Large Families, are you purchasing toy haulers to sleep everyone comfortably?

[Melissa24]

We are a family of 5 with two large breed dogs. We have been looking for four years for our next travel trailer and we aren't having much luck in meeting our families needs. We use our rv all year round and travel long distances (thousands of miles each year). Our youngest even calls our rv, camper home.

So for those of you with large families:

Are you purchasing toy haulers to accommodate a bed for all family members?

I'm looking for others with more than 5 family members and how you find the perfect rv.

We do not want a fifth wheel for a ton of reasons. In looking for permanent beds, loads of storage and a large kitchen, we are looking into three travel trailers (the Wilderness 3250BS, the North Trail 33BKSS and 33TBUD). While they look great on paper, each family member has an issue with all three. We can't even seem to find which brand is better than the other.

I just wish I knew who to talk to about designing floor plans needed for larger families! We really do not want to settle but seeing as our oldest is over five foot tall, a single 23" wide bunk isn't going to cut it this summer.

Thank you in advance for your input!

 

[jimtoo]

HI Melissa24,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I'm sure you will get some answers soon from our other Heartland family who rv with children and pets.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

 

[whp4262]

We are down to 2 kids left at home so we don't need the sleeping space. We use the garage for the motorcycle or ATVs, suite cases and other toys. But we do have the 2 queens beds that retract up to the ceiling if we need them and it definitely increases the sleeping space. Something you might want to look at if you are considering a toy hauler is how well the garage is heated and cooled. Mine only has one A/C duct and no heat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[szewczyk_john]

I see that you are not interested in a fifth wheel. If that is the bottom line then you do not have to read any further. We bought our road warrior 305 fifth wheel for a number of reasons. Mostly to take my cycle with us, but we also found out how great this unit worked with both our 2 teenagers and our 2 boxers. Our garage is used as a dining room on trips and we convert it to two queen bunk beds for sleeping with the happy jack bed system. When not in use they tuck up near the ceiling leaving the entire floor space. this allowed us to travel with the boxers in their crates. This trailer was the best thing that we did in a lot of ways. Now one son is off in the military and we have room to spare, now we are up to 3 boxers. 2 are just pups and they will be going on their first camping trip in 4 weeks.

 

[EandJ]

We have the same problem. But probably worse. Six kids + 1 dog. (luckily she is only 14 lbs - the dog, that is)

Our North Trail is packed. And we hate the living room sleeping arrangements - either take apart the dinette set daily, or use the blow up mattress which pretty much blocks the entire living room (there is about 6 inches of space to squeeze by to the bathroom).

I've looked at all of Heartland's travel trailers. There are a couple with the possibility of getting six kids in the bunk room, but the other problem we are hoping to rectify with our next trailer is the short queen bed. Being 6'4" - it just ain't comfortable. And I can't fix both problems with any of Heartlands TT's. I am looking at the Torque 290 - it has the double queen beds in back. I need to actually go see one in order to see if there is enough room in the garage between the queen beds and the front to put a lightweight set of bunks from Ikea. But then I read on the web site where you can't get a second air conditioner in the garage - the Torque travel trailers can't be wired for 50 amp service.

 

[Silverado23]

We have a 2010 North Trail 31BDSS Regularly sleep 5. 2 Adults and 3 kids. All have their own space.

We are looking at upgrading to a fifth-wheel sometime down the road. Currently, The Sundance 3400QB and 3600QB are the best consideration for adding space.

EandJ: Have you looked at the Sundance 3400QB or 3600QB? The Sundance rep I talked to a few weeks ago indicated that a King bed is either standard or available as a queen in these two models. The 3600 has an option for a sofa hide-a-bed in one of the rear slides.

The other options that was pointed out to me is the Gateway 3650. It has a full bath and and the rear bunk area was configured similar to the Sundance 3600QB.
http://www.heartlandrvs.com/index.p...W&i=GW+3650+BH&view=floorplans&fcmd=showfplan

The Elkridge 38RSRT is a large bunkhouse that has two full baths and a king bed.
The Elkridge 37 Ultimate has a king bed. The layout was as if you crossed the Sundance 3400 and 3600 floorplans.

