Full Time, Off Grid, Off Road Purchase Advice

[bigotes]

Forum Friends,

I've been reviewing a lot of the threads on full time/four season advice and was hoping to start a new thread not necessarily unique to the forum but to get some up to date advice from you all.

I'm looking to buy/outfit a toy hauler trailer for full time living that is robust enough to make it to some off the off road locations I go to. As per many folks on the forum, I'm not fond of some of the cookie cutter makes that seem to be lacking for the terrain and environments I want to be able to take the trailer.

I was interested in the Black Series campers as Australia has lots of great caravans for overlanding however from what I can gather talking to owners and on forums is that the company still needs a few years to work out the kinks of now manufacturing in China and shipping to final production in the states. Sounds like 2020/2021 models will be a little better. With that, right now I'm most interested in a custom 22-24' ATC or an Outdoors RV 24TRX. Issue with ORV is that they are on west coast primarily and I need something shipped to the east coast. What I like about ATC is I can dictate pretty much all of the options to include being pretty meticulous about an insulation package. I realize it isn't nearly as nice as the ORV but I believe you make some gains on longevity with an ATC built toy hauler versus an ORV.

Primary uses are full time living single person in all four seasons and going to some hard to get locations occasionally.

Thanks friends, appreciate any and all advice/thoughts/discussion.

[Nudge]

Sorry Toy Haulers are not my thing. Just wanted to welcome you.
I’m sure someone will come along to help ya’.
Best Wishes ~ Safe Travels

[GusCincy]

I think your on the right track. Most of our camping is at events (nascar, Concerts, friends in the country) or state and national parks. So robustness requirements are met by the cookie cutter designs. But if I were in your shoes and looking for something to doing more primitive, off road stuff, I don't think there is any question that the all aluminum trailers are sturdier and likely to hold up to the rougher roads and conditions you'll face in that type of camping.

A couple of design features I would insist on would be flipped axles for the raised ground clearance, Beefed up tank supports (800 lbs of water with off road potholes puts a lot of stress on supports). Love the aluminum roof.

A 24' camper is not going to give you a ton of roof real estate for solar but I'd figure out how to get as much as I could on there and go Lithium batteries unless you don't mind the genny running daily. Maybe supplement with some portable ground panels.

Good luck in your decisions and welcome to the forums!

[dsrace]

guscincy is correct. i would opt for independent suspension over leaf spring or torsion axle. i think that would be best for some mountain trails and really rocky areas. also you'll want disc brakes for sure. i have no idea what insulation package atc or sundowner or any of the aluminum toyhauler companies offer. what i do know is anything that starts life as a cargo trailer is built far stronger than any camper/toyhauler built in indiana. i still think the units built on the west coast by genesis, eclipse are built better than indiana unit but thats just me lol

[slipp]

I live full time in a toy hauler. I work remotely (full time), and stay mostly on BLM and NFS public land. My camper is a Northwood Mfg Desert Fox 24AS.

I looked at the ATC just now. Two issue for me come to mind; insulation isn't as good (i also didnt notice double pane windows) as northwood or orv, and the ATC is low to the ground. Both ORV and northwood are 'lifted' with pretty good ground clearance, and also keep in mind their frames are designed for offroad use.

The orv 24trx is a trailer i'd like to switch too. mainly b/c the tongue weight on my 24as is 2000 - 2200lbs; and even though my truck is a 3500 srw standard bed, 2000lbs is just too much. (honestly i wish i had gotten the long bed, i feel like the long bed may handle the higher tongue weight) the 24trx has a nicer interior and almost 1/2 the tongue weight, though 24gals less water. However, i do carry a 35 gal water tank in the bed of my truck. i love having this extra water - i can leave the camper and run somewhere in the truck to fill it up without having to move the whole camper - it allows me to shower more frequently.

If i were you, i would make the trek out west - sold as far east as denver - and get a northwood or orv. i've winter camped numerous times in mine, for weeks at a time at -0 temps - only issue i've had is with my refrigerator on LP - (personally, i'd like to have a DC only refridgerator). Keeping the thermostat on 60, a 30lb bottle will last about 4 days, so not too shabby.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/o7WtqLT4AAjfWRQh6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2mMRzPm91t7Ez1c68

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hCCtTjq1rD7NBpqx6

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[gladecreekwy]

Don’t have a toy hauler but all of our camping involves long drives on dirt and gravel to fairly remote sites in NW Wyoming. My advice would be to consider the length of trailer first. Although our trailer (Jayco 174bh Baja) has huge ground clearance the real issue is getting it turned around in tight spots. At 21’ it’s been a challenge in some of the sites we took our pup. If your careful enough you can get most trailers just about anywhere but getting out is the real challenge.

[slipp]

i meant to say the 22trx is a camper i'd like to switch too.

[WyomingTA]

i had a 2008- 28ks desert fox and it was a great toyhauler--4 seasons--lots of water--great cupboard space--4000 onan gen--excellent ground clearance -i just ordered a 2021 KZ sportster 280th--i need a 5th wheel because we haul from NYS to Wyoming or Montana every summer and a bumper pull wont cut it at 75-80 MPH !!!!!!Camped for years off grid in the Big Horn mountains of Wyoming and the Desert Fox did great for us !!

[consolenut]

75-80mph what? Thats crazy fast.