Toy Haulers

blu113
Posts
20
Joined
7/19/2018
Location
Costa Mesa, CA US
2/14/2019 8:49am
I live in So. Cal, so the sun is shinning a minimum 300 days a year. The dreary ol sun really gets old here. LOL
RCF
Posts
546
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
PA US
2/14/2019 9:01am
blu113 wrote:
I live in So. Cal, so the sun is shinning a minimum 300 days a year. The dreary ol sun really gets old here. LOL
oh I feel bad for you as I sit here in 10 degree weather LOL
1
agn5009
Posts
6757
Joined
6/8/2012
Location
State College, PA US
2/14/2019 9:04am
resetjet wrote:
The rv industry is really f’d up. My family has been in the biz 50 years. I currently run an rv park. The industry is self...
The rv industry is really f’d up. My family has been in the biz 50 years. I currently run an rv park. The industry is self regulated by the rvia which is in the pockets of all the manufacturers. This allows them to build crap. Unfortunately, buyers buy based on floorplan and price and not on quality. Todays rvs usually develop major leaks by 10 years. They are built like crap. Generally you need to stay away from cheap rvs. Make sure you check the build first and floorplan last. Look under it, in cabs, read reviews, etc. with any new rv you will be back to dealer twice by yiur first trip. There is no qc, they do not test anything, so make sure you check every system before you take delivery. I have campers show up all the time and have no elec, no hot water, air etc on their first trip. Makes for a long pissed off weekend when you just spent $40k. The best rv’s have a single piece wall, not 2x2 wood in between. In a toy hauler metal frame is a must. At least under garage. Do yourself a favor and buy a used model for $25. You wont find anything new worth buying for that. If you have to buy new, rv’s have a huge markup. So make an offer and leave. They will call you back. Also if you know the model, call dealers all over your region for best price. It will vary $10k. And finally most importantly, whatever you get, make sure you caulk alot. Once a year, and before first use, you need to crawl all over it using a good caulk, trailers all die an early death from leaks. The cheap ones usually dont make it through the payment cycle. Check camperfinds.com, craigs, fb for used.
Excellent advice thank you.
Falcon
Posts
10041
Joined
11/16/2011
Location
Menifee, CA US
Fantasy
765th
2/14/2019 9:16am
I'll add a few maintenance tips that I learned from a long-time RV guy, in case you don't know. Some other posters may find these useful too. They served me well:

-Leave your clean water tank full, not empty. When you come home from the sewer dump, drop a capful of bleach into the fill spout and fill 'er up with fresh water. This ensures that your total surface area of the water is only at the top of the fill cap, instead of the entire cross section of your clean water tank. The bleach won't harm you but it will ward off bacteria growth and eliminate odor. Plus, one less thing to worry about when you get ready for the next trip.

-Just before the step above, add your blackwater tank conditioner and run the toilet for a minute or two so there's lots of liquid in there. (This is after you've drained the blackwater tank, cleaned the hoses, and put everything away.) This will also help contain the smells. (You're adding the blackwater conditioner into the toilet, not your fresh water! Haha.)

-Sweep and mop the trailer floor like it's your kitchen. Your resale value will thank you for it.

