Toy Haulers!

sgrimmxdad
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sgrimmxdad
Edited Date/Time 2/17/2018 3:44pm
I have to get rid of my Class A RV and I am looking at 5th wheel Toy Haulers. Reviews on the net of the vast majority of them are nightmareish. Are there any quality haulers made anymore or has the Thor crowd ruined the industry?

What do you guys have and what are the pros and cons or yours?
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craigathan404 2/17/2018 2:25am
2/17/2018 2:25am
I’m an RV/trailer technician and unfortunately in my experience (live in Oregon, rains 9-10 months of the year, toy haulers around here 9 times out of 10 have some kind of water damage). The crowd that uses toy haulers is generally just hard on their equipment.

One thing I’d recommend is maintain the thing! Toy haulers are made to be light weight and generally just a cargo trailer with a small living space and kitchen, so you’ll notice a quality difference from your class A immediately. Depending on where you live, check out the roof every month or so to make sure there’s no holes, and check the seals around the appliances for cracks, tears of such. The smallest crack in an appliance seal can cause water damage.

Thor makes a good trailer but forest river makes good product as well. Weekend warrior is generally a no-go due to their front cap leaks. In general, most toy haulers won’t be near the same quality as your Class-A, but they are out there.
sgrimmxdad
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sgrimmxdad 2/17/2018 3:09am
2/17/2018 3:09am
Thanks for the reply. Is there a brand you would buy if you where looking? I truly value opinions from people in the know!

MudPup545
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MudPup545 2/17/2018 5:33am
2/17/2018 5:33am
We've owned our Forest River for 5 years. Ours isn't a 5th wheel but, comes out of the same factory. Zero issues with leaks, not a drop of water has made it inside. I am fortunate in that I'm able to store it indoors for the winter though. I'm able to avoid the freeze/thaw cycles of our Michigan winter's. I keep up on the door/window seal maintenance too.
Brad460
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Brad460 2/17/2018 5:45am
2/17/2018 5:45am Edited Date/Time 2/17/2018 5:46am
I have been researching toy haulers for several months- You want to buy a toy hauler designed and built to be a toy hauler. Not just a travel trailer converted to a toy hauler. This means look for a toy hauler with aluminum construction and fiberglass exterior.

I plan on buying a Hyperlite XLR which is all aluminum frame and fiberglass exterior...built specifically for toy hauling.

The Shop

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quadzrulebro 2/17/2018 5:58am
2/17/2018 5:58am Edited Date/Time 2/17/2018 6:06am
I just spent $5000 putting on a new roof and fixing water damage in my Thor toyhauler. It was either that, or buy a new one. When the time comes to bury this one, the next one I buy will be all aluminum construction. They cost more, but they weigh less, and last forever. Prior to making the call to fix the one I have, I was looking at these.

https://www.livinlite.com/products/quicksilver-toy-haulers/

If you do end up going the cheap route and buying a wooded frame/rubber roof hauler, watch every seam on your trailer like a hawk! Water will always be looking for a way in, and if it finds one, it will cost you a fortune to fix the damage.
JWACK
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JWACK 2/17/2018 6:03am
2/17/2018 6:03am
I've got a 2013 forest river stealth. Very pleased with the quality overall and have had zero issues. I bought this one used from a fella who only used it twice. I've used it a crap ton and love it. It will fit 4 bikes if stuffed tight.













bodean123
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bodean123 2/17/2018 6:17am
2/17/2018 6:17am
quadzrulebro wrote:
I just spent $5000 putting on a new roof and fixing water damage in my Thor toyhauler. It was either that, or buy a new one...
I just spent $5000 putting on a new roof and fixing water damage in my Thor toyhauler. It was either that, or buy a new one. When the time comes to bury this one, the next one I buy will be all aluminum construction. They cost more, but they weigh less, and last forever. Prior to making the call to fix the one I have, I was looking at these.

