So Iam in the market for my first toyhauler and looking for advice on which models to look at and stay away from. First its being towed by my 2005 Chevy 1/2 1500 5.3 so it cant be too big. I need to fit a golf cart, blaster. banshee, dirt bike and the lil 70! ha hope i can fit all these looking for a 2004 or newer model tryin to stay under 14k or so..
Thanks guys

With a tow-behind you can put one of the quads in the back of the truck, maybe even the 70 also

I purchased my 29ft 3 years ago for 9K. It's a 2001 though. You have to decide how nice you want it to be or kid friendly? Our kids are 13 and 14, as soon as they are in college then I can get a nicer toyhauler.

Yea one quad will fit in back of my truck it's a crew cab wit very small bed tho... It don't have to be nothing to pricey or that nice I have no kids just my gf and bro maybe a friend or 2 to sleep in it.

Kind of hard to point in any one direction. A visit to an rv dealer with some demo models for you to see would be a good start. That way, you can compare and get an idea what sizes and towing rates will fall within what would be considered safe for your truck. Loaded weight to include water, food,ATV's, and all the rest of the stuff you pack needs to be a consideration as well.

It's a good time to buy, I would buy a used unit that is in good condition, preferably one that is self contained with a generator and A/C. Caution, be sure to inspect the frame front to rear, looking for cracks etc. Be sure to see everything works. Take a friend that already has one and can help with the inspection. There is some nice units out there reasonably priced 10,000 or less. (3-6 years old). Some people are selling things these days that they wouldn't have considered 2 years ago with the economy in the tank.

Some or many people have had problems with various models from weekend warrior, but they can chime in on their own opinions with that. I have a 32' 5th wheel by forest river, and I am pretty happy with that brand. Be sure with your decisions, and get the best you can for the money. Don't rush on something that seems too good to be true. Good luck.

Yea iam looking at used very good deals out there Thanks

You will be very limited in what you get pulling it with a 1500

Weekend warrior fk2100 from what I remember has one of the bigger cargo areas for the size,13 feet to first cabinet.You go any bigger your truck is gonna have a difficult time.

Look for a WW Superlite.

i am planning on leaving it in Yuma during dune season so the drive to dunes won't be too far.. are the weekend warriors lite pretty good no frame problems?

I believe the larger, heavier models had the frame issues and the FS series. Didnt hear anything on the FK. Fk model is really nice and your truck will pull it without a problem.

Make sure you really want to keep that truck.

We bought the largest trailer our Expediton could pull...decided to replace the Expedition with a diesel truck, and are now kicking ourseleves because we could have gotten a much larger trailer.

i would hate to see you make the same mistake we did.

damn that sucks... My truck is paid off within the next 3 months and not looking for any new truck payments anytime soon

I have gone down this road and I will tell you from the heart....get a 2500 to pull with and get the most you can for a trailer. I have owned the FK1900 superlite and towed it with the 1/2 ton...........its struggles!!!!!

You will have sooooo many more options with a 2500....

OR

Get a nice cargo trailer with a good bathroom / microwave and throw in an ac and 2 gauchos......... That is Light / Inexpensive and works AWESOME in the dunes without all the fu fu stuff that falls apart in the superlite.

You will then have more cargo room and can pull it with a half ton!!

I think it depends a lot on your towing capacity. I had a 2004 Silverado 1500 that was only rated to tow 7,600. I would never have towed any kind of toy hauler with it. Just bought a 2010 1500 a year ago that's rated to tow 10,000 and we are towing a 23' Gearbox with it no problem.

Would I have liked to get a 2500 series truck? Yes, of course, but spending $35k wasn't in our budget, and I picked up this 2010 1500 for $23,000. For us, it was a money thing. Also with only my wife, daughter, and me, I knew a 23' would be plenty of room.

I will reiterate what someone said about bringing someone with you who knows about toyhaulers. I wish I had done that as there were a couple things I missed because I didn't know what to check for. Fortunately it was nothing serious.

Dump your truck. Take that money and buy that Ford F250 c/c on here for 8k and then you can get a bigger trailer to haul the sand rail that you will eventually be buying.

Just finished payng off a truck, and then a car in two months, thats understandable. Maybe a 3/4 basic used work truck thats under $5 k? Especially if it's prime use is seasonal for the desert etc. Like many have said, the 1/2 ton is gonna have it's limitations and whatcha tow. Like most of us, we ended up gathering alot of extra" might need stuff", and before ya know it, your pretty heavy. Consider a quality tow hitch with stabilizers too.

i suggest you buy my 2004 rampage 21fter for 9500$

Buy a POS cheap and beat the living buh-jeez-us out of it. No need to drop 30-40 grand on a trailer.

Get a super light if you are going to keep your truck. Don't fill with water and fuel until your close, get air bags and weight dist hitch.

