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Jrhawke's avatar
Jrhawke
Explorer
Feb 27, 2017

Family of 6 plus 2 dogs... What fits best?

Hello!
We are a family of 6 (4 kids ranging in age from 7-15) and 2 dogs (standard poodle and beagle)..
There are two parts to my question... (and I did skim over the search for when I typed Family of 6, Dogs. but didn't find anything..)

Our plan is to use this for seeing our Nation.. lots of national parks.. and also to take as an all season camper to various Ski areas and use it as a home base.

We are in the market for an RV.. Either a Pull Behind (tow or 5th wheel) or a class C

The options are endless.. which is a good thing.. but also a bad thing... When we went to an RV show this past weekend (1 dealer, small.. 2 brands) we got overwhelmed.. The sales guy steered us to a Jayco Eagle 5th wheel.. 29 ft I believe.. 4 fixed bunks in the front... It was a very nice trailer and I could see us being comfortable here, even on week(+ ) trips.
Then we looked at pull behinds.. also very nice.. also so options..

Some thoughts I am wondering about..
Of course the big one is.. truck... our current vehicle (Sequoia ) cannot tow anything that could fit all of us and the 2 dogs without it being cramped..
If you have a larger family. what do you use to tow your travel trailer.. that can fit everyone plus dogs?
Then there is the bed issue... Ideally, we are thinking that 2-3 fixed bunks are a minimum requirement (if we went with 2 fixed bunks.. ideally we'd like some sort of bench that converts to a bed under one of those bunks.. with kid 4 using the hide a bed pull out option..
At first, the thinking was 4 fixed bunks.. but this is a big purchase and how long with the 15 year old want to come with us.. in 5 years he will be 20 and have his own life (hopefully!)..
Sure a 2 bunk option could work (and maybe a smaller trailer which would then mean maybe (haha right) the current SUV could pull it... but then I wonder how much we'd regret that option when we are all shoulder to shoulder in there.. and constantly taking beds up and down (table to bed option here would have to be used in addition to a hide a bed). I remember how much of a pain that was when I was camping as a kid and that was my bed....the table.. up and down and up and down..

THEN we are thinking.. ok.. maybe get a Motor Home.. the class A's seems HUGE and daunting to try and drive... and not sure how welcome those are in National Parks etc...? so looking at class C.. and the layouts all seem pretty much the same..if you look at only the bunk bed ones.. If you use one of those.how do you like it for 4 kids? how much of a pain is the grandma's attic option? We'd have to tow our Honda Pilot behind, as that is the only other car we own that fits everyone plus the 2 dogs (tightly)

I think if I can get some input on either Class A or a Truck option that would fit all of us plus the dogs.. I can narrow things down before we head to the super show this coming weekend..

Thanks for reading this far!
J and family

19 Replies

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  • Rick_Jay's avatar
    Rick_Jay
    Explorer II
    Feb 27, 2017
    I forgot to address this in my reply above:

    "We'd have to tow our Honda Pilot behind, as that is the only other car we own that fits everyone plus the 2 dogs (tightly)"

    What year Honda Pilot? I don't think they are approved for flat-towing beyond the 2004 model year, and possibly before that. If it's AWD, then I don't think it can be towed on a dolly either. Your only choice is to tow it on a flat-bed. Or.... you could consider picking up a 2004 or earlier model Honda Odyssey. They are roomier than the Pilots, and you can still find some with under 100,000 miles on them. I've actually begun looking for one as we'll be needing a third vehicle in the family soon (16 y.o. son, ys' know! LOL), so another Odyssey is on the short list of vehicles to buy. (He wanted a Mustang! LOL Oh well. :) )

    You could consider picking up a full-size van to tow a TT. We didn't do this as we would've had to buy a new van plus a trailer, and then we would've given up the convenience of the motorhome. However, it would work. I liked the Ford E-350 vans, but now Nissan has the NV which seems to be getting good reviews. So that might be something to look at.

    We ultimately settled on the motorhome idea for a.) convenience and b.) increased utility. We figured we'd use the motorhome for day trips from home, which we have, and it works great. Heck, we've even taken it out to malls for extended shopping trips sometimes, so the dogs go with us. It definitely is a great way to travel.

    It also sounds like you're looking forward through the years for a floorplan that will work looking forward. Wise move. We did the same. That's why we don't like the bunk models as, in our opinion, they waste a lot of space for "sleeping". Our rig uses that space for storage and we emphasized the need for "living space" over "sleeping space". Again, it works well for us.

    ~Rick
  • Rick_Jay's avatar
    Rick_Jay
    Explorer II
    Feb 27, 2017
    Hi,

    Welcome to the Forums! You've stumbled upon a great resource for researching your RV purchase. :)

    We were in your situation and started researching over 15 years ago. Two years after beginning the search process, including LOTS of reading on these forums, we decided that a gas Class A motorhome was best for our family. Thirteen years later, we still have the motorhome and are very happy with our selection. Ours is a bit special as it has a dual-sofa layout, which is pretty rare in gas chassis motorhomes. Although it is more common in diesel Class A's, if you opt for those.

    Two adults, 4 kids and pets CANNOT comfortably fit in a truck, so forget the Fifth wheels. We investigated a full-size van and travel trailer option fairly, but decided a motohome was a better solution. There IS NO better way to travel with your family than in a motorhome. Period. Convenience, convenience, convenience.

