- Location
- Bountiful, land of rocks
By NO stretch of the imagination am I a master of toy haulers. I have done a LOT of research, though. Still haven't put my money where my mouth is (and probably won't buy one--reasons to follow--mostly my wife's reasons). We've got a 29' Gulfstream bunkhouse (that's kind of been a pile of **** of late, though) and a 26' flatbed trailer (I use a tent when I take it and camp with the kids) that can haul two rigs.
Reasons to buy a toy hauler that would fit a Jeep:
1)You've got a way to make a meal wherever you go. You've got all the conveniences of home wherever you go.
2) security of a covered trailer
3) in my case, my wife does NOT wheel (and never will), so I could justify the expense of a toy hauler over just a normal travel trailer
4) you've got two "rigs" wherever you go. In my case, my wife could motor the tow rig around while I Jeep around. Keeps her less board while I'm off having fun.
Reasons to NOT buy a toy hauler that would fit a Jeep:
1) Remember your Jeep is at LEAST 4000 lbs loaded for the trail. I'd probably shoot for 5000 lbs just to have a little buffer. Personally, I think you'll wear out your "toy hauler" that's built for sand buggies, motorcycles or ATVs hauling a Jeep around in it frequently.
2) Is that the only way you have to haul your Jeep? Cuz for a day or two, that's a LOT of trailer to haul around. (you would have all the benefits of a trailer while there, though)
3) They're f'ing heavy beasts. You'll use ALL of the power available in your turbo diesel on every hill. Dry weight is heavy, loaded weight is prodigious.
4)They're a little hard to find, but they're out there.
Toy Haulers I've personally seen that would likely fit a Jeep.
Holiday Rambler
http://www.holidayrambler.com/modelsxml/hr.aspx?model=nextlevel&content=chart
I've got a buddy with one. This does fit a YJ with a springover on 37" tires. He fits, but it's a little tight. I think he's hauling 17,000-18,000 with the Jeep in the trailer and loaded for camping?
Forest River
http://www.forestriverinc.com/nd/default22.asp?nav=rec&page=sandstorm&choice=brochure
Thor
http://www.thorca.com/ta_floor.htm
Watch your NET CARGO CAPACITY. That's kind of important. Remember how much water weighs per gallon for full tanks. Estimate how much your camp/outfitting gear weighs then about triple it to get a somewhat accurate measurement of what your payload will be.
IMHO, a 3/4 ton truck is probably not enough to haul a toy hauler, your gear and your wheeling rig if only for the sticker on the door. This could be a bit of an insurance liability issue. Please consult your insurance advisor. Everyone has a different opinion. If your car insurance guy says you should be fine, I'd get it in writing from him just in case something happens. That would at least show due diligence on your part to ensure that your are insured in the event of an "incident". I'd go for a minimum of a one ton, and maybe an F450 or similar just to keep the insurance/legal guys happy?
Here's two of the concepts I like best vs. a regular toy hauler.
1) light trailer and a smallish C-class motorhome--wow, kind of the best of both worlds here if you find a C-class with enough motor (you'll need some patience, C-classes are not known for going over hills at any kind of speed, add a trailer and you're even slower) not to drive you nuts. You can park at a campground or wherever, unload and go. All the benefits of the toy hauler without the tow rig.
2) "Work and play" type or other "race" trailer with some RV conversion--they're BUILT to haul heavy things and you add the RV stuff later. I believe these trailers would hold up mucho longer than the RV based trailers. I'm not sure they'd be more comfortable or not, though. Slight redneck effect vs. the toy hauler (to me).
http://www.forestriverinc.com/nd/default22.asp?page=floor&choice=worknp&nav=rec
www.racingjunk.com has a ton of clever and kewl ideas that people have used to haul stock cars and what not. Used and new stuff there. Everything from a bumper pull race trailer (some of those seem QUITE nice) to full on toter home/stacker trailers and even tractor/trailers used to haul NASCAR crap around.
....a third 3) I still haven't worked this out fully in my mind, and there's some more insurance issues to clear up. Cody mentioned an idea about hauling a rig on a flatbed pickup a while back (think rollback wrecker without the rollback). You could tow a conventional tag trailer of whatever flavor behind that. Again, I'd for SURE want a dually truck to support the 5K on the bed (that just doesn't sound good on a pickup chassis to me) and a crew cab to haul the passengers. It would kind of suck for a DD, but if you're just after a tow rig, that might work pretty nice?
