# Tt / Tv Combo For Big Family (4 Kids)



## txmama (Aug 28, 2010)

Hi ~ 
I've been lurking for a while and have learned a LOT here! I'm hoping to get some feedback/advice before we make a mistake with our purchase.

We are ditching the minivan for a TV & our first trailer (woohoo!), but we're pretty frustrated with the lack of options for a large family...Either the vehicle interior is too small (cab of a truck) or the TT is too big to fit an SUV. Our plan was to get an Expedition (9000lb TC) and the 250RS. Not so sure now after reading this site. Are all of you with large families driving hard-to-find Excursions? Are there any other TT options that are smaller than the 250rs but will sleep 6?

The TV will be my everyday vehicle, AND we love to road trip (which will NOT happen with 4 kids arguing over who "crossed the line" in a pick-up truck)... Any advice you have will be greatly appreciated!! Thank you~


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## GO WEST (May 25, 2009)

That would be a great choice. The Expy has a payload of about 1750 lb. The tongue weight (dry) of the 250RS is 540 lb, but it would be more when you load it up. Add together the "real" tongue weight of the TT and the weights of all your passengers and everything in the TV and the weight of your hitch. You don't want to go (too much) over that 1750. The Excursion has about 200 lbs more tongue weight.

Since your SUV is a daily driver I don't think you will be happy with the EX. An Expy EL gives you more luggage room, but with six people you can't carry a whole lot more in there anyway. You need the 5.4L with 3.73 rear axle. The regular length Expy will be easiest to maneuver around town.

Another SUV comparable to the Ford is the Nissan Armada. Neither the Ford or Nissan will give all that good of mileage towing or not, but you are asking the TV to wear a lot of hats and they both will do it.

The 250RS is a great camper. Here are photos and specs. I'd think you'd want a newer model with the deeper slide with the u-shaped dinette that is long and wide enough to sleep two grown-ups. You have to make it down into a bed every night to sleep six people, but really that's not too hard at all. http://keystone-outback.com/index.php?page=floorplans&model=250RS Another nice feature of the 25 is the fold up bottom bunk with the bike or luggage door; pretty handy.

The lightest bunk room model is the 26RS but you would lose the slide, and I think you will really appreciate the extra space the slide gives. Plus the bigger u-shape table in the 250RS will accomodate more people.


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## CrazyAboutOrchids (Aug 10, 2009)

We have 3 children (9, 11, 13) and bought a used 2003 26RS coming from a large pop up. Most folks are all about slides, but I wanted simplicity when camping, I did years of set up with the pop up and wanted something easier; the rear slide is easy to set up (13 year old does it) and provides sleeping space that does not take away from floor space so I am okay with that. But we don't spend a lot of time in our camper. Folks talk about rainy days, but if it rains, we fish, we get in the truck and go somewhere, we don't sit around in our camper. We are active and on the go and rain doesn't stop that. But, not everyone is of our frame of mind. We've camped 21 nights so far since taking ownership of ours and we have yet to run into a traffic jam without a slide, but of course, everyone is different.

We love the seperate bunks the 26RS gives us; no more worries about he's touching me or she whatever since they have their own 'space' which is so important to them. The sofa across from the dinette allows us to sit around the table with lots of space, and we can actually fit with the smaller kids at the table and larger folks across on the sofa allowing us up to 7 or 8. We normally pull a picnic table sideways under the awning and eat out there; rain or shine anyway. We mostly use the inside table for games. Our camper could fit 10 if needed, but more like 8 comfortably. Hubby and I don't have issues about the sideways queen bed or crawling over each other; we did it for 7 years with our pop up.

When looking, we had a list of what we absolutely had to have and the 26rs fit that while remaining lightweight enough so we didn't have to upgrade our tow vehicle. The older models of Outbacks are lighter than the newer models. We just had to search around till we found one in the condition we were looking for at a price we liked. We paid 7400 for our Outback from original owners who only camped once a year and kept it in excellent shape. Newer is nice, but used means less out of pocket.

I drive a 2003 Yukon XL, we don't travel with water, we are used to camping light coming from the pop up, we don't bring egads of stuff, we have the minimal things that we have to have. Most of our gear was bought for the pop up and weight was always kept in mind when buying things. The only thing I've added to the Outback is a 22" combo tv/dvd player which weighs 10 lbs. Makes bedtime a breeze now!


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

You are doing the right thing by asking first!! Any of the Outback models that you chose you will be happy with as long as it fits your needs.

