Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

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jambbii
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Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Tue Oct 16, 2018 1:04 am

We are looking to buy a camping trailer or toy hauler this winter. Right now I have a large popup camper that I have heavily modified. It is lifted and we can pretty much go anywhere but my kids are growing and it is time to upgrade. We boon dock most of the time and rarely go anywhere with hookups.

I don't know crap bout trailers. There are so many brands and I don't know where to start. A lot of my friends go to the dunes and they have toy haulers. What is appealing to me is they have on board generators and large water tanks. I could care less about the toy storage. The wife is looking for a split floor plan so we can keep the kids on the other side of the camper.

From what I can tell is that there are only a few different manufacturers that make everything right now. We are thinking around the 30ft or below range. I am open to bumper pull or 5th wheel. Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Josh

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TankerZak
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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TankerZak » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:50 am

Well... i have lots. You can put a generator on anything. Mine is on a pull out back bumper. Water tank isn't as important as grey tanks. 60 gal plus water tank and a grey water with seperate galley tank is super nice.

Toy haulers have wierd configs. If you don't need that don't get one. You can get the features you listed for less on a non toy hauler.

Do you want slide outs? They are nice... do you want a slideout under your awning? Probably not...

Understand length. Most federal parks have either a 30 or 35 foot limit.. a 30 ft trailer will be about 35 feet with tounge and bumpers etc. My 35 foot tip to tail was a bear to park in Glacier National Park in a few spots but I got er done.

I strongly recommend a bumper pull with a power wagon. The height of a power wagon can make 5th wheels challenging, especially if you level and airbags, etc.

Don't go over 7kish dry weight. When loaded up thats about 8500 and that's about max for a PW.

Most places you can take a trailer you can take any trailer. There are a few marketed as offroad, and ultra light, etc. Airstreams are super nice but also spendy. Keystone is great for build quality but so are some others. Learn some about build quality. The ultralights have aluminum frames, traditional has wood structures underneath. Main difference is weight.

What climates do you want to stay in? Cold climates double pane windows and a sealed and heated underbelly are a must to keep your lines from freezing and your windows from sweating.

Hot climates? How many AC units? AC units will directly determine the size of generator required.

Solar is cool when boondocking to at least assist the battery between generator runs.

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EasyDoesIt
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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by EasyDoesIt » Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:49 am

I have a Pacific Coachworks 19EX, which is now a 20EX (https://www.pacificcoachworks.com/toy-haulers/ragen/). Its a pretty good toyhauler with a front queen. We sleep 5 adults on the regular and it does just fine. If you plan on taking it offroad much, I strongly recommend a CRE3000 system for the axles. Its helped mine significantly when on washboard dirt roads and rutted sand dunes.

I echo most of what Tanker is saying:
-You can add a generator to anything
-Unless you have a family of 6 keep it under 30', even if you have 6, make the kids sleep in the tent :)
-Bunks are nice if you do have a couple kids.
-Add solar if needed
-If you can get a 80 gallon freshwater tank, do it. The bigger the better
-Go for the enclosed belly if you plan to fall/winter camp
-Get a blacktank flush
-Outdoor Shower is nice for rinsing off
-Power Awning is a MUST, dont bother with the manual awning, they are a pain.
-Keep it under 8klbs if possible.
-Some sort of offroad suspension, like CRE3000 w/shocks or just the CRE3000 - http://www.morryde.com/products/90-cre3 ... ion-system
-Some of the cheaper trailers use a garbage inverters/converters/chargers. If you can find one with a Progressive Unit, you will be very happy. Primarily for the intelligent battery charging.

If you dont need the toyhauler option, take a look at http://outdoorsrvmfg.com/. They come with all the offroad goodies and are built around boondocking. I will likely be selling my toyhauler and going to one of the Outdoors units. It looks like they have a toy hauler in production, not sure on a release date but I'm sure you could call (http://outdoorsrvmfg.com/coming-soon-trail-series/)

I like to buy used units that are less than 2-3 years old. You save a ton and most the time previous owners have added things like generator, solar, extra propane tanks, etc. Plus they've addressed all the things that the factory screwed up so you dont have to deal with that headache.

