Where Do You Haul Your Gear?

W

WaySlowWhitey

New member
We're camping more and more yet finding it harder and harder to load the truck with our gear (Food/water, tent, cots, chairs, sleeping bags, MTB gear, dog, etc.). I have a Rola rack and load that up but at 6'6" and with my seat brackets I can only fold down the passenger side seat. Considering a Baja rack or one of these to haul gear:

Ruger Trailers
- or -
About Us | SPACE™ Trailers

I would rather not fill the garage with the trailer (HOA won't allow me to park the trailer in the back yard).

Any thoughts, suggestions, pics?
 
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When you mention the Rola I assume you are talking about this:

Rola 59502 2" Steel Cargo Carrier - 2 Piece : Amazon.com : Automotive

We have the one that's pictured in the above link, it's very heavy duty and can hold a ton of gear. Check out the pictures on the Amazon site, someone has a few gear boxes stacked to almost as tall as the SUV - I suppose you could do it that way?

When we travel we also have a Thule Atlantis 1800 on top, it can hold a lot of gear as well.

Check out this site as well if you are looking at some sort of trailer to pull:
ExPo: Adventure and Overland Travel Enthusiasts

Got to Forum, then look for the Expedition Trailers section, it'll give you an idea of what's out there and what people are building themselves. I do like the Ruger trailer you mention; however, at $3K+ that's an expensive trailer. Check Craig's List, you can sometimes find deals there. I'm down here in Texas and saw one on there for around $1,700 - it looked exactly like the Ruger you mention, just no top...

Found it: JEEP TRAILER
 
Thanks TX-L. You're correct on the Rola. It doesn't hold enough stuff thus the consideration for the Baja. Benefits to me on the trailer go beyond camping to include trips to the hardware store, etc. That said, neither trailers I've found are cheap. Thanks for the CL ad. I'll reach out there and see what I can find.
 
Out of curiosity, how many is "we" and how long are you camping? On week-long, gear-intensive climbing or mountaineering trips, my buddy and I never need more than the space in the back of one of our SUVs, with the back seats up.. This includes food, basecamp gear, and sometimes water. If you have more than 2 people, I could understand how space could become an issue, but if it's just you and a friend or significant other, I might rethink your packing strategy or how much you really need to pack. For comparison, I'm 6'3 and my friend is 6'1.
 
Either I am going to buy a truck or I am going to buy a hitch mounted platform for those bigger trips. Some of the platforms are really nice!
 
Tip: liquor is easier to pack than beer.

The platforms are interesting, but almost all of them negate a bike rack.
OP would have to get a trailer that he can mount up bike racks to, as well.

OP, I'd take a long look at what I need. Cots? Those take up lots of space!

As a standard-issue family man, with 2 kids and a dog, I understand how premium space can be. Honestly, food ends up taking the most space for a 3 day trip. I've done it just fine, though, in the 4R with stuff in the basket up top. I have a feeling you should pack higher on the rack.
 
Between these two Hardigg chests and the rear of the truck, I've had plenty of room for a pretty serious amount of gear.

IMAG0551.jpg~original

IMAG0552.jpg~original
 
WaySlowWhitey said:
We're camping more and more yet finding it harder and harder to load the truck with our gear (Food/water, tent, cots, chairs, sleeping bags, MTB gear, dog, etc.). I have a Rola rack and load that up but at 6'6" and with my seat brackets I can only fold down the passenger side seat. Considering a Baja rack or one of these to haul gear:

Ruger Trailers
- or -
About Us | SPACE™ Trailers

I would rather not fill the garage with the trailer (HOA won't allow me to park the trailer in the back yard).

Any thoughts, suggestions, pics?
Click to expand...


IMHO cheapest solution will be roof box unless you are willing to review your camping needs and take less stuff with you or invest in smaller camping equipment.
 
Thanks for all the input! Here's our typical load-out for a 3+ day trip (Our = 5'3" girlfriend, 42lb Red Heeler and me @ 6'6"):

- 6 Person tent (Room for us and gear (Bikes as needed due to weather)
- 2 Cots (Yes it's snivel gear but after a 20+ mile alpine ride, a little comfort is welcome)
- 2 Bikes and gear (Helmets, cleats, etc.) on hitch mounted rack
- Sleeping bags and Therma-rests
- Clothes
- Food and liquor (Great point on liquor vs. beer)
- Camp chairs
- Water
- Backpacking camp stove

For the life of me I can't see what we need to cut back on. Yes the cots are heavy/take up space but some comfort is welcome.

That said, packing the rack higher is a consideration as is a roof-box. Like the flexibility of a trailer for other things but can't justify $3,500+.
 
I have the same ROLA hitch basket... http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/64871-roof-rack-hitch-setups-here-10.html I can put at least two mountain bikes on it with my Thule fork mounts, but when I go camping I have the same problems with room. My predicament is I have a family of four and two dogs. My rear cargo space is completely taken up by a metal dog kennel. I bought a Thule Atlantis 1800 cargo box for the roof on Thule rails, then have room on the ROLA cargo box for a plastic tough box and cooler. I pack sleeping bags, the tent, and four backpacks in the rooftop box, then all of my food and smaller items in the tough box, pack the cooler, and also have room to put other things on the hitch basket (camp stove, water can, etc). I really can put a LOT of things in the tough box, and more than you would think in the rooftop box when I pack it right. I also learned the hard way to make sure that my cooler and tough box on the hitch basket provided clearance for my lift gate so I can let the dogs out at rest stops. It works for us, and I absolutely love my rooftop cargo box because without it, I would have no options for bringing my gear/suitcases with the dog kennel in the back.
That combination, looks to me like I probably have about as much room as the two cargo trailers in your original post. Add in the rear cargo space, (if I had it) I'd be set without having to tow anything.
 
A Baja rack is looking more appealing. That said where do you guys carry lumber and other "stuff" aside from camping gear? Coming from someone who's essentially always had a P/U I still wonder where to haul that stuff.
 
I guess I still don't see where the space issue arises.. I can fit everything you listed (minus cots, bikes [which are hitch-mounted anyways], and dog) in a 40l backpack. Get a tarp for your bikes and use a 2 person tent maybe? Although the size difference isn't that great, it's mostly just weight.

Do you bring a pair of socks, underwear, and different change of clothes for every day you're out? Try bringing 2 or 3 pairs of socks and changing them out. Don't wear underwear - saves a lot of space. I usually wear the same wool shirt for an entire trip. Wool is naturally antimicrobial, very minimal smell issues, and I sweat a LOT.

After backpacking 20+ miles average per day on a backpacking trip with a 30lb pack, I find the thermarest is quite comfortable on its own, give it a try! And if that just isn't enough, double up with a thermarest and a closed-cell foam mattress pad. They're compact, and I bet you'd save a ton of space vs. the cots.
 
WaySlowWhitey said:
A Baja rack is looking more appealing. That said where do you guys carry lumber and other "stuff" aside from camping gear? Coming from someone who's essentially always had a P/U I still wonder where to haul that stuff.
Click to expand...

I have a moving blanket I throw over the tailgate and put the window down.
 
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