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Quote: Originally posted by Greendemon315 on 11/8/2009

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Take 2 cars.  It will probably cost less than having bikes on the roof.  It's amazing what that does to your fuel consumption. 

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We have just returned from 3 nights away and had to take two cars for a 2.5hr trip. After purchasing our Vermont XL last year, car was just too loaded up and now need a trailer (already had roof box and 2 bikes on top, plus occasionally 2 bikes on back). As only away for one short trip this year, couldnt' afford trailer so only option open to us.

Not as sociable but allowed us to camp so worthwhile. Roll on next year when we get the trailer and can go away without worrying so much about overloading car.

Go for 2 cars and save up for next year.

When we were first married (many moons ago  ) we towed a trailer behind the Morris Minor. The trailer had a cover and on top of the cover was a converted roof rack. This clipped to brackets that I made, on the trailer sides. It was easily removed to allow access to the trailer contents.

The tent travelled on the roof rack and was erected before the roof rack and cover came off the trailer.
Only once the tent was up and especially if it was raining, the trailer was brought into the tent and unpacked there, in the dry.

Then the trailer went outside where it stayed until we were packing up. We then reversed the proceedure. Everything stayed dry and once the cover and rack were back on the trailer, the tent came down and returned to the roof rack. So even if the tent was wet, it only dripped onto the trailer cover and did not soak any of the trailer contents.

The same roof rack could carry anything you wished even a top box and, being lower than the car, would not cause the same wind resistance.

The difference in consumption is substantially more than 10%, but what we're really talking about is comfort and safety.  I have very little regard for fuel consumption anyway - it's just part of the cost of the lifestyle. If you're going to tow a big caravan, as I do, or carry bikes, roofboxes and all the rest, it is going to cost.

Many people overload their cars when it comes to camping time, and the police are now getting down to pursuing them and getting them off the road.  Is it not better to have plenty of spare capacity, not overload the car, and not pack things in so tightly that they can become missiles in the event of an accident?

If you look at the big picture, it makes perfecr sense to take two cars.

Jim