I don't have an E yet however; I'm seriously looking into getting one. I currently have a Ford Explorer Sport that my wife and I use for camping all the time (Florida).

I could certainly use the better gas mileage so I'll probably look for the 07 E with the 5 speed automatic.

The Explorer Sport doesn't hold that much (2 door) and the loading is tough - all from the rear. I'm looking for a lower floor for easier loading and not having to lift the equipment so high.

I like the idea of the two suicide doors for side loading in the Element.

Not sure of the weight I'd be putting in, but this is what I want load. Currently in the Explorer:
Tent, Air mattress (with cot base), large bin, stove, grille, large suitcase, screen room, two coolers, camping kitchen and several chairs plus recliner and sometimes firewood. This totally fills up the truck - just enough room to see out the rear-view mirror.

I need all this PLUS I'm getting two Kayaks (on the top) and two bikes (on a hitch mounted bike rack).

Because we live in the Ft. Lauderdale area (south Florida), our camping trips often take us 300 to 1000 miles from home. With that said, we'd be driving mostly highway speeds - 60 to 70 mph.

Currently, (without the Kayaks) we get around 20-22 mpg with the Explorer loaded at the speeds mentioned.

I know the current Element rates at 25 mpg highway - NOT LOADED like this (that's why I was waiting for the '07 5 speed auto).

Has anyone loaded something similar - or am I nuts loading the E like this? - OR - am I totally barking up the wrong tree looking at an Element at all?

Any comments would be GREATLY appreciated.

I Like to camp too.

I run sound for a worship band, and one weekend we went to south Carloina.
I hauled the keyboard, Drums, mic stands, mic cables, Speakers, subs, and bunch of other things as well. We drove close to 300 miles one way at about 70 mph and I got 22-23 mpg.

I had a lot of weight in the Element and got really good gas mileage.

The trick to getting good gas mileage with a huge load is being easy on the pedal.

but the Element will def. get the job done for you.

I've done the 2 kayaks, 2 bikes and camping gear trip (with 2 people and an 80 pound dog) and it was all that the Element could handle, it felt sluggish. I got under 20 for gas mileage going between 60-68 mph on a 400 mile trip.

yes, don't expect better milage.

i regularly load up like that, and get ~20 if i keep it to 70mph.

load it more, or put more bikes on top, and it can drop to 16mpg


it is much easier to load, though. and more fun!

I am a "minimalist" camper, so I can't tell you about load limits and mileage issues.

But as for roominess and access, my good camping buddies that I go with a lot, Lynn and Dave, bought an Explorer shortly before I got my Element. They like to take enough with them to set up a second homestead at the campsite.

When Lynn first saw my Element, and the amount of room inside, she told me, "I have to work on convincing myself that we didn't buy the wrong truck." :)

I just spent a weekend "dog showing" with some friends who have an Exploder. My E can load just as much, if not more, than the Exploder anyday. And more easily too! After cramming all that junk into their Exploder, when it came time for me to go home, I took the gear and put it into my E with ease. Their mouths kinda dropped.

I don't have an E yet however; I'm seriously looking into getting one. I currently have a Ford Explorer Sport that my wife and I use for camping all the time (Florida).

I could certainly use the better gas mileage so I'll probably look for the 07 E with the 5 speed automatic.

The Explorer Sport doesn't hold that much (2 door) and the loading is tough - all from the rear. I'm looking for a lower floor for easier loading and not having to lift the equipment so high.

I like the idea of the two suicide doors for side loading in the Element.

Not sure of the weight I'd be putting in, but this is what I want load. Currently in the Explorer:
Tent, Air mattress (with cot base), large bin, stove, grille, large suitcase, screen room, two coolers, camping kitchen and several chairs plus recliner and sometimes firewood. This totally fills up the truck - just enough room to see out the rear-view mirror.

I need all this PLUS I'm getting two Kayaks (on the top) and two bikes (on a hitch mounted bike rack).

Because we live in the Ft. Lauderdale area (south Florida), our camping trips often take us 300 to 1000 miles from home. With that said, we'd be driving mostly highway speeds - 60 to 70 mph.

Currently, (without the Kayaks) we get around 20-22 mpg with the Explorer loaded at the speeds mentioned.

I know the current Element rates at 25 mpg highway - NOT LOADED like this (that's why I was waiting for the '07 5 speed auto).

