Picking a Tow Vehicle for Large Family
We are looking at taking our four children on the road for a 6-12 month trip while we road school/travel nurse. We also have a dog, plus all our gear, so your typical 3/4 ton pickup just doesn't fit o...
Forum Discussion
MolinuWanderer wrote:
For us, having a vehicle towed behind a MH is not an option. Kids are aged 1, 3, 5, and 9- so we deal with car seats nearly all around. Not legal, and dangerous to having kids out and about, unrestrained. So yes- having a vehicle that can seat each person is imperative!
We will be gone 6-12 months, leaving in January from FL. We plan to hang on the lower 48, headed west to CA through March. Spend spring on the West Coast. Don't even attempt to cross the rockies until May-June, and travel across the northern US from Jun-Aug or Sept, then make our way down the eastern side of the US from Sept on, back to FL. No driving in snow- purposely planning for that.
The E350's tow capacity from even 2010-2012 that I saw were 11-12k pounds. Smaller passengers, 70 lb dog, so I think we should get away with it then! The reason we were considering a 15 passenger would be to remove that last row and have more cargo space. I didn't think about the longer overhang affecting the tow handling. The more you know! Thanks for the insight, all.
Especially with that many young children and the car seat thrown in IMO the ONLY OPTION is a full sized Van with individual captain type chairs for each passenger. One critical item is that for extended traveling the non driving parent is going to need to move around and attend to the younger children while moving and that will only be possible with a passenger based Van with captain chairs with asile access to the various rows of seats.
Think long and hard on how you will use this for that extended time both day wise and time during a single day.
You might have to buy a passenger Van then mod it for the captain chairs and it might be tough to do all that for your 10 to 12K budget.
I made multiple trips coast to coast towing with a full sized Van with pets and only two children so I know what you are going to face with this access consideration while on the road.
Just stopping in inclement weather and moving all those young passengers out of a vehicle is going to be a Chinese fire drill that you want to at least get prepared to do out of the weather and not standing outside in the pouring rain with a door open fiddling with seat belts, rain coast and umbrellas.
Larry