https://www.livinlite.com/products/quicksilver-toy-haulers/

If you do end up going the cheap route and buying a wooded frame/rubber roof hauler, watch every seam on your trailer like a hawk! Water will always be looking for a way in, and if it finds one, it will cost you a fortune to fix the damage.
Love my Livin’Lite







eric513anderson 2/17/2018 6:59am
2/17/2018 6:59am
We took a old school bus that we used as a booze cruiser and turned it into a toy hauler. We kept some seats and added a flat bed to it. We can sleep 4 inside. Turned out pretty nice
8tensolutions
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8tensolutions 2/17/2018 7:05am
2/17/2018 7:05am
Unfortunately, RV's in general are not built to even a remotely high standard. Wood screws and cheap materials everywhere. If cars or planes were built like RV's, we would all be scared to operate them. Buy one that is 1-2 years old that someone couldn't afford/didn't use for half of what they paid for it and plan to use it 5 years and sell for whatever you can get. Personally, I think a nice enclosed trailer is a much better choice with AC etc and use the money you save to stay in hotels.
RCF
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RCF 2/17/2018 7:33am
2/17/2018 7:33am
I have a work and play that's about 10 years old now the only problems I've ever had was the fresh water tank broke just replaced it with a cheap one off eBay, past summer on our way to race we had to leave spring break which is very scary when you're doing 85 miles an hour , lucky there was no traffic on the highway.
the work and play's are kind of heavy and my truck struggles a little bit on big Hills , Makes me nervous when I see my transmission heating up.

the one thing I don't like about the fiberglass outside it takes a beating from the Sun , if mine was white or gray probably wouldn't be so noticeable but it's black and looks like s*** when it oxidizes.

wavslide1
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wavslide1 2/17/2018 7:46am
2/17/2018 7:46am
I have an '07 Raptor 299 (33') with my old home mattress and I sleep like a baby in it. I've had no major issues with it, except the generator that has the non-rebuildable carb. I just perform routine maintenance and the recommended service. I am much happier with a fifth wheel vs. an all-in-one unit.
planter
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planter 2/17/2018 8:02am
2/17/2018 8:02am
We have a 16 Forest River Thunderbolt fifth wheel and have been fairly pleased. A few minor problems that were resolved by dealer. None of them are built very roughly, but you just have to understand they are like boats and will require maintenance.

We have enjoyed it but at times contemplate downsizing since we only use it about 7 times per year.
TbonesPop
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TbonesPop 2/17/2018 9:20am
2/17/2018 9:20am
I've had 2 toy haulers. One was a tricked out Gearbox and one is a Carson Titan. I NEVER buy new because they are over priced and we have a family policy that any "toy" has to be bought with cash, never credit. The tricked out gearbox was heavy (all the amenities add up to more weight.....and they all break at some point). It was nice for a while, but the more we used it the more it broke down and needed maintenance. No big deal for the most part, just needed to take care of it. All of this with one exception, it has laminant siding - and after a while it started to de-laminate and look "wavey" on the sides. For someone that likes to take care of their stuff, this pissed me off.

So I bought an older used Titan Carson toy hauler. Picked it up for $6K. It needed a little love, but nothing I couldn't handle. For the most part it has been solid (after I did the work to it). This is a more stripped down, not as much comforts as the higher end haulers, but I just wanted the basics because of my first experience with the Gearbox that had pretty much everything. The one has linolium floor (carpet is highly over rated IMO), microwave, gas stove, oven, AC/heat, Fridge/freezer, toilet, shower, and lots of cabinet space. It's a 24' hauler, 5500 unloaded dry weight, with 15' to the first cabinet which allows me to fit a ton of toys in it. Aluminum siding = no de-laminating. I've been very pleased with this purchase.

So my advice is as follows:

1) Never buy new (unless you are wealthy)
2) Always pay cash (nothing sucks worse than having that monthly payment and not using your hauler) - no payment, no guilt
3) Don't go for all the amenities / window dressing (it all breaks down at some point)
4) Maintain your hauler - if something breaks, fix it and keep up with routine maintenance
5) Buy new tires every 3 years, proper tire inflation is critical, and always keep them covered when not in use (a blown tire will do body damage that costs you extra $$ and exposes the underside to water damage)
6) Use it and enjoy it
Wintyfresh
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Wintyfresh 2/17/2018 11:10am
2/17/2018 11:10am
I've had a Carson for a couple of years and have been very pleased with it. It's not fancy but has everything I require (AC, fridge, stove, sink, toilet, shower) and has hauled our RZR and bikes out to the desert every other weekend without issue.
Brad460
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Brad460 2/17/2018 11:39am
2/17/2018 11:39am Edited Date/Time 2/17/2018 11:40am
TbonesPop wrote:
I've had 2 toy haulers. One was a tricked out Gearbox and one is a Carson Titan. I NEVER buy new because they are over priced...
I've had 2 toy haulers. One was a tricked out Gearbox and one is a Carson Titan. I NEVER buy new because they are over priced and we have a family policy that any "toy" has to be bought with cash, never credit. The tricked out gearbox was heavy (all the amenities add up to more weight.....and they all break at some point). It was nice for a while, but the more we used it the more it broke down and needed maintenance. No big deal for the most part, just needed to take care of it. All of this with one exception, it has laminant siding - and after a while it started to de-laminate and look "wavey" on the sides. For someone that likes to take care of their stuff, this pissed me off.