Also think about renting a trailer and testing out your truck. Load all your stuff and head to the mountains so you can hit some minor grades.

My first toyhauler was a 2004 fleetwood gearbox 21 ft. I towed it with a 2003 sierra 4x4 with a 5.3 and 4 speed. It lasted about 4 trips and sold them both. Now I have a duramax. It's not that the lack of power that will piss you off as much as the gas bill. Also if you are anal about your stuff and don't like to beat the heck out of your truck then look at another option. It will be reving all the time unless you are on flat ground and you truck will search for the right gear. I am only speaking from exp. not trying to tell you not to do it.

I have a buddy with a Nissan Titian and a fs23 superlight and he goes everywhere with it. So it just depends on how you feel about beating on your truck. I will also add that he spent less on his truck and trailer then I spent on just my truck.

Good luck and don't let a RV dealer tell you how much you can tow, because 80% of them just want to sell you a trailer.

Experience will let you know what you want and what you can live with.

Go big, if you feel it is the correct size it is to small, If the truck tows it easy, it is to small.

Make sure you weigh the trailer all loaded up.
You may find, like many of us who have weighed our junk, that it weighs a LOT more than what you think it weighs.

Some of the Superlites have had frame problems.

IDK who was in charge of design, but they cut big slots in the frame to lighten weight, which weakened it. At the same time, they used particle board on the cabinet doors, which is ridiculously heavy. The right way to do it would be to use a thinner walled rectangular frame vice C channel with slots cut out, then use thin veneer doors on the cabinets and other weight savings on the interior and exterior, but never weaken the frame.

You will be kinda limited to a 25' or 26' or smaller trailer, aluminum sided, no gelcoat. Some prefer a front bath layout (I do) because it gives you more toy floor space, but some prefer a front sleeper layout which they feel gives them more privacy.

But take a close look at the layout of the bathroom in relation to the front bed. In most of them, if someone's taking a dump, she/he's only about a foot away from your head if you're in bed. That's not really private in my opinion.





Don't forget to have them throw in weight distribution bars, an anti-sway bar and airbags for the truck.

HEY HEY HEY, thats MY truck. Ha, I wish. If I were in the states thats exactly the truck I would buy, Looks like a great deal!!

Searching Craigslist, I havent found much difference in the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton prices. Pay off the truck, and use the money to buy a 3/4 ton. I initially thought about a 1/2 ton but then like others have said, you are limited now, and in the future. Get a bigger truck and be done with it. IMO.

I would steer clear of the super lite! They are JUNK! Axles, springs, and frames are crap.

Some TOP advice up in heya!!

If you think your going to be doing this sport for awhile. I definitely would go big this might mean new truck. Believe me it will be cheaper in the long run. I'm already on my third truck and second trailer only because I outgrew the last. Save yourself time and a lot of money and go BIG!

My best advice is save your money right now, the deals are only gunna' get better. If the ol' demands quality accommodations then pull the trigger, lol.

The biggest problem for my 4.7 Ram 1500 was how tall the trailer was. It was a huge parachute and it sucked tryin to pull over 65mph. I would look for the shortest trailer you can and still fit your toys if I was in the market again. Like stated before I hated havin the truck reved out all the time so I sold it before it gave up the ghost on me and went to a Cummins. I bought the trailer to match my gas truck and passed on a genny because of the extra wieght and wish I didn't... I would make sure it has a genny and makes sure to check the frame. The other thing I never even thought about till camping was counter top space lol never seems to be enough for all the crap the wife and kids bring. Good luck and enjoy the trailer once you get it!

Anyone seenthese in person Forest River Work and Play 18LT? 18ft with 13ft of cargo

As for the 1500 5.3, it's what I have. If the transmission hasn't been rebuilt it soon will. be gentle to the 4L60E trans. the motor can do it slowly, Definately invest in air bags and a brake controller! I have those two Items in my truck and make it very nice. run 91 octane when towing. Dont waste money on intake system unless your going to add boost. I found that it hurt my mileage. Make sure your tires are rated for the weight. don't need a bubble or blow out. towing mirror add ons are a must!
like everyone else said, wait to fill your trailer's fluids. look at what run's your generator and its power range. some are propane other's gas. an a/c usually takes up all the juice. so no microwave blow dryer a/c all at once. Keep it simple and within your budget range. change the lights inside to LED, wont wear on the batteries as much. keep a 5 gallon bucket of water filled inside while stored. the heat will dry everything out. sucks having vents missing when it rains because the wind blew them apart to or from vacation. there are lots of luxuries added but remember your camping not staying at 5 star hotel, which you have to pick up after. also check into AAA or good sam, sucks being on the side of the road w/o some type of assistance that DOES work with Trailer's.

