Every kid sure is different. This is our first, so everything is trial and error. No instruction manual either, so I never know what the right step is! Haha.
Thanks for the advice.
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We time driving with naps and take long breaks every 2-3 hours. Keep a pile of toys up front so you can give then to baby without having to find the ones theyâve thrown.
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Travel at night as much as possible. We bought some of those stick-on LED lights (with remote) and a kid viewing mirror for the back headrest so we can periodically check on the little one while driving in the dark. Beyond that, as the others said, donât be in a hurry and take lots of breaks as needed! Good luck 
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Also, to provide a glimmer of hope, my kids are 4.5 and 1.5 yrs old now and weâve pulled off a couple 6 hr stretches! My advice is to do it frequently, so itâs just part of life
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We started taking our guy on longer trips over the past 6 months. Heâs actually doing pretty good. Gearing up for the 8 hour journey from Portland to GFC to pick our camper up. My advice. Bring lots of snacks, toys, books, paper to draw on, music and if all else fails (although I havenât tried yet) strap an iPad to the back of a seat and they could watch cartoons?
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IPad mount is a game changer, but often short lived!!! Entertains my maniacs (6, 4) for maybe an hour. But definitely is a good option along with the other suggestions.
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Weâve crisscrossed the country several times with our 4 kiddos. So theyâre used to it. Plan on stopping every 2 to 4 hours. We always stop at rest stops or parks. Sometimes state parks if theyâre easily accessible. But we always picnic. Gets everyone out of the truck and walking around. We donât do restaurants because youâre just sitting again. Small towns usually have parks with picnic tables and playgrounds are a bonus.
Got in the cabâŚdepending on the ageâŚcoloring books, books, cards and games. Littles are harder for sure but just go for it man. Theyâre resilient. It was intimidating at first but itâs become normal. Have fun and make memories.
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Awesome replies. Im stoked to get our little one outdoors and exploring nature instead of sitting behind a computer screen all the time. But i definitely think the ipad hack is gonna be a mandatory feature at some point. I like the idea of stopping at parks @Liv2Bike , thats a great idea to get out and stretch around. Plus it saves money eating out too!
Itâs far from ideal, but I drive through the night while my daughter is sleeping. If I try to drive while sheâs awake, she will have a meltdown until I pull over. It means little sleep for me, but night driving is the only way to roadtrip with a baby IMO
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amen - one less sprinter van.
GFC = camping, van is just a too small RV.
That being said, a proper full size van based sportsmobile is still pretty darn sweet and Iâd be happy to rock that, buuuuuut more $$$ than a tacoma + GFC etc.
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I ended up buying this temp. sensor as you can get multiple remote sensors for it and Iâm using it track temperatures in my kids room too.
There are a bunch of cheap C02 sensors that work well for larger spaces, but the internet makes me think I need to buy something more sensitive for a small space like this, but $100 is pretty steep.
Whatâs your drawer setup? What are your go to items to keep in that drawer 24x7?
Well, weâre not too rigid about it. But since you asked 
, frequently used things like coffee, mugs, disposable and paper products, lighter, etc go in the first compartment, all dishes and cookware in the second, and pretty much all the rest of our camping gear like candles, tablecloth, larger pans, magnetic floodlights, etc go in the farthest back ânon-drawerâ compartment. Nothing is too expensive so it all stays for convenience. Very similar organization to the trunk of the old Buick I had in high schoolâŚ.
I should mention that, since the topic is camping with kids, âkid specificâ items go in a big duffel bag that is packed and repacked every trip and thrown into whatever space of the truck is currently available!
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Re drawers. We have increased our recovery gear collection after being stuck with kids for several hours over Thanksgiving (like Iâve said, we like to get out there, ha) so that plus my tool bag now takes an entire drawer and stays packed 24/7.
The other drawer we leave packed with our 2 burner stove, msr stove for cold weather, and some basic pots and pans, paper towels, etc. I have 2 days worth of backpacking meals in the truck at all times.
Note the stove and anything that smells like food goes into the cab when we sleep, and not back into the drawer, due to being in bear country.
We keep a small bag with some kids toys and coloring stuff in the truck 24/7 as well, that way the only âstuffâ they bring when we camp is tablets and favorite stuffed animals.
Thereâs always a first aid kit in the truck as well and one of those âdechokerâ things because weâve have had a scare before.
Side note- we were close to the big fire that just happened in Colorado and it was a great peice of mind to already be so ready to go quickly. I will be working on a better go bag for clothes. Glad we didnât have to evac and I didnât have to update to the status to âcamping with kids and 2 catsâ
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Lock your tent zippers with mini carabiners. I have 2 curious twin boys who climb everything. Realized the danger our first trip after picking it up and purchased carabiners. But it just takes turning your back for a second, some miss communication, a toddler whining to get up into tent and the next thing you know my 2 1/2 year old unzipped the door and tumbled out. Then a 3 hour drive to an ER and thank goodness he was ok.
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I have twin girls and the original tent where it just zips down on either side of door and then attaches to a piece of Velcro. So the kids can just blast underneath it. This scenario scares me, glad everyone was ok on your end.
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This is awesome. We are a family of 3 (me, wife, 3 year old) about to be a family of 4. My wife is a little concerned about the sleeping space in the GFC. Weâve considered an iKamper and Roofnest Condor XL, both with the dimensions of a king size bed. But I feel like I really like the idea of having two sleeping spaces in the GFC (tent and truck bed).
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Also, anyone here that considered a topper and rooftop tent being separate and decided to go with the GFC have reasons why? Iâve been going back and forth between a GFC and an ARE Z series with a Roofnest Condor XL.
Here is my pros/cons/difference list so far.
-the reason we are in the market for something like this is to sleep off the ground. My wife doesnât like sleeping in ground tents when we are remote. Feels much safer inside a car or roof top tent.
-We are a family of 4 so having a larger sleeping area where we can all sleep together seems appealing. The roofnest condor XL is the dimensions of a king size bed.
-having a topper and roof top tent separate allows for us to take the tent off when not used (or at least the option to).
-can get a topper that you like (with windows or slide in side access) rather than being stuck with GFCs one design.
-we already have a big ground tent (Gazelle hub) that we use for campgrounds and will likely bring on other adventures more remote (for spending time inside), so being able to hang out in the GFC is a plus, but not by much.
Iâm sure more will come up as we try and figure this out! Currently, Iâm sold on a GFC being the perfect one/two night get away in dispersed camping areas here in north Idaho and then using our giant ground tent in campgrounds. But thatâs today, tomorrow Iâll be sold on a topper and rooftop tent being separate. 
Would love to hear peoples thoughts!
Weâre a family of six. Had a shell with a RTT. The RTT was a pain in the ass. And a typical fiberglass shell just isnât built to take the abuse of that roof load long term, and especially when off road. That was one of the reasons we went with a GFC. Not to mention itâs so flippingâ simple to deploy and put away. And itâs made HERE! Factor in the cost of a heavy duty shell with a rack plus a RTT and youâre approaching the cost of a GFC. Hope this helps. Cheers.
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just curious what your wife feels safer from?
anyhow, that condor looks awesome! personally, I didnât want to deal with fiddling with a RTT in addition to a topper. and as toppers go, I like the GFC more. I donât often do it, but being able to STAND in the tent/truck can be a gamechanger in some conditions.
ideally, check each style out in-person and crawl on up in there. youâll likely be fine with either optionâdonât overthink it! (I mean, it sounds like a sprinter or small RV would be bestâŚ)
congrats on the little one on the way!