OP
OP
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- #16
That is very light. Will check it out. $3K more than Sasquatch for a trailer seems very appealing.
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Bronco Overlanding for Beginners: Request for Advice
- Thread starter Pancho Kornwallace
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Love his videos!
Someone also said The Road Chose Me, such practical advice on his channel.
Love Expedition Overland for cinemtography and technical info, but they also have so much sponsorship. But they didn't start like that. I like their older videos.
I know you have said you are more interested in a camper but I will say that if you are only planning on camping in one place one or 2 nights at a time a RTT is a very good option. And it makes every other part of the trip easier not having to tow offroad or through towns making supply or comfort stops and finding parking and such. The RTT are far superior in quality than a walmart special. And ones like the tent I have that have an annex are super nice. It takes maybe 25 min to setup with the annex. On ours a TuffStuff 4x4 Ranger, it has a 56x96 inch main sleeping area that supports the 600lbs that myself and my slimmer than I wife bring up there just fine. With plenty of room to roll around(hey i didnt mean it like that, but thats cool too). But the real nice part is that when you climb down the ladder you are still inside the tent! Downstairs it is even bigger its over 6ft tall inside with windows all around. It has a footprint of about 8'x8'. With enough room to have a pee pot or even sit inside and have dinner when it rains. It also works great for a dog room. Our 2 60lb dogs love the space. It really makes camping feel much more comfortable. Also it wasnt that expensive. Even with shipping to hawaii it was only $1850. subtract $600 for shipping on the mainland. They also have one that is identical but almost twice the width and meant to sleep 4+ without the annex it is only about $400 more. They really are nice. They also have hard shelled ones that while more expensive provide a more solid, less tent like feel. But the standard RTT really do feel like a a higher quality like tents from the 60s and 70s felt.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #19
This is super helpful. My notion of a tent v. camper is dispelled by your comment. I really appreciate it. Love the idea of having the "bathroom" enclosed within the tent as well at night. I am new to this, and I assumed I would have to walk in the middle of the night to a hole that I shovel.
Only remaining concern:
A little worried about wild animals getting close to use at night as we do not have a pet.
With 20+ people together in a group of tents (what I am used to in camping), this is not really a concern. Being totally on our own is what bothers me a bit about the tent v. a truly enclosed and protected space. Having it on the roof may be a happy medium.
Animals could be an issue, we had a boar sniff at our annex once but the dogs making noise scared it off while we were upstairs. Bears seems to be the most likely worry aside from trash pandas. If you have ever watched youtube videos of bears getting into things, you will see that they go through cabin walls to get at empty fridges cause they smell funky. If they want in they will get in. The other thing is that most campers only have 1 door, in an emergency situation like that the windows on most RTT open completely so you could get out onto your roof then run if a bear somehow climbed your ladder. If they did just tear up the annex, they are replaceable usually a few hundred dollars. But if you are out on your own remember to used a tree bag for trash, and lock up any foodstuffs to prevent animals who may get interested in your camp. If you leave food on the grill expect visitors!
Keep watching videos and researching, eventually you will figure out what you really want to camp in. I will say my favorite way to camp is in a 4x4 van. Unfortunately my 79 Quadravan caught fire before it rusted apart, so now Im a bronco camper, until I rebuild a crazy custom body for my old van.
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OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #21
Love the pictures!Animals could be an issue, we had a boar sniff at our annex once but the dogs making noise scared it off while we were upstairs. Bears seems to be the most likely worry aside from trash pandas. If you have ever watched youtube videos of bears getting into things, you will see that they go through cabin walls to get at empty fridges cause they smell funky. If they want in they will get in. The other thing is that most campers only have 1 door, in an emergency situation like that the windows on most RTT open completely so you could get out onto your roof then run if a bear somehow climbed your ladder. If they did just tear up the annex, they are replaceable usually a few hundred dollars. But if you are out on your own remember to used a tree bag for trash, and lock up any foodstuffs to prevent animals who may get interested in your camp. If you leave food on the grill expect visitors!
Keep watching videos and researching, eventually you will figure out what you really want to camp in. I will say my favorite way to camp is in a 4x4 van. Unfortunately my 79 Quadravan caught fire before it rusted apart, so now Im a bronco camper, until I rebuild a crazy custom body for my old van.
#LiveLongAndProsper
I strongly agree with the idea of renting a trailer/camper for your first trip. You will learn much more what fits you and your style than any amount of reading and advice can give you. We rented from rvshare.com recently.
There are pros and cons to any approach. I loved the idea of a rooftop tent until I realized what we like the most is setting up a basecamp in one area and exploring from there. A rooftop tent needs to come down each day and it adds weight up top for a higher center of gravity. If you are mostly cruising forest service roads and moving on each day the rooftop is a good fit. Depends on what you end up liking to do most.
In our case we also found that we like having a bathroom/shower with a holding tank instead of a cassette. And separate sleeping and sitting areas. There are a handful of campers that will work but they don't come cheap.
