Sleep 7?!?! Am i nuts??

[mtlangst]

Hello we have been camping in a popup trailer for the past 3-4 years. We have been all over pulling it with a nissan nv3500. I am thinking about selling my truck and building an e-350 eb for further out adventures off the beaten path. And figure out somehow to fit/sleep 5 kids in it. Don’t know if that voodoo magic exists here. If there is anyone on here who has shoehorned that many people in a van would appreciate some ideas of how it was done. Thinking a poptop to sleep 2 up. Then a bed platform in back plus some form of temporary platform over two rows of foldable tahoe bench seats.

[Lilnuts2]

You might consider a Class C small motorhome and have Ujoint convert it to 4wheel drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3kidS_GTWI

[Twoxentrix]

OR...a camping trailer??? This article showcases several off-road trailers:
https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/off-road-trailers-2020

[Spr]

Hey there,
I’m also in Illinois just north of the city. Yeah, your nuts. Sounds pretty brutal if you ask me. There is a guy near me that sleeps 3 kids for a total of 5 people in a 170 high roof sprinter. He could sleep 2 more if needed but he can only drive with 5….. I think the biggest issue your going to face is how to safely transport that many people and still have the room for beds/gear…. Definitely intrigued though. Let us know what you come up with.
If your close to the north burbs send me a PM and I can set up a time to show you his build.
Those u joint 4x4 C class’s are baaaad a**. Can’t wait to see one in person

[giant corgi]

bed in back behind passenger seating (storage underneath), rooftop tent or popup, then trailer with another rooftop tent elevated over the trailer and the lower part of trailer for all the gear. for more storage add a front hitch receiver and hitch cargo carrier. See the company venturing on instagram and his website compactcampingstore.com He has all the diy products to build no weld off-roading trailers for a few thousand dollars

[mtlangst]

Thanks for the info. We have a standard popup trailer now. Probably wouldn’t standup touch abuse.

[MauiSportsmobile]

I have a cruiser top E-350 Sportsmobile that I'm pretty sure I could set up for 5 kids and 2 adults. I would just need to add another bed above the dinette bed for two. 3 could sleep above the cab and 2 adults on the dinette bed. A Class C would definitely be roomier and more comfortable though.

[mtlangst]

Thanks. A class c is not as maneuverable offroad. So larger is not what i am looking for.

[mtlangst]

Is a cruiser top the big camper top that extends over the front some? Like 30” in height?

[E-350]

One important question to me: how old/ tall are the kids?

I personally can't sleep across as I'm too big, but my kids could. This way you would already save space.
In case the kids are 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 it would be much easier for the upcoming years than 15, 17, 19, 21, ... :-)
Their size will even matter more than the age...

Let's knock 2 people out due to pop top roof or fixed high roof or whatever. Leaves 5.

My EB has a standard roof. The second row is always in to not fight with child seats every time you want to sleep...
I put a super simple "podest"/ bed/ platform in, so that I can easily remove it to put some bigger stuff in the rear.
Full width, 7ft in length, exactly as high as my RTIC cooler, that needs to go under :-D
Overall costs ~100$.

The bed is separated in the middle and the inner half has fold in legs. This way I can easily slide the inner half over the rear half of the bed and make space for a 3rd seat row.

My two kiddos are 7 and 9. So if worse comes worst we could sleep the following way:
wife + kids on top, I could sleep under the podest with the gear next to me.

Now thinking your kids might not be 6ft:
- "bed" roughly in the middle, so 2-3 can sleep on top and 2 could sleep under it
- or a foldable 3rd row so that you would also have the seating.

See some pictures with my first set up (w/o the sliding part at that time) for reference. I can still fit in a smaller cooler behind the second row.