what is the smallest toy hauler you know of?

[Bass Mechanic]

i have a 2007 honda ridgeline truck, its rated for 5000 lbs towing and 1500 lb tongue weight.

i found a 2008 coachmen Blast 150 that would work well for my needs but i would rather get somthing used and save some money. apparently they didnt make the blast till this year,

does anyone have any suggestions for somthing a little older and less expensive that i could haul with my truck?

does anyone have somthing for sale? i would like to have a shower but its not a deal breaker i just want to be able to haul 4 bikes and sleep 4 people.

[Beyond The Pale]

You really need to add up all the weight and see how that fits in your maximum. Unfortunately it is more complicated than just 5000 pounds. Usually that means a half tank of gas and a midget driving and otherwise empty truck. You need to know what your truck weighs empty. Then you need to know the gross combined max that you are rated for. This info should be in your owners manual.

The smallest toy haulers that I know of all weigh just a little over 3000 lbs dry. The blast 150 is 3400. A bike and gear will be 250 lbs or more. At 250 that is 1000 lbs and you are up to 4400. It will be hard to only put in 600 more pounds of stuff in the trailer. For example water is heavy. The Blast 150 has a small 36 gallon tank. Just that is over 250 pounds. They you have food, gas, beer, etc.

Then you are going to put 4 guys in the truck. That's another almost 1000 pounds by the time you have everyones stuff. The problem is that weight in the truck usually subtracts from trailer load carrying capacity.

Sorry to say it, but I think you will be needing a larger truck. Add it up and see.

[witdogg]

i have a 2007 honda ridgeline truck, its rated for 5000 lbs towing and 1500 lb tongue weight.

i found a 2008 coachmen Blast 150 that would work well for my needs but i would rather get somthing used and save some money. apparently they didnt make the blast till this year,

does anyone have any suggestions for somthing a little older and less expensive that i could haul with my truck?

does anyone have somthing for sale? i would like to have a shower but its not a deal breaker i just want to be able to haul 4 bikes and sleep 4 people.

Check out the "SuperLite" and the "Supercross" trailers from Weekend Warrior. They have many trailers light enough for your Ridgeline to pull.

www.warriormfg.com

[Chickenhauler]

i have a 2007 honda ridgeline truck, its rated for 5000 lbs towing and 1500 lb tongue weight.

i found a 2008 coachmen Blast 150 that would work well for my needs but i would rather get somthing used and save some money. apparently they didnt make the blast till this year,

does anyone have any suggestions for somthing a little older and less expensive that i could haul with my truck?

does anyone have somthing for sale? i would like to have a shower but its not a deal breaker i just want to be able to haul 4 bikes and sleep 4 people.

IDK if I'd be too excited about a TH for a Ridgeline-I looked one over recently, and while I was impressed with the vehicle for what it is, but it isn't a truck.

Unibody and independant rear suspension make me wonder about 1500 lb tongue weight-seems a bit high, safe would probably be closer to 500 lbs.

Hauling 4 bikes and sleeping 4 comfortably may be a challenge with that vehicle, but I think it can be done as long as you're not afraid to skip the luxury's.

The Coachman blast may do the job, if you keep the stuff dragged along to the barest minimum, but 4 bikes is 1000 lbs, and then add people, another 600 lbs or so, and then you want clothes and food, right? It adds up fast.

Have you thought about doing a conversion and a cargo trailer like some here have done? There can be alot of weight saved by keeping it simple, and some of the conversions that have been done look really nice.

I have also seen a small TH (can't remember the brand) that was really small and light, meant for towing behind crossover SUV's and light PU trucks.

[Chickenhauler]

IDK your thoughts about the hybrid haulers, but Fleetwood makes the Scorpion

http://www.fleetwoodcampingtrailers.com/series.aspx?id=6&sn=Scorpion

The Starcraft RT's are fairly light

http://www.starcraftrv.com/starcraft_folding_campers/starcraft_36rt.html

[scot_douglas]

Are you sure you don't mean 150# tongue weight? I did a quick look at Honda's website and see it can handle 1550# payload...but 1500# tongue weight???

[scot_douglas]

I have also seen a small TH (can't remember the brand) that was really small and light, meant for towing behind crossover SUV's and light PU trucks.

Hobbi?

[bronc3]

When I saw the ads showing a Ridgeline ripping through a mountian trail with two bikes strapped in the back I decided to take a look at my local dealer. When I arrived at the dealer and asked for info on a Ridgeline the salesman immediately said "this is not an offroad vehicle". Nonetheless, I took a brochure, took one for a drive and looked it over. Nice vehicle, but defintely not a truck, much less a 4x4. I wound up buying a new Taco instead. They do quote some pretty impressive towing numbers for the Ridgeline considering what it is.

I was disappointed, I was looking forward to Honda building a truck.

[Bass Mechanic]

a lot of people say the ridge is not a truck, ok its definitly no ford or chevy or dodge kind of truck but i have towed a trailer with 2 ATV's on it that i am sure combined was 2500 lbs and i kid you not i couldnt even tell it was behind me.

as for independent suspention i dont know what that has to do with payload, sure driving a ridgeline at the dealer you can only see what the truck can do by itself they arent going to let you tow somthing with it.

all i know is that as far as a truck is concerned it hauls 2 bikes easily pulls trailers easily and ive personally taken it through 18 inches of snow and never got close to stuck in it. by my definition it is definitly a truck! i know it doesnt have the towing capability of most trucks because its not like most trucks, i think its a good cross between a passenger vehicle and a truck. i think it does both very well.

im not going to trade out the ridge for anything else. as far as im concerned i wouldn't take a ford if it was free! i might consider a chevy or dodge but at todays gas prices 22 mpg compared to thoes trucks aint a bad deal! and i dont have room in the garage for another vehicle that sits all year till i need to pull a trailer.

i dont plan to do extensive camping, i just basically need a glorified popup or small trailer that will haul some bikes. hell i can take 2 bikes in the back of the truck and pull a small popup if i have to but that limits me to 2 bikes.

i havnt tried yet but it may be possible to stuff 3 bikes on the ridgeline but it would be tight.