Sorry not much help with other brands.
Live: Las Vegas NV, Drive: 2018 PW & 2014 LR4

jambbii
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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Tue Oct 16, 2018 2:59 pm

Thanks guys! This is exactly the info I need. I have zero preference/experience with the water capacity/black/grey tanks. My camper had a 30 gallon and I haul 30 gallons with me.

I don't mind slide outs. I am a minimalist but the wife is looking for some luxury.


I know I can add a generator but it sounds so nice having them on board! I have a crappy one for my popup right now. If this is not going to happen I can live without it.

I keep looking at ultralites. I do want an aluminum frame but I just see the fiberglass exterior being a pain to keep in the Az sun.

We typically don't camp much in cold climates but I have been in the mid 20s and we were up in the snow.

As far as the A/C goes something that is probably good for 100 degrees. We have some cool lakes around here. Would a 30 foot trailer need two ac units?

I was not set on a 5th wheel or bumper pull but I guess it is a bumper pull for sure now!

The CRE300 looks pretty trick! Outdoor RVs are awesome. I bet those things are pricey.

I am definitely looking for used. I had a buddy buy a brand new Forest River and he has a few things go bad under warranty which were a pain for him.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by Mule » Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:37 pm

How handy are you?

My experiences with trailers is they're all built like shit till you get into the $100k+ range. Doesn't matter if you buy a "good name-brand" or some discount one, they're all the same cheap slapped-together crap that lasts just long enough to get it off the dealer's lot. Scotch-locked wiring, cheap plywood/laminate interiors, etc.

We bought a well-used, shell-fit-our-needs trailer and converted/built it to meet our needs exactly. Do it once, do it right, put some effort into using good stuff and building it to last vs. building it to get it off the lot.
Cabin build starts on pg4.
https://advrider.com/f/threads/hotel-on ... n.1101752/

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TankerZak » Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:24 pm

I wouldn't do an onboard gen. They are more difficult and hard wired. At least I wouldn't make it a requirement for the trailer. And most travel trailers don't have them. I've also known a number of people who had to have theirs removed and went portable. With a portable you can buy 2 of the portable 2k gens that stick together for 4k of ac and its super efficient because you only need 1 generator most of the time. 2nd gen for AC. Also make sure whatever gen you do is gas or multifuel. You don't want a propane generator. They suck gas fast. I'd be looking at yamaha, honda, or champion for the two inverter gen solutions.

Also with a portable set you can take it 30 yards into the woods while boondocking and lock it to a tree and you don't have to listen to it.

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2016 Granite Crystal Metallic Power Wagon Laramie, graphics delete, debadged, Thuren front and rear coils, Thuren rear swaybar links, Thuren front and rear trackbars, Traxada rear 1 inch spacers, King 3.0 (Stage 4) front and 2.5 (Stage 3) rear shocks, Boogie front bump stops, Cooper STT Pro 37x13.50R17 on XD Machette 17x9 +18 wheels, Centramatics, 5.13 gears, DOR steering brace, Thuren truss, Thuren King Steering Damper, Synergy Steering Kit, Thuren PW front bumper, Thuren rear bumper, White Knuckle rock sliders, Dethloff skid plate, Dethloff rear sway bar spacers, Purple Cranium Half Spider front and rear diff guards, Airlift 5000 Ultimate airbags with Daystar cradles, Bakflip Revolver X2 tonneau, Factor55 Ultrahook with 100ft 7/16 A.R.E. Spidersilk synthetic winch line, Zroadz Grill with slim 20 inch light bar, DDM Tuning LEDs/HIDs, Rigid Side Shooter ditch lights, KC rock lights, Rigid fog lights, Baja Designs rear lights, Magnaflow 19200 modified with upgraded resonator and after axle dump, tinted front windows 35%.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by RustyPW » Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:53 pm

TankerZak wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:50 am
Well... i have lots. You can put a generator on anything. Mine is on a pull out back bumper. Water tank isn't as important as grey tanks. 60 gal plus water tank and a grey water with seperate galley tank is super nice.

