Chiose the Ultimate Family Truckster

So I am preparing for my annual sojourn to the beach, 10 hours without traffic. In the vehicle will be grandma, pap-pap, wife, 14 year old daughter, her friend of the same age, 1.5 year old son and me. We take a full-sized van with two bench seats and it works OK. But if I hit the lottery, what would I buy?

A huge RV seems like a natural choice, but I don't need a kitchen or a bed. We won't be living in it, only driving, so it must have comfy legal and safe seating for 8, be easy to drive and park, and decent mileage wouldn't hurt.

I think a Custom Sprinter would be ideal:

... So miata isn't the answer, is it...

8 passenger with bathroom? Yes please!

N Sperlo wrote: ... So miata isn't the answer, is it...

Yes, if I can drive it separately!

Miata is STILL the answer, if you buy 4:

Grandma + daughter

Grandpa + daughter's friend

Wife + son

You, and luggage.

Generic US-based conversion van. No, fuel mileage isn't great (typically mid-teens), but when it coems to travelling long distances in comfort, they're hard to beat.

Used, they're pretty cheap. Like Challenge money cheap if you look. While I still want a Sprinter for its longer floorplan and additional headroom, the simple fact is you can buy a LOT of gas for the price difference between a used Sprinter and a typical used GM/Ford/Dodge conversion van.

Plus, one van with 8 people will use a lot less gas than four Miatas.

1966 retired Greyhound Bus with 1 million miles on the Detroit Diesel with 4 speed manual trans and all the seat belts as required in '66; none.

How big was the lottery? $500M? I would just charter a plane. To Italy.

pinchvalve wrote: I think a Custom Sprinter would be ideal:

My first thought was "damn, that's cool!" But then I started noticing weird stuff... There might be some wasted space outboard of the seats, but there isn't much room to get between them. And while the airliner-style overhead storage looks cool, it also looks sized to allow each passenger a toothbrush and a pair of socks.

Minor quibbles; I'm sure that's not the only layout available, and "custom Sprinter" is very much something that would get my attention upon hitting the lottery...

We rented a caravan for our 6-person/12-hour each-way trip to DC earlier this year and it was absolutely the right tool for the job. The Stow-N-Go have us plenty of room for all our crap and still have leg room. We averaged a measured 22mpg each way, driving 75-80mph. Around town was high teens. Total cost for rental + fuel was just under $500 for the week.

FWIW our kids aren't small: 21, 19, 16 & 13.

If money wasn't an object, Mitchell hit it right...charter a plane.

For a "reasonable" amount of money, I'd say a conversion van the size of a 15 passenger. It'd have enough room for everyone, plus plenty of room for luggage.

pinchvalve wrote: 8 passenger with bathroom? Yes please!

No thanks. I wouldn't wanna be stuck in that thing after someone has to emergency evacuate a McRib.

beans wrote: No thanks. I wouldn't wanna be stuck in that thing after someone has to emergency evacuate a McRib.

For the price they charge for those vans, I am quite confident the bathroom is furnished with a more than adequate exhaust fan.

Ian F wrote:

beans wrote: No thanks. I wouldn't wanna be stuck in that thing after someone has to emergency evacuate a McRib.

For the price they charge for those vans, I am quite confident the bathroom is furnished with a more than adequate exhaust fan.

I remember a video clip where Dave Grohl clarifies that there is no pooping on the tour bus, and if that thing doesn't have the best exhaust fan money can buy, I don't know what does...

Well, I recounted and you have a few too many people, but the Flex has to be the best general use family hauler on the road these days:

JohnRW1621 wrote: 1966 retired Greyhound Bus with 1 million miles on the Detroit Diesel with 4 speed manual trans and all the seat belts as required in '66; none.

snicker

as evidenced

Depends which beach.

If I were headed to the Outer Banks, I'd like something like this.

ransom wrote:

Ian F wrote:

beans wrote: No thanks. I wouldn't wanna be stuck in that thing after someone has to emergency evacuate a McRib.

For the price they charge for those vans, I am quite confident the bathroom is furnished with a more than adequate exhaust fan.

I remember a video clip where Dave Grohl clarifies that there is **no pooping** on the tour bus, and if that thing doesn't have the best exhaust fan money can buy, I don't know what does...

There's always that one....

Usually it's me. Believe me, not even a tank fan can exhaust my fallen brethren's stench after I make a McRib my bitch.