Large family problem (we are 8)

[alegoje]

Hello everyone!

What would the options be for a family of 8? I am currently considering the vehicle. The Ford Expedition tows 9,200 lbs with the tow package and we also like the Nissan NV Passenger which tows 8,700 lbs.

Are there any travel trailers light enough too accommodate so many? Camping with the whole family would be my dream vacation, but I am not sure my desire is realistic.

What other vehicles would you consider, and what travel trailers, that could achieve the goal?

I am completely new to towing and RV's so I beg for your patience and help! 🙂

Thank you!

[tatest]

Chevy Express 3500 passenger van is another tow vehicle option. To sleep eight, yes there are options, even in relatively light trailers, if the children can double up in beds and you don't mind using convertible spaces for sleeping. Comfortable living space for that many could require more trailer than you might be able to tow, all depending on your own needs and living space expectations.

FWIW, our family of ten made a three week trip with a 16-foot trailer under 5000 pounds (might be called 18-19 foot today). This one had an overhang bunk over the tongue, to hold a double bed, a twin-size bed converted from a front dinette, a rear gaucho converting to a queen width, seven foot long bed, and two pipe punks over the gaucho. Mom and dad in the overhead; 80-something grandparents in the dinette (in their younger days, a twin slept two people). Two teen boys in the pipe bunks, teen girl, six year old boy, three year old girl in the gaucho, 11 year old boy on either the gaucho or the floor. We opened up some space sometimes by putting a couple of the boys in the back of the station wagon. We didn't eat or recreate in the RV, all that was outside, trailer was for sleeping.

This was not a house-like RV, more 50s: stove-top, hand-pump sink, small fridge and space heater, closet with pit toilet. More facilities today need more space and weight.

You have to figure out what works for you, what experience you seek. Maybe a surprise, the most living and sleeping space for many people is often found in fold-out or pop-up tent campers, which even in their largest sizes, are pretty easy to tow. But if you want a full-scale house on wheels for eight people, towable by SUV, it will likely be lightweight construction, and you'll probably have to do a lot of shopping to find just what works for you. It took us 16 months shopping 2004-05 to find a "house for six" solution, and it turned out to be most economical as a motorhome, when compared to cost of a big enough TT and an adequate tow vehicle.

[Grit_dog]

If you got the budget, a Duramax 3500 van would be ideal.
8 in the same car though.....whew! Any of the kids driving age yet? Could pare down the tow rig considerably and just take 2 cars, little 4 banger 30mpg chase vehicle.

[All_I_could_aff]

I agree with KKWilliams... These full size are solid tow vehicles. I often tow with the similar sized Ford E350 extended van capable of seating 15, but we take out the back two rows, making lots of cargo space and seats for 8.
I actually prefer the Chevy 3500 extended, because They stretch the wheelbase 20 inches, while Ford stretches the rear overhang on the extended vans. Not as stable towing.
But tough to argue with these numbers...

[KKWilliams]

We're a family of 10...

Last summer we spent 6 weeks on the road. Next summer we plan on spending the entire summer traveling. So we spend a lot of time on the road and in the camper. I upgraded my Express 3500 Gasser to a Diesel Express 3500. We haven't had any issues with towing or with storage for our stuff. We seat 12 and have a lot of room in the back to store large coolers for food while we are on the road.

I agree you need to think about payload, once you pack all the people and stuff into a car for a large family the vehicle may be near max capacity for payload already. Then you add the tongue weight of a trailer larger enough to sleep eight and you may have an issue.

[Aron]

I have an Expedition and a family of five. We have a 29' trailer (max weight 6500lbs) that is pretty close to our towing limits. The limiting factor is the Expedition's payload rating (1400lbs), which doesn't leave much spare weight capacity beyond the 5 people and the trailer's tongue weight.

You could easily find a trailer smaller than mine that can sleep eight, but I doubt that you'd be able to accommodate the weight of three more people as well. With a family that large, I agree with the other recommendations here to stick with full-size vans, Class A's, or multiple vehicles. If I could do it over again knowing what I know now, I think I would have purchased a Ford E350, which would have given me a few more trailer options to choose from.

[stvdman]

Gulfstream Super C 6341. Sleeping space for 9 people. That includes a smaller person in the dinette.

