Toy Haulers or Sport Utility Recreational Vehicles (SURVs)

Another type of RV, or sub-type, we haven't talked about yet specifically, are Sport Utility Recreational Vehicles (SURVs), more commonly known has toy haulers. These are especially relevant to those who enjoy the RV/OHV lifestyle. Most toy haulers are travel trailers or fifth wheels with a "garage" in back to carry dirt bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles, golf carts, or other toys. Obviously giving up 10-14 feet of living space for the "garage" means there are some compromises in living space compared to ordinary units of the same size. Some toy haulers have large beds built into a compartment over the garage, similar to the over-cab beds in Class C motorhomes. Some have electric beds that drop down from the ceiling in the cargo area. Most have fold down benches for seating so the garage space can be used as a temporary living space once the toys have been taken out. Most units have a "checkered aluminum" floor that is excellent for hauling the toys, but not particularly nice for living space, so many units have a roll out carpet or rug (or you can add your own) to make the space more fit for human occupancy. Once the toys are unloaded, the "garage" often doubles as a living room in camp. There are a few motorhomes designed with a "garage" to haul your toys, but they are not as common as trailers. You will usually have more living space, comfort, convenience, and luxury with a regular motorhome and a toy hauler or other utility trailer for your toys.
                        

I owned two of the earliest toy haulers. They were called Smugglers and were built by Journeyman in the 1970s. They had a very unique design. Instead of the large fold down ramp doors common on today's units, they had vertical "barn doors" on the back. Instead of having a separate "garage" in back the bikes were carried in the main living area. An interesting feature not found in modern units was that the carpeted floor opened up on hinges to expose rails for the dirt bikes -- and to protect the cabinets from the foot pegs. These were very compact trailers, with most of the features of an ordinary travel trailer of comparable size. The designers were very inventive. In addition to the hidden rails inside, the rear bumper was a 4" steel channel that could be flipped over to provide room to carry one more bike on the back of the trailer.   I found room to add another channel on the tongue for one more bike.  When the bikes were out, the interior was quite spacious, with easy access to cabinets, closets, stove, oven, sink, seating, beds, and ice box. In camp the Smuggler made a comfortable bedroom for 2 or 3 of our boys, relieving some of the congestion in the motorhome in addition to hauling the bikes and providing space to organize, transport, and store gear, tools, and spare parts.

Toy haulers have many advantages for those of us who enjoy OHV activities. You have a place to transport your toys combined with a comfortable living space for you and your family. Most have large rear door that doubles as a loading ramp.  You can usually put stabilizing jacks  under the out side corners to hold the ramp level if you want to use it as a deck.  They also give you a place to organize and store your riding gear, tools, supplies, and spare parts. Some folks even use them as a permanent garage to store their OHVs and gear at home. If you do more than an occasional OHV outing you will quickly come to appreciate the advantages of a well-equipped and well-organized toy hauler. Come to think about it, a well-organized toy-hauler may be even more of an asset if your trips are infrequent but it may be harder to justify the cost.

Most toy haulers include basic living space like you'd find in any RV: beds, bathroom, galley, living room. Most will include a furnace and hot water heater. Microwaves and roof air conditioners are popular options on models equipped with generators. Some of the more expensive models include elaborate home theater systems and outdoor entertainment centers. You can get just about anything you want if you have the budget.

Some optional features to look for include AC generators, microwaves, rear or side awnings, and fuel tanks to carry fuel for your OHVs. Fuel tank options sometimes include an electric pump feeding a small nozzle similar to the one you're used to seeing in gas stations.  A lower tech version has the fuel tank mounted up high and uses gravity to transfer fuel to your OHVs.  Some of the latest units even have railings to turn the rear cargo door into a raised patio "playpen" where the little ones can safely play and still enjoy the great outdoors, further demonstrating how family-oriented the RV and OHV lifestyle can be. There are many ways to organize your tools, gear, spare parts, etc. You will find dozens of options if you look under "race trailer accessories" on ebay and other web sites. Some of these gadgets can be pricey. I found it quite fun as well as cost effective, designing and building my own organizers, sometimes based on commercial offerings and sometimes of my own design based on needs and space available. They say "necessity is the mother of invention" and your storage needs will surely lead you to invent your own unique solutions.  Good organization is a vital key to making your toy hauler usable.  You want the tools, parts, gear, and other items you use frequently to be easily accessible yet stowed securely so they stay put on rough roads.

