Brings back memories of when my boys where growing up. I got them to the point they could handle 10-12 hour trips in the back of a Nissan 240. Thinking back they did darn good. They are both in there late 20's now.

 

Another nice 5th wheel... You guys are putting my TT to shame!

 

Nothing wrong with a TT if it fits your style. We started off with a pop-up when the kids were just babes. It was ok, but I haven't met one yet that wasn't a pain in the **** to put up and take down, plus they aren't all that feature rich. The wife was a little cool to the idea of continuing on with it so I decided to up the ante to a TT. I went that route because I still wasn't sure they were going to be all that into it and I didn't want to end up holding the bag on an even bigger money pit.

Turns out they loved going, but the limitations of a TT coupled with a couple young girls reared it's ugly head the first time we had serious rainy weather and everyone was stuck inside. So, there's three strong willed, very vocal, and very stubborn woman types...and me. In the interest of sanity and staying out of jail for homicide, I decided to bite the bullet and go for a nice big fifth wheel toy hauler because the "garage" makes an excellent foul weather play room. As long as it's warm out I can even drop the ramp, and pull down the screen to keep bugs out. Kids love it since they still get the feeling of being outside. It also doubled as a guest room when one of my wifes girl friends came over from Japan to visit. Awesome rig but it sure is a beast. It's advertised as 41' but I measured it at 43' from the nose to the tail.

Pulls nice though.

 

It's not so much that they fight (that's a given no matter where), they just can't take being cooped up that long. The youngest is the worst. When she's awake, she's moving. Even if she is just on the couch watching tv, she can not stop moving. Drives me nuts. Once they reach their limit the moaning groaning and whining starts, and I don't mind cutting it short. I'm usually in no big hurry to get anywhere, and I can plan the trip accordingly.

The gadgets definitely helped. Head rest monitors for never ending re-runs of Tinker Bell, and Toy Story, AnPanMan (Japanese), and what-not. And they have their hand held gadgets.


I'm a little mixed on which direction to go this coming summer. I kind of want to head west, but I also have the urge to head New England way and see if we can wipe out the rest of the eastern US. West sounds good right now just because it's so cold right now. When summer time comes, well, they got some darn good seafood at the Maine Lobster Festival.

 

We did Niagara Falls, Lake Placid, Vermont (Vermont Teddy Bear, Ben and Jerry's, Cabots Creamery), New Hampshire, Maine (Acadia, LL Bean, York) and Boston before heading back west with a stop at Corning NY for the Museum of Glass (VERY COOL place for an afternoon...live glass blowing and all kinds of learning activities for kids), Cleveland (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) and then home...

Our trips 'normally' involve multiple states with multiple stops...the pulling days tend to be long but the days AT the destinations tend to be long also...

Just like this coming July where we'll cover ~4500 towing miles in 3 weeks and 1 day with numerous places to see (Mall of America, Teddy Roosevelt NP, Glacier NP, Spokane WA, Yellowstone, Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer SP, Badlands NP and of course WALL DRUG!!!).

Just pick a place and go is the most important thing...your kids will continue to grow tolerance to travel the more you do it...it is just important to show them the absolute beauty in our country!

I believe my absolute favorite state (other than Hawaii ) is Southern Utah...MAN is that part of this country BEAUTIFUL!!!...you have Lake Powell at the east/southern end then you have Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP about 1 hour apart from each other. Then you have Moab with Arches NP and then Canyonlands NP and Monument Valley where most of the early John Wayne type westerns were filmed...you MUST see that part of the country some day if you haven't already...AWESOME is all I can say!

Joe.

 

Yeah, I only had an Expedition when we were looking so I ended up with a 27' TT, which is perfect for 2-4 though the 2 fold out spare beds are kind of small. Now that I have an F250, the bigger models are talking to me... the Toy Haulers are especially loud.

 

When you went to Acadia did you go to the top of the mountain? I hope so because if you didn't you missed probably one of the most awesome views in this country. Spectacular sight up and down the coast line. It's amazing how many tiny little islands dot the Maine coast up that way. I used to live in Rockland and worked at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath. Next time you get Cleveland way stop at the Science Museum. Really cool place and lots of fun for kids as well. If you like KOAs the Streetsboro location is a nice place for the Cleveland area trips.

Our trips are generally drive a day, and then hang out somewhere a day or two. Rinse and repeat until we get to our "real" destination. That's how we did the Disney trip. Disneys camp ground btw is beautiful. Not cheap by any stretch (not even the dreams are free at Disney!), but absolutely beautiful. And HUGE, but the way it's designed you never feel like you are in a giant crowded camp ground. It was probably one of the most "private" feeling places we stayed, in spite of it's size and the number of people. Take some bicycles though unless you plan to drive everywhere within the camp ground.



Mall of America? Good god no. My wife is Japanese and if there is ANYthing Japanese women know how to do, it's shop. I'm familiar with most of your list but what the heck is Wall Drug??


