Hello. I've been lurking for some time, trying to gain as much info and knowledge as possible in preparation for a toy hauler purchase and possible full-timing in our future. There is an absolute wealth of info on this site, and I am very grateful everyone is so willing to share and contribute in a positive way. I've learned so much from so many people! Thank you to everyone!
I've also joined other RVing forums to get reviews on certain toy haulers, feedback on ideas, and general RV info to help me with my purchase choice. I started researching RVs about a year ago. In the beginning, I had never planned on buying a toy hauler. I thought they were silly and for boys and their toys. Hmmmm...So what happened was we attended an RV show this past fall in Hershey, PA. The last thing we looked at were toy haulers, and that was only upon the insistence of my fiance to quell his curiosity. I went along with it figuring "what the heck."
So, there I am standing in the garage area of a Heartland Cyclone. There was a table with bench seating and a full-size bed. Then it just hit my like a ton of bricks. Let me back up for just one moment so this makes sense. We have two children, and we'll be down to just one in 2.5 years. We've looked at many bunkhouse RVs, and the thing that bothered my the most was giving up valuable floor space to bunks. What are we to do with those bunks and/or bunkroom after it's just us? Oh, yes, we could use it for storage, but we've permanently given up valuable space, the very thing that's so important in RVs! OK, back to the Heartland Cyclone. What hit me as I was standing there looking at the table and bed in that garage was here was a way to provide sleeping accomodations for the kids without giving up any valuable floor space!And not only that, we could use the garage as a dining room, too! I thought, "Wow! This is genius!"So I've been researching toy haulers every since. My head is spinning with all the things one should think about, which I'm sure you already know. So, here I am. I'm going to be posting a topic of great interest to me later, and I hope I'll recieve helpful information. 'See' you around!
Bobbi
Lucky Mike said
10:00 PM Nov 29, 2012
Welcome aboard Bobbi!!!!!!!...............
Terry and Jo said
10:10 PM Nov 29, 2012
Bobbi,
Welcome to the RV Dreams forums as an "active" member. It is good to have you as a member of the family.
Like many others, you've learned yet another lesson in being open to explore other avenues. There are a number of folks that have looked at toyhaulers as possible for art studios, music rooms, extra bedroom, and likely many other ideas. The only possible drawback to me with a toyhauler is perhaps a limited amount of insulation in that back door. Now, having said that, I've never looked into that aspect of that choice of RV, so my concern with that may be unfounded.
Good luck with your further research and purchase.
Terry
Bobbi said
10:29 PM Nov 29, 2012
Thanks, LuckyMike!
Bobbi said
10:36 PM Nov 29, 2012
Thank you for the welcome! Yes, you are right. With a toy hauler, there is so much flexibility! I love that.
I have also heard that the ramp door is not insulated. Right now, I have an email out to Gulf Stream asking about that, and other questions regarding their Enduramax. I hope to have an answer soon. If it isn't insulated, I suppose we could come up with a way to add some insulation, perhaps with sheets of Dow foam. It won't be pretty, but it would definitely help. We don't actually plan on using the garage to haul toys, so it wouldn't be a problem to do it that way. Perhaps a large insulated blanket could work too. Anyhow, thank you for throwing that out there.
bigboomer said
10:51 PM Nov 29, 2012
Bobbi,
Congrats on starting the first leg of your families adventure! When Sue and I first started looking into RVing for our future plans about 12 years ago it took nearly 1 1/2 years of steady research to draw our conclusions as to what and how we were going to accomplish our goals. We did look at and still look at the toy haulers that are out there and I must say after seeing some of the newer ones at Hershey they have come a long way. I hace to concur with Terry on the issue of insulation amongst other things for full timing, but it really depends on what your long term plans are and where you located during your trips. We also have found that the toy hauler market, while making big strides, they still tend to be more in tune with the weekend warrior and adventure vacation crowd and don't quite lean to the full time market. This is usually evident by the amenities in the coaches (furniture, fixtures, etc.) What I saw at the Hershey show that impressed me were the Heartland Cyclone and the Keystone Fusions and Raptors. Both are good quality coaches which can be used for FTing is necessary. Unfortunately once you get past them you are into either the custom market such as New Horizon (great rigs), etc. or the higher end rigs such as the Redwood's (really nice). It really is going to depend on your needs and budget. Don't forget what you will need to pull some of the heavier 5'ers!
We chose to go the route of building a truck to haul our toys and stick with the 5'ers that are more suited for FTing.
Good Luck in your quest, the road is long and winedy but you will get there!
Les
Bobbi said
12:31 AM Nov 30, 2012
Thank you, Bigboomer. I'm looking forward to this adventure, albeit with some trepidation and occasional cold feet. OK, daily cold feet.
I totally get why you invested so much time into research, believe me! I know I still have more to learn, and it's nerve-wracking because I don't want to make the wrong choice for us. I've read tons of stories about problems with new RVs and dealers and manufacturers who didn't or wouldn't stand behind the product. However, for all I know, for each negative story, there are at least 50 positive ones!
