Toy Hauler with Kids

[mattmountz94]

Long time reader one of my few posts. Wondering from those of you who camp with young kids. The wife and i currently have a 18 month old and are expecting our second in a few months. We currently have a Sandpiper 365 (Bunk House) and i really think a toy hauler would be a better move. Have any of you switched from a bunk house to a toy hauler? Was it the right move or the wrong move? Any feedback would be great.

Thanks

Matt

[lamopar]

We own a 32' toy hauler and haul it with a single axle 3/4 ton with little problem. We bought a 2011 model used in 2012 and are so happy with it. I have two boys and they use the space in the unit. We do have toys and bring them with us traveling. Now we are on a 6 week road trip with three large ATVs and it takes a few minutes to open the back and back them out then push the down button the bunks. We also use it for Skiing in the winter and camp at the resort. Placing a dehumidifier at the back and leaving the back bunk up allows us to dry out all the clothes overnight. It also heats the unit. We use it at home as a guest house and have slept three families in the unit at one time. There are no slides so the weight is not too bad. Backing up to a lake and opening the back door with the screen down provides us an awesome view. It took two years to find the one we wanted as I wanted a king bed, separate bath with a full kitchen. Ours even has a wine rack so my wife is happy. I spent a long time looking at all types of units and the toy hauler fit our lifestyle. As far as a place for my kids clothes I purchased a plastic four drawer dresser at Walmart and it holds over 1/2 of the clothes my kids have. It moves in the trailer if I need it to but hardly ever do. It also make an extra spot for things to sit on. My only problem I have is one AC unit so if it gets over 90 it is a challenge to cool. I believe it is wired for a second but the three or four days a year its a problem has not been worth the price. That is my experience.

[mrkoje]

We had BH TT sand went to a TH for several reasons. Boondock 99% of the time. Besides hauling toys like ATVs or kayaks we have room for kids bikes etc in side. Also the huge water and holding tanks are a plus. BH TT had a single 40g fresh tank. The TH has a 120g fresh tank. Also the amount of bed space is a big deal. the two king size bunks gives us the opportunity to have several people now go with us camping. I believe it was every dollar going from the bunkhouse to the toy hauler.

[Lantley]

I have a big bunkhouse and sometimes wonder should I have went the toyhauler route. There are times I wish I could take a golf cart or some other toy with me.
As my bunkhouse years are winding down I have no regrets choosing the bunkhouse over the toy hauler.
The bunkhouse has living quarters already set up. The kids have dressers and dedicated storage space for all their stuff. A toyhauler has lots of open space but it is always in flux and needs to be converted in some way. The versatility of the tow hauler is nice, however dedicated living quarters keeps it simple and reduces set up.
As the years go by I have come to despise set up and break down more and more. I have developed a less is more mentality.
The less time I spend setting up, the more time I have to relax.
Toyhaulers will always require more setup and break down.
Being able to bring a golf cart would be fun, but for the few places we go that allow them renting is a more economical option in the long run.
We camp from march to December. It can be quite cold at the beginning and end of the season. The bunkhouse is much easier to heat than a wide open toy hauler.
Lastly the OP mentions price, a loaded toy hauler is 20-30K more than a similar sized bunkhouse. If you are not buying it to haul toys that price difference quickly becomes a deal breaker.
My kids are starting to go off to college in a few years. I will be an empty nester, my next rig will be some sort of rear lounge floorplan and will not have bunks. I am realizing that camping with kids while very enjoyable does not go on forever. It was just a phase.
As I contemplate my post bunkhouse days I have no regrets going the bunkhouse route vs. having a toyhauler. Buying a humongous rig just for the kid space is a bit too much.
Now if you own lots of toys, or haul special cargo of some sort the toyhauler is the way to go. But if you are simply dealing with kids and all their junk my vote is the bunk house.

[2001400ex]

mattmountz94 wrote:

2001400ex wrote:

mattmountz94 wrote:
Thanks for the replies. We went and looked at a Road Warrior 427 and absolutely loved it. But at this time we are going to keep the camper we have and save some more money for a better down payment. Buying that thing was like having another mortgage. But i do see a toy hauler over the bunk house in future

If price is the factor, shop around. Look on RV trader and you'll see what the actual price is, not some MSRP with a 5% discount. Right now there's a used one for 65k you can probably get much cheaper than that and many new ones under 80k. Look around and I'm sure you can find better deals.

Yea I told them I thought the price was high. The MSRP was 115,000 and they were selling it for 91650.. I told them that and they said they gave me more money on the trade in side... 28,000 for my 2013 365saq. So who knows

Lol yeah no. They are on RV trader, 2013 for 30k to 45k. One dealer offered 10,500 for my Shockwave 21, I laughed. He said "wholesale is 8,200" I'm like, this isn't a trashed wholesale unit. If you find one for 8,200, I'll pay you 10k for it." Yes I ignored that offer and sold it on my own. Listed it on a Saturday for 19k and sold it the following Friday for 18k.

