help with ideas for an expo rig for a family with too many kids. lol

[digitaldelay]

:drool:

 

[kojackJKU]

My vote is suburban. Why, because im in the same boat and have a suburban for this purpose. Have two kids, and we take the mother in law with us quite a bit. The suburban is a great rig. even better with some mods!..I do think those safari vans with lifts are cool as s*&t tho!

 

[4D55 Performance]

I would recommend the the Gen II.5 or Gen III Montero. While they are completely different vehicles, both will seat 7 comfortably and offer excellent fuel economy for an SUV. My 2000 Gen II.5 Montero always averaged over 20 mpg and I saw as high as 24mpg on the freeway. A very nice Montero can be had for $4000-7000 depending on the model and year. They make fantastic daily drivers and aftermarket support is adequate. While the aftermarket support is not as strong as Jeep and Toyota, you can still get what you want for the most part.

I have also had FZJ80's but they are a little cramped. If your family is short then an FZJ80 may work as well but expect to pay a premium.

 

[98GP]

I released my '98 wrangler last year before Christmas to purchase a larger more family friendly vehicle. I landed a 2005 excursion. I haven't camped with it or had it trail riding, but for the trips to Sam's club and making the rounds on Christmas Day it can't be beat. THere is six in my family and the Ex is great. I like to think my Ex is just like my old TJ on steriods...solid axle front and rear, bigger stronger engine, more tow capacity, and more seating.
I do plan to use it over our mini van when our youngest is old enough to travel to the beach and what not (although the gas expense may change my mind).
I dont have a use for a pick-up all the time but when it comes time to purchase a mattress, carry many sheets of plywood/lumber, or other such items, the Ex doubles good for that.
What I think is the most benefit to a larger vehicle like this (suburban, yukon, excursion...) for a family of 5 or more is everybody has some "elbow room". It really eases the complaining, yelling and screaming, and general kid issues that arise when they sit next to each other.

 

[Warn Industries]

Here's a darkhorse entry: Suzuki XL-7. Third-row seating, genuine two-speed transfer case, and pretty inexpensive. Automatic trans with a V6; earlier versions could be had with a manual if that's your thing. OME makes lifts for them.

- Andy

 

[Team Wild]

I would say Ford Bronco, The back seat will fit 3 car seats and there are tons of modifications you can do. Its not nearly as big as a Suburban. I also second the Suzuki XL7 I had one and loved it. I sold it and wish I didn't. Good Luck!

 

[belkar]

Our Travelall will easily fit 3 car seats. The rear bench is close to 6' wide. We've even considered adding a 4th seatbelt. On a trip with extended family one of the other vehicles broke down and we were able to squeeze 2 adults next to a car seat and a booster seat. The whole passenger compartment is very roomy. Some have a factory 3rd row, but it doesn't leave much storage space.

There's plenty of room in the back for gear, but it's around 10" shorter than a Suburban so it doesn't feel huge driving it. Plus if you get a 3/4 ton you can swap in a GM Dana 60 on the front and have Dana 60s on both ends. If you can find one in good shape I think they're a good buy. The only downside is the gas mileage. It gets 10mpg. The upside is that it holds 55 gallons of fuel in 3 tanks. It's super simple and other than a few wiring issues (modifications by PO not factory harness) it has been super-reliable.

Standard old vehicle extra maintenance disclaimer.

 

[bowstryder]

For the money I agree with the suburban. I may be slightly biased but I tried with a 98 zj and as the family grew the jeep shrunk. I find myself driving and liking the dinosaur so much more than the jeep. Plus they are super cheap and easy to work on.

 

[Hondakilla98]

Have you measured to see how wide the back seat needs to be for three car seats? Maybe a zj or wj? They are a little bigger and not much more money. But I don't have any kids, so I'm not sure how wide car seats are. I'd also go to the store and see if there is a narrower option for the car seats. Then hit the used car lots with a tape measure and see what will work.

I picked up my 5.9 zj with arb, lift, custom stereo and 116k for $4k. Now after some mods I'm around $6500.

 

[Martinjmpr]

"Seating" capacity is only part of the equation. Just because you can 'seat' 7 people doesn't mean you can accomodate the "stuff" that 7 people will inevitably have with them.

OP has small kids that require car seats - which means he also has kids that require strollers and diaper bags. Modern strollers are HUGE and take up a lot of space in an SUV, even when folded up.

I consider my 4th gen 4runner to be a fairly large vehicle, both inside and out, and yet, a couple of months ago we took a weekend trip with our kids and grandbaby (1 year old) and we could barely fit 4 adults and 1 baby and all the attendant stuff that the baby needs. The area behind the back seat was fully packed, all the way to the roof: Stroller, backpack, diaper bag, extra food and water, camera bag, hats and jackets, and that's in addition to the action packer I normally carry in the back with my emergency supplies.

Honestly I think this is a good reason to consider one of those Yakima Rocket Boxes or similar - an enclosed box that sits on top of the vehicle and can carry all your extra crap.

 

[Martinjmpr]

To the OP: Have you considered a 1st gen Expedition? IMO this is a way under-rated 4x4 that tends to get overlooked a lot. Has the same running gear as the F-150, available 3-row seating, 4x4 and DIRT CHEAP! I've seen 1998-2001 examples in decent "soccer mom" condition going for as little as $2500 around here (Denver.)

They're not that good on MPG, but then again, neither are most minivans.

 

[bfdiesel]

Suburban. Can fit six people and all their stuff in it or nine people and all their stuff on,in and around it. Also if you are like me you can keep your shoes on as the pedels are farther apart than an Astro van.

 

[digitaldelay]

^^^ Well said.

Jason

 

[ert01]

I had a similar dilemma earlier this year... we outgrew my XJ. I still have it and DD it on 4.5" and 35's but we needed a more child friendly vehicle that my wife was comfortable driving.

We settled on a Toyota FZJ80. It has seating for 7 (the 3rd row is only for children though. I doubt any adult could ever fit back there). It has solid axles, lockers, 4wd and a decent engine. It fit all my criteria and its loaded with leather and it is comfortable for my wife to drive in the city. It doesn't physically feel that much larger than my XJ but it does have a lot more room inside.

I really didn't want to go to a full size vehicle (suburban, expedition, etc...) simply because it would be a lot more of a handful for my wife to drive. She has only ever driven small cars and my XJ so I didn't want her to have to parallel park a big boat when she's downtown. I feel the FZJ has fit our family quite well.

We already did a month in Alaska in it. Loaded it up with my RTT and camp gear and it got a little bouncy on some roads, but it handled like a champ and really impressed me off road.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk HD

 

[Box Rocket]

FZJ80. Works perfect for my family. Wife, 4 kids, dog. Cargo room can run out with gear for a full family depending on how/what you pack. For me that's why I built the trailer. No way I'd do a Suburban or Van. That's just me. I'm a Toyota loyalist and my cruisers have never let me down.