Caboose

it fits my kelty 6 comfortably with space on the size. it was very tight with my kelty 4

I have had a normal kelty 4 man and the daydreamer 6. The 4 held up great for almost a decade of use (~6 trips a year with that tent) before we needed more space and upgraded. The day dreamer 6 is pitch black inside which is great for getting kids/dogs to sleep in later than sunrise. The thick fly to keep out light definitely adds a pound or two to the day dreamer vs a normal tent.

Not sure. I have a 4 person Kelty. First time I set it up was in a brisk 10mph wind. I literally had one hand on the directions and one hand holding the tent. Worked out fine and I was and am really happy with this tent. Fwiw I am middle aged

I have two tents (both kelty brand) a two person for solo backpacking/short trips where bad weather isn’t forecast and a 4 person for trips where I have another person in the tent with me or I plan on having to spend more time in the tent. Totally a reasonable move and the bigger tents really aren’t usually much harder to set up unless you have some huge 10 person multi room situation

Car camping means your car is right there with you. As opposed to backpacking where everything you have is on your back. It does not mean sleeping in your car. No tent will be warm. They’re for keeping you protected from the elements, not warmth. You need a better sleep system for that. Make sure your sleeping pad is good enough to keep the cold from the ground away from you. And make sure your sleeping bag is rated low enough. The temp rating is generally going to be a “you won’t die but you won’t be comfortable” number. You’ll want something below your lowest expected temps. You can also use a liner to add warmth. I’d recommend looking at at least 3 person, if not 4 person, tents. It’ll be more comfortable for this long of a trip. I would also look for one that has a rainfly that goes all the way to the ground. Better protection from things like rain or snow or wind. My husband and I got a 4 person Kelty at D1ck’s Sporting Goods (apparently that word is not allowed…lol) and it’s been good. We originally got it because I needed to spend money on anything, but now glad because a 2 person with two 65lb dogs is…technically doable but not as comfortable!