2

The Shop

newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
2/14/2019 9:49am
blu113 wrote:
I live in So. Cal, so the sun is shinning a minimum 300 days a year. The dreary ol sun really gets old here. LOL
RCF wrote:
oh I feel bad for you as I sit here in 10 degree weather LOL
And I can't get a Bobcat through my yard without sinking it.
OldPro277
Posts
1612
Joined
11/9/2009
Location
Avonmore, PA US
2/14/2019 9:54am
resetjet wrote:
The rv industry is really f’d up. My family has been in the biz 50 years. I currently run an rv park. The industry is self...
The rv industry is really f’d up. My family has been in the biz 50 years. I currently run an rv park. The industry is self regulated by the rvia which is in the pockets of all the manufacturers. This allows them to build crap. Unfortunately, buyers buy based on floorplan and price and not on quality. Todays rvs usually develop major leaks by 10 years. They are built like crap. Generally you need to stay away from cheap rvs. Make sure you check the build first and floorplan last. Look under it, in cabs, read reviews, etc. with any new rv you will be back to dealer twice by yiur first trip. There is no qc, they do not test anything, so make sure you check every system before you take delivery. I have campers show up all the time and have no elec, no hot water, air etc on their first trip. Makes for a long pissed off weekend when you just spent $40k. The best rv’s have a single piece wall, not 2x2 wood in between. In a toy hauler metal frame is a must. At least under garage. Do yourself a favor and buy a used model for $25. You wont find anything new worth buying for that. If you have to buy new, rv’s have a huge markup. So make an offer and leave. They will call you back. Also if you know the model, call dealers all over your region for best price. It will vary $10k. And finally most importantly, whatever you get, make sure you caulk alot. Once a year, and before first use, you need to crawl all over it using a good caulk, trailers all die an early death from leaks. The cheap ones usually dont make it through the payment cycle. Check camperfinds.com, craigs, fb for used.
agn5009 wrote:
Excellent advice thank you.
To add to to resetjets comments, I'd like to relate to you my experience when I was buying my new Outlaw. I have a gigantic RV dealer that's located not 5 miles from my store,and 7 miles from my home. I had just sold one of their managers a relatively new pre-owned Audi for his wife. Gave him a really fair deal being he was a local businessman with a lot of contacts ,blah blah, blah. fast forward 2 weeks when I finally decided to buy a big "funmover" type of rig. Obviously since I just sold the manager of this "biggest RV dealership in the country,with 165 locations" (look it up to see who they are ,so you can avoid these asshats)and he was located basically a Driver-5 Iron away,I'd go over and look and price. So ,my wife and I look at a few and tell my guy to price out our 2 selections and fax it to my office. 3 days later I call him and ask him whats up? His reply--" man, we've been swamped, I'll get it to you today" Mind you , these were 125k machines. Anyway , I get the fax later that afternoon. Now check this out-- his price was 101k if we financed, and 106k if I paid cash . Obviously ,I call the dude and say WTF is that all about ? (all the while ,I knew EXACTLY what was going on.) For any of you that do not what I do for a living, I've been in the auto biz for 35+ years as a dealer and GM with a heavy background in finance. They give you a "discount" if you use one of their lenders because they'll hold 2 points (called reserve) and pocket the difference as additional profit. For example , if you qualified for a 3.9% rate with one of their banks, they are legally allowed to charge up to 2 pts higher to the consumer (all states differ) meaning they can charge you 5.9%---so, in an example, a typical 100,000 loan for 120 mos ,the dealer would make an additional $ 11,000 profit. That may be an extreme example ,but you get the picture. We obviously do it in the car industry, but we NEVER change the price of the vehicle (State Attorney General REALLY frowns on that,lol). And with the smaller amounts and shorter terms of car loans , if we make an additional 200-300 per unit via financing we're lucky. So anyway, I tell the guy, NO way am I paying more because I'm paying with my own money,thats complete bullshit, If we tried that shit ,we'd be all over the front page !!! 2 days later he calls me with the amended price and acting like he did us a supreme favor. So after all those shenanigans ,my wife and I decide on a different larger Outlaw with more options,something they didn't have in their 200 unit inventory , I asked the guy to dealer trade for it ,since they have 165 dealerships across the country,and they had several of them in inventory at other locations and he couldn't/wouldn't do it !!!! So while we were doing all this screwing around, my wife found the exact one we wanted in Ohio (3 hours away)it was the current model year (2017) used but only 3,500 miles on it. MSRP was 139,900. I bought it from the guy(private owner) for 65K ,so it was a major win for us. But some of these dirty bastards in the RV industry(not you resetjet,lol) remind me of the car guys of the 70's and 80's. (and I was there ,so I know,lol)
casey118
Posts
43
Joined
12/8/2015
Location
ND US
2/14/2019 10:09am
Ik this isn't the for sale forum (please don't crucify me!) but this is a 2013 xlr nitro I have for sale under 20k. Email caseystone118@hotmail.com for info.
agn5009
Posts
6757
Joined
6/8/2012
Location
State College, PA US
2/14/2019 10:13am
resetjet wrote:
The rv industry is really f’d up. My family has been in the biz 50 years. I currently run an rv park. The industry is self...
The rv industry is really f’d up. My family has been in the biz 50 years. I currently run an rv park. The industry is self regulated by the rvia which is in the pockets of all the manufacturers. This allows them to build crap. Unfortunately, buyers buy based on floorplan and price and not on quality. Todays rvs usually develop major leaks by 10 years. They are built like crap. Generally you need to stay away from cheap rvs. Make sure you check the build first and floorplan last. Look under it, in cabs, read reviews, etc. with any new rv you will be back to dealer twice by yiur first trip. There is no qc, they do not test anything, so make sure you check every system before you take delivery. I have campers show up all the time and have no elec, no hot water, air etc on their first trip. Makes for a long pissed off weekend when you just spent $40k. The best rv’s have a single piece wall, not 2x2 wood in between. In a toy hauler metal frame is a must. At least under garage. Do yourself a favor and buy a used model for $25. You wont find anything new worth buying for that. If you have to buy new, rv’s have a huge markup. So make an offer and leave. They will call you back. Also if you know the model, call dealers all over your region for best price. It will vary $10k. And finally most importantly, whatever you get, make sure you caulk alot. Once a year, and before first use, you need to crawl all over it using a good caulk, trailers all die an early death from leaks. The cheap ones usually dont make it through the payment cycle. Check camperfinds.com, craigs, fb for used.
agn5009 wrote:
Excellent advice thank you.
OldPro277 wrote:
To add to to resetjets comments, I'd like to relate to you my experience when I was buying my new Outlaw. I have a gigantic RV...
To add to to resetjets comments, I'd like to relate to you my experience when I was buying my new Outlaw. I have a gigantic RV dealer that's located not 5 miles from my store,and 7 miles from my home. I had just sold one of their managers a relatively new pre-owned Audi for his wife. Gave him a really fair deal being he was a local businessman with a lot of contacts ,blah blah, blah. fast forward 2 weeks when I finally decided to buy a big "funmover" type of rig. Obviously since I just sold the manager of this "biggest RV dealership in the country,with 165 locations" (look it up to see who they are ,so you can avoid these asshats)and he was located basically a Driver-5 Iron away,I'd go over and look and price. So ,my wife and I look at a few and tell my guy to price out our 2 selections and fax it to my office. 3 days later I call him and ask him whats up? His reply--" man, we've been swamped, I'll get it to you today" Mind you , these were 125k machines. Anyway , I get the fax later that afternoon. Now check this out-- his price was 101k if we financed, and 106k if I paid cash . Obviously ,I call the dude and say WTF is that all about ? (all the while ,I knew EXACTLY what was going on.) For any of you that do not what I do for a living, I've been in the auto biz for 35+ years as a dealer and GM with a heavy background in finance. They give you a "discount" if you use one of their lenders because they'll hold 2 points (called reserve) and pocket the difference as additional profit. For example , if you qualified for a 3.9% rate with one of their banks, they are legally allowed to charge up to 2 pts higher to the consumer (all states differ) meaning they can charge you 5.9%---so, in an example, a typical 100,000 loan for 120 mos ,the dealer would make an additional $ 11,000 profit. That may be an extreme example ,but you get the picture. We obviously do it in the car industry, but we NEVER change the price of the vehicle (State Attorney General REALLY frowns on that,lol). And with the smaller amounts and shorter terms of car loans , if we make an additional 200-300 per unit via financing we're lucky. So anyway, I tell the guy, NO way am I paying more because I'm paying with my own money,thats complete bullshit, If we tried that shit ,we'd be all over the front page !!! 2 days later he calls me with the amended price and acting like he did us a supreme favor. So after all those shenanigans ,my wife and I decide on a different larger Outlaw with more options,something they didn't have in their 200 unit inventory , I asked the guy to dealer trade for it ,since they have 165 dealerships across the country,and they had several of them in inventory at other locations and he couldn't/wouldn't do it !!!! So while we were doing all this screwing around, my wife found the exact one we wanted in Ohio (3 hours away)it was the current model year (2017) used but only 3,500 miles on it. MSRP was 139,900. I bought it from the guy(private owner) for 65K ,so it was a major win for us. But some of these dirty bastards in the RV industry(not you resetjet,lol) remind me of the car guys of the 70's and 80's. (and I was there ,so I know,lol)
That’s what I’ve heard and I believe I know exactly which dealer you’re talking about. I would prefer to buy off of a local dealer than a big time place. There’s a nice family owned dealership about 15 minutes from me that I had intended on purchasing from but when I contacted him he said they aren’t currently set up with a toy hauler company. Which really sucks because my dad bought a toy hauler off of them 15+ years ago and they were nothing but a pleasure to deal with from what he says. Anyways, thanks for all the advice Oldpro. If you ever make it about 2 hours east I’ll have to treat you to a beer Smile
piscokid
Posts
301
Joined
10/22/2013
Location
OH US
2/14/2019 10:43am
newmann wrote:
Took me 10 months of arguing with my insurance company to total mine after the Hurricane Harvey floods but they finally agreed that what they were...
Took me 10 months of arguing with my insurance company to total mine after the Hurricane Harvey floods but they finally agreed that what they were proposing for a repair was unrealistic and stupid. It was insured for up to the amount I originally paid for it 9 years prior. They valued it at $2300.00 less than that but had to pay me taxes as well. I didn’t even try to negotiate...lol, ended up 6 grand over original purchase. No way would I have been able to sell it for more than half that with a flood claim against it. Loved the thing but never enough time to use it all that much. Doubt I’ll ever find another one for that good of a deal either. Who else has ever gotten out of a RV after 9 years and made money?Smile