 

[EandJ]

We have a 2010 North Trail 31BDSS Regularly sleep 5. 2 Adults and 3 kids. All have their own space.

We are looking at upgrading to a fifth-wheel sometime down the road. Currently, The Sundance 3400QB and 3600QB are the best consideration for adding space.

EandJ: Have you looked at the Sundance 3400QB or 3600QB? The Sundance rep I talked to a few weeks ago indicated that a King bed is either standard or available as a queen in these two models. The 3600 has an option for a sofa hide-a-bed in one of the rear slides.

The other options that was pointed out to me is the Gateway 3650. It has a full bath and and the rear bunk area was configured similar to the Sundance 3600QB.
http://www.heartlandrvs.com/index.p...W&i=GW+3650+BH&view=floorplans&fcmd=showfplan

The Elkridge 38RSRT is a large bunkhouse that has two full baths and a king bed.
The Elkridge 37 Ultimate has a king bed. The layout was as if you crossed the Sundance 3400 and 3600 floorplans.

Yeah, I have looked/lusted at them. And the bigger Cyclones also. But the problem is I believe all of them are fifth wheels. And with eight people, can't have one of those - pretty much limited to towing a travel trailer with our Excursion. It's a sad fact, that when you have a big family, you have to go with a smaller trailer due to towing capability than somebody with a smaller family does. I also have a crew cab F350, but I'm pretty sure the law frowns on kids riding in the bed.

 

[recumbent615]

I too have a Toy Hauler and appreicate the extra two queen beds in the garage for my two married children who can now join me without having to sleep in tents. Take a look at the Torque TQ 290 it is listed as sleeping for 7. I assume that is 2 in each bed and one on the couch... here is the floor plan.




and the garage bed setup



and more information on this floor plan is http://heartlandrvs.com/index.php?p...90&view=floorplans&fcmd=showfplan#showgallery

Good Luck in your search - Kevin

 

[DW_Gray]

Yeah, I have looked/lusted at them. And the bigger Cyclones also. But the problem is I believe all of them are fifth wheels. And with eight people, can't have one of those - pretty much limited to towing a travel trailer with our Excursion. It's a sad fact, that when you have a big family, you have to go with a smaller trailer due to towing capability than somebody with a smaller family does. I also have a crew cab F350, but I'm pretty sure the law frowns on kids riding in the bed.

Tell me more details about the Excursion. I have an idea, maybe.

 

[alex00]

We are a family of 5 with two large breed dogs. We have been looking for four years for our next travel trailer and we aren't having much luck in meeting our families needs. We use our rv all year round and travel long distances (thousands of miles each year). Our youngest even calls our rv, camper home.

So for those of you with large families:

Are you purchasing toy haulers to accommodate a bed for all family members?

I'm looking for others with more than 5 family members and how you find the perfect rv.

We do not want a fifth wheel for a ton of reasons. In looking for permanent beds, loads of storage and a large kitchen, we are looking into three travel trailers (the Wilderness 3250BS, the North Trail 33BKSS and 33TBUD). While they look great on paper, each family member has an issue with all three. We can't even seem to find which brand is better than the other.

I just wish I knew who to talk to about designing floor plans needed for larger families! We really do not want to settle but seeing as our oldest is over five foot tall, a single 23" wide bunk isn't going to cut it this summer.

Thank you in advance for your input!

We are looking at the Toyhauler as a glorified bunk house. We traded from a true bunkhouse fiver to the Cyclone 4000. The garage is so well appointed as a bedroom, that it blew our old bunkhouse out of the water. We have a few toys to take along, but we don't plan to use the garage to haul quads and bikes very often. I know you are looking at places for five people to sleep. The Toyhaulers have at least two queen beds, with some models having 4 queen beds in the garage. If the kids are willing to share a queen bed, you can stuff a bunch of kids in the garage. If they each need their own, the 4 bed model may be your only choice. I'm partial to fivers, so I never even looked at bumper pull Toyhaulers.

