to meet the same safety standards of a sedan because they were classified the same as a truck--a work vehicle, not a family car! Never mind every ad ever made was targeted at families. Consumer reports is the BEST place to check out your question. In the vans we looked at, the sofas were bench seats and had 3 point seat belts installed. I noticed they only did that for imports to the US.
|
OkeeDokee
Davis, CALIFORNIA
New Member
Joined: 08/07/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I had six in my family, for a while. We had a mini-van and put a Yakima rack on top for storage. There is SOOO little storage behind the third seat, there is no way to take luggage and 6 people inside. I agree with the suggestions about pulling a trailer. It can't be super sized but a 12 or 14' box tent trailer would work and is inexpensive. Next up is a folding trailer. There is no canvas, the top half lowers down making them have a low profile, minimum air drag and lighter.
As far as bathrooms inside the vehicle, it may be a drag to find potty stops but kids need to get out anyway. We made it a rule (well, we tried) to do some stretching EVERY time we stopped. We were young then and it really helped. God knows what we'll need to do now--find a hot springs, a pilates class????
I have seen some very good prices on conversion vans with low miles. Can't find that in a vehicle used daily.
I've seen the claim the Airstream Interstate seats 8 sleeps 2. I can see 8 if there are 2 sofas with 2 seat belts each but they only have one floorplan on the new ones and there is one sofa is in back and two armless bench seats on the sides. I guess if they put seat belts on those it would make 8.
|
|
|