Has anyone loaded something similar - or am I nuts loading the E like this? - OR - am I totally barking up the wrong tree looking at an Element at all?

Any comments would be GREATLY appreciated.

Well, I'm mentally loading ours for a ~6,000 mile tour of a good hunk of North America. If you're loading all of that with the rear seats out, it shouldn't be a problem at all.

We're packing a 54qt cooler, two medium bins (10 gal each), tent, tarp, 2 gallon water jug, coleman 2 burner stove, two small backpacks, one large travel bag, plus probably one additional bag in the back. That's with 4 people in the E and a bit of room behind one seat so it can reasonably recline for naps. The loadwarrior will hold 2 75 liter dry bags and 2 40 liter bags which will have the sleeping bags, thermarests, most of the clothes, and assorted gear and nuggets of entertainment for the kids. Also will hold the chairs and firewood and temporary bits. There's tools and first aid stashed under one seat, maps and travel guides and my laptop case under the other and the space between them. Lots of other bits stashed in lots of other places.

How much you can pack is largely a function of how creative you can be with space and your gear. If you aren't organized for vertical storage, can't get things to stack/pack densely then you may well sense that it doesn't hold as much as it really can. One problem I've always had with other vehicles packing is that they trade length for height, which is better for most people, but if you want to keep a clear rear view means leaving a huge volume unutilized. In the E, that's much less of a problem. If you can stack you find that you leave a lot less dead air for visibility.

My band is playing some festivals this summer so I have been going to them with a full load of camping stuff plus my music gear (keyboards & big speakers, plus misc gear). I have a Yakima rack with Space Cadet box and my bike on the rack. I have the seats out and full Elemat on the floors. My E is 4WD/Auto and I have never got less than 20 mpg, which was when I drove 75 over some mountains. If I keep the speed down and my foot light I average 22-24 with the E full inside and on top. My traveling companion when she goes is Blondie the Chihuahua. My wife doesn't like loud music or camping, so she stays home. With all that stuff I don't really have room for another person. I keep all my immediate essentials in the front area (ice chest, food stuff, iPod mounted on dash w/road trip, dog's blanket and food and water, and essential mood altering substances :-) ). I even picked up a 12V coffee maker and a blender for smoothies and margaritas.

I just took some food and stuff up to an event. 600 5oz. bottles of water and 540 packages of Cheeze its snacks, and 340 fruit roll ups, a wheelchair and 3 riders...doesn't sound like too much but only average 16 miles on a 200 mile trip.:x

When you guys load up, do you think about taking the spare out? I think it will be such a pain if I get a flat on one of these loaded trips.

When you guys load up, do you think about taking the spare out? I think it will be such a pain if I get a flat on one of these loaded trips.
A flat tire is a pain any way you cut it. Off loading, re-loading and stowing the flat tire just adds grit to the pain and makes for a better story when you get home.:D

When you guys load up, do you think about taking the spare out? I think it will be such a pain if I get a flat on one of these loaded trips.

Yeah, especially taking the spare out in the rain. It's why I'm a bit obsessive about having things containerized. If I need to take the spare out, and it's just a matter of tossing some bags in the driver's seat and putting a couple of boxes on the floor in the back seat and the cooler on the ground, then it's not too bad. Having a mess of loose items is just a PITA no matter what, but especially when you're already frustrated with a flat and then have to deal with that.

Of course, the big mystery for us is where do you put the flat when the spare goes on? Does it fit back in the well if it's deflated or should we carry a tire mount for the roof rack just for that occasion?

Of course, the big mystery for us is where do you put the flat when the spare goes on? Does it fit back in the well if it's deflated or should we carry a tire mount for the roof rack just for that occasion?
I'm pretty sure it's been established that the flat WON"T fit where the clown tire spare is stashed,8-)

I'm pretty sure it's been established that the flat WON"T fit where the clown tire spare is stashed,8-)

It's clear that it won't fit while inflated. Paulj commented that the spare is 6% smaller than the standard and there's been lots of speculation about whether the full tire would fit or not when *deflated*, but I don't think anyone's been sufficiently bored one day to take off one of their full tires, air it down, spend an hour trying to stuff it in the well to determine definitively if it will/won't fit, and then reverse the process.

I'll defer to your search tool mojo to find me a reference, but I've yet to see anyone claiming to have *tried* an aired down tire.

I'll at least make sure we're prepared to strap the sucker down to the loadwarrior if it comes to that.

[Edit for sense]