New to ATV's and having a blast. Thinking about combining outdoor camping, easy on wife, with ATV transport by using a Toy Hauler. We do some off road but not the serious type, more to get into campgrounds and some out of the way places. What should I look for in selecting a toy hauler, size, type of wheel, lenght, weight, etc. Already have a full size 4 X 4 so can tow. Thanks,Tcam

 

the weekend warriors are made extremly light as are the copy cat models...take it easy

last year I saw a guy who bent the shucks out of the axle tube...I saw him hours later pulling down the road with only one axle

so avoid large rocks and big air...and welcome to atv'ing

 

If you are going to try to get into tight spots, I'd suggest a shorter 5th wheel. I flipped the axles on mine, to get more clearance above the bedrails with the trailer level, and also gained a lot of ground clearance.

The ATC guy has some good points about quality and design.

Also, these things depreciate quite a bit when new even when they are in pristine condition. Might be a good idea to think about a used one, but make sure to check it over well with someone who knows what they are looking at.

As far as offroad goes, I've been in some rough spots, but there are limits to where you can go with one of these. Mainly, go SLOW over the rough stuff, and watch for branches and what not that could snag your roof. Anything that doesn't have a solid base underneath is pretty much off limits, as there is a lot of weight on fairly small tire footprints...

A better brake controller, like Brakesmart, would also be a good investment.

The other option I would consider would be a better camper and a regular ATV trailer. The Bigfoot 10.6 is really nice, built out of fiberglass and structural foam, like two boat hulls joined around the waist.

The main reason I like the 10.6 is that it has a dry bath, which might please the wife, and it is about the biggest camper where you can still pull a trailer (with an expensive hitch), and it's cabinetry is top notch.

Weight wise, though, add a few people and some camping gear and you would be over the limit of my single rear wheel 1 ton... A dually would be required to avoid exceeding payload rating, and would handle better.

 

ATC has another good point...

Fiberglass siding on an RV has it's advantages (adds insulation both thermal and sound, doesn't dent with a light impact, and small damage is fairly easy to repair) but it also has disadvantates (adds significant weight, can delaminate- and frame flexing on uneven ground probably increases the risk, and if you hit something end wise on one of the pannels you can end up with massive damage).

Overall, for your use going off road, I also think metal siding is probably a better choice.

A couple of other things I should have mentioned... you might want to avoid units that have tanks/pipes hanging down. Smashing a sewer pipe on something is not good. If you are going to use it in the winter, having all the tanks in an insulated and protected area is key. Also, as far as keeping the wife happy goes, be sure to have enough holding and fresh water capacity to actually use the shower.

A built in gen and fuel station are nice, as would solar.

 

Thanks for all the great advice and insight. You have saved me time, dollars and hours of repair! In checking out the ATC, great product and look! My next step is to physically check out the ATC and another unit that appears to be well made..Campmaster/Predator products. I like your advice about when you see a quality product and compare to the other guy, it stands out. I am at that stage where I need to see to compare and how I fit into the bath, etc. I am a large guy. If I may ask your advice about a couple of features. I am a bit confused as to features on the same or similarly named products. i.e. One company calles it a toy hauler while another calls it storage with living quarters in that they offer different set ups. I mean, is a filling station a good or bad feature, ducting vs. whatever the other is, 35 amp or 55 amp, generator or no generator.. Never having lived or used such a vehicle I want to get it right the first time with the features that are suitable if I am not in a RV park but off road for a few days and of course keeping the wife happy. Again, thanks for all your great advice and direction. TCam

 

Right now, I use a Honda EU2000, but next time I will get a built in (get either Onan or Honda). Just handier to poke a button than go out in the weather, plus EU's are close to a grand, so you have to worry about keeping it well locked down.

Same thing with the fueling station. I use gas cans now, but you always have to make sure they can't tip over and spill, lifting 6 gal jugs could be a pain (esp for the wife), and you have to worry about theft. Most of the built in gas stations have a timer inside to run the pump, so you can turn it on, go outside and fill the quad and take off and let the timer shut the pump down.

As far as heating the tank area goes, my only concern about those electric pads would be power consumption. If it is way below freezing, just the furnace will draw a pair of deep cycle batteries down pretty quick. If you get a generator, then it won't matter.

Mine has the tanks up between the frame rails, boxed off with some sort of plywood sheeted in a tarplike material screwed to the bottom of the frame. With a screw gun, it is pretty easy to get to the tanks. Heat comes from a furnace duct hose that snakes along side the tanks.


I second the advise about the shower. Many showers have a raised floor, apparently to allow piping underneath. Some brands try to compensate by putting a 14"x14" skylight over the shower, like I would like to shower while keeping my head stuck up in the little plastic bubble....

Most of the utility based toy haulers I have looked at seem pretty sparce inside, with stuff like fold out benches with cushions instead of a sleeper sofa, for example, but those ATC's look really nice, better than anything I've seen of that type.

Aluminum: I looked at your web page, but couldn't find the tank capacities of those units... How much fresh/gry water do they hold?

 

I'll share my two cents also. Everything above are great points. However, what I need is versatility. We just bought two large utility quads. I also have a 4 wheel drive rig (early bronco) that we love to take out. We needed something large enough to haul these (at different times of course). Plus we wanted to be able to enjoy the trailer by itself. Like visiting campgrounds along the coast, and national parks like Yosemite (we're in No. CA also). I was told that a lot of campgrounds have trailer size limits of 27 feet. The trailers that I am looking at are larger than 27 feet. I have never really done much camping in campgrounds. When rationalizing spending the money, it would be something I would need to explore. I want and need something that will fill all my needs. You might want to consider this also. Just my two cents.

 

I suspect the camp grounds that limit size do so for a reason. Mainly manuverability. ATC makes a great product. Pace American also has one. In fact, just about any manufacturer has one that is a conversion from a car hauler. Do some research to find out about dealer and factory warranty and customer service. I can vouch for a nightmare experience with Pace... The workmanship and quality is there, but the factory reps, and customer service leaves a lot on the table if you know what I mean... Building a custom trailer can be a very frustrating experience. (See my page for pics)

Just remember that these units are not designed to go "Off road" more than maybe a graveled parking lot or trail head. You will be busting a lot of parts if you try to get too aggressive with the bumps.