Long trips in X17Z

[Silverbat]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I purchased a new X17Z in October and have loved it. We have been able to take it out quite a few times for 1-2 night outings. Sometimes we bring our daughters, 8 and 11. Other times just the two of us get away. We are headed to Lake Powell in a week with our daughters for 6 days and I’m trying to figure out the best way to bring everything and stay organized in our tiny space. The space is really tight as far as storage goes, which is probably good as the cargo carry capacity on these is terrible. We keep most items in the truck bed until we’re setting up camp in order not to overload it.

My question for the group is... Have any of you taken your X17Z on long trips with the family? What did you do to stay organized and have everything you need? We’re you stationary for long periods or did you move every few days?

[Grumpy]

My son had the unit and they always used tubs. My DIL put names/marked each and just stacked them up in the back of their van. I've seen others stack them under the end bunk and cover them with a plastic tarp when parked for several days.

[SteveMM]

The longest trip we've done in ours is four nights. You're right about the CCC on the x17z, though ... it's very small. Depending upon how far away from home your destination is, have you considered taking another vehicle? My wife tends to drive separately because her mother is not in great health and she may need to drive home at a moment's notice. Also, since our kids are getting bigger (they're 18 and 16) it allows us to pack a little heavier than otherwise, since she brings the kids in her car and I tow the camper alone.

[Silverbat]

Thanks for the reply’s. We are probably going to keep trips short for a while. We are thinking of buying a fifth wheel for longer trips and using the hybrid for short close ones and renting. I have no desire to buy a new rig this year, but may soon.

[DocBrown]

We used to have a Kiwi 17a, essentially an earlier version of the x17z (it was only 7' wide). We did a 2 week trip, almost 6k miles, in 2005. From Milwaukee to Vegas, to Monterey, to Yosemite, then to Yellowstone, and home again. This was with 3 adults.

We were never in one spot more than 2 nights. Our clothes were in the wardrobe closet, our daughter kept her things in duffel bags. Most of her stuff stayed in the Suburban. Food was purchased as needed, no more than a couple of days at a time. As we traveled it became easiest to eat out, especially since we played tourist everywhere. More expensive of course, but easier.

We brought just about 4-5 days or so of clothes each. We built in down time on the trip and time to do laundry. This was before the Internet was something we all had on our phones, so I looked online ahead of time for laundromats in the places we planned on stopping.

This trip was not a "camping trip" in that we had campfires and sat around the campgrounds a lot. It was a sightseeing trip, so we left a lot of stuff home that wasn't needed. We did have a couple of fires along the way but that was all.

We had a great trip. Very ambitious I know, that many miles in 15 days. But we have a lot of great memories from that trip.

[go wild]

We've done everything from day trips to seasonal campsites; basically pack the same way every time. We're a family of 4. Each person packs a duffel bag, pillow, and sleeping bag. Most of it is stored in the shower. Extra blankets are rolled and stuffed above the beds. Portable canopy, lawn chairs, and cooler ride on the floor. We have 1 plastic tote for swimming/water toys, towels, etc. The grill and a few other items ride in the Jeep. Has worked well for us, for 10 years.

[Silverbat]

I hadn’t thought of storing blankets above the folded mattresses. Great idea!

[Isaacs]

My trailer is similar to yours--no CCC or storage space. My wife and I just spent two weeks in it at Thousand Islands, one campsite and no moving around. We do just fine!

You are correct to use your truck bed for luggage and any heavy stuff. We each pack a suitcase for cool weather just in case. This will also include some "nice" clothing in case we go out to a nice place. Most of the time this stuff stays in the truck. Just keep what you need for everyday in the camper.

Plastic totes work well because they are watertight. They can be stashed under a bunk end. The other bunk end gets the chairs from the campfire so they don't get wet from dew or rain.

[FPM III]

Don't let the small CCC be a show stopper for taking long trips. We camped for 14 years in a Coleman Laramie pop-up (9' box) with my wife and two sons that had far less CCC. Initially, it was pulled with a GMC S-15 extended cab (a cousin to the Chevy S-10), not a full-sized truck, but the bed was covered with a cap which provided a huge amount of storage space, kept things dry, and, being lockable, kept things secure. We often went on two week trips in the summer.

From your post, I gather you have a truck and that's a big part of the solution. However, I don't know what size or whether the bed is open or covered. If it's just an open bed, cover it; whether it be just a tonneau or roll-top. Preferably, a cap will do you the most justice. If you don't have any of these types of covers or can't use these, I suggest purchasing a small tent (with a floor) to store items at your campsite.

I'm sure you're experiencing the same issue as we did with the pop-up: the constant movement of items inside the RV- generally between day and night operations items either ended up on beds (day) or the dinette and/or floor (night). Sorry, there's not much you can do except store those items someplace outside the RV.

With a little thought, you can come up with other solutions. Enjoy the challenge, and have fun. Don't be surprised if your daughters eventually ask to camp outside in a tent. It gives them that private area children need.

Good luck and happy camping!

[SteveMM]

Originally Posted by FPM III

Don't be surprised if your daughters eventually ask to camp outside in a tent. It gives them that private area children need.

Our 16 year old son does this. In general he's not a big fan of the camper and would rather sleep in a tent. We're happy to let him, because it means more room inside for us and his sister