So I bought an older used Titan Carson toy hauler. Picked it up for $6K. It needed a little love, but nothing I couldn't handle. For the most part it has been solid (after I did the work to it). This is a more stripped down, not as much comforts as the higher end haulers, but I just wanted the basics because of my first experience with the Gearbox that had pretty much everything. The one has linolium floor (carpet is highly over rated IMO), microwave, gas stove, oven, AC/heat, Fridge/freezer, toilet, shower, and lots of cabinet space. It's a 24' hauler, 5500 unloaded dry weight, with 15' to the first cabinet which allows me to fit a ton of toys in it. Aluminum siding = no de-laminating. I've been very pleased with this purchase.

So my advice is as follows:

1) Never buy new (unless you are wealthy)
2) Always pay cash (nothing sucks worse than having that monthly payment and not using your hauler) - no payment, no guilt
3) Don't go for all the amenities / window dressing (it all breaks down at some point)
4) Maintain your hauler - if something breaks, fix it and keep up with routine maintenance
5) Buy new tires every 3 years, proper tire inflation is critical, and always keep them covered when not in use (a blown tire will do body damage that costs you extra $$ and exposes the underside to water damage)
6) Use it and enjoy it
As a reminder...loan interest on a toy hauler is tax deductible as a second home (if it has a bedroom and bathroom) Take that cash and stick it in a mutual fund or Roth IRA and make money on it..which will be much more than the interest you pay on a loan.
dcg141
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dcg141 2/17/2018 11:52am
2/17/2018 11:52am
Have you ever wondered what look they are going for with RV interiors in general?
MXD
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MXD 2/17/2018 12:02pm
2/17/2018 12:02pm
craigathan404 wrote:
I’m an RV/trailer technician and unfortunately in my experience (live in Oregon, rains 9-10 months of the year, toy haulers around here 9 times out of...
I’m an RV/trailer technician and unfortunately in my experience (live in Oregon, rains 9-10 months of the year, toy haulers around here 9 times out of 10 have some kind of water damage). The crowd that uses toy haulers is generally just hard on their equipment.

One thing I’d recommend is maintain the thing! Toy haulers are made to be light weight and generally just a cargo trailer with a small living space and kitchen, so you’ll notice a quality difference from your class A immediately. Depending on where you live, check out the roof every month or so to make sure there’s no holes, and check the seals around the appliances for cracks, tears of such. The smallest crack in an appliance seal can cause water damage.

Thor makes a good trailer but forest river makes good product as well. Weekend warrior is generally a no-go due to their front cap leaks. In general, most toy haulers won’t be near the same quality as your Class-A, but they are out there.
Do you have any experience with Starcraft? I have my eye on this little model (link below). It'll be just for me and maybe my 10 year old once in a while so it's perfect. But I've always been leary of a toy hauler due to durability concerns. I currently have a 16x7 cargo trailer with 2 jack knife beds, a 13,500 AC and a bunch of cabinets but I really want a toilet and shower. I looked into installing them in my cargo trailer but it looks like a big PITA. I'm just nervous about giving up my one piece aluminum roof. I could back my trailer into a lake and it wouldn't leak.

