Toy hauler versus bunkhouse

bearcat77 · 03-10-2018, 07:58 AM

Looking for input from anyone that bought a toy hauler to use as a bunkhouse. We are a tall family and have children that will probably outgrow the standard 72” bunks that you find in bunkhouse floorplans. So we are considering a toy hauler instead, even though we never will have “toys” to haul. It seems like the garage area could be turned into whatever kind of bedroom you want, and have plenty of room for oversized bunks, an entertainment center, and storage. Plus, clean up is easy, and it’s a great place for the (future) dog to stay.

The drawbacks that I think I know of are:
-less insulation in garage
-smaller entertaining space for adults
-no outside kitchen?
-we are limited to 36’ length and 1500lb hitch weight, which leaves few to choose from.

So anybody buy a toy hauler to use strictly as a bunkhouse, and are either happy with or regretting the decision?

Thanks!

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**Midnightmoon** · 03-10-2018, 08:17 AM

My buddy and his family moved to a bumper pull toy hauler 2 years ago after years of various sized bunk houses. Their kids are 14 and 12 at this point and so far they love it. I do believe that they started using the drop down bed and an air mattress on the floor now since their kids no longer want to sleep together.

I haven't heard any regrets from them at this point. Next time I talk to him, all get some more feedback for you.

Bassdogs · 03-10-2018, 08:33 AM

Options Options Options! With a bunkhouse you are pretty much stuck with bunks. A toyhauler opens the door to whatever fits your lifestyle or needs at the moment. As I understand the concept of the toyH, it is a garage for transporting "toys" and then when empty it becomes family area, bedroom, or a place to work on the toys. The point is it is whatever you want it to be and you don't ever have to actually haul toys.

Your $$ your choice. Like your thinking!!

roughing it · 03-10-2018, 08:35 AM

we had a voltage toy hauler with 2 kids and no toys we ended up trading for jayco 377rlbh wanted more living space with toy hauler was very tight in living area garage was wasted space for us just used for sleeping area for kids kind of a pain to clean up every day to make back into table set then set back up to beds

farnik78 · 03-10-2018, 08:57 AM

If you are wanting to keep your current tow vehicle you can’t get a monstrosity 5th wheel toy hauler. So I would look at a bumper pull that doesn’t have a separate garage. The drop down queen bunks in the back are longer than normal queens because they span the full width of the trailer.

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BeachRetreat · 03-10-2018, 10:13 AM

We went from a 375BHFS to a seismic 4114 toy hauler. The sizes don't match what your looking for so I'm not sure the experience translates. I found my wife never used the outdoor kitchen except for the grill. The Seismic has a tailgater grill and mini fridge, so it works as well the outdoor kitchen for us. We found we hated the free standing dinette in the bunk house, so the 4 person couch in the toy hauler is more appropriate. However, we leave the table up in the garage pretty permanently because the kids play on it and the larger overhead bunk. The Seismic layout has bunks in the main living area and one is 86" long. With this design, the kids can have separate spaces when they want {one in the garage and one in the main living area.) With the bed in the garage being a queen, both can have larger beds. Either these floorplans, real living space for each setup is about the same. We don't miss the two extra slides in the bunk house and have no regrets yet.

Mid bunk models sacrifice some separate kid space for a family living room. The best for you depends on lifestyle. We don't spend a lot of time in the"living room" of our trailer. The kids spend their time in their space, and the wife and I spend our time in the smaller living room. However, if it's not dark or raining, we're outside.

Again, we're 45' long. As you get into shorter toy haulers, the dynamic changes. Also, we lost a lot of outside storage with the toy hauler and I do miss it. That should be a serious consideration.

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BeachRetreat · 03-10-2018, 10:18 AM

Oh, I forgot about insulation. There are toy haulers out there that advertise full insulation in the garage. I haven't seen any issue with that being a problem on ours (and we spend at least a few nights a year in below freezing temperatures). However, on ours there's only one heat duct for the large space. We have to use electric heat to keep it warm. Not a big deal, but something to consider. We did the same in the bunk house also.

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Atlee · 03-11-2018, 05:41 AM

If I were 10 or so years younger, (currently 70), I may have gotten a smaller toy hauler instead of my 23RB I got last year.