Are you 100% set on a TV/TT Combo? We had an 08 F350 and 08 Outback 32BHDS. We knew we would be having 4 kids at some time but used this setup until that time came. After visiting all the shows and showrooms we decided to go with a Motorhome to accommodate our family of 6. We sold the truck and trailer and opted for a 39' Diesel Pusher but there are plenty of other MH options, new and used, that could also suit the needs of a large family and be much less expensive. I loved having a big truck but now we dont need one and just tow the car if needed on the longer/vacation type trips. Traveling with everyone in the MH is so nice. Plenty of room for everyone, places to sit and eat, draw/color, watch TV, etc. for the long trips it has been very nice. We are very happy with our decision.

It might not be the right choice for you but I thought I would mention it.


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## TexanThompsons (Apr 21, 2009)

You'll see alot of opinions on here (obviously)! The good thing is at least it sounds like you are starting right by asking questions PRIOR to buying your TT and TV combo. I'm right in your situation so I'll provide my $.02...

We are a family of 6. Ages 5yrs to 3 months. We just did our first trip with the newborn and wouldn't have it any other way. As in my signature, we have an excursion and we're one of the non-simplisitc ones who went with slides. We have the 310BHS which is now the 312BHS. We have bunks in the rear that can sleep 4 on bunks.

For the TT - LOVE it. We searched for a while and even used my parents before we bought...a big consideration for us was sleeping capacity and space for a pack-n-play. The rear bunk area provides ample room for all 4 to sleep back there together. Now, getting them to actually fall asleep is another story. Also, we can all fit around the u-shaped dinette when we have to eat inside (often in TX in the summer in the afternoon when temps reach 100 degrees).

For the TV, we LOVE the excursion! We have an '05 diesel Eddie Bauer edition. My wife uses it as her daily driver and at 4'10" tall, she handles it just fine. We love the amount of room behind the rear seat. We can fit 3 bicycles, luggage, and all the baby gear without a problem. I know another member on here had a 3/4 ton suburban that he recently sold is now doing the crew cab pickup thing (clarkey). I'm sure he'll chime in soon.

So, where is home for you and what are some of your non-negotiables when you're looking at TV and TT?

Good luck in your search. Some of the most fun you'll have is searching!


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

Totally agree on the cab, it would not work for our 4 kids. We have a chevy suburban, plenty of space and separation room for our 4 - we just drove almost 30,000 miles in a year, towing our Outback and boy, the extra space was well-used and much-needed









We now have a 301bq which is fine being towed by our Ferb the Burb but probably more than you're looking for. We had a 28rsds before and that worked out fine too, wouldn't have traded up if we hadn't been on the road for a year, really enjoyed the extra 'proper' bedroom. The 28 has the queen slide out so makes the camper shorter to tow but longer once you're in it. It did have a slide side also which we found useful. The 26rs is a bit shorter, no side slide, so as Crazy said above, if you're not in it too much or for too long, it would be perfectly livable. Hootbob has the 26rs and often travels with more than 3 kids and his mil - they added a patio-room for extra space and the set up works well for them.

All 3 Outbacks I mentioned have the quad bunkhouse which leaves your living area untouched (although you have the extra bed options with sofa and dinette if you really needed them) - we like that!

Good luck with your search, Ali


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## txmama (Aug 28, 2010)

CrazyAboutOrchids said:


> We have 3 children (9, 11, 13) and bought a used 2003 26RS coming from a large pop up. Most folks are all about slides, but I wanted simplicity when camping, I did years of set up with the pop up and wanted something easier; the rear slide is easy to set up (13 year old does it) and provides sleeping space that does not take away from floor space so I am okay with that. But we don't spend a lot of time in our camper. Folks talk about rainy days, but if it rains, we fish, we get in the truck and go somewhere, we don't sit around in our camper. We are active and on the go and rain doesn't stop that. But, not everyone is of our frame of mind. We've camped 21 nights so far since taking ownership of ours and we have yet to run into a traffic jam without a slide, but of course, everyone is different.
> 
> We love the seperate bunks the 26RS gives us; no more worries about he's touching me or she whatever since they have their own 'space' which is so important to them. The sofa across from the dinette allows us to sit around the table with lots of space, and we can actually fit with the smaller kids at the table and larger folks across on the sofa allowing us up to 7 or 8. We normally pull a picnic table sideways under the awning and eat out there; rain or shine anyway. We mostly use the inside table for games. Our camper could fit 10 if needed, but more like 8 comfortably. Hubby and I don't have issues about the sideways queen bed or crawling over each other; we did it for 7 years with our pop up.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all of your advice! We also would prefer simplicity when camping. Is your XL a 1500 or 2500? The Expedtion is very similar to the 1500. We may now scrap that and move on to the XL 2500 or find an Excursion. Thx again!


