5 Best 5th Wheel Toy Hauler RVs
Toy hauler RVs have become extremely popular over the past twenty years or so. Early toy haulers from the late 1990s were simple trailers built to carry off-road motorcycles and quads out to the wilderness. These early models were simple and stoic – not much more than a cargo trailer with a few basic creature comforts.
The toy hauler market has evolved and matured immeasurably over the years. As a result, today’s toy haulers can be every bit as comfortable and upscale as their non-hauler counterparts.
Many of these new models are seriously deluxe.
Let’s dive in.
What is the Purpose of a Toy Hauler?
As the name implies, manufacturers design toy haulers as RVs with extra space for carrying “the toys.” The toys you bring along are only limited by your imagination and the RV’s capacity.
The most common uses are street bikes like Harleys, off-road dirt bikes, quads, UTVs, or Side-by-Sides (SxS). Besides these motorized toys, many owners use theirs for bicycles, kayaks, bass boats.
Others turn the garage into a room such as a tool shop, sewing room, or even an office.
In addition to this dedicated space for the toys, most toy haulers are built for dry camping (boondocking). Consequently, they come with a built-in generator, a fuel tank for the generator, and a pump station for the toys.
Toy haulers typically have larger fresh water and wastewater capacities for more extended stays.
Different Types of Toy Haulers?
There are three main varieties of toy haulers: Class A motorhomes, bumper pull travel trailers, and 5th wheel trailers. Let’s talk about all three.
Class A Toy Haulers
The Class A haulers are regular Class A RVs with a small ramp and garage area big enough for a couple of dirt bikes or a full-sized street bike.
These aren’t the most practical designs, and the garage space typically takes a big piece out of the sleeping quarters.
Most serious off-roaders prefer to tow a cargo trailer for their bikes and gear instead of sacrificing the usable space and comfort of their Class A.
Bumper Pull Toy Haulers
Bumper pull toy haulers tend to be smaller and less expensive.
They usually have open areas inside for carrying the toys in the living areas. Although longer triple-axle toy haulers do exist, they aren’t as easy to tow and have a less comfortable ride compared to the 5th wheels.
5th Wheel Toy Haulers
5th wheel toy haulers tend to be larger RVs with either a dedicated garage or an open plan. The open floor plan models can accommodate more bikes and quads or longer four-seater SxS cars. But the extra cargo space comes at the expense of living amenities like slide-outs.
This is because the slides cut into the inside area where the car would go. The dedicated garage isn’t just for cargo, though. Once you’ve unloaded the toys, you can lower beds from the ceiling and fold them into seating and dining areas. Because the open floor plans don’t have the same slide-out space, the garage models are much more popular 5th wheels.
The #1 question people ask toy hauler owners is, “Doesn’t the inside of your RV smell like gas?”
No. Not at all.
Once you drop the rear ramp and unload all the toys, the outside air from the open ramp quickly circulates inside and clears out any odors.
Can a 5th Wheel Toy Hauler Hold a Car?
That depends on the car. Technically, a side-by-side is a car, and they fit just fine into a toy hauler.
These are smaller and lighter than passenger cars, though, with no window glass and mostly plastic bodies. Some people load Jeeps or stripped down RAV 4’s into their haulers.
However, these are passenger cars that push the trailer’s capacity. Even a little Mini Cooper is nearly twice as heavy as an SxS.
What To Look for When Buying a Toy Hauler
The first thing to check is the history of the manufacturer. Have they been building toy haulers very long, and do they know what a toy hauler owner really needs? Even if all the features and stats measure up, small aspects make a huge difference. For example, Thor builds their Crossroad Elevation toy haulers with the tie-down anchor points in the middle of the garage floor instead of in the corners where they are most useful.
Space
The garage size is critical for your 5th wheel toy hauler because your toys have to fit. Determine the true amount of space they’ll require before you begin looking at floor plans or visiting dealers. Measure all your vehicles’ full length, width, and height. Consider your equipment upgrades, too. You might want to add a bumper or winch to your SxS, which adds a few more inches to the length.
Most toy haulers include generous living and sleeping space but count your family members, friends, and “plus ones” to make sure you have enough beds.
Typically, dual queen Happijac lift beds to sleep four are equipped in garage models. Plus, there’s a queen in the main bedroom and another queen in the main living area. Some garage models even have half or full bathrooms in the garage. While this might be a tempting feature, the spare bathrooms take away part of the cargo space and force you to dump an additional set of waste tanks.
Lastly, the fresh water and waste tanks should be large enough to handle weeklong trips (at least 110 gallons fresh and 60 gallons each for gray and black waste). They should also feature a large freshwater dump valve so the water can be changed out between trips.