I spent a good portion of my time in the Marine Corp in southern cali so I got around a fair amount out there. My family lived in Vegas for a while and then Ogden Utah for a bit. Some great fishin up in there! My real goal is to be able to take the entire summer and putz about out west and show the wife and kids what's there. My wife used to be a tour guide in Japan and she likes traveling. The first trip I took her on here in the states was down through south western ohio where it starts getting really flat. He first comment was "so much space....with nothing on it." Wayyy different from her home town.

 

Toy haulers are great, even if you don't have any toys you want to haul. Most of them have queen bunks in there, one of which will convert to twin benches with a table between. Great for hanging out with friends and what-not. Ours even has a half bath and fridge back there. It's perfect for us and the kids. I'm not sure how much unit you can get away with with an F250 but it sure wouldn't hurt to look around.


Oh, gassers suck, PSDs rule, blahdy blahdy blah.... Just to get "back on topic".

 

Everything is give and take. Love the fiver, but I miss the ability to carry stiff in the box and I cannot put my seakayak on the roof rack of the truck. TT definatly have their advantages too. (plus you don't need a diesel to pull 'em)

 

walldrug.com

 

camped out there for the night while traveling to sturgis many years ago.
as they call it a tourist trap.

 

The trailer that Joe and I both have is a great layout for the kids to play and be entertained, while still keeping them away from the adults.
Rear "room" with the TV shelf that I built and added:


The distance between the "master bedroom" and the kid's room:

I've modified the front TV cabinet as well, there are a few more pics of that, and the others of the trailer here:
Index of /jlangton/Eagle
We chose a bumper pull TT because we could pull it with either vehicle.
JL

 

Look how X-hemi and I turned this thread from psd vs V10 bickering to trailers and enjoying trips on the road.

I have always been curious when I have seen one of these huge house on wheels 5th wheel deals go by, how much harder is it getting around compared to like my 24'TT?

Some 5th wheels I see are so huge that they would never make it into some of the campgrounds our fam camps at. I wonder to myself how hard it is just getting around with one of those things. Not on the highway but in towns, back roads, going threw the McDonalds drivethrew and whatnot.

 

We did indeed go up to Cadillac Mountain...and as you say...it is very impressive up there...the day we were up there there were some good clouds but it was still impressive on the one side! We didn't do the sunrise though...

Here's one of my favorite pictures of my girls...actually on the top of Cadillac Mt.




My youngest has been asking to go "back" to Disney World...in May of 2009 while I was out in Anaheim on business for 2 weeks...I was able to bring them out for 10 days...so they did Disney LAND then...but one of these day we will have to try Fort Wilderness as you are yet another that have given it very high marks!


First...

We're just stopping there before we sleep for the night...the first days pull is from Fort Wayne to Minneapolis...figured a few hours at the mall to get some dinner and see the mall...now...my wife may not be Japanese...but let me tell you...she can sure put a hurtin on a poor credit card...then multiply that by two more daughters and it brings me to !

The link above for Wall Drug...well as you drive on I-90 you see these signs "See Wall Drug" and "Free Ice Water" and all kinds of other catchy phrases for like 400+++ miles as you drive...by the time you get there you say WTF let's stop! It started as a simple drug store and has grown into a HUGE tourist trap...but if you are ever by there...you must stop just to say you've been there!...kinda cool actually to see just how large it is...plus get the kids some ice cream...


THANK YOU for your service to our country!!!

Joe.

 

The important thing to me in life is that my kids see this beautiful country...we have so much to offer here with our history and monuments and beautiful country side that I wanted to make sure they had that as a foundation for being a parent when it is time for them to take the lead with their children...

I pray they have the means financially to do what we are able to do...but to be honest...a tent in the trunk of a car works too...just not as comfy when you get there! ... but the important thing is to do SOMETHING.

And this thread...whether someone has a diesel or gasser or hybrid or electric or CNG or whatever...if they are actually pulling a home on wheels behind them...the point is that all these vehicles have gotten them to their destinations...whether someone pulls a given grade/hill at 5mph faster or used .0005% less fuel...is really irrelevant in the scheme of life...

Those that don't tow or haven't gotten out there with their families and simply want to sit behind the keyboard and type...well hopefully some of these photos and the talk of how beautiful our country is will motivate you to hitch up and go and see it for yourselves...

Those that can't because of a financial hardship or economic issues which are all around...I pray that those situations change rapidly for the better to allow you to partake in this for yours and your childrens or grandchildrens sake.

And those that simply want to continue to argue...well unfortunately human nature says there will always be some of those...as you can see there are more than a few of us that enjoy what we drive for the reasons we drive them and everyone has a DIFFERENT reason to drive what they do...and because it is different than yours doesn't make it less valuable or effective...it is simply different.

Those of us that are enjoying what we have and working it hard...know what the deal is...no arguing needed...I let my actions and my trucks actions speak volumes.

Peace,
Joe.