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

[el_jefe1]

Hooray for foster families who camp! Our 18d is quite small at 18 feet, but with the 3 queen beds, the dinette, and room on the floor for a pack n play, that is 9 people pretty easily. If the kids are under 10 or so, you can turn them sideways and fit 3 per queen bed, that would put you up to potentially 12. We had some foster kids move on recently, so we are down to only 5 kids total right now, but we have various scenarios planned in the camper just in case.

[befu]

epeters wrote:
We have a 3 bunk hybrid with a couch slide. We've had 9 in our trailer (family met us at the campground and some stayed in our trailer).

I would recommend "trying" some before you buy. Meaning, try having a larger person (teenager or full adult) try laying down on the bed or the table after it is converted. Both of ours works for the kids, but once they reach approach 5 feet in height, both the couch and dinette get pretty small.

Otherwise it did great since we spent all the day time outside. If it were raining, 9 inside is pretty tough.

Good points, I will pass the advice onto them. Now I remember doing that in our Puma when we looked at it. My 13 year old son is 6'-0" (no typo) and he and his 11 yo brother fit in the Puma's Dinette without argument. That is saying something! I am 6'5" and I just fit in the dinette overall, so it is pretty big. The other camper they are looking at is a Spree 322BHS and the dinette looks really long (U-shaped) which is nice. Their children are pretty normal, not the freaks of nature that some of mine are turning out to be (size wise that is, mentally they seem fine)

During a rainy camping trip we had friends with their four kids join us in our camper. 17 people in it thinking back. We had about 5 of us around the dinette playing a game, two on the couch, the 1 yo on floor walking around. In the back we had 3 at the fold out table, two up on each bunk playing games and two in the lower bunks reading. No one was in the front bedroom. It was full, but we were fine for a couple hours while it was raining out. That Puma is over 300 square feet!

Thank you for reminding me about laying down and sizing the bed space.

Brian

[epeters]

We have a 3 bunk hybrid with a couch slide. We've had 9 in our trailer (family met us at the campground and some stayed in our trailer).

I would recommend "trying" some before you buy. Meaning, try having a larger person (teenager or full adult) try laying down on the bed or the table after it is converted. Both of ours works for the kids, but once they reach approach 5 feet in height, both the couch and dinette get pretty small.

Otherwise it did great since we spent all the day time outside. If it were raining, 9 inside is pretty tough.

[befu]

dadmomh wrote:
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.

They did get a dog, something called a Mastiff? Just kidding, it is small and not sure if it would even tag along, they have family in the area if needed. The kids are younger, 11 down to newborn. I agree with the trouble of making up the dinette and couch every night, but you can't have everything with 9 kids!

There are plenty of campers out there that will handle a family of 11 no problem, the issue is they already have an E-350 with the 5.4L I believe. A v-10 version might be in their future if they want to travel out west with the family. Around Indiana, OH and Michigan, they would do pretty well as it is reasonably flat around here. The issue would be a Yellowstone trip or grand canyon, that would not be advisable or fun.

The trail manor is neat, especially how light they are. But I think one of the 23' hybrids would be better, like the 233S Roo with a dry weight of only 4500 lbs. Three tipouts for queen beds, a dinette and a fold out couch would fit 10 or 11, just better hope everyone gets along well! As they get older, a tent would help also.

If they had a V-10, I would look at the 314TSB Shadow Cruiser. Same layout as our Puma but only 6,700 lbs dry. With rear bottom bunks replaced by J-cube cushions, the back is set up to handle 6 kids. Awesome design for the weight.

Brian

[befu]

Chuck_S wrote:
Wait a minute. 5 + 4 + 2 = 11 😮 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

Not 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

[dadmomh]

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.

[Dick_B]

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

[Chuck_S]

Wait a minute. 5 + 4 + 2 = 11 😮 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

[bikendan]

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.