PeterV
Advanced Member
My wife and I really love our camper (Eagle on a crew cab Nissan Frontier, with long bed) *a lot*. We have twins on the way later this year and we're a bit anxious about whether there'll be enough space for us all. I'm looking for some advice and to hopefully hear from people who've done it successfully!
We have the rollover couch so sleeping space should be OK if a bit tight (I found some threads on this forum with ideas about the actual sleeping "pods" that the little ones need). What about eating/hanging out when it's cold outside? It can get a bit cramped even with the two of us, is it possible to add two little ones? I was thinking they could hang out on the upper bed area while we cook, and then sitting/eating is left to be the bigger challenge as the table is quite small.
Storage is also a concern - we have used the backseats for gear storage, so now obviously that won't be possible. We're thinking of getting a tailgate carrier like these: http://www.stowaway2.com/ - to hopefully compensate the lost space (we also have a roof rack/rooftop box we use for ski gear). We struggle with space even as it is, but we tend to want to bring everything (we rock climb, SUP, ski, fly fish, etc. and sometimes want to do all of these on a single trip... obviously with small kids, activities will be different).
Thanks for any positive advice and any success stories... I am also considering upgrading to a bigger truck + Hawk but it seems like a marginal improvement so having trouble justifying it. Also the current truck is a 6-speed manual and that's important to us, and it's harder to find in the full size trucks (except for the Dodge diesels with 6-speed, but those are also major $$). Vans are a bit roomier but we use the 4x4 capabilities and do quite a bit of rough/dirt roads, so love the truck platform.
Of course I realize this is all about compromises... and "doable" for one person is impossible according to another
Here is a bonus photo for making you read through all of that (Camping in Idaho with the Sawtooths as a backdrop)
We have the rollover couch so sleeping space should be OK if a bit tight (I found some threads on this forum with ideas about the actual sleeping "pods" that the little ones need). What about eating/hanging out when it's cold outside? It can get a bit cramped even with the two of us, is it possible to add two little ones? I was thinking they could hang out on the upper bed area while we cook, and then sitting/eating is left to be the bigger challenge as the table is quite small.
Storage is also a concern - we have used the backseats for gear storage, so now obviously that won't be possible. We're thinking of getting a tailgate carrier like these: http://www.stowaway2.com/ - to hopefully compensate the lost space (we also have a roof rack/rooftop box we use for ski gear). We struggle with space even as it is, but we tend to want to bring everything (we rock climb, SUP, ski, fly fish, etc. and sometimes want to do all of these on a single trip... obviously with small kids, activities will be different).
Thanks for any positive advice and any success stories... I am also considering upgrading to a bigger truck + Hawk but it seems like a marginal improvement so having trouble justifying it. Also the current truck is a 6-speed manual and that's important to us, and it's harder to find in the full size trucks (except for the Dodge diesels with 6-speed, but those are also major $$). Vans are a bit roomier but we use the 4x4 capabilities and do quite a bit of rough/dirt roads, so love the truck platform.
Of course I realize this is all about compromises... and "doable" for one person is impossible according to another
Here is a bonus photo for making you read through all of that (Camping in Idaho with the Sawtooths as a backdrop)