Because my Wife and I are retired we think it's time to travel a bit, and have been considering a Toy Hauler. We are in the research stage of this advendure, and need some help.
What I was wondering from the Family is from people that have knowledge on this subject. ie...Best size truck to pull it with, best length of hauler to buy. Looking for the positive and negitave's of all things to consider.
Looks like you can save a ton of money by buying used, and I'm sure a lot of people buy new, use it a couple of times and decide to sell.
Anyway any help would be appreciated
Stay safe and warm
Night Dragon
I have never owned one but I have seen MANY. Fifth wheel setup on a Dually diesel seems to be the most popular. An RV is a small place for two people to spend all of their time, even people in love will feel it so the bigger the better. Thirty foot with slideouts seems to be the norm. Remember, the bike(s) will take a fair amount of space thus reducing your living space. It is a great way to go places.
We have a 36' 5th wheel (for us they are easier to back up) and a duelly diesel (that Allison will pull anything up and down the steepest mountains) with 2 slides (wish we had gone with 3). It has a separate garage for the vehicles, so it does not interfere with the living space when the bikes are in. We have squeezed 3 bikes in there, and once a trike and one bike. The model we bought is the absolute shortest in hieght and length of 5th wheel toy haulers with a seperate garage. For that we gave up a lot of exterior storage space. But we camp off road a lot; so this was necessary. But for someone that is gonna stick to organized campgrounds, the height won't matter so much. Our "garage" has two queen size beds that lower from the ceiling like bunks and the couch makes out to a full size bed; so there is room for guests. We don't spend a lot of time on the inside of our camper though, except food prep and sleeping. Same as home! You will enjoy it, look at a lot of them before making a commitment, walk around in them, stand, sit, lay down. Join Good Sam, make sure you can find someone reliable for repairs or warranty work. And prepare for at least a year of adjustment. Good luck
Gypsy and I have been considering many alternatives over the years. Being retired and on a fixed income is an important consideration so purchasing an RV or toy hauler can be a financial burden just as staying in hotels as we travel.. Then there's the expense of camp site set-ups as well in places such as KOA. In the long run we figure the most viable thing would be a small covered trailer for our motorcycle and any number of truck bed camping set-ups. Try that search and you'll find some amazing options without a great financial burden. Camping space rentals would also be cheaper and you can enjoy the amentities that places like KOA has to offer; free breakfasts, showers, etc.
The wife and I have a 2014 KZ 35' 5th wheel, dual axles, with 10' separate garage. 1 large slide-out, queen bed up front, queen bed in the garage that lowers from the ceiling on rails. I pull it with a 2013 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins 6.7 short bed. I use a Reese 16K Sliding hitch for the Nose cap to truck cab clearance when backing up. No problem with handling, and backs very easy. Thinking about selling the camper. Contact me if you want more info or just want to talk about the Toyhauler camping experience. It's a cool thing to go park beside a lake somewhere and ride through the mountains all day and come back to the campfire at night.
Well gang after much research, sleepless nights, internet shopping the wife and I finally purchased a Toy Hauler made by Heartland. It's 33.4 feet long, has one slide out, 12 foot garage, queen bed. We found it on Trailer Trader, and the owner only took it on two trips, never used the bathroom, (used Park facilities) never cooked on the stove, slept on top of the bed in a sleeping bag. Still smells new.
Now we will need to up-grade the truck, and in the process of that. So we are just about ready to hit the road, and of course crappy weather and wild fires hit the area. We have Family and Friends from Florida to Texas we would like to see, and we can take the dogs, which I perfer.
Be Safe
Night Dragon
check it out:
Congratulations, it's beautiful! Taking all our dogs was one of the main reasons for ours too.
Awesome!
Man that's nice.
Looks like a sweet set up.Plenty of room for the ride and extra stuff.Not even broke in really,best way to pick up a great deal.
stay safe & enjoy the ride