Large family hybrid out there? (9 kids)

[befu]

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

[befu]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

I would have two RVs

[el_jefe1]

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]

Put a few of them on the floor.
With the 3 bunk + slide, you get a lot of floor space.

[Chuck_S]

I didn't think you were kidding about the number. I still think you're kidding (delusional, actually) about trying everyone into a camper.

-- Chuck

[3LittleDucks]

I would consider a big hybrid, and a tent for some of the older family members. The big 3 bunk hybrids I saw had TONS of floorspace, so could probably put some air mattresses down if need be. It seemed to me like the sleep space was primarily in the beds, and quite limited in the dining area.

Could the little kids sleep 3 per bed?

[dadmomh]

Forgot to tell you, praise for taking in fosters and maintaining sanity with them all. And admiration....neither DH nor I were blesses with unlimited patience. We joke that if we'd had our DS#2 first, we wouldn't have taken a chance with a second one....only kidding sometimes and dead serious other times. He's 45 and still makes his parents NUTS! Our DS#1 with numerous disabilities is 99% of the time a joy. His brother.....oftentimes, not so much. Gotta love him anyway.

[RoyB]

The tent idea has alot of merit as well. We have found that most kids would rather setup in tents when camping anyway... Great way to separate the girls from the boys... This way you just use the inside of the trailer for watching Tv, cleanups, or eating etc...

Roy Ken