Full timing in a Toy Hauler

[grizzlander]

My wife and I are looking at RVing full time in the not too distant future and want to do it in a toy hauler. We like the Cyclone 3950 or the 3850, are these good choices or would you recommend something else? Any tips or advice would be great!!!

 

[jbeletti]

grizzlander,

I am not a toyhauler owner but if I needed one, I really like the the 3850 layout.

In the Cyclone line, our top-of-the-line toyhauler, I'd start by determining what length of garage is needed. Then from there, what floorplan/layouts work best for your lifestyle.

Have fun.

Jim

 

[spankyandbrandysniffer]

We fulltime in our 4012 Cyclone and love it. It's been a year now and we have enough space that we still haven't killed eachother or the three dogs.

 

[JimandSina]

We love our 3950, its very comfortable and the 2nd bathroom has been a great addition, just be sure you have plenty of truck, we pull ours with a 1 ton diesel dually and it does fine, but these rigs are long and heavy.
good luck on your quest, IMHO you can't beat the Cyclone.
Jim

 

[grizzlander]

just be sure you have plenty of truck, we pull ours with a 1 ton diesel dually and it does fine, but these rigs are long and heavy.
good luck on your quest, IMHO you can't beat the Cyclone.
Jim

We have a 2008 F350 diesel dually so I think we have enough truck to pull almost any type of toy hauler.

 

[JimandSina]

Yup, plenty of truck, so pick the one you like, both model you are looking at are terrific, we got our 3950 before the 3850 was introduced, and DW wanted a sliding glass door, so now I may find that we trade in a year our two to satisfy her wishes, best of luck picking.
Jim

 

[truknutt]

grizzlander,

Great timing...yesterday the Today Show had a family of six on the show. They are full-timing for a year in a toyhauler. They started out in a SOB (Wildwood) and ended up in a Cyclone (maybe a 4012).

Check out the these web sites: one is for the Today show clip (LINK)

the other is for the TLC Discovery schedule for their show "Six for the Road" ([URL="http://tlc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=2.15574.125008.37153.x"]LINK[/URL])

 

[kd5dea]

We full timed in our 3912 for almost 10 months and it worked out great! We have 3 kids, 2 slept in the garage on the queen bunks and one slept in the loft above the garage (some of the time, some of the time she just slept on the sofa since she was only 8 at the time). We bought a safety railing for the loft to make sure she didn't fall out (that would be a nice add on to have a built in safety rail on the lofts).

It was a great trailer to live in, but now that we have a house, we want to downsize to a smaller rig for camping (checkout the forsale items or PM me if your interested, but it sounds like you really like the 3950 or 3850).

We also lived 2 sites away from a family of 7 in a 4012. They've traded it in on another Heartland since then (don't know which one), but their are several out there living in them.

Hope you find the trailer that fits you and your family!

Rob

 

[Luckyhat12]

I full time in my toy hauler. I am single so it is just me but I do enjoy it. I have to have my garage so I can carry my motorcycles and tools with me. I just don't think I could do it in a regular 5th wheel with my hobbies.

 

[davelinde]

We are full time in a 3210. The garage is my office and my son's bedroom. My daughter sleeps in the bunk. Other than weight (this rig is a full 2 tons more than our last rig) there are no big downsides.

The garage is not insulated well and does not maintain temperature as well as the rest of the living space. So far that's been OK, but not ideal. Having three separate sleeping areas and a separation between the garage and main living space is helpful. The two doors are helpful.

We chose our floorplan specifically because it suited the way we live in the RV full-time. So far, so good.

 

[harleyriders35]

We are new owners of the 3850. We ordered it last September by only looking at photos on the Heartland website. It just came in and we had a sneak peek inside and we are so happy that we ordered this model. We wanted a model that had a nice bathroom & a nice big kitchen and this model is definitely luxury in my opinion. If we didn't get this model our 2nd choice would have been the 3950.

