Large Families: what vehicle did you drive with 5 kids? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 1/15/2024 10:23:11 AM EDT
 Very excited that #5 is in the way. We bought our Highlander for #3. It’s now extremely cramped with 4 kids. While technically feasible with 5, it would be very unpleasant. The rub is that my wife is absolutely opposed to a minivan. Silly, I know, but you gotta hold on to some of those promises you made yourself in youth.  Seems a bit premature for the 15 passenger van. Wondering what else people with large families are driving? Preferably something that can be had for <$30k used.
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When i was a kid, f250, gran torino, full sized d150 van. My 1st son was born, I had a f150 xlt, then k15, then multiple Lincoln town cars, mark 7s & caprices, multiple c20s, c25s, c30s, couple of frontiers, couple of broncos, multiple grand wagoneers & Cherokees, one each tacoma, matrix, mazda323 and montero. Have 5 kids, so I've always had a vehicle that would carry us, they're all grown now. always wanted a van like my pop's 83' d150 he customized into a sweet shaggin' ass party wagon, I borrowed it a lot in high school (my 1st son was born a month after i graduated hs). But I've never ran across one affordable enough to buy that i could customize like he did. |
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We liked the Ford Expedition more than the Toyota Sequoia. The Toyota was more comfortable with more options, but the Ford had more cargo space behind the rear seats. My wife also swore she would never drive a minivan. We kind of inherited a Toyota Sienna and now she loves having a minivan. We took several trips with both SUVs loaded with my 2 youngest and my brother's 4 (one in car seat). Both worked well and were comfy, but when you have that many kids you also have that many bags for clothes and toys, plus cooler(s) for food and snacks, plus cases of water bottles, and don't forget your roadside emergency kit with jumper cables, breaker bar with proper socket for your lugs, emergency blankets, etc, plus first aid kits. On our last big road trip with the minivan we took our 2 youngest and dog to visit our oldest boy. We removed 1 middle seat and 1 rear seat, and rented a small trailer to haul all the extra stuff (plus 1 of the seats we had removed). That system worked well. I wish they had a minivan or an SUV chassis with 4wd or AWD. We're currently looking at Expedition vs Suburban vs Sienna. Expeditions have had a ton of recalls. Suburbans are known to have major AC problem (a friend recently bought one new and went through that hassle). The Siennas are headed down the hybrid and electric path, which we don't want to mess with. Tough decisions on new/used vehicles now-a-days. |
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You’re into suburban or Sequoia territory. Maybe an Excursion if they’re still around. Last gen sequoia with a bench seat can fit 8 adults. Rear fold up bench is legit good for adults and still has room for some cargo (paper grocery bags deep, better than most). Sequoias run forever. Can’t speak to suburbans but there are a lot of older ones on the road. Other option friends with 6 kids use is Mercedes Sprinter van. That’s fairly popular in this area. |
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We started with regular cab pickup, Jeep Cherokee, Grand Caravan, Suburban, 15 passenger Econoline, and 4 years ago the Transit extended, high roof. Almost full, but so nice. 6'9" inside so almost anyone can stand up. Better than the econoline because it has side curtain airbags, every seat has shoulder belts and the seats can come out if we want them to. |
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Originally Posted By Milsurpninja: Very excited that #5 is in the way. We bought our Highlander for #3. It's now extremely cramped with 4 kids. While technically feasible with 5, it would be very unpleasant. The rub is that my wife is absolutely opposed to a minivan. Silly, I know, but you gotta hold on to some of those promises you made yourself in youth. Seems a bit premature for the 15 passenger van. Wondering what else people with large families are driving? Preferably something that can be had for <$30k used. |
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Originally Posted By HBARLeatherneck: We started with regular cab pickup, Jeep Cherokee, Grand Caravan, Suburban, 15 passenger Econoline, and 4 years ago the Transit extended, high roof. Almost full, but so nice. 6'9" inside so almost anyone can stand up. Better than the econoline because it has side curtain airbags, every seat has shoulder belts and the seats can come out if we want them to. https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render/00-S1C6u1JpJ8zTlcO2IVKtioQDNHNr8ExXqmWVtd53LO0Nx700639Ge3LtBLNvXrEMqCe7ffHDJpwno-pEcjtJnw?cn=THISLIFE&res=medium&ts=1598126654 I'm not going to lie... Your Yoder Toter is pretty awesome. Do you have the slider door on the other side? I love the fuck-you bar on the front. |
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Politicians should wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers so we could see their corporate sponsors.
Politicians should wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers so we could see their corporate sponsors.
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Slider is on the passenger side only. They did have a rare one with sliders on both sides. It needs a lift bad. We have 15 miles of dirt road and another 15 of pavement to town. It is AWD, but I should have probably ordered it and had it sent to Quigley for the lift and true 4x4 work. Now, I will lift it and go up a couple of tire sizes. Unfortunately nobody has worked out a great lift for these yet. Thats why I havent lifted it. We also have tons of deer, antelope, cows and coyotes. Nearly everyone here has destroyed a front end hitting one. So, I added the guard. |
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I only have 3…but they’re LARGE. Oldest is now 6’8, middle is 6’4, 12 year old daughter is 5’8 and growing (I’m 6’5) It was mostly suburbans for us…I got a Mercedes sprinter van conversion during Covid that was the favorite. That was when the oldest (and tallest) was in high school and it was by far the best family van we ever had. My wife’s best friend has 8 kids and they have a ford transit conversion that works great for them |
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Originally Posted By 87GMC4X4: Mini van dad here with 4 kids. I don't know of any option for you but a suburban. We reluctantly accepted the minivan, but have fully embraced it now. It may not look good, but its a great family vehicle. That said, Suburbans, Sequoia, or some other full sized SUV may be an option |
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We upsized to a Chevy Express 12 passenger shortly after our 5th was born. The Express is a 2006, but was clean and only had 76,000 miles. For $11k it fits our needs without a car payment. We still have a Toyota Sienna, but with 247,000 miles it rarely gets driven these days. It was also getting tight with all 5 kids. A van and a small trailer will haul about everything that I will ever need to haul. |
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Minivan. We only had 3 kids and that was the only answer that made sense. Unless you are towing or going off road then it's a minivan for a family that size its 20 years later an im taking those same kids to the rockies next month in a lifted xterra with 33in tires |
There, I said it...Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing!