Like you, I was torn on whether to upgrade. Mine the bugs are worked out and right now toy haulers have so many bugs (my dealer even knew about a water leak and lied to me about it). So the way I work, I listed it and figured if I could sell it for what I want, I'd upgrade. If not then I was fine with my current one. I only do this when it makes financial sense. I was over 4k under the local dealers lowest "I talked to the owner" deal and I got 7,500 more for my old one. That $11k plus goes a long way.

[mattmountz94]

2001400ex wrote:

mattmountz94 wrote:
Thanks for the replies. We went and looked at a Road Warrior 427 and absolutely loved it. But at this time we are going to keep the camper we have and save some more money for a better down payment. Buying that thing was like having another mortgage. But i do see a toy hauler over the bunk house in future

If price is the factor, shop around. Look on RV trader and you'll see what the actual price is, not some MSRP with a 5% discount. Right now there's a used one for 65k you can probably get much cheaper than that and many new ones under 80k. Look around and I'm sure you can find better deals.

Yea I told them I thought the price was high. The MSRP was 115,000 and they were selling it for 91650.. I told them that and they said they gave me more money on the trade in side... 28,000 for my 2013 365saq. So who knows

[2001400ex]

mattmountz94 wrote:
Thanks for the replies. We went and looked at a Road Warrior 427 and absolutely loved it. But at this time we are going to keep the camper we have and save some more money for a better down payment. Buying that thing was like having another mortgage. But i do see a toy hauler over the bunk house in future

If price is the factor, shop around. Look on RV trader and you'll see what the actual price is, not some MSRP with a 5% discount. Right now there's a used one for 65k you can probably get much cheaper than that and many new ones under 80k. Look around and I'm sure you can find better deals.

[Steve76eb]

mattmountz94 wrote:
Thanks for the replies. We went and looked at a Road Warrior 427 and absolutely loved it. But at this time we are going to keep the camper we have and save some more money for a better down payment. Buying that thing was like having another mortgage. But i do see a toy hauler over the bunk house in future

Thats the big problem. A bunk house is going to be so much cheaper and do the same thing especially since you don't have any toys. A bunk house is also not going to require a 1 ton dually.

[mattmountz94]

Thanks for the replies. We went and looked at a Road Warrior 427 and absolutely loved it. But at this time we are going to keep the camper we have and save some more money for a better down payment. Buying that thing was like having another mortgage. But i do see a toy hauler over the bunk house in future

[JAC1982]

We don't have kids, but bought our new 5th wheel hauler with one in mind. I envision being able to set up a pack and play back there, and, then as hypothetical kid gets bigger, they can sleep on the drop down bed, or even just set up a camping cot. However, we do have 3 dogs, and often camp without bringing our RZR, so the garage area is great for the dogs, along with the back patio... they can be outside without having to be tied up or in a pen. We also keep their food/water back there, and when we bring all 3, they all sleep back there. We use a leaf blower to just clean it all out when we get home. We also like all the extra storage space with/without the RZR back there... we can bring a lot of extra stuff like cornhole boards, plenty of coolers, water inflatables, whatever really we would want to bring. Just make sure your truck is big enough since they get pretty heavy.

[1Adam12]

The kids get bigger and bigger and we kept changing RV's to accommodate that. Then they start bringing friends. We are very happy with the toy hauler and would do it again in a minute. The garage and drop down bunks are the best. Place for the toys and two kids to sleep with a quick flip of a switch.

[dedmiston]

Txsurfer wrote:
my TH doesn't have a sep garage but I envison it's a great place to take off muddy boots and keep a wet dog ( assuming the garage has its own door.. just another advantage

The garage is a great mud room. We also keep the dogs' water and food in there.

[Txsurfer]

my TH doesn't have a sep garage but I envison it's a great place to take off muddy boots and keep a wet dog ( assuming the garage has its own door.. just another advantage

[RideSlow]

When we had 4 grandkids traveling with us, we had a Jayco quad bunk with an 11' slide. Master was up front, and kids could have a small pedestal table in their area. Never felt too small, with them at one end and us at the other. (We would go all year round, so had some rainy days...) The TH we have now works very well for just the 2 of us, and that is how we mostly use it. When we have the grand-daughter, as we did over the 4th, she 'owns' the rear. It is a 2014 Stealth AK2612, no slide, and we are very happy with it. I only haul a Harley with it, and only a few times, but will be more, as we range further from home. Could not tow without a 3500 truck, so if I didn't have that truck already, could not have done the TH. And, as an earlier post noted, the increased capacities and generator give us more options on where to go.

[drmopar]

I went with the Toy Hauler. Sometimes we take the Gem Car, sometimes I load my RC planes. More room without slide outs. What a great idea. A garage! Love it! I have been very happy with my Forest River Stealth. When camping, you can take Bikes, Quads, BBQ's, anything just about. Seems like mine is very heavy duty. Large springs and Frame, 200 gallons water, 50-50 holding tanks, 5500 Generator. 7 years old and no problems. All the bells and whistles. Now if I can only find a RV campground that is not booked 9 months in advance. My only *****.