Cyclone 3110 vs ?, 5th wheel vs Toy Hauler?

Hi all,

My husband and I were out shopping around- we love to look at the new things. We stumbled across a Cyclone 3110. OMG! We just love it! Tech. it is 2ft shorter than our Big Country. After having a 5th wheel that is nearly 40ft long (I drove it last time, and was pretty scared, but it was my first time.) we are considering something slightly smaller, and we like the idea of having a garage or patio on it. Plus, I have begun running half-marathons, and intend to start running full marathons, as well as getting a bike to try a Triathlon or two. I just think having it will build on our active lifestyles. Thoughts? If you have a 5th wheel and/or toy hauler, what is your preference? I think it would also work out better with our two Boxers, and having guests would also be easier. :angel: Also, I really thought the humongous couch and windows were a huge plus.

Robin

Hi there..I hope I understand you correctly... Lets get some terminology straightened out first. Anything that is towed with a hitch mounted inside the bed of the truck, looking like a smaller version of the 18 wheelers out there, is a fifth wheel regardless of layout. It's an old, old term that comes from the day that commercial trailers had 4 wheels, and the fifth one was the hitch..... If you want to get purely technical on today's big commercial trailers it should be a ninth wheel, or on my three axle Cyclone it should be a 7th wheel. But I digress. The point is that the hitch determines what you call it, again, regardless of layout.

An RV with a garage and a loading ramp in the back is generally called a Toy Hauler. This can be a fifth wheel (like our Cyclones) or it can be a class C motorhome, or even (but rarely) a class A.

Now, to your question: With the fit and finish these days the "garages" as so multi functional that it can be a living room, bedroom, garage, office workshop..... and I would not have an RV without it.

Hi Robin,

The toy haulers have a lot of versatility. When considering one, aside from the garage space, make sure you pick a model that has the right amount of living room / kitchen space. The smaller 2 axle toy haulers (cyclone, road warrior or torque models) tend to have cramped living space. If I did it again, I would move up to a bigger model (tripple axle).

Robin,
We have the Cyclone 3100. We liked the 3110 and the 3010, then Heartland released the 3100. Best of both for our needs.
It is just my wife and I in the "living space" and 2 Labradors and 2 parrots in the garage. The animals have plenty of room and we don't have to clean up the dog hair from the living area!
We use the ramp as a patio and normally eat our meals out on it while we people watch. It really is a great extension of the living area and will always get people looking and talking to you.
We do not full time, nor do we have people stay with us. We also very rarely stay inside, so the smaller living space is not a problem. I looked hard to find one that met our needs that only had 2 axles. We live on a cul-de-sac and have to make sharp turns every time we take the trailer out and put it away. The 2 axle limits the tire scrub while making these turns. A 3 axle will pivot on the center axle and cause more wear and tear on the front and rear axle tires.
Best of luck finding something that fits your lifestyle.

Here are a few thoughts about our 2014 Cyclone 3110. The loft is not used as much as I thought it would be. I am worried the garage will be too small some day. The wife thinks we should have got the next size up that has a half bath. The garage is great if you have two or more noisy pre-teens. They have a ball back there and it's great for game night. If you have concerns about sliding out to access the bathroom and bedroom then look for other floor plans. There is a large hidden area that we converted to storage next to the drawers in the kitchen island. We swapped out the ceiling fan in the kitchen with a real fantastic fan with remote. Ours didn't come with a tube for the sewer hose so we added it. I raised the spare tire as it hung too low for comfort and am currently research raising the rig two inches to improve clearance between the rear jacks and the road. I am sure all rigs have their ups and downs. I wish it was a little smaller/lighter. When the kids grow up I plan to downsize.

We replaced the BlowMax tires before they blew with Goodyear G614's.

Thank you for the clarification, we are newer to RV'ing. In terms of living space, we would be happy with what the smaller toy haulers have to offer. We currently have a large living space on wheels with the Big Country . Not that I mind, but I just like the idea of having a versatile garage in the back, and potential space for people who tag along once in a while (and the dogs). We do not have any children. We do have two fur children (Boxers), so I guess that is similar (except they don't talk back....well, sometimes they do. ) Any who, thanks for all of the great feedback. And yes, if we went to Triple Axel, and Toy Haulers larger than our stationary house (some seem like they are), then we would get a bigger truck. Still have a while to go before we trade in, but it's something we both fell in love with almost instantaneously (something that rarely happens to both of us at once). I think the trade in is going to happen sooner rather than later.:angel: