A toy hauler could be a kid toting Hot Wheels or Barbie dolls.
They like to take their toys with them, and why not?
In the RV world, a toy hauler is a travel trailer or motor home complete with an attached garage.
The garage allows camping enthusiasts to carry all kinds of toys, from ATVs to dirt and street bikes to bicycles, canoes and kayaks. Just about anything you’d have in your garage at home.
“Toy hauler RVs are self-sufficient,” said Dan Merkowsky of the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of Alberta. “And, they’re becoming much more sophisticated with many different options.”
Toy hauler models – plus numerous other RV units from tent trailers to diesel pusher motor homes — will be on display at the upcoming RV Expo and Sale from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park.
For some background, toy haulers have been around since the late 1990s. They were, at first, simply a utilitarian travel trailer with living quarters up front and an enclosed cargo box with a ramp door at the rear. The trailer’s garage space was most often used to carry motorized toys to more remote, off-highway locations.
A number of manufacturers were producing these simple toy haulers until the recession of 2008. According to Dave Westhaver, sales manager at Bucar’s RV in Calgary, that’s when toy hauler sales dropped off.
“But, in the last few years, there’s been a resurgence of interest in the toy hauler,” Westhaver said. “And, people are using the garage space for things other than just toys.”
Now, toy haulers are being built with a much more residential appeal. After arriving at a campsite and unloading the gear from the garage, the space can be put to other uses.
For example, on some units, the rear ramp can be fixed in a level position when open, creating a deck off the back of the RV.
“You can walk out of the trailer through the garage onto the deck,” Westhaver said.
Most decks will have a three-sided railing, an attached awning for sun protection and lights for when entertaining during the evening.
Garage areas might also be used as bedroom space, as some units are being equipped with beds that, when not in use, can be raised to the ceiling for storage.
“Depending on the size of the trailer, the bed could be a queen-size or two bunk-style beds,” Westhaver said. “Some are also available with a dinette feature.”
Still others can be equipped with a half-bath option, providing a toilet and a sink in the garage – this means a camper doesn’t have to go into the main coach area with grubby footwear. Depending on the manufacturer, that half-bath might be optioned as a washer and dryer.
Toy haulers are available as bumper tow units from 23 to 35 feet in length and fifth wheel trailers from 35 to 45 feet. Garage areas range in size from 8 to 14 feet, with the most common being 10 to 12 feet long.
Embedded “D” hooks provide tie down points for anything and everything, from ATVs to barbecues.
Manufacturers are also building motor home toy haulers, although these aren’t yet as plentiful as the towable units.
There is a price difference between a regular trailer unit and one equipped with a garage. Westhaver said the average bumper-pull travel trailer might start at $16,000 to $17,000 – where a comparable toy hauler would start near mid-$20,000. Same with a fifth wheel, where a non-garage unit might start in the mid-$20,000 range, one with a garage would likely start in the mid-$30,000 bracket. Depending on how a toy hauler is equipped, it could cost as much as $100,000.
“There are so many different levels of toy hauler units,” Westhaver said. “It’s like the difference between buying a Kia or a Cadillac, and there are so many options it’s almost endless.”
