# If I Have An Suv Where Do I Put All Of The Stuff?



## macsdaddy (Jul 17, 2010)

We need to upgrade vehicles for family size reasons and I am wanting to go to at least a 3/4 vehicle. We will have 4 kids, the wife and 2 dogs. I would really like to find a nice Excursion so we can haul everyone and the trailer w/o having a kid between me and my wife. Wifes argument is where does all the stuff like firewood extra hoses etc. go? I can stow everything lese but the big hangup is wood...any ideas? I had considered doing a hitch on the back off the TT and doing a platform with an truckbox what have some of you done?


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

We haul long distances and therefore can't carry wood (don't want to spread invasive species).

Of course in MI you're not supposed to haul wood short distances either. As a result, we buy it when we get there.


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## macsdaddy (Jul 17, 2010)

Nathan said:


> We haul long distances and therefore can't carry wood (don't want to spread invasive species).
> 
> Of course in MI you're not supposed to haul wood short distances either. As a result, we buy it when we get there.


 We haul close for now in state 98 percent of the time


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## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

macsdaddy said:


> We need to upgrade vehicles for family size reasons and I am wanting to go to at least a 3/4 vehicle. We will have 4 kids, the wife and 2 dogs. I would really like to find a nice Excursion so we can haul everyone and the trailer w/o having a kid between me and my wife. Wifes argument is where does all the stuff like firewood extra hoses etc. go? I can stow everything lese but the big hangup is wood...any ideas? I had considered doing a hitch on the back off the TT and doing a platform with an truckbox what have some of you done?


In my Suburban I would put a piece of plywood vertical against back of third row seats and put moving blankets down and around and LOAD IT UP


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## deanintemp (Apr 3, 2007)

Not sure about your area or where you typically camp but most places now-a-days don't let you bring your own firewood. Originally I suspected it was the greedy park owners wanting to make more money on firewood sales. However, it is more due to the spread of the emerald ash borer throughout the United States and the effect it is having on native trees! Some states are now prohibiting the transfer of non-treated or non-controlled wood across state lines!


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## Blue Oval (Jun 7, 2010)

I wrap up firewood with a tarp in the back of SUV like a bday present! (hoping to keep critters contained). I also added a hitch to rear of TT and a rack works nicely, but I usually have the bike rack there so... I hope the link works, it shows the hitch on TT.
Rear Hitch

Good Luck!


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## Steffanie622 (Nov 7, 2009)

SUV's are great when you have a larger family because you aren't crammed with having the 3rd row seat and there is plenty of room to open the back hatch for the dogs to travel back there. All your "stuff" except for a small cooler and goodies for the kids while traveling go into the travel trailer. Get firewood when you get at your destination. We just put down an old blanket in the back to stack the wood and are fine. In MI you can't bring wood across counties so we have to buy when we get there anyways. Not a big deal at all.


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

Steffanie622 said:


> Get firewood when you get at your destination. We just put down an old blanket in the back to stack the wood and are fine. In MI you can't bring wood across counties so we have to buy when we get there anyways. Not a big deal at all.


don't waste space on firewood. Just buy locally wherever you'll be at. In Minnesota and Wisconsin, for the last 2 or 3 years... every time we arrive at a campground...one of the first questions is, did you bring wood? It is prohibited, as others have said, to bring firewood from outside, think , 50 miles.

I used a Yakima Rocket Box on top of my Expedition when we needed extra room for clothes, food, or other relatively light things. They are spendy things, but can really hold ALOT of stuff. I'd carry our canoe on one side of the rack, and the rocket box on the other ... when storage was not a problem, I'd still take the rocket box, but put lesser used items like canoe gear, etc... up there.. just to keep it out of the way..