8 people in a van/vehicle, plus trailer, plus all the gear to support 8 people, that's a LOT of weight/payload.

[manualman]

A twelve footer popup camper with dual king bed ends, a pup tent, and a 10x12 screen room tent for plopping over the picnic table.

Three small kids easily fit on one king size bed end, one bed end for mom&dad, one kid on the couch, the two oldest in the tent. Done.

Depending on the popup you choose, you should be able to gitterdone with about 400# tongue weight.

[Bobbo]

When there were 7 of us, my parents owned a small class A that we borrowed frequently. It would seat us all for the drive. DW and the girls slept in the RV. The boys and I slept in a tent. Worked for years.

[bikendan]

2012Coleman wrote:
Stop paying attention to tow capacity. Concentrate on payload.

EXACTLY!

[Rick_Jay]

Hi, I'm going to suggest something a little different, just to give you something to think about. We were where you are now with our family of 5 (with one on the way) 14 years ago.

Our Class A rig has seatbelts for 12 (3 on each of two sofas, 4 dinette, driver & passenger). While it's rare to have that many, it's not unheard of, and you can always add them on your own. We have slept 8 & 9 in our rig several times using sleeping bags on the floor...plus two 45 pound dogs. Were we cozy? Sure, but it worked. A tent, if you kids are old enough and wish to use one, would be even better. And our Class A now could probably be purchased (used, of course) for less than the cost of a new Nissan NV (a VERY neat vehicle, by the way, was unaware of them until this thread).

Now it's fairly common to find class A's with bunk beds, plus sofa and dinette for sleeping and a queen bed in back. So sleeping 8 is doable.

I'm just suggesting that you might be able to find a used Class A rig which will accommodate your family and not break the bank. Of course, you'd also have to figure out how to tow a dingy for 8 people. But many cars can be rigged to tow with some work. Of course, one large enough for 8 will exceed the towing capacity of most gas motorhomes, so you'd most likely be looking at diesels with sufficient tow capacity.

There are also some "Super-C's" on the Chevy 5500 Chassis which might even be a better option with their cab-over beds. These were coming out right after we purchased our rig (2005-ish). So you might be able to pick one up for a decent price.

Not sure if you considered this, I know when we started looking for our family of 6, we were looking at towables and tow vehicles. Now, going on our 13th year in our Class A, we know we made the right decision to get the Class A and tow our minivan. It's just so much easier to travel...ESPECIALLY with children.

Do you have an approximate budget for your purchase(s)? What type of vehicle do you have now to fit your family? What are the ages/sizes of your family members? You want to make sure you find a solution that will work as they grow.

Most important, take your time and do your research...it WILL pay off. Buying the wrong vehicle/RV can be an expensive learning lesson. But to research and know what you want BEFORE you put your money down. We spent about 2 years researching...starting off with pop-ups and hybrids to tow with our Odyssey and researching everything in between up to the gas Class A's, which we ultimately decided was best for us.

Good Luck in your search,

~Rick

[sch911]

Consider a GM (Chevy or GMC) 3/4 or 1 ton Van. 12 passenger capacity, Duramax diesel option. This vehicle would meet 100% of your requirements for towing any TT.

[ol__yeller]

The world has changed. Years ago when I was a kid in a family of 8 (I am now 63) our family camped in a 4 room, Ted Williams tent from Sears. We got to the campsite in Dad's 65 Buick Sportwagon. It did have a carrier in the luggage rack. 6 of us traveled in the front seats while the 2 littlest ones rode in the back on top of the tent bag with the Irish Setter. Only Mom and Dad had seatbelts but I don't remember them actually using them. To this day, I still remember those camping trips with great fondness. With the bright blue umbrella tent and the Orange and blue dining fly, it looked like Barnum and Bailey came to town when we set up camp. Today the world is much different but my wish for you is that you can find a way to give your family the same measure of happiness we had all those years ago.

[wildtoad]

Get the Ford assuming you can all fit in it. You should consider what others have suggested in using both the trailer and tents to handle the brood. You will also want to make use of camp facilities for showering and bathroom for some as that many will fill up tanks quickly unless on full hookups.

[2012Coleman]

Stop paying attention to tow capacity. Concentrate on payload.