Our first few years of family camping meant loading the van for a trip was like playing Jenga, and, while the process was kind of enjoyable on the front end of the trip, packing up the crumpled clothes, scattered toys, and half open cereal boxes at the end was near madness--sometimes taking 4-6 hours.  The trip home our van resembled the The Beverly Hillbillies:  and, yes, I had considered strapping the kids on the top like Granny.

So, I had this dream of getting a utility trailer to store all the camping equipment , so when we wanted to go camping, we could just hitch up, throw some underwear in a suitcase, stop by the store for weenies and ice, and be.on our way!

Well, I did find a utility trailer.  5X8 feet with 20 inch wood walls.  I built a wood topper that could be put on or taken off, and that would protect the cooler and such from critters at night.

So, after two summers with the trailer, I have to say my fairy tale of the instant getaway has not been realized.  We gave birth to our wonderful fourth child just last summer, and I don't think we could have even gone camping without the trailer.  So, what I found is that the trailer makes camping possible for a family of six, and, while packing the thing is work (still takes a couple of hours on either end),  it is no longer maddening.

For the gearheads:  A minivan really isn't designed to haul much.  In fact, we blew out an engine radiator since hauling the trailer, but we added a $200 transmission cooler and now our van handles the 300lb trailer with the 800 lbs or so of equipment like a charm.  Most vans are rated to pull 3,500 lbs, but you have to also take into account all the weight of the people inside the van as well.  So, 800 pounds of people IN the van reduces your towing capacity.

So, I went really light with the utility trailer, and I totally am glad I added a transcooler to help it cope with the added weight.

A minivan is NOT a suburban.  It has very limited hauling capabilities, especially when stuffed with people.

I also went with 13 inch wheels.  These wheels are slightly larger than the trailers made available at big stores:  Remember, the smaller the wheels, the more rotations they have to make to keep up with the van.  Go with larger, rather than smaller wheels, so that you don't overhead your bearings.



--  So, the trailer has not bippity-boppity-boo'ed all my packing woes away.  We still have to start packing about a week in advance, and the night before a trip still goes a bit late.  But, with a family of six camping is doable and the process is merely hard work rather than maddening.