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## txmama (Aug 28, 2010)

BritsOnTour said:


> We now have a 301bq which is fine being towed by our Ferb the Burb but probably more than you're looking for. We had a 28rsds before and that worked out fine too, wouldn't have traded up if we hadn't been on the road for a year, really enjoyed the extra 'proper' bedroom. The 28 has the queen slide out so makes the camper shorter to tow but longer once you're in it. It did have a slide side also which we found useful. The 26rs is a bit shorter, no side slide, so as Crazy said above, if you're not in it too much or for too long, it would be perfectly livable. Hootbob has the 26rs and often travels with more than 3 kids and his mil - they added a patio-room for extra space and the set up works well for them.
> 
> Good luck with your search, Ali


Appreciate the camper info; good to know there are more choices! A TV question...Would you pull your current TT with a '10 or '11 model 2500 Burb? (6.0L) It looks like you have much more power than what is available today. Thanks again!


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## txmama (Aug 28, 2010)

TexanThompsons said:


> For the TV, we LOVE the excursion! We have an '05 diesel Eddie Bauer edition. My wife uses it as her daily driver and at 4'10" tall, she handles it just fine. We love the amount of room behind the rear seat. We can fit 3 bicycles, luggage, and all the baby gear without a problem. I know another member on here had a 3/4 ton suburban that he recently sold is now doing the crew cab pickup thing (clarkey). I'm sure he'll chime in soon.
> 
> So, where is home for you and what are some of your non-negotiables when you're looking at TV and TT?


Thanks for the info...we are neighbors! We live in the other "land" - the sweeter one. I would love an EX, but DH isn't so sure. He's leaning towards a new 2500 Suburban/YukonXL. Some of our non-negotiables: leather, quad captains chairs, cargo space, & tow ability. That's pretty much it! The excursion fits all of these, and there are a couple in CA, but we'd have to buy it sight unseen. Not sure we have the stomach for that. Thanks again for your help!


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## Mark C and Family (Jan 21, 2007)

txmama -

You are in the same quandery I was in about three years ago. 4 kids, lots of stuff, etc. I had a Ford F150 pulling a 26 foot Outback. The trips were horrible...kids arguing about space, a kid between me and my wife on the front seat, and certainly not enough power nor suspension to tow a larger trailer with a full family safely.

I did my research and ended up with a 2005 diesel Ford Excursion Limited. We now tow a 28 foot Outback and travel very safely. I have enough room and capacity (towing capacity) to handle the load safely. No more white knuckle trips.

I used the Excursion for 2.5 years as a daily driver. Mine is a diesel so it is very expensive to maintain. It was painful to drive as a daily driver, especially because we live in a large metro area and I needed to travel to downtown frequently for business meetings. The Excursion is an excellent travel and pulling vehicle. It is not such a great daily driver if you live where parking is tight, roads are narrow, etc.

I ended up with a commuter car earlier this year to take the wear and tear of daily driving off the excursion and so I could park more easily.

If you have the means, an Excursion with a bunkhouse trailer (We have the Outback 28RSDS) is a great combination. Power, room, comfort in both vehicles.

Good luck with your decision. This is a great place to "lurk" for information.


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## CrazyAboutOrchids (Aug 10, 2009)

[[/quote]

Thanks for all of your advice! We also would prefer simplicity when camping. Is your XL a 1500 or 2500? The Expedtion is very similar to the 1500. We may now scrap that and move on to the XL 2500 or find an Excursion. Thx again!
[/quote]

Our XL is a 1500 series. The guy who pulled our camper before had a 2001 Expedition with a lower tow rating than our vehicle. Seeing how much stuff they had packed in the camper, I am sure they were way over capacity on their vehicle once the camper was loaded, but they only camped once a year and to the same place all except one trip.

Our XL will not beat any records on steep inclines, but it pulls fine, doesn't tax the engine and handles better than our way too heavy pop up with the single axle. I am sure you could easily load up the 26rs since it does have a ton of storage, but we don't carry tons of stuff like some of the lists I've seen posted here. After 7 years, I know what I need to make meals and clothe us for a week and don't bring much else. I did look at a 28rsds, but it would have been too much for our vehicle.

