My husband and I are starting the looking process of a fifth wheel. We retire in a year, and although we don't plan on being full-timers, we are planning to travel as much as possible. At times our parents will be joining us and our 2 German Shepherds. We love the Cougar PAT. The extra outdoor space would be great with the dogs and when our parents join us. However, we starting considering a toy hauler because we have ATVs that we thought would be fun to use on occasion as we travel plus we would still have the extra outdoor space with an optional patio added. Are there many state and national parks that allow ATVs or would we have to load them up in the TH for transport each time? If we have the separate living area, do you still smell the fuel fumes? What do you love and dislike about your toy hauler? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I live in Canada so I am not sure about American rules regarding atv's in parks. Mostly they are ok here. I have never noticed much in the way of mechanical smells inside our TH. That being said, we always travel with the vents open. The thing I like most about our TH is the enormous storage area. It gives you the option of bringing vast amounts of camping stuff with you when you travel piled up around and on top of your atv's. We even use the unit as a storage shed for atv's and bikes in the winter.

Most parks, unless designated as off-road, forbid operating ATV's within them. This means you will need to haul them in the truck or toy hauler to the staging area.If your ATV's are properly maintained and you shut off the fuel when transporting them, they will not leave odors even in an open floor plan toy hauler. If they leak or you have bypassed the vapor capture devices on the machines you will have fumes until the unit airs out and you clean up spills/drips.Toy hauler advantages:More open floor planTaller ceilings making it feel more spaciousLarger capacity tanksHeavier chassis with more payload capacityToy hauler disadvantages:Heavier than regular TT or FWUsually taller with more front draftTypically not as luxurious as regular RV'sHarder to keep heated with taller roof line

Most federal and state parks do not allow atv or similar type vehicle use within park boundaries but we usually don't bring our toys on those type of trips. Out west where we live and camp there are a plethora of areas where we can boondock and ride which is the main reason we purchased our TH.About 50% of the time we don't bring any toys on our RV trips and just use the garage space for additional dining, sleeping, or patio use. We haven't experienced any problems with fuel or other toy related odors while camping. As with any class of RV there are pros and cons but other than being heavy rigs we don't have any real issues that would make us change to another type of RV. Our next rig will also be a TH, they just seem more versatile for our type of camping style.

I love the additional height inside my TH. I'm 6'2" and have no issues in the shower with the added height! That was one of the reasons I bought a TH, because I don't have a clearance issue anywhere in my trailer. The only time I have fuel vapor/smell issues is when I load a 'toy' while it is still warm. The heat from the engine will heat the fuel tank. When the tank heats, the fumes expand and are pushed out of the breather, and then it smells like a opened tank of gas. Earlier in the year I was using my trailer for a garage for my street bike while I was working on the road. If I decided to bring the bike in quickly because of weather conditions, I would run a small personal fan right at the engine to help it cool quickly and it solved the fume issue. Be sure to turn off fuel petcocks on the carbureted toys before transport.

There is a new breed of park now called a muddin park like, for instance, sabineatv.com in Texas or muddy bottoms in Louisiana. They have hook ups and thousands of acres to ride Atvs.

pros and cons of toy hauler | Good Sam Community

23 Replies

Sandia_Man
Explorer II
Nov 17, 2014
Most federal and state parks do not allow atv or similar type vehicle use within park boundaries but we usually don't bring our toys on those type of trips. Out west where we live and camp there are a plethora of areas where we can boondock and ride which is the main reason we purchased our TH.

About 50% of the time we don't bring any toys on our RV trips and just use the garage space for additional dining, sleeping, or patio use. We haven't experienced any problems with fuel or other toy related odors while camping.

As with any class of RV there are pros and cons but other than being heavy rigs we don't have any real issues that would make us change to another type of RV. Our next rig will also be a TH, they just seem more versatile for our type of camping style.
Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 17, 2014
Most parks, unless designated as off-road, forbid operating ATV's within them. This means you will need to haul them in the truck or toy hauler to the staging area.

If your ATV's are properly maintained and you shut off the fuel when transporting them, they will not leave odors even in an open floor plan toy hauler. If they leak or you have bypassed the vapor capture devices on the machines you will have fumes until the unit airs out and you clean up spills/drips.

Toy hauler advantages:
More open floor plan
Taller ceilings making it feel more spacious
Larger capacity tanks
Heavier chassis with more payload capacity

Toy hauler disadvantages:
Heavier than regular TT or FW
Usually taller with more front draft
Typically not as luxurious as regular RV's
Harder to keep heated with taller roof line
bvereshagen
Explorer
Nov 17, 2014
I live in Canada so I am not sure about American rules regarding atv's in parks. Mostly they are ok here. I have never noticed much in the way of mechanical smells inside our TH. That being said, we always travel with the vents open. The thing I like most about our TH is the enormous storage area. It gives you the option of bringing vast amounts of camping stuff with you when you travel piled up around and on top of your atv's. We even use the unit as a storage shed for atv's and bikes in the winter.

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pros and cons of toy hauler

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