Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
Yeah, you can avoid all those problems with some cheap accessories, too, though. I bought an Inno pod for my Sienna off Kijiji for peanuts. I have a hitch bike rack as well, although to be honest I cheaped out on it and it sucks so bad I hate using it. Spend more if you go that route.
I think if he's going to camp a lot, a 4Runner is actually an awesome idea. Make some black out blinds and throw a chunk of foam in the back and you can have a killer set up. I have camped in my minivan a bunch and it's awesome...when I wake up, I just hit my remote starter and voila, toasty warm. That is so much better than a roof top tent. Plus bears can't get you.
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For me an Thule box/inno is a total PITA. I hate loading them on anything taller than a car and on an SUV I wouldn't be able to get into my garage or the parkade at work without taking it off.
Back country trips I carry at least 50L of extra fuel which I'm not carrying in a cab or SUV, or roof box.
Also, using a 4runner to camp is fine, but I'd still rather do it in a truck with a topper. A 4runner with all the seats folded down basically gives you a 2-seater with a 5'5" box. A truck with a topper gives you a 5-6 seater with a 6' box.
As to the bear comment, I put food in the cab in a bear proof cooler, along with anything with a heavy scent. Another reason I like the separation. Bears have torn into many a car, a rooftop tent might actually be safer in that respect. However I'm personally not a fan of truck tents but YMMV.
To the OP, I've done the SUV route and went to the truck/topper route. The 4runner might be a good option for you, but I found the truck/topper to be infinitely more versatile and wouldn't go back myself.
Since you mentioned mountain biking, take a look at North Shore Racks. The shuttle style rack is pretty sweet.