One additional thought, keep in mind where you like to camp when you are determining a camper for your family. We've only camped 21 nights in 9 different locations this year in our new to us rig, but there have been 2 or 3 places so far that would have been far too tight for us to fit into if we had too much more of a rig. If you want flexibility for state parks, etc., keep your length in mind when shopping.


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

txmama said:


> Hi ~
> I've been lurking for a while and have learned a LOT here! I'm hoping to get some feedback/advice before we make a mistake with our purchase.
> 
> We are ditching the minivan for a TV & our first trailer (woohoo!), but we're pretty frustrated with the lack of options for a large family...Either the vehicle interior is too small (cab of a truck) or the TT is too big to fit an SUV. Our plan was to get an Expedition (9000lb TC) and the 250RS. Not so sure now after reading this site. Are all of you with large families driving hard-to-find Excursions? Are there any other TT options that are smaller than the 250rs but will sleep 6?
> ...


An Expedition EL is fine towing the 250RS. I have to wonder though, with all of the new powertrain options becoming available in the F150, if some of those might migrate to the Expedition.

-CC


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## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

TT = We have four kids and love the layout of our 310BHS or the replacement floor plan 312BH, we felt this gave us much more storage than a 301bq.....

TV = Still have and used to Tow with a 2008 2500 Burb, 6.0 and 6 speed, short wheelbase for a trailer that size, propride made up for that (I love the propride hitch and cant put into words how good it is) we used that for 2 years, including a 2500 mile round trip to Disney. I love my Burb!!!

New TV is a 2011 Silverado Crew Cab Duramax......... we just did 1600 miles on our Maine Trip.... i have had to adjust my driving.... i used to have left hand on wheel and right hand on arm rest, i now have left arm on arm rest and right hand on wheel....... WHEEL BASE is KING with large trailers.... THEN THE POWER OF a DIESEL!!! I don't think i will pull with a gasser again .........ever.....

I have done Both, I would go with the Crew Cab Diesel for power and wheel base, keep the minivan for shuffling kids around....... For me the power and wheelbase out weighs and makes towing more comfortable than the SUV.

The other option is a smaller trailer.......... and for me that aint happening yet.....


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## TexanThompsons (Apr 21, 2009)

txmama said:


> For the TV, we LOVE the excursion! We have an '05 diesel Eddie Bauer edition. My wife uses it as her daily driver and at 4'10" tall, she handles it just fine. We love the amount of room behind the rear seat. We can fit 3 bicycles, luggage, and all the baby gear without a problem. I know another member on here had a 3/4 ton suburban that he recently sold is now doing the crew cab pickup thing (clarkey). I'm sure he'll chime in soon.
> 
> So, where is home for you and what are some of your non-negotiables when you're looking at TV and TT?


Thanks for the info...we are neighbors! We live in the other "land" - the sweeter one. I would love an EX, but DH isn't so sure. He's leaning towards a new 2500 Suburban/YukonXL. Some of our non-negotiables: leather, quad captains chairs, cargo space, & tow ability. That's pretty much it! The excursion fits all of these, and there are a couple in CA, but we'd have to buy it sight unseen. Not sure we have the stomach for that. Thanks again for your help!
[/quote]

We looked for an excursion for at least a year. We initially bought the lie of the dealer telling us that our 2003 expedition was plenty of vehicle for the trailer...wow was he wrong. It was not like the newer EL expeditions, it was the normal "too short to tow with" version.

As Clarkely said, a diesel makes all the difference in the world. The 2500 will handle a 36' trailer, fine for most situations. Good thing is you already have it in your mind that a 3/4 ton is the way to go. Good luck and enjoy camping at Brazos Bend...love that park. How old are your kiddos?


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## deanintemp (Apr 3, 2007)

We have three kids, myself, the wife, and the dog. We camp in a 2005 26RS and love the quad bunks. Never needed a side slide as I like to keep it as simple as possible and we go camping to get outdoors not to sit around in the camper. Rainy days, so what, the kids have their own television in their own "bedroom" and can close the accordion door if we don't want to hear it. We pull our camper with a 2005 suburban 1500 and it does very well. 70mph on the highway with no swagger and no complaints. We live in SW Michigan and have taken our rig to Hocking Hills Ohio (extremely hilly) with no white knuckles and no sweat. Our burb has the quad captain chairs and pop-down television for everyone's peace of mind on the longer trips. I use it for my normal run-about and love driving it - great in the winter with the 4x4.

Good luck with your decision...


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