An RV is an excellent investment, especially if you love long road trips and camping. You can use it to enjoy nature with your family and friends, creating memorable days and nights together.
Deciding to buy an RV is a tough decision. You can consider it a significant investment because of its price range. However, selecting the type of RV, you will purchase will be more challenging. You’d probably choose between toy haulers, and 5th-wheel toy haulers, especially if you decide to become a full-time traveler or love long road trips.
This article will discuss what you need to know about toy haulers before buying one to help you decide.
The Basics
A toy hauler is a type of RV commonly used for people who want to stay on the road. They constantly travel and enjoy different places across the country.
It usually has a rear garage and a loading ramp allowing people to store smaller vehicles, such as ATVs or motorcycles. This is the same reason it got its name; it hauls toys for the big boys.
However, you can also use the garage space for other things. You can set up additional living space to accommodate more people.
The Things You Can Haul
One of the best features of toy haulers is the space inside. It has a high ceiling and a massive room for storage and sleeping, perfect for camping for longer times or as a full-time traveler.
Since there is a lot of space, you can keep almost anything inside. The most critical elements you need to consider are the height and width of the garage area. Once you get the measurement, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you can put inside.
However, you also need to take note of its cargo weight capacity. You need to calculate the total weight of the things you’ll bring and ensure that it doesn’t exceed the capacity.
People usually use it to take their ATVs, motorbikes, snowmobiles, jet skis, kayaks, paddle boards, or surfboards. Others use it to have large furniture such as beds and sofas.
The Common Features It Has
The features you see in a travel trailer and fifth wheels are almost the same ones you’d see in a toy hauler. The common inclusions are air conditioners, exterior storage rooms, a full bathroom, and stoves.
However, toy haulers have additional features that make them unique.
They usually come with lofted beds, allowing you to use the bottom part as storage. In some designs, it’s a closet, while on the other models, they are just open spaces waiting for you to customize.
Toy haulers also have vinyl flooring, making it like a regular house.
Some models are already ready for solar power, while others already have installed solar panels. This will help you save energy consumption, especially the battery or generator. You’ll have no problems powering your air conditioner and other electric appliances.
Solar panels are also better for the environment as they don’t emit carbon.
The Average Weight Capacity
The cargo weight capacity of a toy hauler differs from one model to another. However, it is easy to calculate. You only need to subtract your toy hauler’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) from the dry weight, which can be found in the owner’s manual.
Toy haulers are perfect for heavier things, so the GVWRs are usually higher than your typical towable RVs.
On average, a 40-foot toy hauler can carry 12,000 pounds. However, smaller sizes, such as a 20-foot one, can only take 2000 pounds. This means that the larger your toy hauler is, the higher its GVWR could be.
The Towing
To tow a toy hauler, you need a vehicle and a hitch to support the weight. Make sure you know the total weight of your hauler when it’s fully loaded. This means you need to compute the overall weight of the things you bring and add that to the weight of the toy hauler.
Once you’ve identified the total weight, ensure your towing vehicle is powerful enough to pull the toy hauler. Even though it has a hitch, your truck or car will still be the one doing the pulling.
To be on the safe side, always give room to wiggle in the numbers instead of reaching the maximum limit. It’ll provide you with peace of mind that nothing could happen.
The Price
Toy haulers come at different prices. Depending on the pre-installed features and amenities, it’ll cost between $20,000 to $100,000. As a general rule, the longer it is, the more expensive it’ll be.
If you plan to customize it, the price will go higher as you’ll need materials and tools.
So, before buying, ensure you know what size you need for your toy hauler and what features you are looking for.
