Any tent campers on here?

The family went camping with the Cub Scouts this weekend. Other than being a little cold at night, we had a great time.

Here's the problem.

The wagon handled the load, but it was loaded. All the gear and food for 5 people, in the cold, for three days takes up a lot of space.

I have a utility trailer but decided not to use it. To say the car was full, is an understatement.

Problem two is campground bathrooms are horrible. Not moderately horrible, but all the way horrible. Smelly, no shower, or always out of hot water. We also used to do some camping at unimproved sites with no restrooms at all. Not going to happen with the wife anymore. So I need/want to take some of the rough out of roughing it.

The solution is an idea I've been kicking around for a few years. I'm going to build a box or boxes that go in my utility trailer. It will hold all the hard gear like tables, chairs, cooking supplies, tent, canopy, and so on. It will also have a water tank, hot water heater, toilet, and some kind of shower arrangement and house batteries for camp lighting, water pump and minimal power requirements. The camp kitchen will be mounted to the trailer along with the ice box/coolers. Might also include some kind of furnace arrangement to dump a little heat in the tent for those super cold camp outs (The next one is in January.) and possibly a generator.

Basically, I'm looking to build something like this.

http://www.minicampingtrailer.com

But larger. I've got a 4X8X2 foot space to work with. I don't want another trailer, and I don't want to go all out travel trailer. Travel trailers burn too much gas, and are a major undertaking to haul to the mountains for a weekend. I would never use it enough to justify the expense of owning it. Besides I kind of like sleeping in a tent.

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? Anyone done something like this before?

Cousin Ron says: "I wouldn't camp out fer seven days if I was....campin!" lol

And you wonder why I drive a sport utility vehicle. (ducks rain of bottles and bricks certain to follow for suggesting such a non-politically correct vehicle could have a real purpose)

http://www.mikenchell.com/

Teardrop trailers, you sleep in them but there are other ideas here too.

My build there:

http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32516

Google of what you may be talking about:

http://www.adventuretrailers.com/trailers.html

Hotlink:

-James

I can stuff everything in my Durango. It's a feat in itself, but I can pull it off.

My plan for next year is to get a hitch for the truck and borrowing my dads Sears trailer. I have a camp kitchen from Cabelas and a screen tent that goes in. I have a 10x14 foot tent that we sleep in. I have a king size air matress. We have about 3 or 4 Rubbermaid totes that we keep various stuff in. That with our clothes bags, pillows, blankets, and coolers. That's a pretty tight fit.

Your trailer is a good idea. My buddy wants to build a box like that, but not on a trailer.

Also even though you were on a cub scouts event, we have dedicated campgrounds we go to that have good bathrooms and showers.

Did it just a couple weeks ago, also with cub scouts. Our MPV was loaded to the roof. Packing was a chore. Even though we have a big tent, we need a bigger one. I'm thinking one with two or three bedrooms, a great room and a home, er tent? theater.

We've also pulled a small travel trailer to state parks in Virginia. The bath and shower facilities generally exceed my expectations.

all you need is a saab 900 and a Toppola

I'll just leave this right here.

In reply to jamscal:

Cool build. Thanks for sharing.

After years of tents I came up with this, no more crappy showers, has a private toilet, TV, dry bed, fresh coffee and a view of the track

I feel your pain. We did that for several years, with Mountain Bikes added to the equation. Then, against my first instincts, we bought a used pop-up camper.

I wouldn't go back if you paid me.

Pop-ups are easy to pick up cheap ( like less than 3k for a small on) and are often barely used. you can tow it with your wagon easily - our Coleman has AC, stove, one king and one double bed and weighs a shade over 2k lbs. The best thing about them is enough storage to leave it pretty well stocked and haul off on a moments notice. Ours doesn't have restroom facilities, but a porta potty stows easily, plus we are lucky to live in a state whose state parks are well maintained, so the onsite bathrooms are never too bad.

Just sayin, look around craigslist and check prices before you commit to a build out. you might be surprised.

This is the most un-tent tent thread I could have imagined.

In reply to aussiesmg:

How much do you want for it. You'll pay shipping, right?

If you didn't carry it all in on your back, it's just not camping. :)

My wife and I enjoy tent camping. I have slept in RVs before and it's just not the same.

I would like to have an RV one day, but right now tent campin is just fine.

aussiesmg wrote: After years of tents I came up with this, no more crappy showers, has a private toilet, TV, dry bed, fresh coffee and a view of the track

I knew you were going to mention your bus!

In reply to aussiesmg:

How expensive is it to own something like that?

I had just what your planning .....planned.

But a month ago my wife went on a "ladies camping weekend" with one of her friends with a camp trailer, and a few others. Now we are shopping for a toy-hauler.

In reply to jamscal:

Thanks for the sight. I looked over the weekender and now I'm drawing up a plan for a 4x8 5 sheet build. Light enough for my neon, simple and cheap.

I went over you build thread, very nice, too bad you couldn't finish it.

My idea of camping is whether to take the elevator or the stairs to the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Camping... That's when you go on vacation and the hotel wifi doesn't work very well, right? :)

you're far past doing any actual "camping" any more, so you might as well just get a camper and be done with it.

I am not sure were you are located but georgia state parks are very nice. Showers and well maintained bathroom my family camps for about a week every year at lake winfield scott. It has awesome hiking trails, some of the best driving roads in the country and one of the best swimming and fishing lakes around. I will want to see what you come up with for a trailer as I would like to build one myself I wish I had more to add but no experience in that area.

Toyman Were you camping in a Federal campground? They often have the best locations, but poorest facilities.

My wife and I used to camp in Smokemont, outside Cherokee NC. Great location, but I froze my nads off there one night in a tent. We started in tents and it didn't take long to move up to a small Colemen pop up we bought from an uncle. I might would go back to a tent under certain conditions, but not very likely. Old age and cold ground don't make for a good trip. One of the small trailers that have been posted here would be a great idea too.

Your picture should be on the poster for Boy Scout Camping. To me this is the perfect example of the loaded up family car. The picture just needs 4 little Boy Scouts lined up along side the car.
Last summer I did see a campsite at the local state park that had a Uhaul single axle trailer. I suspect they used it to haul the bikes and all the gear then slept inside the trailer (out of the rain) for the evenings.