Starcraft Autumn Ridge

Pit Row

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racerx217
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racerx217 2/17/2018 1:36pm
2/17/2018 1:36pm
They are all junk. Had a funfinder we bought a couple years old. Tons of issues updated to a brand new forest river XLR and even more issues. They are made to maximize profits, if we ever buy one again it will be a all aluminum one or bare mininum one with a one piece aluminum roof. Like the VRV or the work and play. You will pay about double for a good quality one over a run of the mill one you will find at your local RV lot.
MXD
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MXD 2/17/2018 2:06pm
2/17/2018 2:06pm Edited Date/Time 2/17/2018 2:08pm
racerx217 wrote:
They are all junk. Had a funfinder we bought a couple years old. Tons of issues updated to a brand new forest river XLR and even...
They are all junk. Had a funfinder we bought a couple years old. Tons of issues updated to a brand new forest river XLR and even more issues. They are made to maximize profits, if we ever buy one again it will be a all aluminum one or bare mininum one with a one piece aluminum roof. Like the VRV or the work and play. You will pay about double for a good quality one over a run of the mill one you will find at your local RV lot.
That's my biggest fear. My cargo trailer has a lifetime warranty against roof leaks and floor rot. It's as durable as they come. I bought it new and built it out from scratch. I just really want an indoor shower. Here's where it's currently at. I'm having a hard time giving this up for a new toy hauler with a shower and some water leaks.

I built the cabinets in place out of 3/4 plywood





The 2 jack knife beds barely touch when folded out and make one huge bed



The latest addition was bracing the roof, insulating it and installing an AC unit. I also added some upper cabinets across the front that you can see in the first and last pic.









racerx217
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racerx217 2/17/2018 2:22pm
2/17/2018 2:22pm
Our xlr had bubbles in the rubber roof less than 3 months after we bought it. They wanted to cut the bubbles open and re glue them down and put a patch over them. On a brand new trailer.... that is all warranty would cover. Load of poo, will never buy one again. Everything in them is a cheap as they can find. First day we had it the awning ripped when trying to unroll it, water system was sucking air so to take a show it was like being spit on and water heater went out. For 30k you would expect more.
Deja New
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Deja New 2/17/2018 2:37pm
2/17/2018 2:37pm
Not sure if Caria sells Toy Haulers in the US but they are awesome we have had ours for 3 years and it’s nothing short of amazing .... no leaks no creeks and is not an ugly old fashion transformed caravan. Caria only make toy haulers and nothing else and are made in Australia they are not cheap starting at about $50000 AUD. We searched around and looked at all sorts but could find nothing better.
https://www.cariacaravans.com/



RCF
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RCF 2/17/2018 2:44pm
2/17/2018 2:44pm
racerx217 wrote:
They are all junk. Had a funfinder we bought a couple years old. Tons of issues updated to a brand new forest river XLR and even...
They are all junk. Had a funfinder we bought a couple years old. Tons of issues updated to a brand new forest river XLR and even more issues. They are made to maximize profits, if we ever buy one again it will be a all aluminum one or bare mininum one with a one piece aluminum roof. Like the VRV or the work and play. You will pay about double for a good quality one over a run of the mill one you will find at your local RV lot.
MXD wrote:
That's my biggest fear. My cargo trailer has a lifetime warranty against roof leaks and floor rot. It's as durable as they come. I bought it...
That's my biggest fear. My cargo trailer has a lifetime warranty against roof leaks and floor rot. It's as durable as they come. I bought it new and built it out from scratch. I just really want an indoor shower. Here's where it's currently at. I'm having a hard time giving this up for a new toy hauler with a shower and some water leaks.

I built the cabinets in place out of 3/4 plywood





The 2 jack knife beds barely touch when folded out and make one huge bed



The latest addition was bracing the roof, insulating it and installing an AC unit. I also added some upper cabinets across the front that you can see in the first and last pic.









That's why I went with a work and play, it's pretty much a cargo trailer that they put everything inside of it has everything that I need just wish it wasn't so heavy . don't want to jinx myself but I haven't had any leaks. The new ones though I don't like the floor plan, the kitchen goes all down one side and it only has one bed in the same size trailer that I got.





craigathan404 2/17/2018 3:11pm
2/17/2018 3:11pm
MXD wrote:
Do you have any experience with Starcraft? I have my eye on this little model (link below). It'll be just for me and maybe my 10...
Do you have any experience with Starcraft? I have my eye on this little model (link below). It'll be just for me and maybe my 10 year old once in a while so it's perfect. But I've always been leary of a toy hauler due to durability concerns. I currently have a 16x7 cargo trailer with 2 jack knife beds, a 13,500 AC and a bunch of cabinets but I really want a toilet and shower. I looked into installing them in my cargo trailer but it looks like a big PITA. I'm just nervous about giving up my one piece aluminum roof. I could back my trailer into a lake and it wouldn't leak.