Didn't make money but didn't get hurt either. Bought a 2 year old used RV 37'. Paid $42k for it (paper work for the original sale was in the manuals, $84k) and it had a tow dolly with it. Sold the dolly for a grand, kept the RV for 3 years and sold it for $39K) Not too bad in my book! However, biggest piece of crap I ever saw assembled. Put together with luan plywood and staples.....
OldPro277
Posts
1612
Joined
11/9/2009
Location
Avonmore, PA US
2/14/2019 10:44am
No worries, I'm happy to help in any way I can. I do most of the AHRMA Potomac Vintage riders Cross-country races and a lot of the tracks are out your way, if you ever get a chance, try one---they are waaaaay too much fun,lol.
MelonFan123
Posts
1512
Joined
8/20/2006
Location
Ventura/LA County, CA US
2/14/2019 10:48am
ricko wrote:
I started with a bumper pull and now have a 5th wheel. Both bought new, XLR had to go back to factory, gray water tank leaked...
I started with a bumper pull and now have a 5th wheel. Both bought new, XLR had to go back to factory, gray water tank leaked into underbelly. My fuzion is getting the slide rebuilt next month, it’s rotted out, less then year old. Yes they are all junk, buy local, you will need your dealer. If you do not buy local dealers will not give you the time of day.



Rotted slide and it’s less than a year old!?!?

I noticed a lot of the comments about rot, water damage and complaints about crap build quality are from you guys that live back east.

Just curious - Do any of you guys cover your RVs?

Biggest worry here in CA is sun damage on roofs, which can then lead to leaks and other issues. I bought a nice cover for mine after seeing how my dads Class A RV (2008 model) still looks and works like new. He covers it religiously.


3
RCF
Posts
546
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
PA US
2/14/2019 11:04am
I never covered mine never had any water damage but I did have damage to the fiberglass from the Sun. Found a video on YouTube about Zep 25 dollars and a little elbow grease looks like New Again. we use our trailer all year round would be a pain to cover it and uncovered every time you wanted to take it out. The one comment above about replacing your tires every 3 or 4 years we go through a set every year.

3
ricko
Posts
708
Joined
9/6/2011
Location
bfe, PA US
2/14/2019 11:13am
ricko wrote:
I started with a bumper pull and now have a 5th wheel. Both bought new, XLR had to go back to factory, gray water tank leaked...
I started with a bumper pull and now have a 5th wheel. Both bought new, XLR had to go back to factory, gray water tank leaked into underbelly. My fuzion is getting the slide rebuilt next month, it’s rotted out, less then year old. Yes they are all junk, buy local, you will need your dealer. If you do not buy local dealers will not give you the time of day.



Rotted slide and it’s less than a year old!?!? I noticed a lot of the comments about rot, water damage and complaints about crap build quality...
Rotted slide and it’s less than a year old!?!?

I noticed a lot of the comments about rot, water damage and complaints about crap build quality are from you guys that live back east.

Just curious - Do any of you guys cover your RVs?

Biggest worry here in CA is sun damage on roofs, which can then lead to leaks and other issues. I bought a nice cover for mine after seeing how my dads Class A RV (2008 model) still looks and works like new. He covers it religiously.


Stored inside year round in a heated garage with cement floor, only time its outside is to camp.
RCF
Posts
546
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
PA US
2/14/2019 11:17am
ricko wrote:
I started with a bumper pull and now have a 5th wheel. Both bought new, XLR had to go back to factory, gray water tank leaked...
I started with a bumper pull and now have a 5th wheel. Both bought new, XLR had to go back to factory, gray water tank leaked into underbelly. My fuzion is getting the slide rebuilt next month, it’s rotted out, less then year old. Yes they are all junk, buy local, you will need your dealer. If you do not buy local dealers will not give you the time of day.



