When we were looking for the right vehicle for this trip we considered several different vehicles ranging from all sizes of motorhomes to SUVs and minivans (we already own a Toyota Sienna). As we explored different configurations of vehicles, we ultimately deciding to purchase a 2017 15-Passenger Ford Transit XLT and a KZ Sportsman Classic 181BH Camping Trailer. This setup should provide everyone with enough personal space on the road and a few extra seats (8 extra seats to be precise) so everyone can have a little elbow room.
After deciding on the Transit, we considered several other factors to find a vehicle that we thought would work best for us. First, it needed to have a tow package sufficient to pull a camping trailer. We wanted to find one that was not white. Most of these vans are white, which we have nothing against, we just wanted to find something with a little more color. We also wanted to have some privacy glass (i.e. tinting) and to ensure that we had some means to play music and audio books from our mobile devices. That way we could keep the kids out of too much direct sunlight (as much of Our Route will be through multiple deserts) and keep them engaged with some audio books and stories they can listen to on some of the longer drives.
We selected the KZ Sportsman Classic 181BH Camping Trailer because it is compact, light wight, and ultimately because the Transit van is more than capable of pulling it. This particular camping trailer officially sleeps six people, but we have enough beds to be able to fit everyone we need. There are bunk beds in the back of the trailer for the older kids, the dinette bed for the middle kids, and a bed for us too. The camping trailer features a slide out dinette, bathroom with ‘half’ tub (sufficient to wash the kids after getting messy outside), and a kitchenette with a larger than usual refrigerator and freezer.
This seems like a solid plan right now and should give us more than enough to work with along the way.