Community Forums

Airmech · 06-09-2015, 01:27 PM

We've been looking into 5vers and TH's and have a question to which would be a better investment. The features that I am looking for is large interior sq ft. I want the largest tanks I can get (we dry camp 9 days every year min). I would like as much room under awning as possible. Would like to have a bunk room that's more than a bunk room. My biggest problem is do I want to loose the extra 12 feet of interior space? Is it really usable in a th? Or should I stick with a 5ver? The Genny built in is just an added bonus not a deal maker or breaker. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also no toys will be hauled.

cb1000rider · 06-09-2015, 02:36 PM

The garage of some toy haulers is a bunk room with 2 x double bunks. Some also double as a "porch" area via use of the cargo ramp - which ads to your usable space... Or raise the beds and have a picnic area.

SQFT is largely the same - but the garage is simply less refined and often a bit more sparse.

taken · 06-10-2015, 05:53 AM

The nicer toyhaulers seem to have the largest tanks. I've got huge capacity on mine. When you get long, you usually get two awnings that run almost the entire length of the RV. So, you'll have plenty of covered space there. We also have the option where the rear ramp converts to a deck and that has it's own awning as well. As far as using the garage space, we use it just as much as the rest of the trailer! We lower the two couch's and out the dinette table between them and now we have a huge dining room. Even if you don't want to be out on the ramp deck, you can leave it down and pull down the full roller screen and have either a great view or an outdoor dining room without the bugs... or both. We have toys that ride in ours but not all the time. Half our trips each year have no toys and the extra room the garage provides for both storage while traveling as well as additional living space while camping. Even if we had no toys, knowing what I know now, I'd want a hauler. We keep a full size grill back there, our washer dryer hookups are there, bicycles can go there, etc. Then, roll out the carpet and spend time back there. Here's a pic from our recent trip to the coast with our hauler and no toys with the garage being used as living space and the deck ready for relaxing...

Airmech · 06-10-2015, 07:51 AM

I've seen some with the side patio. Would that be worth getting, or is that more hassle than they are worth?

taken · 06-10-2015, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airmech

I've seen some with the side patio. Would that be worth getting, or is that more hassle than they are worth?

They are pretty neat as well. If one was on a floorplan I liked, I'd go for it. Not much to setting it up. I like being a couple feet up off the ground on my rear patio as opposed to sitting down in the grass or dirt. Can walk out in my bare or sock feet and stay clean. Hey, if I wanted to go camping, I'd own a tent. I want to go RVing! LOL.

Airmech · 06-10-2015, 11:48 AM

What about when at night or storms blow through? Do you have to close the rear door? Awnings are the same on both so not concerned there. Just with the rear patio aspect of it. Like at night do you have to secure the rear patio, and also when there is high winds?

taken · 06-10-2015, 12:33 PM

Winds, no. The ramp is very solid and not going anywhere. I have not left mine open for an extended period of rain but they are made to handle just that. You just have to keep an eye on seals to avoid water intrusion and ramp rot. There is another option too for when keeping the ramp open called three season doors. I kept the standard hide-n-screen that rolls down but lots of people like the folding three season doors instead. Looks like this:

I'm not sure, but I'm guessing you can lock it. On mine, we just lock the sliding door between the main living area and the garage if we go out with the patio set up.

Airmech · 06-10-2015, 01:19 PM

Was curious as to how people locked up ths with the rear door open. Was my biggest concern with them. Don't want to have to open and close that big door every morning and night and every time I left. Just seams like a lot of extra work. Will have to go and take a look at the 3 seasons door and patio door to see how well they lock.

Big-Foot · 06-12-2015, 11:50 AM

Another thing to consider is that Toy Haulers are engineered to be carrying a pretty substantial load in the garage.
What that means is that the weight bias of the trailer is shifted more toward the front of the trailer by moving the axles further to the rear than they would be in most fifth wheel trailers. Once the load is put in the rear, the additional weight (from that forward bias) is removed from the pin/hitch.. If you are not going to carry the weight in the rear, you'll be carrying an additional load in the bed of the truck. Depending on your truck, you may push it over the axle limit in weight..

Many toy haulers are also built with heavier suspension in anticipation of more off-road boon docking. Also the holding tanks are generally of higher capacity. I believe my fresh water tank is 150 gallons.

Regards - Randy & Dar
2015 F350 CC-DRW-409 Diesel / 2008 Rage'n Stryker 4005 Toy Hauler / 2014 Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail-XT
Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

taken · 06-12-2015, 11:58 AM

Good point Randy. This is one reason why I chose mine. XLR is a bit lower on the pin weight than all it's competitors. Most RV's with the same floor plan as I have are about 1k more pin weight than I am. Allows me to stay with my little SRW...

cb1000rider · 06-14-2015, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airmech

Was curious as to how people locked up ths with the rear door open. Was my biggest concern with them. Don't want to have to open and close that big door every morning and night and every time I left. Just seams like a lot of extra work. Will have to go and take a look at the 3 seasons door and patio door to see how well they lock.

There's a standard interior door in mine. Some have sliding glass. You can install a standard lock, if that's what you're after...

As ours doesn't have a patio, opening and closing that door takes about 10 seconds.

taken · 06-14-2015, 09:34 AM

Even with the patio, it's less than a minute to close...

Camper_boy · 06-17-2015, 07:41 AM

Just my opinion, but patios and side fold down rooms are a options that weekenders thrive. We however are full time RV'ers and the space and décor when these patios are inside is not pretty. JMHO...

Airmech · 06-17-2015, 09:20 AM

I understand the downsides of having them closed, I have seen them in person. I am looking for operational experience with them. Am looking for what needs to be done in the instances I quoted above.