Starcraft Autumn Ridge

The aluminum roofs are pretty rad, like you said, pretty rarely do you get a leak unless it’s because of a broken vent or something minor. I’ve never actually worked on one of those, but toy hauler durability just isn’t what it should be unfortunately.

I’ve installed showers and toilets before and it can be a PITA. it’s easy work, but time consuming and also you’ll probably end up tearing up the trailer from the ground up just to get a good, clean looking job done.
craigathan404 2/17/2018 3:17pm
2/17/2018 3:17pm
My old man has a Work and Play by Forest river and he’s also an RV tech (family business that we run together), and it’s badass. Aluminum roof, all the kitchen and living spaces but the garage area is totally separate from the kitchen and bedroom if you want it to be. Not only that, but they were built to haul cars, so the frames are built more sturdy than a normal toy hauler.

Honestly, buy a used one with some little problems like broken faucets, cracked vents, etc. You can get it for cheap due to the problems but they are easy as hell to fix, those two problems I just named don’t even require tools. Once you get it, just maintain the hell out of it. BUY A COVER !!!!! The 500-800 dollar cover will save you thousands in the future. Believe me guys, A 25ft rubber roof reseal will run around 1800-2000 bucks for something that is absolutely preventable.
kott0n
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kott0n 2/17/2018 3:28pm
2/17/2018 3:28pm
What are you guys doing with 2 stokes that ocassionally piss fuel out? I mean short of turning off fuel, removing bowl and draining outside first...

I pictured more of a walled off area for the bikes/gear. I guess it would massive then.
MXD
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MXD 2/17/2018 3:33pm
2/17/2018 3:33pm Edited Date/Time 2/17/2018 3:35pm
kott0n wrote:
What are you guys doing with 2 stokes that ocassionally piss fuel out? I mean short of turning off fuel, removing bowl and draining outside first...
What are you guys doing with 2 stokes that ocassionally piss fuel out? I mean short of turning off fuel, removing bowl and draining outside first...

I pictured more of a walled off area for the bikes/gear. I guess it would massive then.
When I had my RM250, I'd shut the fuel off on the way back to the truck after my last moto and let the bowl run low. I never ran it totally out of fuel but the 2 minute ride back to the truck used enough fuel to ensure that it wouldn't drop out the overflow on the way home.
RCF
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RCF 2/17/2018 3:34pm
2/17/2018 3:34pm Edited Date/Time 2/17/2018 3:41pm
The floor and mine has a rubber coating and I keep carpets under the bikes with rubber backing ,in the summer I just take them out and hose them off with some degreaser like Simple Green. they can really use it now but it's freezing in the Northeast.
RCF
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RCF 2/17/2018 3:37pm
2/17/2018 3:37pm Edited Date/Time 2/17/2018 3:38pm
Double post for some reason
MXD
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MXD 2/17/2018 3:38pm
2/17/2018 3:38pm
MXD wrote:
Do you have any experience with Starcraft? I have my eye on this little model (link below). It'll be just for me and maybe my 10...
Do you have any experience with Starcraft? I have my eye on this little model (link below). It'll be just for me and maybe my 10 year old once in a while so it's perfect. But I've always been leary of a toy hauler due to durability concerns. I currently have a 16x7 cargo trailer with 2 jack knife beds, a 13,500 AC and a bunch of cabinets but I really want a toilet and shower. I looked into installing them in my cargo trailer but it looks like a big PITA. I'm just nervous about giving up my one piece aluminum roof. I could back my trailer into a lake and it wouldn't leak.

Starcraft Autumn Ridge

craigathan404 wrote:
The aluminum roofs are pretty rad, like you said, pretty rarely do you get a leak unless it’s because of a broken vent or something minor...
The aluminum roofs are pretty rad, like you said, pretty rarely do you get a leak unless it’s because of a broken vent or something minor. I’ve never actually worked on one of those, but toy hauler durability just isn’t what it should be unfortunately.

I’ve installed showers and toilets before and it can be a PITA. it’s easy work, but time consuming and also you’ll probably end up tearing up the trailer from the ground up just to get a good, clean looking job done.
Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll just hang on to my cargo trailer. I'm not sure if you saw the pics I posted above of my set up but I'm pretty close to what I want. I guess I'll look further into building a shower in mine.

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