Toy Hauler or Truck Camper????

[VB_Racing]

I need a few opinions, because I am really on the fence over my next camper purchase.

I have owned a travel trailer, and most recently a slide in truck camper. I really liked my truck camper because of it's small size and ease of use. My biggest gripe is packing and unpacking constantly because of lack of storage. On top of that, I would have to pack my trailer with the bike, pressure washer, water tank, generator , etc., etc...

I have started looking at new "toyhauler" travel trailers, and have been impressed with the built in features, I.E. generator, pressure washer,fueling station, flood lights , etc..

The price difference between a higher end truck camper with a slide out, is about the same as a well equipped toy hauler. I have looked into a Weekend warrior, as well as a few others. I found this guide http://www.toyhaulermagazine.com/images/TowableToyHaulerDirectory.pdf

and there are a few I like. I am trying to stay under 30k, and under 26 ft with a toy hauler.

For those that have had any experience with these types of trailers, what are the pro's and con's?? What would you have done different?? Are they convenient??

The tow vehicle is not an issue, I have a Ford 3/4 ton super duty with a V10, and have towed much bigger loads than either of these options.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and comments!!!

Dave

[Dnrcustoms]

Well, take it from me, I raced all over the country traveling with a truck/camper pulling a racing trailer. It was fun but we recently got a fithwheel with the bikes in the back, it is awesome. so much better. The thing with a truck camper is that, you have to pretty much fab up your own custom extenda hitch to pull a trailer. I could go on for days about the pro's and con's. But from my expierance, get a travel trailer.

[NOMADAK]

Get a toyhauler and you'll never look back.

[loufish]

You're going to be hauling a trailer no matter what, and camping in slide in...I think you're camping experience would be much better in a Toyhauler, and of course it holds the bikes. With the TH you always have a open truck bed.

Even with slideouts on a truck camper, there will be WAY more room in a TH!

[ubu]

If you can afford it, get the Toyhauler. They are purpose-built for exaclty what you want to do. I went with a slide-in for price, and because I can then tow my boat in the summer. But, for bikes only, the toyhauler is the perfect solution with all the bike specific features they have.

[oregon_rider]

I was looking at a slide in camper because I need to tow my wife's horses around in addition to hauling my bikes around (I have a small enclosed wells cargo). In addition, I want to be able to take it skiing and up to the mountains in the snow.

I am surprised that most campers require a dual rear wheel 1 ton truck to haul them. Any thing with a slide-out weighs more than my 1 ton SRW should haul. To tow and to haul the camper I would have to go with a small lance (lance 835), and most camper manufacturers have their smallest camper coming in at 2500 pounds...

I am also surprised at the relative cost of slide in campers - starting at $17k or so - you get into $25k and $30k units pretty quick.

To me, if you need to go somewhere in four wheel drive - like the snow or a rugged area, then the slide-in camper makes sense. Or if you tow different things behind it - e.g. horse trailer or boat, boat + motorcycle trailer, etc. But for solely going motorcycle riding, a toy hauler will be better in every way.

jeff

p.s. Several RV Dealers that I have visited said that I can put "any camper they sell on my truck" because it is a 3500. Idiots...

[Chickenhauler]

I was looking at a slide in camper because I need to tow my wife's horses around in addition to hauling my bikes around (I have a small enclosed wells cargo). In addition, I want to be able to take it skiing and up to the mountains in the snow.

I am surprised that most campers require a dual rear wheel 1 ton truck to haul them. Any thing with a slide-out weighs more than my 1 ton SRW should haul. To tow and to haul the camper I would have to go with a small lance (lance 835), and most camper manufacturers have their smallest camper coming in at 2500 pounds...

I am also surprised at the relative cost of slide in campers - starting at $17k or so - you get into $25k and $30k units pretty quick.

To me, if you need to go somewhere in four wheel drive - like the snow or a rugged area, then the slide-in camper makes sense. Or if you tow different things behind it - e.g. horse trailer or boat, boat + motorcycle trailer, etc. But for solely going motorcycle riding, a toy hauler will be better in every way.

jeff

p.s. Several RV Dealers that I have visited said that I can put "any camper they sell on my truck" because it is a 3500. Idiots...

Slide in campers get very heavy. very quickly, and are quite top-heavy and very wide, therefore they get very unstable on a lighter truck.

I know of a RV dealer who not only sold a 32 5th wheel TH to a F150 owner, but then installed the 5th wheel plate in the truck for the owner. Can we say gross negligence?

Too many dealers are in it for the profit, not truly servicing the customer. As much as I hate legislation, there should be penalties and enforcement for such disregard for public safety.

[VB_Racing]

I bought my truck to haul a slide in camper, It is equipped to haul a bigger camper, camper package, etc.(I owned a truck camper that weighed around 3200 lbs when I bought my truck).

I am not worried about weight, I used to pull my 6x12 trailer with the camper in the back.

My biggest reason for considering a slide in to a toy hauler is ease of use. I think I am starting to reconsider and buy a travel trailer. Do any of you guys use your toyhaulers in the winter(COLD winter)?? If so how do they work out??

Dave

I just checked, and the Lance 851 is a bit heavier than I recall, too heavy for my truck(3100 dry), so I am going toy hauler shopping!!

[NOMADAK]

Do any of you guys use your toyhaulers in the winter(COLD winter)?? If so how do they work out??

I have stayed in mine at temps to -20 fahrenheit. I have a 30,000 BTU furnace in mine (WW-FS2600). At those temps, the furnace was running about every 15 to twenty minutes but we were toasty. It did just fine. I highly reccommend getting the biggest propane tanks they offer, especially in a northern/cold winter state. I have two 7.5 gallon tanks on mine.

