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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

One car or two for a family of four

30 replies

supadupapupascupa · 04/03/2017 20:13

Im looking at the pile of stuff we are accumulating for camping and starting to wonder how on earth we are going to be able to get us (two adults and two children) and the stuff away on holiday camping. How do you do it? Roof box? Trailer? Tow bar mounted box? or just two cars?

OP posts:
samlovesdilys · 05/03/2017 20:40

Ford S Max has the most space in a family car that we could find. Roof box added when needed. Trailer would be next step for us but no rowboat on this car....and keep everything in bags/plastic boxes. My husband approaches the France pack like a scientist, I would not dare interfere!!!

Permanentlyexhausted · 06/03/2017 10:12

For us, it's a roof box and a trailer. We only have one adult to fit in (me), rather than two, but that does rather limit the number of cars we can take!

youngestisapsycho · 06/03/2017 10:18

We used to have a car with a huge boot and still needed a top box... Then DH had his midlife crisis and bought a huge 4x4 thing that fits everything in, and goes off 4 wheel driving every other weekend which is an added bonus! Grin
Some friend bought a canvas type top box thing that can be easily stored away.

hazeyjane · 06/03/2017 10:18

We have a family of 5, and fit all (including a massive bell tent and ds's special needs buggy) in a Vauxhall Zafira with a roofbox.

Pengweng · 06/03/2017 18:49

We only have an I20 which isn't that big and manage to get everything in we need for the four of us using a roofbox and some very tactical packing. Grin

The tent takes up most of the boot! Everything else goes in the roof box and shoved under seats. The DTs are only 4 so their bloody car seats take up loads of room so i think in a few years i can make them sit on all the sleeping bags to save more space!. haha

NennyNooNoo · 06/03/2017 19:56

Roofbox. But every nook and cranny of the car is stuffed with stuff including foot wells (except the driver!) You end up finding random camping things under the seats months later.

Twistmeandturnme · 06/03/2017 20:01

It's doable with one car if you are realistic with what you actually need. If you need a portapotty and a microwave and a kitchen unit and a wardrobe and a 4-ring stove you'll need more cars/trailers.
I once sat in complete wonder as two cars with trailers turned up on the pitch next to ours for a week's holiday with everything: microwave, 2 stoves, a tent for cooking, 2 tents tent for sleeping, a gazebo etc etc etc. There were only three adults and two kids. It was amazing and they were super-comfortable but it took hours to pitch and must have taken even longer to put away!

Foldedtshirt · 06/03/2017 20:03

One car! We camp with 3 teens and they moan, but I can't imagine taking 2 cars on holiday.

LarrytheCucumber · 06/03/2017 20:05

After taking a Ford Focus and a Ka when we went camping, just to get everything in, we invested in a Galaxy. No roof box needed.

highinthesky · 06/03/2017 20:06

Camping and holiday in the same sentence? Confused

daisypond · 06/03/2017 20:13

One car, Nissan Micra at that, and family of four - two teenagers. No roofbox or trailer. Only go away for weekends, mind. It's very tight - the tent fills up the boot.

Lightattheend · 06/03/2017 20:19

One estate car and huge roof box, 2 adults and 2 children. Packing gets very stressful but worth it. Without cheap camping we would not get a holiday at all. The drive and music choice is part of the holiday, wouldn't want to be in separate cars for hours on end.

Milliways · 06/03/2017 23:02

We used to get it all in a massive Volvo boot and all around,under,over the kids.
Then we got a Motorhome and only have to throw clothes on board and fill fridge :)

LarrytheCucumber · 07/03/2017 09:29

Highinthesky best holidays ever.Wink

Original poster
supadupapupascupa · 07/03/2017 10:21

wow thanks guys. We have just bought a Mazda 3 so are investigating possibilities. We don't have a garage so not sure a trailer would do it. It's good to know I was on track thinking we needed more space, but am reassured that we should only be taking the one car.

OP posts:
blackteaplease · 07/03/2017 10:25

Agree with roof box! When we only had 2 kids we got everything including buggy and travel cot in a Honda accord estate with a half roof box and bike rack.

isittheholidaysyet · 09/03/2017 22:28

Trailer
but I bought a massive heavy tent

My sister can do it in her large car, but her (huge) tent packs down small and she is the world's best minimalist when it comes to camping.

yetanotherdeskmove · 17/03/2017 13:08

Big estate (mondeo) and a roof box. On my ideal world we'd have a trailer. But nowhere to store it at the moment.

DancingLedge · 17/03/2017 14:06

Me and 4DC, estate car and roofbox. Resisted temptation to make some of DC do long journeys in the roofbox.

Wishiwasmoiradingle2017 · 17/03/2017 14:09

I once managed with a Nissan Serena +exh +6 dc +tent and all camping paraphernalia to France for 4 weeks!!
Not bloody idea how!!
Now have grand scenic +dh +4dc +roof box and much more compact tent etc!!

NetballHoop · 17/03/2017 14:13

VW Sharan with roofbox and, as others have said, every nook and cranny stuffed with bits and bobs. That was doable for 2 adults and 4 children on a holiday travelling around Scotland. We didn't have camping equipment though.

On overseas holidays we have hired two small cars for less that the cost of one seven seater though.

BiddyPop · 20/03/2017 13:04

For Scouts trips, I have 3 kids in the back, boot full (estate car) and a roofbox full. Cubs tend to overpack their rucksacks, and we tend to throw the gear in. Sleeping bags, SIMs, tent, large bag of spare blankets in the roofbox.

DD and I went camping last summer and took the estate but not the roofbox. We got everything in the boot - admittedly we didn't need extra gear for 2 more people, but we had tent, chairs, table, big plastic tub of gear for kitchen, coolbag, sims, blankets, sleeping bags, and rucksack of gear. And stopped for food en route (about 2 bags for life worth). I could see 4 fitting fairly ok.

2gorgeousboys · 09/04/2017 10:14

We can manage for the weekend in summer with DH and 2 or 3 teen DC in our Honda CRV with a roofbox. However we bought a trailer a couple of years ago when our old Honda was broken so we needed to take the Astra to Cornwall for 2 weeks and we couldn't fit everything in. Now we take the Honda, roof box and trailer and the dog gets the boot to himself rather than being squashed at a teen's feet!

I don't do minimalist camping and the trailer stays packed and ready from Easter to October so that all that needs adding is clothes and food and we are ready to go at a moments notice (in reality when there is a good weather forecast on a Friday morning, we all look at each other and say "shall we?")

DressMeUpInStitches · 11/04/2017 07:59

We're the same gorgeous we're good at last minute camping trips. Got to make the most of the nice weather when it comes!

We have a berlingo, which has a huge boot. But we still need a roofbox.
2 adults, 2 dc, 1 large dog

budgiegirl · 11/04/2017 21:50

Vauxhall Zafira and a roof box. 2 adults, 3 teens. Can't fit the dog in anymore, so we don't always take him. If we do take the dog, we have to take 2 cars.