Another thing to consider is if you are a "payment" buyer or a cash buyer. You can finance a camper for a longer period of time than a vehicle to lower your payment if that is something that interests you.
There are pros and cons to any approach. I loved the idea of a rooftop tent until I realized what we like the most is setting up a basecamp in one area and exploring from there. A rooftop tent needs to come down each day and it adds weight up top for a higher center of gravity. If you are mostly cruising forest service roads and moving on each day the rooftop is a good fit. Depends on what you end up liking to do most.
In our case we also found that we like having a bathroom/shower with a holding tank instead of a cassette. And separate sleeping and sitting areas. There are a handful of campers that will work but they don't come cheap.
Another thing to consider is if you are a "payment" buyer or a cash buyer. You can finance a camper for a longer period of time than a vehicle to lower your payment if that is something that interests you.
- Banned
- #23
this summer i ran into a nice couple at the beach that had a cool trailer made from a cherokee their kid had wrecked ,they welded a tounge on it and gutted it and it was awesome . I dont think it cost alot to outfit it but there is another option for ya i try to find the pics i took.
- Banned
- #24
My idea after watching some YouTube videos is to buy a cheaper 5x7 trailer single axle with a deck, add some framing around to build a box, build the walls and enclose it. Like a small gear trailer. Put roof racks on it and have the trailer be the spot for the RTT. We like to explore in the vehicle but stay in place for a few days at a time. I haven’t seen a company that makes that specifically - maybe there is one.
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These are another option for RTTs but you lose the elevated security and the room of the annex.
Beginner here, I've watched a bunch of videos overlanding, trail riding, off-roading, etc. I don't see much for 2-doors doing all this stuff. How will these 2-door Bronco's (BD) fare on say the medium trails? Top-heavy with a RTT, carrying camping gear, etc.
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I second renting, maybe even stay in a cabin! I would maybe consider moving up to the Big Bend. Taller stock tires, optional rear locker with 4.27 gearing and tow package available.
We had a large hybrid camper (30') that we pulled with our Armada and F-150. Way to heavy for the Bronco. But that was when 3 kids were at home and they brought friends and we usually camped in a group of about 20.
Now we are down to one kid at home and thinking of camping again. Going to stay small, with only particular requirement being an inside potty. This is going to be a tough find at a reasonable price. It's doable, but not going to be cheap.
I would recommend something that can be detached from the Bronco to set a base camp and allow the use of the Bronco for fun and emergencies. A small used pop up camper should be easy to find used (and probably pretty cheap) and maybe a viable option. That's how we started.
But rent first and put most of the money into the Bronco, trailer can be found used everywhere. We got our pop up for free and then gifted it to another family in the camping group when we upgraded.
We had a large hybrid camper (30') that we pulled with our Armada and F-150. Way to heavy for the Bronco. But that was when 3 kids were at home and they brought friends and we usually camped in a group of about 20.
Now we are down to one kid at home and thinking of camping again. Going to stay small, with only particular requirement being an inside potty. This is going to be a tough find at a reasonable price. It's doable, but not going to be cheap.
I would recommend something that can be detached from the Bronco to set a base camp and allow the use of the Bronco for fun and emergencies. A small used pop up camper should be easy to find used (and probably pretty cheap) and maybe a viable option. That's how we started.
But rent first and put most of the money into the Bronco, trailer can be found used everywhere. We got our pop up for free and then gifted it to another family in the camping group when we upgraded.
Everyone that has a Raptor on 35's said it's the most comfortable f150. So I don't think ride quality is going to be an issue, especially on those max traction good years (not mud terrain) How often are you going to do this? Just go buy a tent and go do it now with your normal car. Most "overlanders" are just free campers. The people going over serious terrain are very few, and are doing stuff I wouldn't do alone. The woods are full of vans and other non 4wd vehicles. Only you can decide when it's enough, or too much. I think people buy a ton of gear and barely use it. The people I see with refrigerators and stoves are still boiling water and pouring it into bags. The people with showers and toilets aren't using them as it's too much work and hassle. There is one couple who travels with two toyotas (jammed to the brim) and they were so excited to get a shower using a propane instant heater. And remember, a cassette toilet has to be opened up and emptied somehow. If your vehicle is full of crap and you are pulling a trailer, how many roads are you not going to want to go down?
I would get a basic tent and gear to sleep out, and then use hotels. It's amazing having a nice hot shower and a cooked meal. Alternate and figure out which you like better. Maybe by time you want a trailer the prices will have dropped on all the barely used ones they are selling now.
I would get a basic tent and gear to sleep out, and then use hotels. It's amazing having a nice hot shower and a cooked meal. Alternate and figure out which you like better. Maybe by time you want a trailer the prices will have dropped on all the barely used ones they are selling now.
OP
OP
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- #30
Awesome advice. Thank you!
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