Toy haulers have wierd configs. If you don't need that don't get one. You can get the features you listed for less on a non toy hauler.

Do you want slide outs? They are nice... do you want a slideout under your awning? Probably not...

Understand length. Most federal parks have either a 30 or 35 foot limit.. a 30 ft trailer will be about 35 feet with tounge and bumpers etc. My 35 foot tip to tail was a bear to park in Glacier National Park in a few spots but I got er done.

I strongly recommend a bumper pull with a power wagon. The height of a power wagon can make 5th wheels challenging, especially if you level and airbags, etc.

Don't go over 7kish dry weight. When loaded up thats about 8500 and that's about max for a PW.

Most places you can take a trailer you can take any trailer. There are a few marketed as offroad, and ultra light, etc. Airstreams are super nice but also spendy. Keystone is great for build quality but so are some others. Learn some about build quality. The ultralights have aluminum frames, traditional has wood structures underneath. Main difference is weight.

What climates do you want to stay in? Cold climates double pane windows and a sealed and heated underbelly are a must to keep your lines from freezing and your windows from sweating.

Hot climates? How many AC units? AC units will directly determine the size of generator required.

Solar is cool when boondocking to at least assist the battery between generator runs.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
2X

One A/C unit is about 3000 watts needed. 2 A/C units, could be around 5,000 watts needed. Depends on the size of the A/C units. I had a 35ft Outback with one A/C unit. On a 100F day. It wasn't enough.
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TankerZak
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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TankerZak » Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:47 pm

I have a 13000 BTU AC unit on a 30ft trailer with 2 slides (1 a super slide). And a 4500w generator. On a really hot day it can keep up if its on before it gets hot and you don't open the door much. But if you drive somewhere towing a sealed box in 100 degree weather and setup in the heat of the day... ain't nothing you can do to get that hotbox to cool down fast enough.

But you also don't get to pick how many AC units you get most of the time... but at 35ft with a seperate bedroom i'd want two. But the your generator jumps up to the bigger 6500/7k watts area.

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2016 Granite Crystal Metallic Power Wagon Laramie, graphics delete, debadged, Thuren front and rear coils, Thuren rear swaybar links, Thuren front and rear trackbars, Traxada rear 1 inch spacers, King 3.0 (Stage 4) front and 2.5 (Stage 3) rear shocks, Boogie front bump stops, Cooper STT Pro 37x13.50R17 on XD Machette 17x9 +18 wheels, Centramatics, 5.13 gears, DOR steering brace, Thuren truss, Thuren King Steering Damper, Synergy Steering Kit, Thuren PW front bumper, Thuren rear bumper, White Knuckle rock sliders, Dethloff skid plate, Dethloff rear sway bar spacers, Purple Cranium Half Spider front and rear diff guards, Airlift 5000 Ultimate airbags with Daystar cradles, Bakflip Revolver X2 tonneau, Factor55 Ultrahook with 100ft 7/16 A.R.E. Spidersilk synthetic winch line, Zroadz Grill with slim 20 inch light bar, DDM Tuning LEDs/HIDs, Rigid Side Shooter ditch lights, KC rock lights, Rigid fog lights, Baja Designs rear lights, Magnaflow 19200 modified with upgraded resonator and after axle dump, tinted front windows 35%.

jambbii
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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:55 pm

Mule wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:37 pm
How handy are you?