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I just want to go to the backyard, get a stick, and clean this thread off the bottom of my shoe....
| If money wasn't a factor I would buy a Denali Yukon Diesel. But since it is, I bought a Ford Expedition to haul all the grandkids in. We have 3 in big car seats, two in boosters and a moody teenager. |
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My parents hauled us 5 kids around in this daily driver. After i started to drive, my mom couldn't wait to move into something more compact, and this became MY daily driver and she bought a minivan since now she was only hauling 4 kids normally and if we needed to take everyone, we still had the big van. Not very stylish, but lots of room for activities. Eta: you can fit 5 kids into something smaller like sardines, but my parents realized the kids need a buffer zone to avoid constant turmoil while driving. Also, hauling kids around often means "and their friends" or "and all the stuff we need for the activities we are going to do" and 7 people crammed into a 7-seater vehicle without much room left over for storage was painful for everyone. We even rigged up a plywood stand for a tv/vcr combo that we adapted to 12v cigarette lighter for a cross-country trip one summer. This was before you could buy cars with a tv that folds down from the ceiling. |
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Originally Posted By Daggertt: My parents hauled us 5 kids around in this daily driver. https://www.cars.com/i/large/in/v2/stock_photos/de8ae852-b1d1-4f16-a229-63def1ef566b/9482dcee-d1c8-4bdd-95ae-84a6ec8b0fe2.png After i started to drive, my mom couldn't wait to move into something more compact, and this became MY daily driver and she bought a minivan since now she was only hauling 4 kids normally and if we needed to take everyone, we still had the big van. Not very stylish, but lots of room for activities. That's what I'm talking about baby! V-8. 7mpg. You buy that when you have four kids and get to work filling it up lol. I drove one as a kid. Hated it to no end. I wish I had it back now though. Alas, OP, I only got 5 and the wife got fixed. So something like a traverse or explorer fits the bill for us. |
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Originally Posted By SuperStormBryan: That's what I'm talking about baby! V-8. 7mpg. You buy that when you have four kids and get to work filling it up lol. I drove one as a kid. Hated it to no end. I wish I had it back now though. Alas, OP, I only got 5 and the wife got fixed. So something like a traverse or explorer fits the bill for us. My wife almost died with each of our boys so we called it early unfortunately and we'll never need a big van.  |
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Originally Posted By VoodooChile: Minivan. We only had 3 kids and that was the only answer that made sense. Unless you are towing or going off road then it's a minivan for a family that size I also have 3 little devils. My wife and I both have crew cab trucks. Waaaaay better than the Toyota Sienna she had. We find it easier to lift the kids up and in rather than having to stoop over moving around in the van, getting them buckled in and so on. |
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Most practical in your price range is a minivan. Full size vans are great for interior space and traveling. Suburbans, Armadas and Expeditions are more cool and less practical. If we had a fifth, we would probably end up in a 4x4 suburban as my wife hates minivans. We had four in a Durango for awhile and I didn't like how little rear space we had. I would want the expedition max or suburban if we go back to a SUV. |
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Originally Posted By ajroyer: We liked the Ford Expedition more than the Toyota Sequoia. The Toyota was more comfortable with more options, but the Ford had more cargo space behind the rear seats. My wife also swore she would never drive a minivan. We kind of inherited a Toyota Sienna and now she loves having a minivan. We took several trips with both SUVs loaded with my 2 youngest and my brother's 4 (one in car seat). Both worked well and were comfy, but when you have that many kids you also have that many bags for clothes and toys, plus cooler(s) for food and snacks, plus cases of water bottles, and don't forget your roadside emergency kit with jumper cables, breaker bar with proper socket for your lugs, emergency blankets, etc, plus first aid kits. On our last big road trip with the minivan we took our 2 youngest and dog to visit our oldest boy. We removed 1 middle seat and 1 rear seat, and rented a small trailer to haul all the extra stuff (plus 1 of the seats we had removed). That system worked well. I wish they had a minivan or an SUV chassis with 4wd or AWD. We're currently looking at Expedition vs Suburban vs Sienna. Expeditions have had a ton of recalls. Suburbans are known to have major AC problem (a friend recently bought one new and went through that hassle). The Siennas are headed down the hybrid and electric path, which we don't want to mess with. Tough decisions on new/used vehicles now-a-days. |
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Just to go against the grain i think you should look into 6 door limos like This H1 would also work. Eta Heres a great deal Eta looked into the bench seats for hummers and i probably wouldnt do that |
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Originally Posted By tveddy: Just to go against the grain i think you should look into 6 door limos like This H1 would also work. Eta Heres a great deal Eta looked into the bench seats for hummers and i probably wouldnt do that I have always joked that about converting an Brinks armored truck into a family hauler. Black paint job with the gun ports  |
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Im running a Kia Carnival for my 4 kids. We have my nephew over for weeks at a time and he fits in there just fine. We don't even have to add the extra seat if we don't want to. Could fit 5+ in the HMMWV if I ever set up the bed for troop transport. |
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