[Fat Charlie]

We're going a big road trip this August. Lugging the pop-up isn't happening because of the time and effort to set up and take down every day with two kids. I suggested renting an RV, but she decided it would cost too much.

We're taking the minivan and "camping" at campgrounds in "rustic cottages." We're getting all the benefits of a basic structure without having to haul it and set it up. We're not spending on hotels and restaurants- we've got grocery stores, coolers and campfires.

There's a lot more space in the minivan for people than in a regular car, and even with 4 people the cargo space is ridiculous. Personal bags, sleeping bags, coolers, plastic totes for cooking gear and food, camp chairs, a kitchen table and a cassette toilet are all going to fit in the back without even blocking the backglass. We can park in regular spaces, we don't have to worry about a trailer being as well locked as the car or some jackass swerving into our small cargo trailer because he wasn't expecting it to be there. And while the mileage isn't as good as a car, what we're getting for the reduced mileage is well worth it.

If you want tenting, there's plenty of room left over for one. And a couple cots. I hate sleeping on the ground.