Ideally, everyone would have a Duramax or Cummins with plenty of towing power and plenty of comfort and all that.

I used to preach that - sell your truck and get a diesel and then you can buy the 40' 5ver that everyone eventually ends up with (or the diesel pusher moho, if you have some kids and the money.) But it seemed as if the advice was falling on deaf ears the last few years, so I quit saying it. I didn't want to seem like I was telling someone what to do, I'm only giving advice based on my experience.

If there's any way to swing it, a diesel truck and a nice 5ver is the way to go. Buying and selling a small trailer, and moving up through several trailers is definitely one way to lose money over time.

But if that's not in the cards, make your truck as durable and as safe as you can. You've gotten a lot of good advice here.

Thanks all for the info its just i really dont want a truck payment at this time maybe its best i just stick to my tent for now i been doing it since high school lol. I just thought a a 21" footer will be ok with my current truck plus i have no kids so i dont really need that much room... As for my truck i do have a brake controller now but no air bags and i would also have take off my heavy a** 20" wheels and tires!!

Depending on your situation, I'd still consider getting a 3/4 ton truck. Your current truck is worth (assuming crew cab, 2WD, and 72k miles) ~$14.5k:

http://www.kbb.com/chevrolet/silverado-150...;condition=good

A 2500 6.0L V8 gasser (8.1L is about the same, if you can find it) with the same options/cab is worth ~$16.5k:

http://www.kbb.com/chevrolet/silverado-250...;condition=good

By the time you go hopping up the truck to make it last and tow reasonably, you could've just bought the 2500.

Of course, if you're daily driving it a bunch of miles, you'll have to consider the 2500 will see mpg in the low teens over a tank, where your truck will see mid to high teens.

If you keep your 1/2 ton, I'd try to go with something like a Carson front bath or corner kitchen model. These will give you the most amount of loading space, and the lack of options will keep the weight down. You can also find them everywhere, and even a brand new one would be under your budget. They also are generally very reliable. If you're just using it for Glamis in the cooler months, I'd just get one of the many $600 2-3kw inverter generators available and save yourself the weight and cost of a built-in model. The inverter will be quieter, and you can put it in the bed of your truck to isolate noise and vibration in the trailer.

Also, make sure to upgrade the trans cooler on your 1/2 ton, and look into valve body/shift kit (whatever's available for the 4L60) for it, change your fluid every 30k (or sooner if you cook it), get a trans temp gauge, and get it weighed.

Lot of talk on here about engines and tranny and what the truck will pull. A good diesel or v10 will generally pull almost anything without too much trouble. Some airbags or suspension work and a good hitch can usually take care of any ride or sway issues. But that doesn't mean you are within legal tow limits of your truck. If you don't care about that then fine. But if you do care, do your research and you'll be amazed at how much more limited the legal truck tow capacities are than you think. Even if you stay with the GCVWR, The rear axle rating usually gets you. If you can find a TH that can haul all your stuff with a 1/2 ton and be legal I'll be amazed. I have a 30' bumper pull and a 7.3 diesel f250 with airbags. My truck pulls it beautifully. I can go 60mph up Cajon pass and have no sway problems. But I've weighed my rig fully loaded and I'm way overweight (like 3500lbs worth). I regret not buying a bigger truck to start with but I can't afford to upgrade now. I just drive like an old woman cause I'm terrified of the liability if I get in a wreck. In my opinion, probably 1/3 to 1/2 the rigs you'll see out at Glamis are exceeding legal tow capacities.

By the way, If you do all your riding at glamis, have you considered buying some cheap POS travel trailer or moho and leaving it at Glamis storage? Then you could bring your toys down on a flatbed. Only way I can see you being legal with a 1500.

Good luck, hope you find something that works for you.

Brother in law (RolltheZee) tows an FK21 with an 03 1500 Sierra 2wd no problem. He gets a Rhino and a quad inside and some wood in the bed. No mods to the truck whatsoever. I've driven the setup myself from San Bernardino to Glamis and it tows just fine. He can go over Cajon pass loaded like that at 55 mph without water or gas in the hauler. He has never complained once about how it tows, high winds spook him but that's typical for bumper pull. I'm pretty sure he has 3.73 gears, you might want to check yours. If you have 3.42's the truck will shift back and forth between 2nd and 3rd most likely.

I have a 21 foot Carson That I load a Teryx, DS650 and a 70, Will be for sale soon for a good price.

As long as you're under something crazy like 30k per axle, are properly licensed for the weight you're hauling, and properly registered, you're legal, according to the CVC.

Those numbers are the factory guidelines and ratings, and are in no way legally binding.

As for the liability, if you kill someone towing your 15klb toy hauler with a Chevy Luv, or kill them towing a pop-up with your Kenworth, you're still liable because you killed them, not because you were overweight.