My experiences with trailers is they're all built like shit till you get into the $100k+ range. Doesn't matter if you buy a "good name-brand" or some discount one, they're all the same cheap slapped-together crap that lasts just long enough to get it off the dealer's lot. Scotch-locked wiring, cheap plywood/laminate interiors, etc.

We bought a well-used, shell-fit-our-needs trailer and converted/built it to meet our needs exactly. Do it once, do it right, put some effort into using good stuff and building it to last vs. building it to get it off the lot.
Cabin build starts on pg4.
https://advrider.com/f/threads/hotel-on ... n.1101752/
I am very handy but I have way too many projects. The wife wanted to buy something and redo it but I am building 3 other cars and remodeling my house. I know they are built like crap, I am just looking for the least amount of shit to deal with.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:58 pm

TankerZak wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:24 pm
I wouldn't do an onboard gen. They are more difficult and hard wired. At least I wouldn't make it a requirement for the trailer. And most travel trailers don't have them. I've also known a number of people who had to have theirs removed and went portable. With a portable you can buy 2 of the portable 2k gens that stick together for 4k of ac and its super efficient because you only need 1 generator most of the time. 2nd gen for AC. Also make sure whatever gen you do is gas or multifuel. You don't want a propane generator. They suck gas fast. I'd be looking at yamaha, honda, or champion for the two inverter gen solutions.

Also with a portable set you can take it 30 yards into the woods while boondocking and lock it to a tree and you don't have to listen to it.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
That makes sense. We were just up north this weekend and it was raining and I was envious of my friends with their inboard generators while I was out in the rain starting mine.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:03 pm

Most likely I will not be camping when it is over 100 degrees but it is possible. We try to escape the heat in the summer not hang out in it. I never even thought of sizing the unit per btu's but it is something I will definitely figure out when shopping.

Thanks again everyone!

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by EasyDoesIt » Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:47 pm

Live: Las Vegas NV, Drive: 2018 PW & 2014 LR4

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TankerZak » Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:54 pm

jambbii wrote:
TankerZak wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:24 pm
I wouldn't do an onboard gen. They are more difficult and hard wired. At least I wouldn't make it a requirement for the trailer. And most travel trailers don't have them. I've also known a number of people who had to have theirs removed and went portable. With a portable you can buy 2 of the portable 2k gens that stick together for 4k of ac and its super efficient because you only need 1 generator most of the time. 2nd gen for AC. Also make sure whatever gen you do is gas or multifuel. You don't want a propane generator. They suck gas fast. I'd be looking at yamaha, honda, or champion for the two inverter gen solutions.

Also with a portable set you can take it 30 yards into the woods while boondocking and lock it to a tree and you don't have to listen to it.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
That makes sense. We were just up north this weekend and it was raining and I was envious of my friends with their inboard generators while I was out in the rain starting mine.
My generator has remote start. So that's not really an issue if you don't want it to be. When I'm out hunting and its snowing outside i want to be able to remote start my truck and generator....

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2016 Granite Crystal Metallic Power Wagon Laramie, graphics delete, debadged, Thuren front and rear coils, Thuren rear swaybar links, Thuren front and rear trackbars, Traxada rear 1 inch spacers, King 3.0 (Stage 4) front and 2.5 (Stage 3) rear shocks, Boogie front bump stops, Cooper STT Pro 37x13.50R17 on XD Machette 17x9 +18 wheels, Centramatics, 5.13 gears, DOR steering brace, Thuren truss, Thuren King Steering Damper, Synergy Steering Kit, Thuren PW front bumper, Thuren rear bumper, White Knuckle rock sliders, Dethloff skid plate, Dethloff rear sway bar spacers, Purple Cranium Half Spider front and rear diff guards, Airlift 5000 Ultimate airbags with Daystar cradles, Bakflip Revolver X2 tonneau, Factor55 Ultrahook with 100ft 7/16 A.R.E. Spidersilk synthetic winch line, Zroadz Grill with slim 20 inch light bar, DDM Tuning LEDs/HIDs, Rigid Side Shooter ditch lights, KC rock lights, Rigid fog lights, Baja Designs rear lights, Magnaflow 19200 modified with upgraded resonator and after axle dump, tinted front windows 35%.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by dustinsayes » Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:47 pm

I have owned two travel trailers. Both built by northwoods manufacturing.