We don't use the plumbing at all during the winter. We use bottled water to drink from, make coffee, etc. We always do this, even in summer. I just don't trust what can grow in water in those holding tanks. Talk about a way to ruin a trip somewhere, the whole crew coming down with giardia or dysentery. Showering and washing are ok but drinking:naughty:.

This may be too much information, but I will share anyway:lol: , for bodily waste in winter we line our commode with trash bags, do our business and dispose of it properly. You don't want that stuff, freezing in your black water tank.

[dirtyriders110]

We use our Outback 21RS (Travel trailer with a hard rear bed slide) in the fall. At night it can get below freezing but the furnace heats it up real nice. We use it when we go to Purdue Football games, only thing is the water sitting in the pipes gets REALLY nasty. It is enough to stink up the whole trailer. I don't know if its the crappy campground we stay at or what. Needless to say, during that time we dont use our water for anything really. Now that I think of it we never drink the water, but if we're at a really nice private campground I will put the water in my mouth and spit it out (brushing teeth) We bring gallon jugs of water when we camp for cooking etc.

[Super Dude]

Toy hauler. slide in's are just a pain and NO ROOM!!!

[BlairV]

I have a slide in and I tow an enclosed trailer(big enough for my jeep) or a boat depending on what we're doing that trip. Our friends have everything from toy haulers to 37" fifth wheels. And they do have a lot of space for just about whatever they want to bring.

But I can tow just about whatever I want and I can drive just about anywhere my truck can go without the camper. The space thing isn't an issue for me since when I'm camping the last thing I want to be doing is sitting in my camper and I pack a lot of what I'm bringing in whatever I'm towing.

I like to have options, which a slide in camper gives me so I don't ever think I would get a toy hauler or fifth wheel. But I would consider some kind of motorhome that would also allow me to tow whatever I want.

My advice is to think about what all you want to use the camper/trailer for go to an RV show and look at all of the options then decide.

Good luck.

[texas929]

We don't use the plumbing at all during the winter. We use bottled water to drink from, make coffee, etc. We always do this, even in summer. I just don't trust what can grow in water in those holding tanks. Talk about a way to ruin a trip somewhere, the whole crew coming down with giardia or dysentery. Showering and washing are ok but drinking:naughty:.

We clean our tank and lines out every 6 months. rv.net has a good tutorial on this. Plus I installed a filter after the water pump. No issues what so ever.

We love our oy Hauler for going to tracks or going camping.

[NOMADAK]

It goes below freezing here about mid oct. and doesn't stay above freezing until the middle of April. That is why we don't use our plumbing.

good advice though, thanks

I am aware of how the things work and how to keep it all good. We have to haul up some serious mountain passes herre in Alaska. Fuel costs and wear&tear on the tow vehicle are bad enough. I don't need extra weight in there too. We pull empty of fluids.

We have things pretty well mapped out and know where to fill up our fresh water close to where we park at the track. We also empty our fluids at a dump station when we leave.

[VB_Racing]

Thanks for all the replies everyone, Ill keep you posted on what I decide(probably a toy hauler).

Dave

[8675309]

i haul 3 bikes in the bed of my truck + gas and generator

that allowed me to purchase a new 26' travel trailer loaded w/cherry wood and slide etc ..... only $19k and 5200 lbs.i am happy because my trailers interior does not look like a car hauler with a sink. also walk around queen size bed and slide work much better for me. toy haulers are it for most bikers but i would not buy unless it had a seperate garage and a slide.

[KAS]

Yet another vote for toy hauler. Campers are top heavy, don't have much room and are a pain in the ass. Plus you still have to haul a trailer anyway!

[B. Radecky]

i haul 3 bikes in the bed of my truck + gas and generator

that allowed me to purchase a new 26' travel trailer loaded w/cherry wood and slide etc ..... only $19k and 5200 lbs.i am happy because my trailers interior does not look like a car hauler with a sink. also walk around queen size bed and slide work much better for me. toy haulers are it for most bikers but i would not buy unless it had a seperate garage and a slide.

That is why we ended up with our outback. Room for bikes, seperate from the living area, rear slide so the 23' is closer to 28'. Plus the layout was the best that we found for our needs.

http://keystone-outback.com/?page=detail&year=2007&model=23KRS

[Beyond The Pale]

There are a lot of good recomendations here. Some go for a camper, some for a toy hauler, and even a few for a travel trailer. The reason for this variety is the lack of information. If you gave some more info on what you are looking to do then you could get some better more focused answers. For instance, how many people do you need to sleep? Where do you want to be able to go with it?

If you are planning on 2 to 4 and want to be able to go down a rough road, then the camper might be best. If it's 8 then a camper just will not cut it. A travel trailer with the bikes in the bed works, but not if you go down dirt roads much at all. Toy haulers tend to be built a little stronger than travel trailers.

Most of the time I go to places that no trailer can make easily. I just throw the bike in the back of the 4x4 truck, take camping gear, and as much firewood as possible. Being in southern California means the weather is a little more beign. No camping at -20 for me, +20 is bad enough.

[cms_austx]

Have you had any problems w/ it or discovered anything about it that would cause you not to recommend it? Do you have a 1/2 ton truck, and if so, how well does it tow it?

I'm in the process of selling my 18' toyhauler and replacing it w/ something bigger/nicer, and this is at the top of my list right now.

That is why we ended up with our outback. Room for bikes, seperate from the living area, rear slide so the 23' is closer to 28'. Plus the layout was the best that we found for our needs.

http://keystone-outback.com/?page=detail&year=2007&model=23KRS