Depending on your budget, look at the Cyclone and Road Warrior floor plans on Heartland's website. If those models are too expensive, the Torque line is less expensive, but offers some really nice features. Having just gone through the shopping process, all avenues led me to Heartland. Customer service and this forum were huge factors I considered.

Good luck. I'd start by narrowing down a type of trailer that interests you, be it bunkhouse or toyhauler. Then find a floor plan you like. Then compare the different manufacturers that offer that floor plan. There are thousands of choices that can seem overwhelming. But once you eliminate floor plans that won't work for you, it really thins the results down to manageable levels.

 

[TXTiger]

Looks like you have more of a traveling problem getting eight people into an F-350 Crew Cab. A toy hauler has enough bed room but you would never put kids in the bed or let them ride in the 5er. Maybe a Class A may be better for you? To bad Heartland doesn't make one!!

 

[alex00]

Looks like you have more of a traveling problem getting eight people into an F-350 Crew Cab. A toy hauler has enough bed room but you would never put kids in the bed or let them ride in the 5er. Maybe a Class A may be better for you? To bad Heartland doesn't make one!!

Problem solved.

 

[szewczyk_john]

I remember reading about a special dolly that can be used under the king pin that turns a fifth wheel into a towable. I'm not sure that the excursion can handle that kind of weight? but just maybe this type of option would work for the original poster. Does anyone remember reading about that device?

 

[EandJ]

Problem solved.

View attachment 28680

Yep. But another problem pops up. $$$$$

 

[EandJ]

I remember reading about a special dolly that can be used under the king pin that turns a fifth wheel into a towable. I'm not sure that the excursion can handle that kind of weight? but just maybe this type of option would work for the original poster. Does anyone remember reading about that device?

The Safety Hitch. I like the idea, but my mind is still nowhere near made up enough about it to experiment with a $10-12,000 piece of equipment. I'd like to see it used a lot and get other peoples results before I spend that kind of money.

I talked to the owner of the business last year and I have to say, it was like talking to the used car lot owners that I used to work with years ago. Instead of directly answering my questions about the hitch's capabilities, he asked what I presently had. Told him I used a Pro-Pride hitch on a 35' travel trailer. He proceeded to tell me how I wasted my money purchasing that hitch and I was putting my family in danger by towing a travel trailer. Told me that without buying the safety hitch, odds were my trailer was going to blow over while going down the highway.

Needless to say, I was less interested with the safety hitch after I talked to him than before. And I never did get any of the documentation he promised me outlining the specs and capabilites of the hitch.

So I've shifted my focus back to trying to find either a non-fiver bunkhouse or toy hauler that fits my need. There are a couple of SOB's out there that do, but I keep hoping that Heartland comes out with a new model that works for me.

 

[recumbent615]

So I've shifted my focus back to trying to find either a non-fiver bunkhouse or toy hauler that fits my need. There are a couple of SOB's out there that do, but I keep hoping that Heartland comes out with a new model that works for me.

Eddie, Did you see my post on the Torque TT ? in post number 8 in this thread? that one can sleep 7 with the two queen sized bunks in the garage.

Kevin

 

[EandJ]

Eddie, Did you see my post on the Torque TT ? in post number 8 in this thread? that one can sleep 7 with the two queen sized bunks in the garage.

Kevin

Missed it the first time. Yeah - that is the one Heartland I have found that meets some of my needs. It has a full-length queen which is one of the requirements. I want to go look at one locally. My thought is buy a lightweight bunk from Ikea and put it in the garage also in front of the double-decker queens. They are about 80 inches x 42 inches wide. Hopefully there is enough room to have them there and still be able to walk around the end of them. That would enable all the kids to be in back.