We currently travel full time in a Northwoods Desert Fox 24AS.
This is a 4 season camper (down to 0 deg F, if thermostat is set to 60 deg.)

On board, 100gal water, 10gal hot water, 45-50gal of grey and black, thermal pane windows with solar reflective coating. i've added 500w of solar to the roof and increased my battery bank AH, using 6v batteries. I've pulled this camper in places most people wouldn't. it sits high, has under body protection and the fame is independently certified off-road chassis. In addition this camper has on onboard cummins 4k watt gas generator, 40gals of fuel with a fueling station, pressure washer and air compressor.

we dont haul toys, but we like the back door b/c it folds partly down to create back deck. With the back door down, in deck mode, it really opens up the camper and plus you can hang out on the deck.. this model also includes bunk beds in the back, on an electric motor - so you can move them up during the day and bring them down at night for the kids. this camper is 30' long. they have a model that is shorter, then a model that is 3' longer.

I've also added an inverter along with a 2nd transfer swtich so that the inverter can be used to power the entire camper w/o also powering the power converter - backcountrysolar.com has the transfer switch you need, for inverters.

I'll also add that northwoods mfg and outdoors rv are sister companies. they share the same frames and many other similarities. outdoors rv does NOT install onboard generators on any of their trailers - else I do think the outdoor rv's are nicer, especially the 5th wheel Glaicer peak model - however they do not build a toy hauler.

here is a link.
http://northwoodmfg.com/toy-haulers/des ... bwg37/4683

good luck and please dont hesitate to contact me directly for more questions - living and traveling full time, i can likely lend some valuable info.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by EasyDoesIt » Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:26 pm

dustinsayes wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:47 pm
I'll also add that northwoods mfg and outdoors rv are sister companies. they share the same frames and many other similarities. outdoors rv does NOT install onboard generators on any of their trailers - else I do think the outdoor rv's are nicer, especially the 5th wheel Glaicer peak model - however they do not build a toy hauler.

here is a link.
http://northwoodmfg.com/toy-haulers/des ... bwg37/4683
Good info, I didnt know about Northwood. Another option when i'm looking to upgrade.
Live: Las Vegas NV, Drive: 2018 PW & 2014 LR4

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TwinStick » Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:45 am

First off, I gotta say, campers are usually made as cheaply as possible. Know that going in. Warranties are nice but if you can fix it yourself, do it & save the aggravation. While i was at the dealer, on my numerous visits, with numerous campers, with numerous issues, i have seen other peoples campers dropped, backed into & damaged.

Toy Haulers are a unique breed of camper. They usually have unique issues. The one we had a empty tongue weight of 1150 lbs. Add 2-30lb propane tanks, 2 batteries & it starts adding up quick & getting REAL heavy. Directly behind our hitch was a 3'w x 2'h pass through storage area. In front of both axles was the 100 gallon fresh water tank, water is 8.3 lbs per gallon. So, empty (with no water & no atv's) it pulled fine........until a semi-truck passed you. We got "the push" when the truck went by & then got "the suck"as the trailer went by. It was really bad. It would move my truck 3-4' sometimes.....even with the wheel turned aginst the direction it was trying to make me go. This is with a 12,000 lb WD hitch with anti-sway bars & 1 ton Hellwig Load Pro 35 helper springs on the truck. With atv's & no water, it fishtailed when semi's passed. With atv's & a full 100 gal of water, it towed much better but was working the truck. The manual shift G56 helped immensely when towing the toy hauler. I hope they have improved them since our 2005, 30' Keystone Tail Gator. Weight distribution is of HUGE concern.

