How Much Camping Stuff will Fit in a RL?

Here's some pics of our RL at Tyler State Park in Texas. We bought the RL for just this purpose and it works well. You should have the seen the look on the faces of the folks next door who were driving a Dodge 2500, seeing all that was being pulled out of the vehicle (especially the in-bed trunk).

The pictures you see don't do justice to the amount of stuff that was put into the in-bed trunk and under the rear seats!!

You should have the seen the look on the faces of the folks next door who were driving a Dodge 2500, seeing all that was being pulled out of the vehicle (especially the in-bed trunk).
Fun, isn't it? :D
When the five of us pull out everything we need, it turns heads!

wow, looks like you had alot of fun. a couple of months back, i went camping Big Bear, Ca. I had my RL filled, and it looked like yours but filled more, i had to use my cargo not and my tie down ratchets to hold everything. The RL drove like there wasn't any cargo at all, i had all compartments filled. Put all the valueables in the trunk like clothes, unfortunately i also had my digital camera and equipment in the trunk so, i dont actually have any pictures until i got there and started unpacking. My cousin brought his dodge 1500 extended bed and i had more camping gear than he did. :eek: unpacking the RL took me along time and repacking after camping. We do have alot of storage space for a untruck like truck for some people. :D

Yep, the RL can hold an amazing amount, check out this thread:

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=145502#post145502

Its great ain't it! We've loaded her to the gills a few times, packs a lot but I often wish the bed was a bit longer, about 6" would have been just perfect.

September vacation through southern Utah, the Ridgeline held all the gear needed for a week. We were two hours from anyone. Opening all the doors and cranking up the stereo makes for a morning concert.
Using the bed extender at the front of the bed and the cargo net over top, kept everything in place on rough roads.

Unbelievably Awesome photos bayhunter! Now that’s a vacation! We used to dry camp when we were younger but my backs too wrecked to sleep on the rocks so we’re getting a travel trailer to escape in. Thanks for the great shots.

We used to dry camp when we were younger but my backs too wrecked to sleep on the rocks...

There is an Aero Bed in that tint! <g>

We used a air mattress for the last few years we tented it. There comes a time when that's not cushy enough. Crawling up from the floor gets harder. We went to a tent trailer and love the luxury of it without sacrificing the ability to get out in the wilds. OK, we don't get to quite the same places, but we still manage to find great places to camp.

September vacation through southern Utah, the Ridgeline held all the gear needed for a week. We were two hours from anyone. Opening all the doors and cranking up the stereo makes for a morning concert.
Using the bed extender at the front of the bed and the cargo net over top, kept everything in place on rough roads.

Outstanding photos bayhuntr. I also very much like white on the RL. I got silver, but just for me, I think white looks awesome.

I very much like the white as well, why I got one!
Taking my husband to King's Canyon over Thanksgiving weekend, going to roast a turkey in my Ultimate Roaster Dutch oven, should be an adventure...
He's never been to any National Parks in CA.
Really looking forward to camping with Corky for the first time, she is already so versatile for work, that camping should be a breeze...
Seeing all these great photos, Bayhuntr, yours are just gorgeous! Maybe we should go to Utah instead!
We only have 4 (maybe 5) days tho... any other suggestions? While I LOVE King's Canyon, I am open to something a bit... more "away"...
And I am sure that Corky can get most anywhere.

Take care....

Here is a shot just finishing up the loading for our trip last weekend (notice the rain).

The trunk was packed with:
4 folding chairs, 2 sleeping bags, air mattress, camp stove, lantern, drop cord and lights (site had electricity) various other items that we would not need until after the camp was set up.

We have a weatherproof lockable bed box secured perfectly in place in the bed beneath the above bed rack system. It contained:
9 person tent, screen tent, 6 small propane tanks, all dishes and utensils, fire starter equipment and other essentials.

The rest of the truck bed was full of firewood.

The cartop bag contained odd shaped items such as:
2 larger sleeping bags, towels and shower items, extra shoes, etc.

The hitch mounted - swing away Thule Terrapin held all of our luggage (it is lockable, weathertight and has built-in lights for brakes and turn signals that plugs into 4 pin connector.) It has 13 cubic feet of space and was more than enough room, plus it swings out of the way to the right to allow access to the bed with the tailgate down or swung to the left.

We ended up supplying not only our fire, but also 2 other campsites that ran out of wood early...and we still had some that we left behind.

This truck is AWESOME for camping! :cool:


I have never seen the Thule Terrapin. I gotta get one of those! Great story about a great truck for recreation.

Here's my families version of going camping with the Ridge.
16216

16217

Palmer -

What's that on your pass-side rear wheel?

Palmer -

What's that on your pass-side rear wheel?

He got 'booted' by the Park Police! :D

Actually, looks like a temp step to get to the roof mounted enclosure.

Bayhunter,

Your top pic is one of the most visually stunning pics I've ever seen. Absolutely beautiful. We have awesome scenery in TN, but not like that.