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

I load down the cargo hold of the Burb with wood and a cooler full of drinks for the ride. 2 adults in front. fold down two left side middle seats for the dogs. Usually 2 or 3 kids stretched out around them. Get's about 8mpg but she doesn't complain. Sometimes we also take the Jeep along as well to give us something to play in. ---Mike


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## macsdaddy (Jul 17, 2010)

Bringing wood to a campground in Oklahoma is not an issue, I like the idea of buying it at the campground but honestly I have only seen it once in a single outing. I think the idea of plywood behind the seat and I could get one of those tough mat trays for the floor and I should be covered. Thanks fopr all the input gives me plenty of ammo for the discussion.


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## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

macsdaddy said:


> Bringing wood to a campground in Oklahoma is not an issue, I like the idea of buying it at the campground but honestly I have only seen it once in a single outing. I think the idea of plywood behind the seat and I could get one of those tough mat trays for the floor and I should be covered. Thanks fopr all the input gives me plenty of ammo for the discussion.


I have a tuff mat as well........ but put blankets down and up sides to save the plastic and contain more debris....


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## macsdaddy (Jul 17, 2010)

clarkely said:


> Bringing wood to a campground in Oklahoma is not an issue, I like the idea of buying it at the campground but honestly I have only seen it once in a single outing. I think the idea of plywood behind the seat and I could get one of those tough mat trays for the floor and I should be covered. Thanks fopr all the input gives me plenty of ammo for the discussion.


I have a tuff mat as well........ but put blankets down and up sides to save the plastic and contain more debris....
[/quote]
looks like we have the same trailer, mines a 2010 but no matter, how does the burb pull it? is it better with the diesel?


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## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

macsdaddy said:


> Bringing wood to a campground in Oklahoma is not an issue, I like the idea of buying it at the campground but honestly I have only seen it once in a single outing. I think the idea of plywood behind the seat and I could get one of those tough mat trays for the floor and I should be covered. Thanks fopr all the input gives me plenty of ammo for the discussion.


I have a tuff mat as well........ but put blankets down and up sides to save the plastic and contain more debris....
[/quote]
looks like we have the same trailer, mines a 2010 but no matter, how does the burb pull it? is it better with the diesel?
[/quote]

It served me well, pulled it pretty good. It has been all over anything PA has to offer (6-8%grades) and has done fine. I took it from SE PA to Florida and back and it did very well (lousy mileage, but did good....... I have a propride hitch which really made up for the fact that i only had 130" of wheel base.

The new truck doubles it up in torque and has a 167" wheel base, and is wicked powerful, so i am expecting a dream ride when i tow with it for the first time this friday. This is a BIG STEP for me...... I like to drive and i liked three rows of seats (there are 6 0f us), i am banking on the power and wheel base making up for the fact that we have to ride three across the front.

Back seat is big enough, i would put our two smaller ones in one seat belt..... but DW would NEVER EVER go for that


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## macsdaddy (Jul 17, 2010)

clarkely said:


> Bringing wood to a campground in Oklahoma is not an issue, I like the idea of buying it at the campground but honestly I have only seen it once in a single outing. I think the idea of plywood behind the seat and I could get one of those tough mat trays for the floor and I should be covered. Thanks fopr all the input gives me plenty of ammo for the discussion.


I have a tuff mat as well........ but put blankets down and up sides to save the plastic and contain more debris....
[/quote]
looks like we have the same trailer, mines a 2010 but no matter, how does the burb pull it? is it better with the diesel?
[/quote]

It served me well, pulled it pretty good. It has been all over anything PA has to offer (6-8%grades) and has done fine. I took it from SE PA to Florida and back and it did very well (lousy mileage, but did good....... I have a propride hitch which really made up for the fact that i only had 130" of wheel base.

The new truck doubles it up in torque and has a 167" wheel base, and is wicked powerful, so i am expecting a dream ride when i tow with it for the first time this friday. This is a BIG STEP for me...... I like to drive and i liked three rows of seats (there are 6 0f us), i am banking on the power and wheel base making up for the fact that we have to ride three across the front.

Back seat is big enough, i would put our two smaller ones in one seat belt..... but DW would NEVER EVER go for that








[/quote]
funny...we are in the same situation we will have 6 too and I am not real excited about 3 across the front. Thats why I was hoping to find a diesel excursion


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