Perhaps we saw you at the Hershey show! We ending up looking at all the toy haulers there, except I think we missed the Gulf Stream area. Did you look at the Forest River XLR? Whew, that's nice! And I love the extreme weather package's insulation R-values of R-40 for the roof and floor. In fact, insulation in RVs is the next thread I will start here at RV Dreams. I did post a thread about this, trying to get some advice and guidance, actually, over at www.rv.net, and I was met with some sarcasm and deroguatory comments over it. I hope that doesn't happen hear. I really need advice.
Well, I know for sure we won't be going with something like a Spacecraft as that's way out of our reach ($), plus they're really heavy and we already have the truck. What happened, and I know you are supposed to buy the RV first, was that I *thought* I already knew what we were getting when we bought the truck....until I saw the wisdom in toy haulers, that is. We have an F-350 with the 325 hp 6.0L Powerstroke, so we should be fine with the ones we are considering.
bigboomer said
02:09 PM Nov 30, 2012
Bobbi,
As to insulation, certainly more is better but it really depends on when and where you stay or travel to with the rig. If you are going to be doing a lot of cold weather camping more insulation, insulated windows, etc. help a little more, but like anything else there is a cost to return on investment ratio. Remember that some of these manufacturers will tell you they stuff the sides, bottom and roof with insulation, but they fail to tell you that the slides don't get as much due to the general nature of their construction. So depending on how many slides you have, etc. some of that extra insulation value is lost somewhere else.
Also key to the equation is the size of both your furnace and A/C unit(s) and also if the plumbing protected by being above the insulated belly or if it might be exposed to extreme conditions. Insulated windows are nice for sound attenuation and some relief from the hot or cold but remember the window frame is still not thermally broken so it will still spike the heat or cold thru it and still sweat under the right conditions. The level of "R" value you get in a thin insulated window is not that great due to the small size of the airspace between the glass. We have single pane and we put the clear heat shrink thermal plastic around all the windows to cut the draft down and condensation build up on the glass, so far it has wroked well. We also have ade-humidifier to keep the moisture down as the propane furnace emits moisture in the air which can lead to condensation.
NO question is stupid or out of bounds the way I look at it. If you need help or ask a question it is because you don't know and want to learn. As for what comments come forth, like any where else, there are some who feel that they are the "experts" for whatever reason and what they say should be the gospel and if you question them or don't share their opinion you are the boogie man and they will argue until you are blue in the face. Life is too short for me. In general these forums are a vast wealth of knowledge by a lot of folks who have lived first hand many experiences which should be shared. It is up to us to determine what information we ultimately deem useful.
I am sure you will get a full range of answers here or anywhere.....good luck sorting them out!
Hello. I've been lurking for some time, trying to gain as much info and knowledge as possible in preparation for a toy hauler purchase and possible full-timing in our future. There is an absolute wealth of info on this site, and I am very grateful everyone is so willing to share and contribute in a positive way. I've learned so much from so many people! Thank you to everyone!
I've also joined other RVing forums to get reviews on certain toy haulers, feedback on ideas, and general RV info to help me with my purchase choice. I started researching RVs about a year ago. In the beginning, I had never planned on buying a toy hauler. I thought they were silly and for boys and their toys. Hmmmm...So what happened was we attended an RV show this past fall in Hershey, PA. The last thing we looked at were toy haulers, and that was only upon the insistence of my fiance to quell his curiosity. I went along with it figuring "what the heck."
So, there I am standing in the garage area of a Heartland Cyclone. There was a table with bench seating and a full-size bed. Then it just hit my like a ton of bricks. Let me back up for just one moment so this makes sense. We have two children, and we'll be down to just one in 2.5 years. We've looked at many bunkhouse RVs, and the thing that bothered my the most was giving up valuable floor space to bunks. What are we to do with those bunks and/or bunkroom after it's just us? Oh, yes, we could use it for storage, but we've permanently given up valuable space, the very thing that's so important in RVs! OK, back to the Heartland Cyclone. What hit me as I was standing there looking at the table and bed in that garage was here was a way to provide sleeping accomodations for the kids without giving up any valuable floor space!And not only that, we could use the garage as a dining room, too! I thought, "Wow! This is genius!"So I've been researching toy haulers every since. My head is spinning with all the things one should think about, which I'm sure you already know. So, here I am. I'm going to be posting a topic of great interest to me later, and I hope I'll recieve helpful information. 'See' you around!
Bobbi
Bobbi,
Welcome to the RV Dreams forums as an "active" member. It is good to have you as a member of the family.
Like many others, you've learned yet another lesson in being open to explore other avenues. There are a number of folks that have looked at toyhaulers as possible for art studios, music rooms, extra bedroom, and likely many other ideas. The only possible drawback to me with a toyhauler is perhaps a limited amount of insulation in that back door. Now, having said that, I've never looked into that aspect of that choice of RV, so my concern with that may be unfounded.