    In our search, I had several threads on the topic. I'll see if I can find them in the archives and post them here.

    On Edit: Here are some links from way back...since Georgie Boy went out of business, the links to their site are no longer functional. However, if you search on Coachmen's site, they have some Georgie Boy manuals posted.

    Class A instead of a C? Can you talk us out of it?

    Not my post, but I did a reply: Class A vs Class C - 30' with SuperSlide

    This one has more comments about Georgie Boy, than the family situation: We're thinking about a Cruise Master...sanity check please!!!

    Family Floor Plan

    But DEFINITELY, look into the Class A's. The visibility is much better than the class C's, and they usually have more weight carrying capacity, storage space and larger holding tanks than the C's. Unless you also include the "Super C's", and then things level out a bit in those areas.

    Good Luck in your search,

    ~Rick
  • 2gypsies1's avatar
    2gypsies1
    Explorer III
    Feb 27, 2017
    Just a couple things to think about... depending one the kids' heights, make sure the bunk or dinette conversion would be long enough. Some are very short. Also, definitely consider taking a tent along for the kids. They'd love have a private space.... and so would you. They even make doggy tents. Good luck finding what you need.

    By the way, our 40' motorhome fit in many national parks and other public campgrounds, including Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc. Granted, if you're staying in the eastern parks you'll have a harder time finding long sites but there are always RV parks near the public parks, if needed. Buy the RV that you will be comfortable in and is within your budget. Finding a place for it shouldn't be a worry if you're comfortable mixing up public parks with RV parks.
  • KD4UPL's avatar
    KD4UPL
    Explorer II
    Feb 27, 2017
    I'd be looking at full size 3500 vans for a tow vehicle. If you really want 4wd that they can be made that way. If you buy new you can order it from the dealer already 4wd with a warranty. Vans, both Ford and Chevy, can be found with diesel engines too if that's something you want. If the dealer tells you otherwise get a new dealer.
    As for the camper, towing with a van or even a large SUV will mean that FWs are out. I've been looking at campers with 4 bunks lately and they're a lot easier to find in a TT configuration than a FW anyway.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Feb 27, 2017
    This may sound terrible, but how about a school bus. Leave the first rows of seats and turn the back end into living and sleeping quarters?

    My daughter has 4 kids now, aged 2 to 7. Their vehicles keep getting bigger and bigger.

    The Suburban or passenger van is your best option. Any camper that the vehicle will tow with all the weight of your family will work for you. Look for one that sleeps 8 (main bed, 4 bunks, table converts to a bed, and couch converts to a bed).

    Although the idea of driving 2 vehicles and using one to tow a camper sounds logical. But in my opinion, in actual practice it's not a good thing. It breaks the family unit up too much (my opinion). Families wanting to bond the experience together, need to be together.
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Feb 27, 2017
    Larger class C's and moderate class A's are really not that different in size (and hence where they can or can't go easily). 32' is 32' in either case.

    There are a few reasonable options I can think of. A full size van with a travel trailer would be a good one if you want a towable. You can fit six people and some stuff in the heavier duty vans and still tow a good sized trailer, something that many SUVs and even trucks would have difficulty with due to limited payload. Obviously, it's still necessary to check the numbers in any case.

    A class C or class A could work out decently. Motorhomes tend to be more convenient when actually traveling (it's easier to get to the bathroom or fridge, there's more elbow room than in a tow vehicle) and generally a little quicker to set up camp than a towable, but are often less convenient when staying in one place for a longer time--definitely so if you aren't bringing another vehicle along.

    So long as there's room for everyone to sleep, I personally wouldn't work too hard at making sure everyone has their own private bed (rather than splitting a bed here or there). During somewhat nice weather, you can take along a tent and have or let some of the kids sleep there; frankly they might prefer that in many cases. Of course, you know your family far, far better than I do, so ignore this if I'm talking nonsense.

    Every RV has its tradeoffs.
  • BB_TX's avatar
    BB_TX
    Nomad
    Feb 27, 2017
    I would look at the Ford Transit passenger van for a tow vehicle. Or some of the older discontinued Ford or Chevy/GMC 350/3500 passenger vans. Large SUVs with 3 row seating would work also. 6 people and 2 dogs will get uncomfortable very quickly in anything with two row seating on long drive days.

    Buying a lower priced used travel trailer to fit today's needs, and then trading it for a different model to fit future needs should be considered also. That would minimize any money loss on the trade up.
  • Jebby14's avatar
    Jebby14
    Explorer
    Feb 27, 2017
    proper truck with a mini van. drive one make the older kid and wife drive the other. you are looking at a monster rig especially 4 season to hold you comfortably though. good luck.
  • troubledwaters's avatar
    troubledwaters
    Nomad
    Feb 27, 2017
    Truthfully, with 6 people plus two dogs I really think you are looking for a TT pulled by a Suburban or a Excursion. You could do it with a Crew Cab/Mega Cab type pickup, but I don't think you (and especially the kids) would like it for anything more than about 2 hour trips. You ain't gong to see the Nation in two hour trips. You need a vehicle that can be comfortable (seating 3 per row with a dog on your lap ain't comfortable) for 6 - 10 or more hour stretches, and big enough to tow a 27' (more or less) trailer. That really narrows the choices.

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