Rotted slide and it’s less than a year old!?!? I noticed a lot of the comments about rot, water damage and complaints about crap build quality...
Rotted slide and it’s less than a year old!?!?

I noticed a lot of the comments about rot, water damage and complaints about crap build quality are from you guys that live back east.

Just curious - Do any of you guys cover your RVs?

Biggest worry here in CA is sun damage on roofs, which can then lead to leaks and other issues. I bought a nice cover for mine after seeing how my dads Class A RV (2008 model) still looks and works like new. He covers it religiously.


ricko wrote:
Stored inside year round in a heated garage with cement floor, only time its outside is to camp.
Wow that's crazy, I always want to get a new lighter trailer but I think I'll just keep what I got and get a bigger truck.
brian352
Posts
86
Joined
10/6/2017
Location
Midlothian, TX US
2/14/2019 12:10pm
RCF wrote:
I never covered mine never had any water damage but I did have damage to the fiberglass from the Sun. Found a video on YouTube about...
I never covered mine never had any water damage but I did have damage to the fiberglass from the Sun. Found a video on YouTube about Zep 25 dollars and a little elbow grease looks like New Again. we use our trailer all year round would be a pain to cover it and uncovered every time you wanted to take it out. The one comment above about replacing your tires every 3 or 4 years we go through a set every year.

The Zep works. It made mine look like new. I now park mine in a 50ft spot. It was outside in La for a long time. Mine has been a nightmare since day one. The dealer went of business right after I bought it. Then Coachmen went out business within a week of that. When Forest River absorbed them they didn't pay for any schematics of the trailers made prior to that.
2/15/2019 10:01am Edited Date/Time 2/15/2019 10:03am
Hey agn5009....don't let all of the negative comments on here distract or take away your excitement of owning a toy hauler. I have been racing MX for 38 years, and was like most of us, started out with a 3-rail motorcycle trailer pulled by a van or truck, then finally moved up to a small enclosed trailer that I could at least keep everything out of the weather (and locked up!). I was always envious of those at the race track who slept at night in their comfy motor homes/campers/toy haulers, in a climate controlled environment waking up completely refreshed in the morning, could escape away in the A/C on super hot summer days, could use their own private bathroom, and left the race track squeaky clean from a nice warm shower. I on the other hand slept in my old van either sweating my balls off, or freezing to death while being lucky to get 4-5 hours of sleep, sat out in the heat in a lawn chair with only the shade of an Easy-Up to keep me cool, used the woods or disgusting port-a-johns as a bathroom, and always left the track dirty, stinky resembling a homeless man. I finally three years ago was at the point in my life that I could afford to by a toy hauler, and couldn't imagine going back! Truth is, they are like any other vehicle or even our dirt bikes, they take a certain amount of maintenance and care, and if you are not handyman type and can't fix simple things, you will hate them! We love our toy hauler, and also use it quick frequently to for family camping many times through out the summer, and I have learned a lot about them in the last 3 years. My suggestions:

- Buy a one or two year old unit if you can. Depreciation on them is as bad as 250 4-stroke. I bought ours that was 2 years old from a guy who only used it 3 times (still had clear protective tape on fridge and thermostat) for half of what retail was.
-As many have mentioned on here, water is the enemy...so the rubber covered roofs need cleaned periodically and also inspected for dried out calk and tears. I check mine twice a year, and you can buy $6 tube of RV roof calk to fix almost all leaks that occur.
-Purchase units with aluminum frame structures vs. wood. Especially if you plan on keeping it for many years.
- Youtube is a great source to learn how to winterize, maintain and repair many common things that happen to RVs.
-The sensor lights that show you how full your black, grey and fresh water tanks are hardly ever work properly! As you use your RV more and more, you will not even need to rely on them to figure out what your normal usage and tank levels are.
-Having a separate garage area is a big plus, but most tow behinds with this option are in that 36' range. There are many options out there that you can still pull with a 1/2 ton truck. I have a 36' and pulled it with my Ford Raptor for the first year, but the soft Fox suspension allowed for a lot of "porpoising" movement with a trailer that long, so I sucked up and pull it now with a Ford F250 Super Duty and it pulls it like a boss!
-Enjoy the luxury that they provide, and laugh and wave at your buddies that are still in tents, trucks, vans! Can't tell you how nice it is to leave the track freshly showered and clean!

Hope this helps...and good luck to you. Here is my set up:

On our way to the track.


Family camping!





4
agn5009
Posts
6757
Joined
6/8/2012
Location
State College, PA US
2/15/2019 10:41am
mxracer106 wrote:
Hey agn5009....don't let all of the negative comments on here distract or take away your excitement of owning a toy hauler. I have been racing MX...
Hey agn5009....don't let all of the negative comments on here distract or take away your excitement of owning a toy hauler. I have been racing MX for 38 years, and was like most of us, started out with a 3-rail motorcycle trailer pulled by a van or truck, then finally moved up to a small enclosed trailer that I could at least keep everything out of the weather (and locked up!). I was always envious of those at the race track who slept at night in their comfy motor homes/campers/toy haulers, in a climate controlled environment waking up completely refreshed in the morning, could escape away in the A/C on super hot summer days, could use their own private bathroom, and left the race track squeaky clean from a nice warm shower. I on the other hand slept in my old van either sweating my balls off, or freezing to death while being lucky to get 4-5 hours of sleep, sat out in the heat in a lawn chair with only the shade of an Easy-Up to keep me cool, used the woods or disgusting port-a-johns as a bathroom, and always left the track dirty, stinky resembling a homeless man. I finally three years ago was at the point in my life that I could afford to by a toy hauler, and couldn't imagine going back! Truth is, they are like any other vehicle or even our dirt bikes, they take a certain amount of maintenance and care, and if you are not handyman type and can't fix simple things, you will hate them! We love our toy hauler, and also use it quick frequently to for family camping many times through out the summer, and I have learned a lot about them in the last 3 years. My suggestions:

- Buy a one or two year old unit if you can. Depreciation on them is as bad as 250 4-stroke. I bought ours that was 2 years old from a guy who only used it 3 times (still had clear protective tape on fridge and thermostat) for half of what retail was.
-As many have mentioned on here, water is the enemy...so the rubber covered roofs need cleaned periodically and also inspected for dried out calk and tears. I check mine twice a year, and you can buy $6 tube of RV roof calk to fix almost all leaks that occur.
-Purchase units with aluminum frame structures vs. wood. Especially if you plan on keeping it for many years.
- Youtube is a great source to learn how to winterize, maintain and repair many common things that happen to RVs.
-The sensor lights that show you how full your black, grey and fresh water tanks are hardly ever work properly! As you use your RV more and more, you will not even need to rely on them to figure out what your normal usage and tank levels are.
-Having a separate garage area is a big plus, but most tow behinds with this option are in that 36' range. There are many options out there that you can still pull with a 1/2 ton truck. I have a 36' and pulled it with my Ford Raptor for the first year, but the soft Fox suspension allowed for a lot of "porpoising" movement with a trailer that long, so I sucked up and pull it now with a Ford F250 Super Duty and it pulls it like a boss!
-Enjoy the luxury that they provide, and laugh and wave at your buddies that are still in tents, trucks, vans! Can't tell you how nice it is to leave the track freshly showered and clean!

Hope this helps...and good luck to you. Here is my set up:

On our way to the track.


Family camping!





Thanks for all the info! With any purchase there will always be people knocking the item. I understand that but I also appreciate everyone’s input. I’ve been driving myself crazy researching all the toy haulers available. I can’t wait to actually go check them out. It’s definitely exciting!
1
wavslide1
Posts
77
Joined
1/9/2018
Location
Oceanside, CA US
2/15/2019 11:00am
agn5009 wrote:
My wife and I are starting to look around for a Toy Hauler. I’m sure a bunch of guys here either have one or have done...
My wife and I are starting to look around for a Toy Hauler. I’m sure a bunch of guys here either have one or have done some extensive research in the past. so, a little about what I’m looking for:

My truck is a 2018 Chevy Silverado rated to tow 9,200 lbs. I’m looking to keep the max weight of the camper at or below 8,000 lbs. Preferably under 30 total foot as well.

I would like to stay under $25k. We are paying cash and that’s what we’re willing to put into it.

I’ll typically be hauling 2 full size dirt bikes and a pw 50. So not much space is needed as far as the garage goes. However we may haul the golf cart from time to time. It’s a standard cart, not one of the jacked up things. We also have a 5 year old and a 10 month old. We would like to be able to sleep 4-6 people comfortably.

We have only looked at the Jayco Octane 222 in person. We weren’t impressed for a $23,000+ unit. We have searched almost every dealership within 250 miles. We’ve looked at all the available models online. We have a few we’re partial to but really haven’t ruled many out without seeing them in person. Right now we really like the Keystone Outback 240URS and the Palamino Puma. The Puma may be a little heavy though. I believe it’s around 8800 lbs loaded.

This will be our first time purchasing a camper so we’re kind of looking for advice, tips, pointers and recommendations. We are heading to an RV show next weekend in Harrisburg, PA. From what I can tell it looks to be pretty large but I’m concerned they won’t have many toy haulers.

Thanks guys!
https://weretherussos.com/rv-shows/

This is the group that puts on the largest RV show. I've ordered two so far and you get to see the latest and greatest side by side to make a more informed decision.
agn5009
Posts
6757
Joined
6/8/2012
Location
State College, PA US
2/15/2019 11:11am
agn5009 wrote:
My wife and I are starting to look around for a Toy Hauler. I’m sure a bunch of guys here either have one or have done...
My wife and I are starting to look around for a Toy Hauler. I’m sure a bunch of guys here either have one or have done some extensive research in the past. so, a little about what I’m looking for:

My truck is a 2018 Chevy Silverado rated to tow 9,200 lbs. I’m looking to keep the max weight of the camper at or below 8,000 lbs. Preferably under 30 total foot as well.

I would like to stay under $25k. We are paying cash and that’s what we’re willing to put into it.

I’ll typically be hauling 2 full size dirt bikes and a pw 50. So not much space is needed as far as the garage goes. However we may haul the golf cart from time to time. It’s a standard cart, not one of the jacked up things. We also have a 5 year old and a 10 month old. We would like to be able to sleep 4-6 people comfortably.

We have only looked at the Jayco Octane 222 in person. We weren’t impressed for a $23,000+ unit. We have searched almost every dealership within 250 miles. We’ve looked at all the available models online. We have a few we’re partial to but really haven’t ruled many out without seeing them in person. Right now we really like the Keystone Outback 240URS and the Palamino Puma. The Puma may be a little heavy though. I believe it’s around 8800 lbs loaded.

This will be our first time purchasing a camper so we’re kind of looking for advice, tips, pointers and recommendations. We are heading to an RV show next weekend in Harrisburg, PA. From what I can tell it looks to be pretty large but I’m concerned they won’t have many toy haulers.