Slide outs will usually leak when a storm rolls in & it rains sideways with high wind. Also, if you get slides.....make sure you can still use what you need with all the slides in. A co-worker spent $110k on a triple axle 45' toy hauler. Found out he can't get to/use the bedroom or the fridge/freezer with slides in !!! :doh:

Generators---it was a $5500 option on ours !!! I passed on that & the on-board fuel tanks......both of which were directly under where the kids would be sleeping. I passed on the queen bed on rails that lifted to the ceiling too. In the highest position it was too low to comfortably drive our lifted 2-up atv. There is a cool new product on the market that works well for a/c units. Once installed, it lets you start & run a 13,500 btu a/c unit with a Honda eu2000i generator-----pretty cool https://www.microair.net/products/easys ... 0176048267 . Plus, you can also get more energy efficient a/c units that blow as much or more cold air on 10 amps as the stock ones do at 13-15 amps. Every little bit helps. We have 2 Honda eu2000i & a parallel power kit, for 4000 watts. No problems. They are about 10 yrs old now, maybe more.

After purchase, remove all panels, inside & outside & vacuum out all the "construction debris." If i had known that......it would have saved the night. It got down to 22*F in Pa while atv camping when the kids were really little, so no problem, just turn the furnace on---right ? On it came, fired right up......but when the blower kicked in, all we heard was a loud CRUNCH, BANG. No more heat. Cost $850 for the furnace & $400 labor. Luckily, it was still under warranty.

Good luck on your purchase & hope you enjoy. Air bags may be in your future. Lots of good advise here on this forum.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:39 am

I have been searching CL! I think the wife will let me spend a little more. We have decided on trying to find something in the 25-27ft range with bunks at the opposite ends for the little people.

How did you search all those states on CL?

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:40 am

TankerZak wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:54 pm
jambbii wrote:
TankerZak wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:24 pm
I wouldn't do an onboard gen. They are more difficult and hard wired. At least I wouldn't make it a requirement for the trailer. And most travel trailers don't have them. I've also known a number of people who had to have theirs removed and went portable. With a portable you can buy 2 of the portable 2k gens that stick together for 4k of ac and its super efficient because you only need 1 generator most of the time. 2nd gen for AC. Also make sure whatever gen you do is gas or multifuel. You don't want a propane generator. They suck gas fast. I'd be looking at yamaha, honda, or champion for the two inverter gen solutions.

Also with a portable set you can take it 30 yards into the woods while boondocking and lock it to a tree and you don't have to listen to it.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
That makes sense. We were just up north this weekend and it was raining and I was envious of my friends with their inboard generators while I was out in the rain starting mine.
My generator has remote start. So that's not really an issue if you don't want it to be. When I'm out hunting and its snowing outside i want to be able to remote start my truck and generator....

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
I guess I am going to have to have this! I am offing my old gen with the popup we are selling.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:42 am

TwinStick wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:45 am
First off, I gotta say, campers are usually made as cheaply as possible. Know that going in. Warranties are nice but if you can fix it yourself, do it & save the aggravation. While i was at the dealer, on my numerous visits, with numerous campers, with numerous issues, i have seen other peoples campers dropped, backed into & damaged.

Toy Haulers are a unique breed of camper. They usually have unique issues. The one we had a empty tongue weight of 1150 lbs. Add 2-30lb propane tanks, 2 batteries & it starts adding up quick & getting REAL heavy. Directly behind our hitch was a 3'w x 2'h pass through storage area. In front of both axles was the 100 gallon fresh water tank, water is 8.3 lbs per gallon. So, empty (with no water & no atv's) it pulled fine........until a semi-truck passed you. We got "the push" when the truck went by & then got "the suck"as the trailer went by. It was really bad. It would move my truck 3-4' sometimes.....even with the wheel turned aginst the direction it was trying to make me go. This is with a 12,000 lb WD hitch with anti-sway bars & 1 ton Hellwig Load Pro 35 helper springs on the truck. With atv's & no water, it fishtailed when semi's passed. With atv's & a full 100 gal of water, it towed much better but was working the truck. The manual shift G56 helped immensely when towing the toy hauler. I hope they have improved them since our 2005, 30' Keystone Tail Gator. Weight distribution is of HUGE concern.