Keep in mind that hauling your toys in the trailer adds significant weight, so make sure your tow vehicle is up to the task. Check the hitch weight of the loaded trailer and the tow vehicle as well as the total Combined Vehicle Weight Rating of the tow vehicle to be sure you are within safe limits. Towing too big a trailer with too small a tow vehicle can have disastrous results. At the least, you will put extra stress on the vehicle drive train, leading to premature failure of critical components such as brakes, tires, transmissions, and engines. Not having a tow vehicle of sufficient size can lead to unsafe conditions. My son was towing a 27' toy hauler with a half-ton pickup truck when cross winds flipped the whole shebang over onto the left side. Both were totaled. The trailer was reduced to nothing but a lower frame, running gear, the ramp door, and a huge pile of rubble. He was an adult at the time and had a lot of experience towing trailers, so it was not a novice driver error but rather a simple matter of physics and being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong vehicle combination. One of the most dangerous situations is created by towing a trailer too heavy for the tow vehicle, especially if there are no trailer brakes. The trailer soon becomes the "tail wagging the dog", causing the driver to loose control. Or, the trailer adds more weight than the vehicle brakes can stand and either the trailer pushes the vehicle into an accident or causes the vehicle brakes to overheat and become useless!  Toy haulers should have their own brakes, either electric brakes engaged by a controller in the tow vehicle or a "surge brake", which is activated by a hydraulic cylinder on the hitch.

Toy haulers give you the chance to get really well organized. I currently have a custom-built enclosed motorcycle trailer. While it lacks the full living quarters of a toy hauler, I did add a water tank and sink so I can fill Camelbaks without having to drag them into my RV and can wash up after a ride or working on the bikes without tracking dirt, mud, or grease into my motorhome. Mine has a workbench all the way across the front, with cabinets overhead and a large tool box underneath. I added shelves for helmets and other gear and rods to hang riding pants, jerseys, and jackets along the sides. I have a special rack to hang my tie downs and keep them untangled and readily accessible when they're not in use. I built custom racks to hold my gas cans just inside the back door where they're readily accessible. I added some exterior flood lights salvaged from an ambulance for working on the bikes after dark. I have a tube on the tongue where I can mount a flagpole to display my "Desert Rat" flag to help fellow Rats find our camp out in the desert. I mounted a trailer hitch tube vertically on the tongue to mount a tire changing stand. Fixing up and using my trailer has provided many hours of pleasurable and creative activity as well as making our outings more fun by making routine maintenance and repairs more convenient. The enclosed trailer also gives us a place to change in and out of riding gear without cluttering up or dirtying the motorhome or risking boot buckles damaging upholstery or scratching walls. Any dirt and mud that comes back with us from a ride is kept out of the motorhome.

My own enclosed motorcycle trailer is not designed for extra living space.   I have tried to make best use of all the available space to organize our riding gear, tools, spare parts, and other OHV related materials.  I've included a bench grinder and an air compressor.  I added a 120 volt RV air conditioner to cool it down on hot summer desert outings.  I had to add a dedicated, high amperage, outdoor outlet on my motorhome to provide adequate power to run the equipment in the trailer.  My trailer was custom built on a 5500 # axle so it has more carrying capacity that most single-axle utility trailers.  It already had workbench across the front inside when I bought it.  I added a sink and added high shelves along the sides to stow helmets and other riding gear.  I devised a series of  "closet rods" beneath the shelves that run perpendicular to the side of the trailer, allowing clothing to hang flat against the walls instead of extending out into the aisle where the bikes go.  There are 3 or 4 on each side, giving me a total of about 7' of closet rod, nearly as much as if I'd hung a regular rod under the shelves like it would be in a residential closet.  Hanging the clothing flat against the wall maintains the aisle space in the middle for the bikes.  Some other useful additions include a rack for hanging tie downs when they're not in use and a specialized framework on either side just inside the back door to contain several square off-road gas cans securely.  I'd rather not carry the gas cans in an enclosed space, but since it is not living space and I keep the trailer well ventilated, fumes have never been a problem.  And, of course, there is fuel in the gas tanks on the bikes anyway.  Several translucent plastic tubs of the right size to fit snugly on the shelves organize gloves, MX socks, goggles, and other small pieces of gear and equipment.   I built a lip around the shelves to keep things from sliding off in transit.  I use large spring clamps screwed to the shelves or walls to hang my knee braces and boots.  Hanging the boots prevents them sagging over and keeps them from bouncing around on rough roads.

A well designed and equipped toy hauler can provide all the facilities you need for you and your OHV toys. Some of the larger, fancier models, provide all the luxury living space you would want together with space to haul your toys and organize your tools, spare parts, supplies, and riding gear.

Happy hauling!