So this summer we camped with 9 kids (Our 5 + 4 foster) in our puma 31dbts and it worked great! Now there is a family in our church that is also considering getting into camping and they have 9 wonderful children, but are in a E-350 van with the 5.4L Definately puts something like our Puma out of the question. They were looking at some light weight travel trailers, but the empty weights are still up there at 7100 lbs empty!So I thought about the hybrids, but the biggest I can seem to find is a 23' model. several of them out there with the three queen tip outs and a slide which gives incredible space for a 23' camper and around 5,000 lbs, but haven't really found anything that is just a bit bigger, maybe in the 25' plus range.Anybody know of lightweight campers with the multiple tipouts that are over the 23' length?Thank you for any who can help, Brian

the only options for that many kids, is a 3-bed hybrid or a bunkhouse hybrid.there used to be quad bunkhouse hybrids, with the 4 bunk beds, the dinette for two, the sofa bed for two and a front queen canvas end for the adults. they were 23' or bigger. the Jayco 26L was a great example of this at 27'7". but no one makes them anymore.even the 3-bed hybrids with a slideout, can sleep at least 10.but either way, the dinette and sofa would have to be made up every nite to fit everyone.

Wait a minute. 5 + 4 + 2 = 11 :O and you want to squeeze that many bodies into a travel trailer of some sort? You're kidding! You need several tents (or a converted Pullman sleeper rail car). -- Chuck

I'd look at www.trailmanor.com and Cabelas or LLBean for tents.

Is there a Trailmanor that will accommodate that many???? Of course, there is a Trailmanor for everything. A HTT is a great idea except for total number of folks to squeeze in. Are any of them old enough that they'd think having their own tent(s) would be a great treat?? If you could get the total number down by just 3 - 4, I think it might be possible....tight, but possible. If there are any much younger, you might be able to put 3 in a bunkend. Making up the sofa and dinette is a chore for every night, but with 9 childrean I feel pretty sure they're up to challenges. Might be that they'd want to just leave those beds made up and spend their time outdoors. Think you need to be looking at ages and genders of the children and move forward from there. Please tell me that there are no large, hairy dogs that camp with them, lol. THAT would be impossible! Good luck and please let us know how this works out....I think this is a first.

Chuck_S wrote:Wait a minute. 5 + 4 + 2 = 11 :O and you want to squeeze that many bodies into a travel trailer of some sort? You're kidding! You need several tents (or a converted Pullman sleeper rail car). -- ChuckNot kidding. We have 5 children, 2 to 13. Last summer we also had 4 foster children with us from 4 to 11. Plus wife and I makes 11 total. The Puma did fantastic with that large dual slide quad bunk back bedroom. Fits 6 kids pretty easily. Then the older three boys crashed on the made up dinette (2) and one in the fold out couch. Wife and I had the queen bed up front.I added a forth row seat to the suburban so it would seat 12 and that actually worked out really well. We tipped the scales right at 17,000, sometimes a few hundred pounds over which is the GVWR of the burb. But all the axle weights were well within spec and it towed beautifully!so no, not kidding. I know it can be done and it can be done comfortably. Now, the other family with 9 kids, that is all their own. And they have a E-350 van and are looking at options. A couple of kids in a tent is always a possibility, especially as they get older (larger).Brian

Large family hybrid out there? (9 kids) | Good Sam Community

23 Replies

befu
Explorer
May 24, 2013
smkettner wrote:
I would have two RVs

I had this thought before, but the wife is needed to tow the boat when we take it up to Lake Michigan.

Update on this. Please note, this is not mine. I am quite happy with my Puma 31dbts and 3/4 ton burb with 4th seat. Well, that and I am back to only 5 kids for now, feels like a vacation.

So they bought a camper, looks nice and I am jealous! They traded the E350 in on a 2011 3500 Express extended wagon with the 6.0 liter. About the best TV option for a growing family of 11! They got a Kodiak 300 BHSL. Great options and layout with the counter space to prep food for all those kids. They camped in it and said it went well. Was supposed to be pretty rainy, but it held off and they had beautiful weather, much better than our first excursion!

http://kodiak-rv.com/index.php?p=floorplans&model=300BHSL

the larger bunks in back allow the kids to sleep more than one per for now. Thanks for all the options, in the end they figured out the Ford E-350 with the 5.4L is more of a people mover, not a big tow vehicle.

Brian
Oasisbob
Explorer
May 15, 2013
We are foster parents and have camped with as many as six including our four. What I have learned is the older kids like to stay out in a tent almost every time. So for this reason we are able to camp with the HTT listed in our signiture below.
Takeda_Family
Explorer
May 14, 2013
A friend has 3 kids and they are in a Jayco 17` her kids are 4,6 and 9 and they are still all 3 sideways on one bunk.
HockeyTownMom
Explorer
May 12, 2013
I have 5 kids in a 23' hybrid with 3 bunks and the slide. I couldn't imagine anymore bodies in there. Not to mention the stuff you need for 11 people.
atreis
Explorer
May 09, 2013
I'd say a 3-bunk HTT would be the rough equivalent of having 5 kids in mine (we have 3)... It'd really be tight. Really tight. Definitely try it before you buy. IMO, a 3-bed hybrid plus a tent would probably work better. If the tent works well, you could actually get away with a smaller TT or HTT and larger tent.

What would work really nicely would be if the kids slept in tents, leaving the trailer for the adults. :)
dadmomh
Explorer
May 09, 2013
Actually looks kinda like a slumber party, except that they're really asleep! DH and I are both "onlies" and missed out on this part of growing up. First, I find it hard to imagine 9 children and second I'm wondering how in the world you maintain any sanity at all. Kudos to you!
Dougie123
Explorer
May 09, 2013
Here is a pic of our passle of 4 sleeping on the floor. Mom was on the slideout dinette and dad was on the couch. We were "turtling" one night (i.e. no bunkend were out).

its tight, but if you put the bunk ends out, you can then put 2 in each bunk end, and there you have 10!
time2roll
Nomad
May 09, 2013
I would have two RVs
el_jefe1
Explorer
May 08, 2013
I'd look at the roo 233s. I really wanted to buy it, but we ended up going the smaller jayco route because of towing capacity. 2 each on 3 queen beds, dinette, and couch folds down + 1 on an air mattress on the floor (which is plenty big). There, that's 11 people in a hybrid.
Dougie123
Explorer
May 08, 2013
Put a few of them on the floor.
With the 3 bunk + slide, you get a lot of floor space.