Wheeling with Kids

[cvcruiser]

I guess I'm just searching out there to find out how many of you wheel with your kids. My kids are 10, 2, and 6 1/2 months old and we're getting ready to go wheeling and do some camping this summer. I've been trying to think of ways to improve the car seats so their little melons don't get to jarred around. I think I've even seen a picture on this site with some type of collar supporting a kids head/neck.
Any experiences or advice out there would be great.

Thanks,

CV

 

[clarkrw3]

Just got back from CM 06 and took my 4mo old...he did great!!! and loved it. If I can find a pic I will post it.

 

[bull]

I take my 8 year old daughter and 20 month son all the time. They love it.

It is good for the older one because she loves nature etc. I always plan to pull off the trail and let them stretch their legs every hour or so. Or if there is a cool water feature or area we always stop and let them experience it. Also make sure they can see outside etc.

One thing I reccomend for the little ones is some kind of neck support. I used a blanket and rolled it up and put it around his nexk and head as support. Helped him keep his head steady when were bouncing around.

here is the hurricane hank a sleep on a bumpy trail.

 

[tech_dog]

I took a 3 year old on a fairly agressive 3 day trip. I had him get out of the vehicle during a few tricky climbs, but it was a great trip and we both had a ton of fun.

I think it all depends on the kid.....

 

[cc93cruiser]

Hey Chris, I wheel with my 2 year old all the time.. He is my co-pilot! ....Taking advice from a 2 year old, that's probably why I get myself into trouble while wheeling all the time ...No really, I think as long as you wheel moderately with the little ones in there, you'll have fun and be safe at the same time...Plus you drive a LAND CRUISER, what can possibly go wrong! Hey come by tomm. to pick up those springs, we'll talk cruisers.. Later...
Robert

 

[Brian Macgyver]

My last truck (a short-box Montero) had a sign on the back: "Don't roll the truck, you might wake the baby". It was literally true. We came very close to a roll and that was all that my wife said about it. Screw the rig, just don't disturb the sleeper in the back. My daughter might be upset!
My kid has grown up this way and any kid whose daddy doesn't drive his truck that way isn't normal to her. We don't get crazy or anything, but driving on rough trails and high mountains is normal to her. She is 5 now and doesn't give it a second thought!

 

[Walking Eagle]

I was in Moab with my brother a couple years ago and his then 1 year old. After he fell asleep, my brother took his sweat shirt and tied the arms around his head to keep it from flopping forward and backward with every bump.

 

[Hayes]

I just took my 3-year old and 9-month old on a 5-day camping trip. We covered 200 miles on backroads and rough trails.

They did great.
Seems like modern car-seats do a good job containing their melons. The little one is reclined enough that his head is well-supported 99% of the time. He even slept through some really rough stuff. Of course, every kid is different.
My 3-year old has a Britax booster seat that has excellent lateral head/neck support. Of course, sleeping--even on the higway--doesn't work so well when he's sitting so upright.

I've got a short video of our trip with lots of kid-footage.


Hayes

 

[ginericLC]

Did that again just yesterday! He is 3 now. His first big trip was at 9 months. We did the high Colorado passes near Ouray and Telluride. He was the only one with energy at 13k feet. Same trip he went to Moab for the first time. I think he has been to Moab 3 times. I didn't take him this CM and he called me up crying, "Daddy I want to be in Moab". I'm actually thinking of taking him to the Rubithon this year. Weather will determine that. He loves to go. I can't imagine not wheeling with him now. He definitely prefers the 80 to the 40. He cried when we sold our first 80. And he pouted when I brought home the 40. He did like the topless 40 at slow speeds. On the highway he hated it. Fortunately he likes our current 80, "the big Lanscsr race truck".

 

[MaddBaggins]

My 3-1/2 year old daughter is my #1 wheeling partner. I think I have only taken my cruiser out twice in the last 2 years without her. She absolutley loves it and always asks when is the next time we're going 4 wheeling. She sits in her seat in the front seat of the cruiser(no airbags). The seat we have is very similar to the one Hayes posted above.

 

[Cruiser804]

This a bit of a stinky question, but what do you do about diapers on the long trips?

I guess store them in an air tight container?

Seriously...

 

[Walking Eagle]

This a bit of a stinky question, but what do you do about diapers on the long trips?

I guess store them in an air tight container?

Seriously...

ziplock bag, keeps the "freshness" locked in

 

[Nay]

In my experience, as long as they can hold up their heads fourwheeling is no issue, even hardcore stuff. Unlike seat belt restrained passengers, little ones reclined in car seats just don't get tossed around because they aren't sitting up straight. My kids have slept through some pretty unbelievable stuff and we've watched the head movement on this trips without any concerns, so any modern car seat should be fine. Just take it slow and steady, because IMHO the big issue is a potential roll.b

And yes, you should always have a trash bag for the roof or tire carrier and double bag ziplocs

Nay

 

[bull]

This a bit of a stinky question, but what do you do about diapers on the long trips?

I guess store them in an air tight container?

Seriously...

I hide them like the easter bunny hides eggs in other people's rigs when they are left unoccupied.

 

[Hayes]

I hide them like the easter bunny hides eggs in other people's rigs when they are left unoccupied.

Heehee.
I like that one.

They pretty much get sealed-up and stowed outside the automobile. Most of the time we're only away from garbage dumpsters for a day or two, so carrying around some poo is no big deal.
There are also trips (most of them, really) where nobody should be leaving any poo behind. In that case we've got some kind of system for hauling the really nasty stuff that adults generate. I just picked up a PETT for our recent Canyonlands trip. Worked great. Sealed bags with odor-eating powder stored inside an ammo can stored on the roof.

Otherwise, our littlest one is in cloth diapers, and the big solid stuff can just be shaken-off into a cat-hole.

Sorry for the graphic descriptions.

Hayes

 

[cruiser88]

my 6 year old little girl is just as nuts as i am she wanted to ride on the hood on the way home last week.of course i told her no and called her my little freak .she makes me proud .but anyway look at my avitar that picture was her idea.

 

[BROKEROB1]

My son does a nice job spotting and also LOVES to take pictures. The overhead DVD player comes in handy to and from the trails that are more than an hour or two away. It is great to see so many dads spending time with their kids

 

[Josh83]

My son just turned 11 months on saturday...he is almost ready. I can't wait to take him out. About a month ago I took him back on the farm for about an hour through some creeks and stuff and he slept right through it all.

 

[Brian Macgyver]

Got you all beat!! My daughter first went Wheeling two months before she was born. She kept kicking Mom's navel and saying "I can't see anything!".
It's in her blood. She's five now and wants a Cruiser.

 

[OZCAL]

This a bit of a stinky question, but what do you do about diapers on the long trips?

I guess store them in an air tight container?

Seriously...

I used to put them in a ziplock, then on the roofrack.