A couple of concerns with the 290 are the living room couch in the pics - basically only a four-seater due to the massive armrests/cupholders. Hopefully the factory could swap that out with something that would hold more kids. And according to the specs on the web site - can't get the 50-amp option on the TT, so you can't get a second A/C unit. That is definately needed for camping here in the summer. The single unit we have not does not cut it.

OPTIONS

• Ivory Wood Decor
• 3500 Watt Portable Gen
• Rear Electric Queen Bed w/ Convertible Sofa
• 32” LCD Flat Screen TV
• Vinyl Rear Screen
• Fuel Station w/ Gen Prep (30gal)
• 4000 Watt Onan Built in Generator
• (Requires Gen Prep w/ Fuel Stat)
• 50 Amp Service (FW only)
• Second A/C (Requires 50 Amp Service)
• 5.5Watt Oman Generator (Requires 50 amp Service) (FW only)
• Fantastic Fan w/ Rain Sensor (Kitchen)

32˝ Bedroom TV

 

[recumbent615]

Missed it the first time. Yeah - that is the one Heartland I have found that meets some of my needs. It has a full-length queen which is one of the requirements. I want to go look at one locally. My thought is buy a lightweight bunk from Ikea and put it in the garage also in front of the double-decker queens. They are about 80 inches x 42 inches wide. Hopefully there is enough room to have them there and still be able to walk around the end of them. That would enable all the kids to be in back.

A couple of concerns with the 290 are the living room couch in the pics - basically only a four-seater due to the massive armrests/cupholders. Hopefully the factory could swap that out with something that would hold more kids. And according to the specs on the web site - can't get the 50-amp option on the TT, so you can't get a second A/C unit. That is definately needed for camping here in the summer. The single unit we have not does not cut it.

OPTIONS

• Ivory Wood Decor
• 3500 Watt Portable Gen
• Rear Electric Queen Bed w/ Convertible Sofa
• 32” LCD Flat Screen TV
• Vinyl Rear Screen
• Fuel Station w/ Gen Prep (30gal)
• 4000 Watt Onan Built in Generator
• (Requires Gen Prep w/ Fuel Stat)
• 50 Amp Service (FW only)
• Second A/C (Requires 50 Amp Service)
• 5.5Watt Oman Generator (Requires 50 amp Service) (FW only)
• Fantastic Fan w/ Rain Sensor (Kitchen)

32˝ Bedroom TV

Eddie,

I hear what you are saying. I am fairly sure that the seating can be swapped out by the factory and I would even go as far as to think that they could even do 50A as an option. I would reach out to Heartland and ask for AJ - he is the product manager and can talk about what can and can not be done as far as custom configurations on the Torque. AJ is a very helpful guy and was instrumental in answering a ton of questions when I was looking to find my rig.


Kevin

 

[Silverado23]

Eddie,

I hear what you are saying. I am fairly sure that the seating can be swapped out by the factory and I would even go as far as to think that they could even do 50A as an option. I would reach out to Heartland and ask for AJ - he is the product manager and can talk about what can and can not be done as far as custom configurations on the Torque. AJ is a very helpful guy and was instrumental in answering a ton of questions when I was looking to find my rig.


Kevin

It may be useful to point out that the Sundance travel trailers have 50amp service and 2nd AC available as options.

 

[EandJ]

It may be useful to point out that the Sundance travel trailers have 50amp service and 2nd AC available as options.

Only problem is I can't get all the kids in the bunk room. The 290BHS has room for four on the bunks. The 310 BHK I belive has 3 beds in the back - it looks line one bottom bunk is eaten up by the outside kitchen space. We could throw a mattress on the floor - but that is still only 4 in back.

There are actually a lot of Heartland trailers that I could get 4 in back, but my goal is to get all six. And get a full queen for me. I'm not trying to be difficult, but if I am going to drop $30-40k to replace my NorthTrail, it needs to meet my needs. Otherwise we are back to where we are now - crammed in. I just wish with all of Heartland's travel trailer lines, they would use one of them to have some non-standard designs.