Weight
What about your tow vehicle? If you already have a heavy-duty dually, you can pull the larger triple-axle 5th wheel toy haulers. If you have a smaller truck and can’t afford to upgrade, look at the smaller dual-axle models.
And speaking of cargo, make sure to take a close look at the Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) and make an honest assessment of all the stuff you’ll be loading.
A two-seater SxS weighs around 1,500 pounds before you add on accessories. Its fuel and water weigh about six pounds and 8.3 pounds, respectively. Plus, you’ll need food, cooking equipment, clothing, propane, tools, an air compressor, and everything else you bring along.
View
The last thing to look for is very much a personal preference: The view. Ask yourself how and where you camp, and where do you want to see out the windows?
If you camp and ride in groups in the boondocks, you probably camp in a large circle, and you want your windows to face the inside of the ring (the passenger or curbside).
Or if you camp by yourselves in the woods, then it probably doesn’t matter which way you face.
5 Best 5th Wheel Toy Hauler RVs
There’s never been a better time to choose a high-quality 5th wheel toy hauler. Gone are the days when toy haulers were decorated with black and white checkered and diamond plate interiors.
Today’s haulers are nicely equipped RVs with ample space for your toys. And, even better, the old crawl-over beds are history, so both of you can walk comfortably to your own side of the bed at night.
1. Grand Design Momentum 399TH
The Grand Design Momentum 399TH is a gorgeous unit inside and out, yet it still has all the practical features you require for hauling your toys. The 13-foot garage gives you plenty of room for a two-seater SxS, and even a dirt bike turned sideways.
This is ample room for your toys and gear. It also features a fold-down side patio, a loft sleeper that doubles as storage space, a second bathroom, and a full-sized shower and tub in the master bath.
Grand Design fully enclosed and secured the two 30-gallon fuel tanks and fuel pump, so you only need one key to access your fuel station and generator tank. The interior and exterior decor are exquisite and grand.
2. KZ Venom 4114TK
The KZ Venom 4114TK combines practicality and luxury in ways rarely seen in a toy hauler. The living area includes a sleeper sofa and a dining table for four, plus a spacious kitchen with an island countertop with a sink, all oriented towards the seating and entertainment center.
There is also a loft bed that extends into the garage, which can also be used for storage. The bedroom comes with a king bed or optional queen and connects to the bathroom with a residential-sized shower. The garage is just short of 14 feet, which should be plenty of room for most four-seater off-road cars.
And instead of fixed locations for the tie-downs, the garage has three strips of e-track so you can put your anchor points wherever you need them.
3. Dutchmen Voltage 3915
The Dutchmen Voltage 3915 boasts a whopping 15 feet of garage space—the largest of any dedicated garage. Between the 15-foot garage and the additional half bath, the living space of the 3915 is smaller than most, but it’s still a nice large space.
There’s only sofa seating for four in the main living area, but the Happijac bunks in the garage fold down into room for four more seats.
The bedroom is also a little tight because of the king bed, but the bedroom dresser slide gives you more storage without losing any space in the room.
4. Montana High Country 382TH
The Montana High Country 382TH has an innovative design, but some of the features are hit-and-miss. The main living area is up in the front, where most toy haulers put the master bedroom. And the bedroom is in the rear, which puts the smaller garage beneath the bedroom.
Unfortunately, this limits the height and width of the vehicles that can be stored in the garage.
The interior theme is light and airy, and it truly is a gorgeous RV, but the sub-level garage rules out most off-road vehicles or street bikes and makes this a less viable toy hauler.
5. Heartland Road Warrior 391
The Heartland Road Warrior 391 has a slightly dated floor plan where the kitchen seems like an afterthought with very limited counter space.
The TV hangs from the wall and covers the shelving instead of being built into an entertainment center, and the sofas aren’t facing anything in particular. The entry to the loft is directly above the garage door, so the loft ladder blocks access to the garage.
The front sleeper and adjoining bathroom are both fairly spacious, though, especially with the bedroom slide used for the closets. The garage is laid out nicely with dual Happijac queen beds, a half bath, and even plumbing for a washer and dryer.
The anchor points are laid out fairly well, except they don’t reach the corners.
Which is the Best 5th Wheel Toy Hauler for You?
Picking the right 5th wheel toy hauler depends a lot on the type of camping you do and the kinds of toys you expect to haul. Ideally, you want a coach that’s rugged enough to stand up to abuse, designed well for dry camping, yet comfortable enough to keep you feeling at home while you’re away from home.
Not all of your trips will include the toys, so your hauler needs to be a comfortable RV for full hookup trips too.
Make sure to figure out your needs in advance, especially your toys’ weight and dimensions and the weight of all the gear and fluids you plan to pack. These five units are all gorgeous RVs. It’s up to you to decide which one is right for you.
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