Slide outs will usually leak when a storm rolls in & it rains sideways with high wind. Also, if you get slides.....make sure you can still use what you need with all the slides in. A co-worker spent $110k on a triple axle 45' toy hauler. Found out he can't get to/use the bedroom or the fridge/freezer with slides in !!! :doh:

Generators---it was a $5500 option on ours !!! I passed on that & the on-board fuel tanks......both of which were directly under where the kids would be sleeping. I passed on the queen bed on rails that lifted to the ceiling too. In the highest position it was too low to comfortably drive our lifted 2-up atv. There is a cool new product on the market that works well for a/c units. Once installed, it lets you start & run a 13,500 btu a/c unit with a Honda eu2000i generator-----pretty cool https://www.microair.net/products/easys ... 0176048267 . Plus, you can also get more energy efficient a/c units that blow as much or more cold air on 10 amps as the stock ones do at 13-15 amps. Every little bit helps. We have 2 Honda eu2000i & a parallel power kit, for 4000 watts. No problems. They are about 10 yrs old now, maybe more.

After purchase, remove all panels, inside & outside & vacuum out all the "construction debris." If i had known that......it would have saved the night. It got down to 22*F in Pa while atv camping when the kids were really little, so no problem, just turn the furnace on---right ? On it came, fired right up......but when the blower kicked in, all we heard was a loud CRUNCH, BANG. No more heat. Cost $850 for the furnace & $400 labor. Luckily, it was still under warranty.

Good luck on your purchase & hope you enjoy. Air bags may be in your future. Lots of good advise here on this forum.
Thanks for the advice. I am going to get airbags and on board air in the next few weeks.

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TankerZak
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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TankerZak » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:56 am

Make sure you research the airbags. I did and would do again Airlift Ultimate 5000 with Daystar cradles. There are a few write ups. They are better than the alternatives and you probably won't need onboard air but they have an easy wireless system if your so inclined.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by EasyDoesIt » Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:43 pm

Search all Craigslist in the country.

https://www.searchtempest.com/
Live: Las Vegas NV, Drive: 2018 PW & 2014 LR4

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by jambbii » Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:21 pm

dustinsayes wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:47 pm
I have owned two travel trailers. Both built by northwoods manufacturing.

We currently travel full time in a Northwoods Desert Fox 24AS.
This is a 4 season camper (down to 0 deg F, if thermostat is set to 60 deg.)

On board, 100gal water, 10gal hot water, 45-50gal of grey and black, thermal pane windows with solar reflective coating. i've added 500w of solar to the roof and increased my battery bank AH, using 6v batteries. I've pulled this camper in places most people wouldn't. it sits high, has under body protection and the fame is independently certified off-road chassis. In addition this camper has on onboard cummins 4k watt gas generator, 40gals of fuel with a fueling station, pressure washer and air compressor.

we dont haul toys, but we like the back door b/c it folds partly down to create back deck. With the back door down, in deck mode, it really opens up the camper and plus you can hang out on the deck.. this model also includes bunk beds in the back, on an electric motor - so you can move them up during the day and bring them down at night for the kids. this camper is 30' long. they have a model that is shorter, then a model that is 3' longer.

I've also added an inverter along with a 2nd transfer swtich so that the inverter can be used to power the entire camper w/o also powering the power converter - backcountrysolar.com has the transfer switch you need, for inverters.

