Has anyone here taken their TL on a camping trip?

I'm supposed to go on a camping trip sometime in August and i'm not sure if I want to drive my TL. I was thinking of renting a car.

Would you take your TL on a camping trip?

 

What do you really think?

 

Nope, rent a car, I think Enterprise rents FX35's, that would be a good bet to haul some gear

 

Depends on how much shit you're taking. Last year, I rented a Chevy Trailblazer for a camping trip......smart move.

 

Which enterprise did you go to to rent the FX?

 

Imagine what it would look like if it rained, you got stuck in mud, car filled with dirty muddy people, and tent poles banged your paint. Is this something you really want to do??

 

I read it on a FX forum, but a quick google found this rental place in NYC

http://www.nycexoticcarrentals.com/vehicles.php

 

Yea your right Jss1. Those are the main reasons why I'm hesitant to drive my TL. I might just rent a car.

Thanks roadman. I'll check out that site.

 

What an opportunity! You can rent an SUV for your camping trip. If you do, please take a picture of it so we can see what one really looks like when it’s OFF the road.

It will also make you fall in love with your TL all over again when you get back.

 

Wanna see some SUV's offroad? Go to my friend's website - www.miniquest.com We do it quite often, even an Infiniti QX4!! No rock-scrambling, mind. Mostly driving around in the desert and getting lost!

 

I don't know about taking a TL off-road.

I recently had an experience with my TL.....

A friend of mine has a house up in Franklin, NC. The house sits well back off a paved road and is accessed by a well maintained dirt/gravel road. The end of which is a hill that goes to the carport.

Anyway, the car did well till it got to the hill.......which isn't that steep. I got about half-way up the hill when the tires just started digging in. Wouldn't go up any further. I had to back down the hill, then drive SLOOOOOOOWLY up the hill (all the while with my tires trying to get purchase).

It wasn't a good experience. I was worred the whole time about my Tranny, etc.....

I've been told this was because of either poor tires (the bridgestones that where on it when purchased) or torque.

May not be anything ...but just my 2 cents worth

 

Sure. Maybe on the way home from the camping trip I would participate in a demolition derby. Then maybe I'd go rally racing with my TL at the Sunbeach Rallysprint in Barbados.

Better buy those mud guards.... :fingerfawk:

 

Depends on the level of camping we are talking about here...We used to go up camping in my friends Accord V6 all the time (it was his baby). Dirt and small sized gravel roads are fine. Depends if you are talking like KOA or certified area, which is usually pretty do-able or just McGuyver-ing it. I have taken my TL camping once and it was fine under those conditions. Rocky roads are a definite no as you will surely ding the car, also anywhere with the potential of mud or large objects, or very steep grades. Otherwise, park somewhere and good luck hiking to the camp site. If you are worried, rent the SUV.

 

There's camping (driving into the middle of nowhere, pitching a tent and roughing it) and there's camping (in a regular type campsite, say at Yosemite or any other National Park).

If I were you, I'd rent an SUV. It's amazing the crap you need to take, and some people seem to need to take EVERYTHING! Did anyone see "Nick and Jessica" on MTV when they went camping? That girl gives us women a bad name! Then all the mud, dirt, twigs, stones etc won't get tracked in your nice car. I have an SUV right now, and I have to say it's nice to have something big enough to throw everything in the back. I am going to miss the trunk space.

Gravel's a swine with anything other than terrain tyres (and sometimes even with!). The only things worse are mud and sand. I could see how the TL would struggle - we've had traction problems using 4WD before. Low and slow is the way to go!! Nothing wrong with the car, imho.

 

Don't forget about that awe factor. Most people don't take nice cars camping, so you might get some looks. I went camping over the July 4th weekend and got some chicks to take a look. Gave me an opprtunity to give them a drive.

Joe