Good luck with your further research and purchase.
Terry
Thanks, LuckyMike!
Thank you for the welcome! Yes, you are right. With a toy hauler, there is so much flexibility! I love that.
I have also heard that the ramp door is not insulated. Right now, I have an email out to Gulf Stream asking about that, and other questions regarding their Enduramax. I hope to have an answer soon. If it isn't insulated, I suppose we could come up with a way to add some insulation, perhaps with sheets of Dow foam. It won't be pretty, but it would definitely help. We don't actually plan on using the garage to haul toys, so it wouldn't be a problem to do it that way. Perhaps a large insulated blanket could work too. Anyhow, thank you for throwing that out there.
Bobbi,
Congrats on starting the first leg of your families adventure! When Sue and I first started looking into RVing for our future plans about 12 years ago it took nearly 1 1/2 years of steady research to draw our conclusions as to what and how we were going to accomplish our goals. We did look at and still look at the toy haulers that are out there and I must say after seeing some of the newer ones at Hershey they have come a long way. I hace to concur with Terry on the issue of insulation amongst other things for full timing, but it really depends on what your long term plans are and where you located during your trips. We also have found that the toy hauler market, while making big strides, they still tend to be more in tune with the weekend warrior and adventure vacation crowd and don't quite lean to the full time market. This is usually evident by the amenities in the coaches (furniture, fixtures, etc.) What I saw at the Hershey show that impressed me were the Heartland Cyclone and the Keystone Fusions and Raptors. Both are good quality coaches which can be used for FTing is necessary. Unfortunately once you get past them you are into either the custom market such as New Horizon (great rigs), etc. or the higher end rigs such as the Redwood's (really nice). It really is going to depend on your needs and budget. Don't forget what you will need to pull some of the heavier 5'ers!
We chose to go the route of building a truck to haul our toys and stick with the 5'ers that are more suited for FTing.
Good Luck in your quest, the road is long and winedy but you will get there!
Les
Thank you, Bigboomer. I'm looking forward to this adventure, albeit with some trepidation and occasional cold feet. OK, daily cold feet.
I totally get why you invested so much time into research, believe me! I know I still have more to learn, and it's nerve-wracking because I don't want to make the wrong choice for us. I've read tons of stories about problems with new RVs and dealers and manufacturers who didn't or wouldn't stand behind the product. However, for all I know, for each negative story, there are at least 50 positive ones!
Perhaps we saw you at the Hershey show! We ending up looking at all the toy haulers there, except I think we missed the Gulf Stream area. Did you look at the Forest River XLR? Whew, that's nice! And I love the extreme weather package's insulation R-values of R-40 for the roof and floor. In fact, insulation in RVs is the next thread I will start here at RV Dreams. I did post a thread about this, trying to get some advice and guidance, actually, over at www.rv.net, and I was met with some sarcasm and deroguatory comments over it. I hope that doesn't happen hear. I really need advice.
Well, I know for sure we won't be going with something like a Spacecraft as that's way out of our reach ($), plus they're really heavy and we already have the truck. What happened, and I know you are supposed to buy the RV first, was that I *thought* I already knew what we were getting when we bought the truck....until I saw the wisdom in toy haulers, that is. We have an F-350 with the 325 hp 6.0L Powerstroke, so we should be fine with the ones we are considering.
Bobbi,
As to insulation, certainly more is better but it really depends on when and where you stay or travel to with the rig. If you are going to be doing a lot of cold weather camping more insulation, insulated windows, etc. help a little more, but like anything else there is a cost to return on investment ratio. Remember that some of these manufacturers will tell you they stuff the sides, bottom and roof with insulation, but they fail to tell you that the slides don't get as much due to the general nature of their construction. So depending on how many slides you have, etc. some of that extra insulation value is lost somewhere else.
Also key to the equation is the size of both your furnace and A/C unit(s) and also if the plumbing protected by being above the insulated belly or if it might be exposed to extreme conditions. Insulated windows are nice for sound attenuation and some relief from the hot or cold but remember the window frame is still not thermally broken so it will still spike the heat or cold thru it and still sweat under the right conditions. The level of "R" value you get in a thin insulated window is not that great due to the small size of the airspace between the glass. We have single pane and we put the clear heat shrink thermal plastic around all the windows to cut the draft down and condensation build up on the glass, so far it has wroked well. We also have ade-humidifier to keep the moisture down as the propane furnace emits moisture in the air which can lead to condensation.
NO question is stupid or out of bounds the way I look at it. If you need help or ask a question it is because you don't know and want to learn. As for what comments come forth, like any where else, there are some who feel that they are the "experts" for whatever reason and what they say should be the gospel and if you question them or don't share their opinion you are the boogie man and they will argue until you are blue in the face. Life is too short for me. In general these forums are a vast wealth of knowledge by a lot of folks who have lived first hand many experiences which should be shared. It is up to us to determine what information we ultimately deem useful.
I am sure you will get a full range of answers here or anywhere.....good luck sorting them out!
Les