Thanks guys!
wavslide1 wrote:
https://weretherussos.com/rv-shows/ This is the group that puts on the largest RV show. I've ordered two so far and you get to see the latest and greatest...
https://weretherussos.com/rv-shows/

This is the group that puts on the largest RV show. I've ordered two so far and you get to see the latest and greatest side by side to make a more informed decision.
Thanks for that. I’m going to the RV show next weekend in Harrisburg. I’m hoping they have a nice selection of toy haulers. I’m worried no ones going to have toy haulers on display though!
Hammer 663s
Posts
2313
Joined
6/2/2016
Location
Forest Grove, OR US
2/15/2019 2:28pm
Boom times are back for RVs, and quality has dropped a lot in the last 5 years. After the 2009 real estate crash, RV sales took a dump, so production volume was way less. I bought a 2012 Eclipse Attitude 27 back then (new, @ about 35% off retail) and it's been pretty solid with over 15k miles of towing. I still have to fix stuff on occasion, and it looks like I have my first leak to fix.

Lots of good advice here. Watch the roof. Go over the unit 2x a year looking for issues, especially underneath. Watch for frame cracks.

Mike
2
moore433
Posts
525
Joined
11/2/2011
Location
Denton, TX US
2/16/2019 9:33am
agn5009 wrote:
My wife and I are starting to look around for a Toy Hauler. I’m sure a bunch of guys here either have one or have done...
My wife and I are starting to look around for a Toy Hauler. I’m sure a bunch of guys here either have one or have done some extensive research in the past. so, a little about what I’m looking for:

My truck is a 2018 Chevy Silverado rated to tow 9,200 lbs. I’m looking to keep the max weight of the camper at or below 8,000 lbs. Preferably under 30 total foot as well.

I would like to stay under $25k. We are paying cash and that’s what we’re willing to put into it.

I’ll typically be hauling 2 full size dirt bikes and a pw 50. So not much space is needed as far as the garage goes. However we may haul the golf cart from time to time. It’s a standard cart, not one of the jacked up things. We also have a 5 year old and a 10 month old. We would like to be able to sleep 4-6 people comfortably.

We have only looked at the Jayco Octane 222 in person. We weren’t impressed for a $23,000+ unit. We have searched almost every dealership within 250 miles. We’ve looked at all the available models online. We have a few we’re partial to but really haven’t ruled many out without seeing them in person. Right now we really like the Keystone Outback 240URS and the Palamino Puma. The Puma may be a little heavy though. I believe it’s around 8800 lbs loaded.

This will be our first time purchasing a camper so we’re kind of looking for advice, tips, pointers and recommendations. We are heading to an RV show next weekend in Harrisburg, PA. From what I can tell it looks to be pretty large but I’m concerned they won’t have many toy haulers.

Thanks guys!
I have one I’ll let go cheap. I’m in Dallas Tx and just don’t use it anymore... It needs to be cleaned up but pretty sure everything still works. I ran into major back issues and surgeries from racing as did my oldest son and it’s been sitting in a covered storage area since 2014.
Open to sell to anyone and I’ll make a great deal on it..

It’s a Wanderer toyhauler

James Moore
214-458-8024
433moore@gmail.com
agn5009
Posts
6757
Joined
6/8/2012
Location
State College, PA US
2/16/2019 11:38am
agn5009 wrote:
My wife and I are starting to look around for a Toy Hauler. I’m sure a bunch of guys here either have one or have done...
My wife and I are starting to look around for a Toy Hauler. I’m sure a bunch of guys here either have one or have done some extensive research in the past. so, a little about what I’m looking for:

My truck is a 2018 Chevy Silverado rated to tow 9,200 lbs. I’m looking to keep the max weight of the camper at or below 8,000 lbs. Preferably under 30 total foot as well.

I would like to stay under $25k. We are paying cash and that’s what we’re willing to put into it.

I’ll typically be hauling 2 full size dirt bikes and a pw 50. So not much space is needed as far as the garage goes. However we may haul the golf cart from time to time. It’s a standard cart, not one of the jacked up things. We also have a 5 year old and a 10 month old. We would like to be able to sleep 4-6 people comfortably.

We have only looked at the Jayco Octane 222 in person. We weren’t impressed for a $23,000+ unit. We have searched almost every dealership within 250 miles. We’ve looked at all the available models online. We have a few we’re partial to but really haven’t ruled many out without seeing them in person. Right now we really like the Keystone Outback 240URS and the Palamino Puma. The Puma may be a little heavy though. I believe it’s around 8800 lbs loaded.

This will be our first time purchasing a camper so we’re kind of looking for advice, tips, pointers and recommendations. We are heading to an RV show next weekend in Harrisburg, PA. From what I can tell it looks to be pretty large but I’m concerned they won’t have many toy haulers.

Thanks guys!
moore433 wrote:
I have one I’ll let go cheap. I’m in Dallas Tx and just don’t use it anymore... It needs to be cleaned up but pretty sure...
I have one I’ll let go cheap. I’m in Dallas Tx and just don’t use it anymore... It needs to be cleaned up but pretty sure everything still works. I ran into major back issues and surgeries from racing as did my oldest son and it’s been sitting in a covered storage area since 2014.
Open to sell to anyone and I’ll make a great deal on it..

It’s a Wanderer toyhauler

James Moore
214-458-8024
433moore@gmail.com
I live in PA.
brian352
Posts
86
Joined
10/6/2017
Location
Midlothian, TX US
2/16/2019 4:42pm
I forgot to mention this earlier; look around for a wholesaler. Back in 2012 I was looking at moving up to a triple axle Raptor. A guy I use to work with put me in-touch with the guy he used in Michigan. He quoted me at $55k for the unit. The only thing he made sure to make clear was that he was not a dealer. He said he just takes the money and you hook-up and go.
agn5009
Posts
6757
Joined
6/8/2012
Location
State College, PA US
2/17/2019 4:40pm
brian352 wrote:
I forgot to mention this earlier; look around for a wholesaler. Back in 2012 I was looking at moving up to a triple axle Raptor. A...
I forgot to mention this earlier; look around for a wholesaler. Back in 2012 I was looking at moving up to a triple axle Raptor. A guy I use to work with put me in-touch with the guy he used in Michigan. He quoted me at $55k for the unit. The only thing he made sure to make clear was that he was not a dealer. He said he just takes the money and you hook-up and go.
How would I find someone such as that?
brian352
Posts
86
Joined
10/6/2017
Location
Midlothian, TX US
2/18/2019 7:53am
I may have to go through my old phone records for his number. He was located just across the Michigan/Indiana line. The easiest would be to look around the Elkhart, Indiana area with an internet search.
2stroked
Posts
185
Joined
10/15/2013
Location
Ontario, CA US
2/18/2019 10:43am
Toy Haulers at their BEST are a major pain in the ass. At their WORST, they are an absolute hellish nightmare. I cannot stress that enough.