[scot_douglas]

There are also hybrid trailers that have a flatbed up frong and a popup on the back that might work well for you.

[Bass Mechanic]

There are also hybrid trailers that have a flatbed up frong and a popup on the back that might work well for you.

yes star craft has one, im considering that, the problem seems to be finding one used, i dont want to pay full price for one.

[scot_douglas]

yes star craft has one, im considering that, the problem seems to be finding one used, i dont want to pay full price for one.

Well, You could go the redneck route and build your own. I was planning on buying a decent "car hauler" -style flatbed for $1500 and put a $1000 used popup on it and call it good, but I decided that with michigan weather being what it is, I'd like my bikes enclosed.

[Super Dude]

The carson rebel is 14' long.

http://www.carsontrailer.com/subs/trailers/rv_sport/pull_front_kitchen/fr_rebel.html

[Chickenhauler]

Hobbi?

I thought about Hobbi, but their smallest trailer weighs 4505 empty. ?

(that leaves no room for beer)

a lot of people say the ridge is not a truck, ok its definitly no ford or chevy or dodge kind of truck but i have towed a trailer with 2 ATV's on it that i am sure combined was 2500 lbs and i kid you not i couldnt even tell it was behind me.

as for independent suspention i dont know what that has to do with payload, sure driving a ridgeline at the dealer you can only see what the truck can do by itself they arent going to let you tow somthing with it.

all i know is that as far as a truck is concerned it hauls 2 bikes easily pulls trailers easily and ive personally taken it through 18 inches of snow and never got close to stuck in it. by my definition it is definitly a truck! i know it doesnt have the towing capability of most trucks because its not like most trucks, i think its a good cross between a passenger vehicle and a truck. i think it does both very well.

im not going to trade out the ridge for anything else. as far as im concerned i wouldn't take a ford if it was free! i might consider a chevy or dodge but at todays gas prices 22 mpg compared to thoes trucks aint a bad deal! and i dont have room in the garage for another vehicle that sits all year till i need to pull a trailer.

i dont plan to do extensive camping, i just basically need a glorified popup or small trailer that will haul some bikes. hell i can take 2 bikes in the back of the truck and pull a small popup if i have to but that limits me to 2 bikes.

i havnt tried yet but it may be possible to stuff 3 bikes on the ridgeline but it would be tight.

Are you talking about toting 2 adult bikes and 2 kids bikes?

Reason I ask, is I have friends who bought a regular camper, and put the kids bikes inside the camper (they'll fit through the door) and tie them down inside and the adult bikes go in the truck.

If you're a bit handy, you could do what this TT'er did-"economy toy hauler"

https://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=414133&highlight=Toyota+trailer

I wasn't bashing the Ridgeline-I was just pointing out that it is what it is-some folks (my father) thought it's built the same as a Chevy 1500, being it's a truck. A friend of his bought one, and it is quite nice, and my father was contemplating one, until I told him that I don't think the AWD or unibody setup or Independant Rear Suspension would apprecciate farm life.

Now my father now teases his buddy about owning a "transvestite truck":p

[Bass Mechanic]

you know, theres an idea i never thought of! why not just get a regular trailer like a popup and fab some racks on it? if i tow with my truck i can still haul 2 bikes in the bed and tow the trailer. the only thing is that eventually i may end up getting a couple qwads so my wife will go with me. she wont ride a bike. i wonder if its possible to put a qwad in the bed of the truck and a small landing on the rear to hold a qwad?

[Chickenhauler]

you know, theres an idea i never thought of! why not just get a regular trailer like a popup and fab some racks on it? if i tow with my truck i can still haul 2 bikes in the bed and tow the trailer. the only thing is that eventually i may end up getting a couple qwads so my wife will go with me. she wont ride a bike. i wonder if its possible to put a qwad in the bed of the truck and a small landing on the rear to hold a qwad?

You may be able to fit a smaller quad into the bed of the Ridgeline, and IDK about hanging a rack off the rear big enough for a quad-that gets to be a long overhang. May scrape or hang up going in/out of driveways.

If you could find a good, qualified welder to add to the tongue, you could build a rack on the front to hold the quad.

[Stupendous]

i might consider a chevy or dodge but at todays gas prices 22 mpg compared to thoes trucks aint a bad deal!

22? A Ridgeline is rated at 16/21 MPG and only has 247HP and 245ft lbs of torque. My new 4x4 Chevy with a 5.3L V8 gets 16/20 MPG and puts out 315HP and 338 ft lbs of torque.

[damone]

16-ft Carson Rebel

[Super Dude]

16-ft Carson Rebel

why not the 14' look up^^^^^^^^^^^

[Rollnround]

Pony up and buy the right equipment the first time. You can also get REAL creative. I sleep in a tent, and have a 15 gallon water barrel hooked to an electric pump. Good enough shower for me after a long days ride. I also stay on state land while camping/riding, far away from anybody