I think a toy hauler would have been nice for the type of RVing we mostly do, which is tailgating all football season. With the ramp down, would have made a great place for entertaining.

JohnWedell · 03-11-2018, 06:50 AM

That is exactly the idea me and my wife are having. Due to her medical condition we are unable to sleep together and we are seriously considering the outback 324CG. We need to take a small golf cart with us and that would fit perfectly in the front of this unit. After the golf cart is taken out at the campground I can convert that area to a nice bedroom. seems like an ideal solution, time will tell.

hboy · 03-11-2018, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bearcat77

So anybody buy a toy hauler to use strictly as a bunkhouse, and are either happy with or regretting the decision?

We chose a toyhauler over a bunkhouse mostly for this reason. The bunkhouse beds seemed ok for smaller kids, but smaller than what we thought our kids would comfortably fit in as they grew.

We have no toys and use the garage as a bedroom.

Garage has an a/c unit and keeps it cold in the summer. It has heat strips that blow warm air too, but when the weather is cold I use an electric heater or small gas heater in the garage as our garage has no furnace vents.

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kampfirekid · 03-16-2018, 10:03 PM

This is our plan, too. Both my kids outgrew any bunk years ago. I like the Jayco flip couches on the bottom for a bed, and the bed on top that travels to the ceiling. We rarely sit inside unless it's raining, but need extra sleeping space. If our kids are in college in a couple years, our friends will go. Bunks just aren't for adults, or couples... comfortably. We thought about a smaller trailer for just mom and pop, but realize camping alone gets boring. If our kids don't go, we'll bring friends. Maybe after we retire, a golf cart will find its way in the back, too. Since I sold the F150 and went back to a Superduty, I'm set for whatever I'd like.

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curver900 · 03-19-2018, 03:01 PM

toy hauler all the way ... you can put in your bikes, cooler, whatever.. you have a screen door put down the ramp and you have a view out the back that can't be beat provided it isn't the neighbors .... The queen beds hold 4 2 on each if needed or one for each plus the knife or 2 sofas... or just use sleeping bags if extra kids along... like a tent..

I would be hard pressed to go with a bunk house after this... not enough space.. maybe a bit more work to set up tables and such but worth every minute...

Good luck with your decision...

kampfirekid · 04-04-2018, 11:08 AM

My biggest concerns are tongue weights for bumper pull types (fivers are just too large and expensive), and paying for all the fueling stuff we'll never use. It seems all TH's have it.
I do like the ability to actually mod the back of the trailer if I want for a more home-like feel, instead of a garage feel.

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LabMan · 04-04-2018, 11:45 AM

Tongue weight will definitely be a problem. Our T29 Octane is right at 1,900 -2,100 lbs depending on how we load. With 2 - 900lb motorcycles, a full fresh water tank (103 gal), and the generator gas tank full (18 gal), the tongue weight runs ~ 1900. Without the bikes loaded, it will push 2100 or more.

kampfirekid · 04-04-2018, 02:46 PM

I'm thinking Octane Superlite, if anything. If it's truly going to be that heavy on the ball, I'm out. I have a 2017 with the high capacity tow package, but I can't handle that much TW with a family of four.

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topshelfredlabel · 05-11-2018, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curver900

toy hauler all the way ... you can put in your bikes, cooler, whatever.. you have a screen door put down the ramp and you have a view out the back that can't be beat provided it isn't the neighbors .... The queen beds hold 4 2 on each if needed or one for each plus the knife or 2 sofas... or just use sleeping bags if extra kids along... like a tent..

I would be hard pressed to go with a bunk house after this... not enough space.. maybe a bit more work to set up tables and such but worth every minute...

Good luck with your decision...

I completely agree - we went with the Octane SL 272. It's 3' longer than the 273, but it feels bigger than that. It's 1,050 on the tongue, 7k overall, dry. LOTS of room for us, any company and even the dogs in the rear with the bunk up and couches out. We went w this model bc we travel a lot with our dogs/horses/toys and the open floor plan suits us and is super easy to keep clean. With the ramp and screen down, I crash on the happy jack queen bunk (its the width of a queen, but 8.5' long!) more often then not in mild weather. We really love this model.

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