Buying brand new you're going to take a massive depreciation hit. As has been said in here A LOT of the brand new systems will not work. Test everything before you hook up to the unit and tow it away. AC, hot water, plumbing, the generator, make sure you use everything with the generator running so you can test it under load. Pull down the beds, unfold the tables, the chairs, the pull down stairs. Drop the ramp in the back and put it back up.Turn on the lights, radio, TV, etc. Literally spent a hour or two checking it all.

All of that applies to a used trailer too!

I purchased my first toy hauler used. Took me 6 months of daily looking to find one that I wanted in my price range. Here is what I have learned through my hell of a journey, and $1,000's spent:

BRAKES!! The trailer brakes will be SHOT. Regardless of what the owner says. Anticipate new brake shoes, new magnets. Also, THIS IS IMPORTANT, a lot of trailer brakes do not work because the factories run the electronic brake wiring THROUGH THE AXLES. The axles rotate inside the house and literally skin the brake wiring until its either completely gone, or making contact with the axle housing and creates shorts. In other words, NO TRAILER BRAKES. You'll spent hours and countless wasted $$ trying to figure out why your bakes dont work. The fix is running an external cable above the axles and re-wiring each drums magnet to your external wiring. You need to bypass the factory wiring.

Wheel bearings-first thing you do along with the brakes is have the wheel bearings pulled apart, inspected, replaced, and/or repacked. The previous owner has not done this most likely.

Generator. This is an incredibly important one. WALK AWAY FROM ANY TRAILER WITH A GENERAC. No, dont walk, RUN! Only purchase a trailer with an ONAN. Generac's are terrible generators, parts are difficult to locate, and their service life is awful. Also even if you buy one with an ONAN you need to immediately service it. Have the valves adjusted, change the oil, plug, air filter, all that. Because again the previous owner has neglected it. I had to have my top end on my generator rebuilt with a new head and cylinder and it cost me $1200 total by the time it was all said and done. Completely due to previous owner NEGLECT. (yes it was running when I bought it. but it didnt run for long). Also here is a protip, install an inline fuel filter between the carb and fuel pump in the generator compartment. keep a couple spares handy. You'll be blown away at how much shit is in your fuel tank.

Roof. This has been touched on a lot in here but the roof is most likely in poor shape. Especially the rubber roof's. Before you by find a way to get up there and inspect. Ladder, drone, camera on a selfie stick, whatever. Just check it. You'll know as soon as you look it'll be bad.

Tires. Unless those tires are like BRAND NEW, budget buying tires. Load range D/E are the best. Maxxis and Goodyear make the best trailer tires but Ive had separations on both brands. ALWAYS INSPECT BEFORE YOU LOAD AND DRIVE. I like to run my hands over the tires front and back and roll the trailer forward and check again. The separations happen very quickly and if it blows you'll lose an entire panel.

Whatever you buy your toy hauler for, have at least 25% of what you paid for it in a liquid account and dont be shocked when you have to spend that 25% in the first year you own the trailer. They are money pits. They take up a lot of time to load, unload, fill tanks, dump tanks, clean tanks, clean out, etc. It is nice to have your own bathroom,a comfortable bed out of the cold/rain/heat/mosquitos, and a place to shower/cook.

Good luck OP.

1
agn5009
Posts
6757
Joined
6/8/2012
Location
State College, PA US
2/18/2019 2:22pm Edited Date/Time 2/18/2019 2:23pm
2stroked wrote:
Toy Haulers at their BEST are a major pain in the ass. At their WORST, they are an absolute hellish nightmare. I cannot stress that enough...
Toy Haulers at their BEST are a major pain in the ass. At their WORST, they are an absolute hellish nightmare. I cannot stress that enough.

Buying brand new you're going to take a massive depreciation hit. As has been said in here A LOT of the brand new systems will not work. Test everything before you hook up to the unit and tow it away. AC, hot water, plumbing, the generator, make sure you use everything with the generator running so you can test it under load. Pull down the beds, unfold the tables, the chairs, the pull down stairs. Drop the ramp in the back and put it back up.Turn on the lights, radio, TV, etc. Literally spent a hour or two checking it all.

All of that applies to a used trailer too!

I purchased my first toy hauler used. Took me 6 months of daily looking to find one that I wanted in my price range. Here is what I have learned through my hell of a journey, and $1,000's spent:

BRAKES!! The trailer brakes will be SHOT. Regardless of what the owner says. Anticipate new brake shoes, new magnets. Also, THIS IS IMPORTANT, a lot of trailer brakes do not work because the factories run the electronic brake wiring THROUGH THE AXLES. The axles rotate inside the house and literally skin the brake wiring until its either completely gone, or making contact with the axle housing and creates shorts. In other words, NO TRAILER BRAKES. You'll spent hours and countless wasted $$ trying to figure out why your bakes dont work. The fix is running an external cable above the axles and re-wiring each drums magnet to your external wiring. You need to bypass the factory wiring.

Wheel bearings-first thing you do along with the brakes is have the wheel bearings pulled apart, inspected, replaced, and/or repacked. The previous owner has not done this most likely.

