Forum Discussion

Jeanine_and_dav's avatar
Mar 26, 2018

Recommendations

We are looking for a 5th wheeler toy hauler (35-42 feet). Any recommendations on manufacturer/style, etc.? And anything to stay away from??
  • Gee. What is on your short list? RVing since...”N/A”...so what experience do you have? Where do you like to go? How many go with you? Hookups usually? Dry camping? Off road? Gee.
  • While you are waiting for responses I'd search this Forum in the Fifth-Wheels section for words like `recommendations' `trouble' `problems' then search for the manufacturers that are mentioned in the above searches. Or you can wait.
  • Dick_B wrote:
    While you are waiting for responses I'd search this Forum in the Fifth-Wheels section for words like `recommendations' `trouble' `problems' then search for the manufacturers that are mentioned in the above searches. Or you can wait.


    OP might want to repeat that search in the TH forum, too. :B

    Lyle
  • 35-42ft pretty much encompasses all 5th wheel toy haulers. It there anymore info to add to the criteria ? Price, garage size, etc etc ?
  • 4x4ord's avatar
    4x4ord
    Explorer III
    DRV makes a toy hauler that is likely a pretty good unit.
  • 4x4ord wrote:
    DRV makes a toy hauler that is likely a pretty good unit.


    Yes, and a very expensive unit also!! Lol!
    The OP needs to figure out what they are looking for in a toy hauler such as, separate garage, size of garage, main bath on curb or street side which will usually determine if you can get into the bath or bedroom without running slides out, 1/2 bath, dual or triple axle and then search floorplans on the web. Finding a floorplan that suits you is what makes for fun camping in my opinion. All manufacturers have their floorplans listed on the web unless its a brand new design. I looked for 2 yrs at the web, RV shows and toured several factories before I purchased my Raptor. I actually didn't want anything Keystone when I started looking and here I own one.
  • How about just as important as the toyhauler..what are you towing with? Most toy haulers get heavy fast!
  • We ordered a Grand Design Momentum 395m. Nice unit for the money. Felt the most open of all the toy haulers and had the dinette and the extra sofa in addition to the proper tv viewing angle on the main sofa area. Those windows, holy cow, gorgeous and really open up the unit.
    Kitchen was a little small but there is a ton of space for an island to augment it.

    We had a DRV Mobile Suite, prior to the Thor takeover, we wouldn't buy one again.

    Some of the other brands we looked at but passed on were:

    KZ Venom, we felt these units felt small compared to the momentum. The big windows and tall slides on the momentum just made it feel like an apartment. We also felt the Venom was very brown looking color wise. We did love the kitchen on the 4111tk / 3911. The fact that Thor bought them out was a big negative for us as well.

    Voltage 3970. Another Thor brand. Spent time on the owner forums and it really turned me off. We liked the kitchen in this unit but it felt tight. Even more so than the KZ. Liked the tub and bathroom. Overall felt the unit was cheap though.

    Raptor 425ts. Nice unit. Didn't like the cabinet / bread box thing taking up all that counter space. Like the voltage, that sofa or dinette really annoyed us. The sofa wasn't positioned well to be a sofa but you really need that extra seating because the L shaped sectional is smallish. This area also felt small and disjointed because of how the slides lined up.

    Hearland had a few we looked at.4150 and 4005 mostly. We liked these units but wish we could get the 4005 kitchen in the 4150 living room. Still missing the dinette AND the extra sofa, the slide didn't line up right for the sofa either like on the momentum. We liked the rest of the unit though with the exception of the washer dryer placement. The 4005 the W/D would partially block the bathroom door in the rear which we thought was poor design.


    Overall we felt that Grand Design offered the better floor plan options, all of their floor plans felt really open and airy, plus they had the features we wanted at a good price. We spent almost a year on the owners forum and there were very few complaints and almost everyone there is a happy customer that would buy again. That really helped make the decision easy.

    Good luck in your search.
  • We just purchased the Talon 313t from Jayco. It is supposed to arrive to our dealers lot in a week or two.
    Jayco Talon