Brand New Member

[dolamiti]

My wife and I are up in age. We have a harley triglide and were thinking of getting a toy hauler to take a couple trips on. I don't know anything about trailers, black water whatever.
I really need some help as far as what a middle of the road brand name I could start looking at on line.

I don't know anything about these types of trailers but want to learn.

thanks a lot,
Ron

[atwowheelguy]

Questions to answer:
1. Drivable or towable toy hauler? Go visit a campground, find some campers with both types, pull up a chair and commence the conversation. You will hear both sides. RVers LOVE to talk about their rigs and they will tell you the good and the bad. To find RVers with toy haulers, you may have to go to a motorcycle rally or to an off-road riding area.
Towable is usually cheaper but more complicated to unhook/set up and break down/hook up in the campground than a drivable.
2. Do you want a bed available without having to unload the trike? If so, this will likely put you into the range of a 25 ft. box for the camper. This is getting into the weight range that may put up a caution flag.
3. If towable, the choice of the tow vehicle, also known as the "TV", is critical. MANY toy hauler owners buy campers that have such a heavy tongue weight that they exceed the load weight ratings of their trucks. If you already have a "half ton" pickup truck and plan to use that, you will have to be VERY particular in choosing a towable toy hauler. First step is to look at the tire loading sticker on the edge of the truck door and find the maximum allowable weight of the cargo and passengers printed there.
4. A Tri Glide (not the Ultra) is 103" x 55" x 1100 lbs., 8'-7" x 4'-7", so most toy haulers should be able to accommodate that.

[mark1228]

CJW8 wrote:

mark1228 wrote:
I would look at Carbon. Good middle of the road brand made by Raptor but not as fancy

Actually made by Keystone. It is the next model down from the Raptor but still very nice.

Correct, and since Raptor is made by Keystone, Carbon is to. 🙂 Carbon is part of the Raptor division

[The_real_wild1]

Go to the dealerships, take your time and look at as many of them as you can. I would recommend if you don't have the tow vehicle yet find the trailer first then buy the tow vehicle you need. Seen lots of people buy the vehicle first and get something too small for the trailer they want.

[CJW8]

If you are not in a big hurry, try and attend some trade shows that feature RV's Go to some dealerships and kick some tires.

I would consider a curb side living room verses a curb side kitchen. We always seem to park with out doors facing the campfire and view. with out curb side kitchen we have virtually no windows facing the desired view.

[CJW8]

mark1228 wrote:
I would look at Carbon. Good middle of the road brand made by Raptor but not as fancy

Actually made by Keystone. It is the next model down from the Raptor but still very nice.

[RUFFSTUFF]

Something to consider is also how up in age is "up in age." Most of the people we have met on the road who are in or near their senior years have gone away from towables and went to RV's. Loading and unloading your Harley, hooking up and disconnecting the trailer, etc. isn't nearly as glamorous as it may seem. Of course, me being me, I rib them for being quitters.

Step 1 is determining what your are willing to spend and, under that guideline, what is your current tow vehicle. If you have a truck and are not going to replace it, what can it tow? If you are going to get a new truck, what do you want to get? This will set you up for the range of trailers that will best fit what you have or will have.

None of us want to see someone buy a 40' Toy Hauler and try to get it around in a 2007 F150.

[1jeep]

we looked at the impact also, wife didn't like the darker interior, but did notice they offered an impact with the same floor plan as our carbon. If you look at Keystones website they do have the toy haulers separated into grades, entry, mid and high.
http://www.keystonerv.com

[JAC1982]

Our Keystone Raptor 27FS is now sold as a Carbon 27, it is our first trailer and we haven't had any major issues with it that were due to the manufacturer. We're upgrading to a 5er soon but that's because we want a larger garage and more sleeping areas, and we will likely end up with with a Keystone Impact, which is another mid-grade line, they make both trailers and 5th wheels.

[Dirtclods]

I would imagine you'll be loading your harley triglide as well?

[1jeep]

GO to rv shows and rv dealers it took us over a year before we found the one we agreed on.

As mentioned the "Carbon" line by keystone is the mid level and shares many items with the higher up such as floor plans. Where they cut corners is on things such as appliances and awnings.

[tinner12002]

I would say Forest River haulers would be mid line, plus they offer several different brands/models under their name.
Here are a few things I look for in toy hauler,
1. Walk around queen bed running North south or with the trailer, easier to make the bed.
2. Plenty of USB ports for charging cell, even in the bedroom,
3. 6 point auto-level up,
4. Frig on the curb side of hauler so if frig is blocked when slides are in, then slide could be run out on curb side out of traffic to access frig.
5. M bath located on driver side, many have it on curb side so when bedroom/wardrobe slide is in you can't get into bath room.
6. Waste tanks pull cable or opening handle positioned in the accessory compartment so you don't have get on the ground to open/dump tanks.
7. Mor-ryde assist on the rear ramp door, almost no effort to open/close.
I'd recommend a 12ft separate garage min if your loading a trike and a bike.
As we all get older, I look at the items above to be in a hauler so things are easier.

[mark1228]

I would look at Carbon. Good middle of the road brand made by Raptor but not as fancy

[RUFFSTUFF]

Welcome! Read everything but don't believe everything.

[Y-Guy]

First of all welcome aboard!

Everyone that got into RVs was a newbie at some point. So most are more then willing help out. For the basics I'd hit up Google and search for terms like RV Basics, or RV 101 - anything that will give you the basic understanding and how to's. There is a lot to learn, but it's not hard once you understand how things work.

Also once you get one don't be afraid to ask for help. I can't count how many times I've seen a new owner dealing with hooking up hoses, waste water lines, awnings etc. But you know, somebody helped me out so I try to pay it back.

In the main Toy Hauler forum near the top is the Complete List of Toy Haulers, that will give you links to most the manufacturers and let you start window shopping. Don't rush things, don't let a sales guy try to buy now, take your time kick tires, ask questions and glean as much information as you can.

Figure out much space your toy needs, then if you want a garage or central cabin. Biggest groups are those owned by Thor & Forest River. There are a lot of choices, some will depend on your truck and how much you want to spend. It's hard to say which are middle of the road units, as each brand usually has a cross section of prices.