Generator. This is an incredibly important one. WALK AWAY FROM ANY TRAILER WITH A GENERAC. No, dont walk, RUN! Only purchase a trailer with an ONAN. Generac's are terrible generators, parts are difficult to locate, and their service life is awful. Also even if you buy one with an ONAN you need to immediately service it. Have the valves adjusted, change the oil, plug, air filter, all that. Because again the previous owner has neglected it. I had to have my top end on my generator rebuilt with a new head and cylinder and it cost me $1200 total by the time it was all said and done. Completely due to previous owner NEGLECT. (yes it was running when I bought it. but it didnt run for long). Also here is a protip, install an inline fuel filter between the carb and fuel pump in the generator compartment. keep a couple spares handy. You'll be blown away at how much shit is in your fuel tank.

Roof. This has been touched on a lot in here but the roof is most likely in poor shape. Especially the rubber roof's. Before you by find a way to get up there and inspect. Ladder, drone, camera on a selfie stick, whatever. Just check it. You'll know as soon as you look it'll be bad.

Tires. Unless those tires are like BRAND NEW, budget buying tires. Load range D/E are the best. Maxxis and Goodyear make the best trailer tires but Ive had separations on both brands. ALWAYS INSPECT BEFORE YOU LOAD AND DRIVE. I like to run my hands over the tires front and back and roll the trailer forward and check again. The separations happen very quickly and if it blows you'll lose an entire panel.

Whatever you buy your toy hauler for, have at least 25% of what you paid for it in a liquid account and dont be shocked when you have to spend that 25% in the first year you own the trailer. They are money pits. They take up a lot of time to load, unload, fill tanks, dump tanks, clean tanks, clean out, etc. It is nice to have your own bathroom,a comfortable bed out of the cold/rain/heat/mosquitos, and a place to shower/cook.

Good luck OP.

Thanks for scaring me even more haha
RCF
Posts
546
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
PA US
2/18/2019 2:52pm Edited Date/Time 2/18/2019 2:54pm
2stroked wrote:
Toy Haulers at their BEST are a major pain in the ass. At their WORST, they are an absolute hellish nightmare. I cannot stress that enough...
Toy Haulers at their BEST are a major pain in the ass. At their WORST, they are an absolute hellish nightmare. I cannot stress that enough.

Buying brand new you're going to take a massive depreciation hit. As has been said in here A LOT of the brand new systems will not work. Test everything before you hook up to the unit and tow it away. AC, hot water, plumbing, the generator, make sure you use everything with the generator running so you can test it under load. Pull down the beds, unfold the tables, the chairs, the pull down stairs. Drop the ramp in the back and put it back up.Turn on the lights, radio, TV, etc. Literally spent a hour or two checking it all.

All of that applies to a used trailer too!

I purchased my first toy hauler used. Took me 6 months of daily looking to find one that I wanted in my price range. Here is what I have learned through my hell of a journey, and $1,000's spent:

BRAKES!! The trailer brakes will be SHOT. Regardless of what the owner says. Anticipate new brake shoes, new magnets. Also, THIS IS IMPORTANT, a lot of trailer brakes do not work because the factories run the electronic brake wiring THROUGH THE AXLES. The axles rotate inside the house and literally skin the brake wiring until its either completely gone, or making contact with the axle housing and creates shorts. In other words, NO TRAILER BRAKES. You'll spent hours and countless wasted $$ trying to figure out why your bakes dont work. The fix is running an external cable above the axles and re-wiring each drums magnet to your external wiring. You need to bypass the factory wiring.

Wheel bearings-first thing you do along with the brakes is have the wheel bearings pulled apart, inspected, replaced, and/or repacked. The previous owner has not done this most likely.

Generator. This is an incredibly important one. WALK AWAY FROM ANY TRAILER WITH A GENERAC. No, dont walk, RUN! Only purchase a trailer with an ONAN. Generac's are terrible generators, parts are difficult to locate, and their service life is awful. Also even if you buy one with an ONAN you need to immediately service it. Have the valves adjusted, change the oil, plug, air filter, all that. Because again the previous owner has neglected it. I had to have my top end on my generator rebuilt with a new head and cylinder and it cost me $1200 total by the time it was all said and done. Completely due to previous owner NEGLECT. (yes it was running when I bought it. but it didnt run for long). Also here is a protip, install an inline fuel filter between the carb and fuel pump in the generator compartment. keep a couple spares handy. You'll be blown away at how much shit is in your fuel tank.

Roof. This has been touched on a lot in here but the roof is most likely in poor shape. Especially the rubber roof's. Before you by find a way to get up there and inspect. Ladder, drone, camera on a selfie stick, whatever. Just check it. You'll know as soon as you look it'll be bad.

Tires. Unless those tires are like BRAND NEW, budget buying tires. Load range D/E are the best. Maxxis and Goodyear make the best trailer tires but Ive had separations on both brands. ALWAYS INSPECT BEFORE YOU LOAD AND DRIVE. I like to run my hands over the tires front and back and roll the trailer forward and check again. The separations happen very quickly and if it blows you'll lose an entire panel.

Whatever you buy your toy hauler for, have at least 25% of what you paid for it in a liquid account and dont be shocked when you have to spend that 25% in the first year you own the trailer. They are money pits. They take up a lot of time to load, unload, fill tanks, dump tanks, clean tanks, clean out, etc. It is nice to have your own bathroom,a comfortable bed out of the cold/rain/heat/mosquitos, and a place to shower/cook.

Good luck OP.

agn5009 wrote:
Thanks for scaring me even more haha
He scared me too and I've owned mine for a few years. LOL

I love mine it's the best thing I ever bought wish I bought one sooner.
2/18/2019 5:23pm
Dont overthink it...buy something that fits your budget, Prepare to take a depreciation hit...thats just part of it...build that into the cost as you are factoring how deep you want to get into it. If you enjoy the rv lifestyle, you will most likely be ready to upgrade in a couple of years. Have fun. Your kids are going to love it.

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