I've settled on the two trailers. One to haul two rigs and I sleep on the ground or the trailer deck in a tent, the other for the family camping trips. I can't have my cake and eat it to. I have to choose if I'm going to eat it, or have it.
...(oh, and my next pickup is a dually so I have a few more options)
Reasons to buy a toy hauler that would fit a Jeep:
1)You've got a way to make a meal wherever you go. You've got all the conveniences of home wherever you go.
2) security of a covered trailer
3) in my case, my wife does NOT wheel (and never will), so I could justify the expense of a toy hauler over just a normal travel trailer
4) you've got two "rigs" wherever you go. In my case, my wife could motor the tow rig around while I Jeep around. Keeps her less board while I'm off having fun.
Reasons to NOT buy a toy hauler that would fit a Jeep:
1) Remember your Jeep is at LEAST 4000 lbs loaded for the trail. I'd probably shoot for 5000 lbs just to have a little buffer. Personally, I think you'll wear out your "toy hauler" that's built for sand buggies, motorcycles or ATVs hauling a Jeep around in it frequently.
2) Is that the only way you have to haul your Jeep? Cuz for a day or two, that's a LOT of trailer to haul around. (you would have all the benefits of a trailer while there, though)
3) They're f'ing heavy beasts. You'll use ALL of the power available in your turbo diesel on every hill. Dry weight is heavy, loaded weight is prodigious.
4)They're a little hard to find, but they're out there.
Toy Haulers I've personally seen that would likely fit a Jeep.
Holiday Rambler
http://www.holidayrambler.com/modelsxml/hr.aspx?model=nextlevel&content=chart
I've got a buddy with one. This does fit a YJ with a springover on 37" tires. He fits, but it's a little tight. I think he's hauling 17,000-18,000 with the Jeep in the trailer and loaded for camping?
Forest River
http://www.forestriverinc.com/nd/default22.asp?nav=rec&page=sandstorm&choice=brochure
Thor
http://www.thorca.com/ta_floor.htm
Watch your NET CARGO CAPACITY. That's kind of important. Remember how much water weighs per gallon for full tanks. Estimate how much your camp/outfitting gear weighs then about triple it to get a somewhat accurate measurement of what your payload will be.
IMHO, a 3/4 ton truck is probably not enough to haul a toy hauler, your gear and your wheeling rig if only for the sticker on the door. This could be a bit of an insurance liability issue. Please consult your insurance advisor. Everyone has a different opinion. If your car insurance guy says you should be fine, I'd get it in writing from him just in case something happens. That would at least show due diligence on your part to ensure that your are insured in the event of an "incident". I'd go for a minimum of a one ton, and maybe an F450 or similar just to keep the insurance/legal guys happy?
Here's two of the concepts I like best vs. a regular toy hauler.
1) light trailer and a smallish C-class motorhome--wow, kind of the best of both worlds here if you find a C-class with enough motor (you'll need some patience, C-classes are not known for going over hills at any kind of speed, add a trailer and you're even slower) not to drive you nuts. You can park at a campground or wherever, unload and go. All the benefits of the toy hauler without the tow rig.
2) "Work and play" type or other "race" trailer with some RV conversion--they're BUILT to haul heavy things and you add the RV stuff later. I believe these trailers would hold up mucho longer than the RV based trailers. I'm not sure they'd be more comfortable or not, though. Slight redneck effect vs. the toy hauler (to me).
http://www.forestriverinc.com/nd/default22.asp?page=floor&choice=worknp&nav=rec
www.racingjunk.com has a ton of clever and kewl ideas that people have used to haul stock cars and what not. Used and new stuff there. Everything from a bumper pull race trailer (some of those seem QUITE nice) to full on toter home/stacker trailers and even tractor/trailers used to haul NASCAR crap around.
....a third 3) I still haven't worked this out fully in my mind, and there's some more insurance issues to clear up. Cody mentioned an idea about hauling a rig on a flatbed pickup a while back (think rollback wrecker without the rollback). You could tow a conventional tag trailer of whatever flavor behind that. Again, I'd for SURE want a dually truck to support the 5K on the bed (that just doesn't sound good on a pickup chassis to me) and a crew cab to haul the passengers. It would kind of suck for a DD, but if you're just after a tow rig, that might work pretty nice?
I've settled on the two trailers. One to haul two rigs and I sleep on the ground or the trailer deck in a tent, the other for the family camping trips. I can't have my cake and eat it to. I have to choose if I'm going to eat it, or have it.
...(oh, and my next pickup is a dually so I have a few more options)
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