 

[PUG]

We have had our 3950 for a year now and have been all over Oregon, Idaho, and are currently in Tucson for our second winter. The 3950 is a fair weather trl not being as well insulated for cold weather. It does OK but it takes a little more propane or electricity (we use two small elec heaters) to heat it. In non freezing weather we put one elec htr in the bedroom and shut the door.

I carry two dirtbikes, one streetbike, and a couple of bycycles. When we get to where we are going I unload them and use the garage for storage, a second bedroom, an office, and a laundry room. The w/d combination is good for small loads. The extra half bath is ever so handy.
We really like the 3950 and it suits us well now. When I grow up (61) we will probably go to non garage model for a little more living room.

I pull with a 3/4 ton chev duramax and it does well but a dually would be more stabled and safer in case of a blowout.

We have had very little problems with the trl other than the normal little things that need attention like any other. The factory and purchasing dealer have been good to work with, other dealers, NO.

 

[htneighbors]

Cyclone - full-timing!

I LOVE MY CYCLONE!!!

Dang...been in this thing a full year as of 03-08-09 (3 more days)! Time flies. Piece of cake! Did the winterizing...staying toasty in the Wyoming winter!! I guess I better get it in to a dealer for the warranty work to fix the...uh...well...guess not! No problems! I'll just keep plugging along! Oh, yeah... did I fail to mention...

I LOVE MY CYCLONE!!!

 

[Luckyhat12]

I have been full timing in mine for just over a year. Mine is back at the dealer for some more warranty work I hope but I am borderline on some of that so I guess I will have to pay for some of it.

It is alright. I am still frustrated with the construction. I winterized the bottom more and did some odds and ends but little things are getting me like the trim pieces coming off and I still have another water leak that I can't find. It is under the bottom this time so the dealer is tracking that one down.

I haven't figured out how to keep the floor of the slide out warm yet but after I insulated the underbelly the center floor portion is much warmer.

 

[jbeletti]

I LOVE MY CYCLONE!!!

Dang...been in this thing a full year as of 03-08-09 (3 more days)! Time flies. Piece of cake! Did the winterizing...staying toasty in the Wyoming winter!! I guess I better get it in to a dealer for the warranty work to fix the...uh...well...guess not! No problems! I'll just keep plugging along! Oh, yeah... did I fail to mention...

I LOVE MY CYCLONE!!!

Wow - congrats HT!

Jim

 

[htneighbors]

Wow - congrats HT!

Jim

Thanks! Hard to believe it's been that long, huh? None I can't complain!

I'm "unbelievably blessed"!!

 

[jbeletti]

I'm "unbelievably blessed"!!

Yes you are. Now you need to bless us all with your presence at a Heartland rally in 2009. Somewhere - anywhere! Hope Rene'e and Micah are well. Maybe we'll get to meet Rene'e one day.

Jim

 

[htneighbors]

Yes you are. Now you need to bless us all with your presence at a Heartland rally in 2009. Somewhere - anywhere! Hope Rene'e and Micah are well. Maybe we'll get to meet Rene'e one day.

Jim

Micah graduates in May. Rene'e will be with me shortly afterward. Won't be able to make the Goshen Rally. I'll be in the middle of a project out west of Gillette. Hope to make one somewhere...

BTW - anyone interested in purchasing a stick-n-brick in OKC????

 

[Jewels55]

New Full-timers!

We just moved in to our Cyclone 4012 on June 13th. We're still getting settled into it and figuring out what we need to keep and what needs to go. I will admit that moving from a 2,100 square foot house to a 40' 5th Wheel Trailer is quite an adjustment, but I'm excited about the freedom it will give us. Now we need to win the lottery so we won't have to work.

 

[4x4given]

Did the winterizing...staying toasty in the Wyoming winter!!

HT, please share with us (we're new to this) what you did to "winterize" yours. I ask because at some point my wife and I hope to full time in whichever unit we wind up buying.

TIA!