I'll also add that northwoods mfg and outdoors rv are sister companies. they share the same frames and many other similarities. outdoors rv does NOT install onboard generators on any of their trailers - else I do think the outdoor rv's are nicer, especially the 5th wheel Glaicer peak model - however they do not build a toy hauler.

here is a link.
http://northwoodmfg.com/toy-haulers/des ... bwg37/4683

good luck and please dont hesitate to contact me directly for more questions - living and traveling full time, i can likely lend some valuable info.

TwinStick

Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TwinStick » Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:57 pm

Just another fyi, mfg's will tell you that the fresh water tank is NOT designed to travel while it's full. Found out the hard way on our toy hauler. It broke 2 of the 4 support bars and severely bent the other 2. I had to do major redesign on that. Bars looked like angle iron but were actually sheet metal that was bent to look like angle iron. That could have been a catastrophic accident if the tank let loose on the highway. Our new camper has a 26 gallon f water tank and 4 actual angle iron supports. We always travel with a full tank. I know my water is safe to drink. I learned that from an old time. Said he and his wife ended up in the hospital after drinking campground water that was supposedly drinkable.

TwinStick

Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TwinStick » Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:57 pm

Just another fyi, mfg's will tell you that the fresh water tank is NOT designed to travel while it's full. Found out the hard way on our toy hauler. It broke 2 of the 4 support bars and severely bent the other 2. I had to do major redesign on that. Bars looked like angle iron but were actually sheet metal that was bent to look like angle iron. That could have been a catastrophic accident if the tank let loose on the highway. Our new camper has a 26 gallon f water tank and 4 actual angle iron supports. We always travel with a full tank. I know my water is safe to drink. I learned that from an old timer. Said he and his wife ended up in the hospital after drinking campground water that was supposedly drinkable.

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Re: Camper/Toy Hauler Advice

Post by TankerZak » Sun Nov 25, 2018 1:28 am

TwinStick wrote:Just another fyi, mfg's will tell you that the fresh water tank is NOT designed to travel while it's full. Found out the hard way on our toy hauler. It broke 2 of the 4 support bars and severely bent the other 2. I had to do major redesign on that. Bars looked like angle iron but were actually sheet metal that was bent to look like angle iron. That could have been a catastrophic accident if the tank let loose on the highway. Our new camper has a 26 gallon f water tank and 4 actual angle iron supports. We always travel with a full tank. I know my water is safe to drink. I learned that from an old timer. Said he and his wife ended up in the hospital after drinking campground water that was supposedly drinkable.
Eh? Really? Never heard that. I always travel with at least half a tank and usually a full tank. I also have a fairly extensive double filtration system for park water. Also a nice adjustable pressure regulator and a surge protection and monitoring device. Some public places can be pretty damn sketchy...

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2016 Granite Crystal Metallic Power Wagon Laramie, graphics delete, debadged, Thuren front and rear coils, Thuren rear swaybar links, Thuren front and rear trackbars, Traxada rear 1 inch spacers, King 3.0 (Stage 4) front and 2.5 (Stage 3) rear shocks, Boogie front bump stops, Cooper STT Pro 37x13.50R17 on XD Machette 17x9 +18 wheels, Centramatics, 5.13 gears, DOR steering brace, Thuren truss, Thuren King Steering Damper, Synergy Steering Kit, Thuren PW front bumper, Thuren rear bumper, White Knuckle rock sliders, Dethloff skid plate, Dethloff rear sway bar spacers, Purple Cranium Half Spider front and rear diff guards, Airlift 5000 Ultimate airbags with Daystar cradles, Bakflip Revolver X2 tonneau, Factor55 Ultrahook with 100ft 7/16 A.R.E. Spidersilk synthetic winch line, Zroadz Grill with slim 20 inch light bar, DDM Tuning LEDs/HIDs, Rigid Side Shooter ditch lights, KC rock lights, Rigid fog lights, Baja Designs rear lights, Magnaflow 19200 modified with upgraded resonator and after axle dump, tinted front windows 35%.

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