Rating Cyclones for Full Time Use?

[TwoGypsies]

We're one of the 5 Cyclones here at the National Rally, surrounded by BigHorns & Landmarks. There are few, if any, differences in materials or construction details between our Cyclone and the units that are rated for full time use. It seems possible that Cyclones could be readily approved for full time use. I don't know of any other toy haulers that are approved for this, so there could be a very good marketing edge to be had.
Maybe there are some physical changes that would need to be made, but I think it's still worth considering. Even buyers with no plans to go full time certainly give weight to 'full time' units in their purchasing decision. Is there any merit in this suggestion?

 

[PUG]

We had a 42 ft Cyclone a couple years back. I found it was a fair season trl that was hard to heat and cool due to less insulation and not being sealed well. The garage took out 12 ft of living area that just made it to cramped even when using the garage as an office, laundry, extra bedroom, addl toilet. We traded for another unit two falls ago that was a documented full time unit. Even after going from 42 to 37 we ended up with an addition seven feet of living area along with a full wall slide. For the toys I pull a small trl behind the 5er. Works lot better. Word of caution. There are a few states that don't allow 2nd trl pulling like Ore, Wash, some NE states. Most states have a 65 ft total length restriction.

 

[GOTTOYS]

What does the term "Approved for full time use" mean in the real world? It only deals with a short one year warranty as far as the manufacturer is concerned. Wouldn't sway me one way or the other...JMHO...Don

 

[alaska dodge]

I know my Cyclone 4100 has the same R-value as the Bighorns and Landmarks. I ordered mine with the yeti package which is what the full timers order on the other units. In my 4100 I have about the same living space as my Bighorn 3370RL and the 4100 has a bigger bath, bedroom and a stackable washer/dryer and a bigger kitchen. Space for space the 4100 has more room. I will be full timing in my Cyclone.

 

[danemayer]

What does the term "Approved for full time use" mean in the real world?

If the design engineers selected lower cost/lower durability materials on an entry price trailer, with an expectation of less than 45 days usage per year (to pick a number out of the air), using it 365 might accelerate wear and tear resulting in unexpected warranty costs that weren't factored into the sale price. One year of full time use might be the equivalent of 8 years of normal use.

So one way a company controls costs, in order to keep prices low, is to write a warranty exclusion for scenarios that would drive high warranty cost.

 

[71stang99]

Doing the full time thing in my Cyclone now. Been in it for almost two months and when I bought the unit an additional AC was put on just to deal with the Vegas heat. I lived full time in a Sandpiper for about 8 months and it held up well and I dont think it was as well built as the cyclone. There is another Cyclone in the park and he has been full timing for quite some time, seems to be doing okay in the unit.

 

[Wharton]

If you want to full time in your trailer go ahead. I have never heard of a trailer being "approved for full time use". It is a trailer and what difference does it make if it is used full time or part time. I know of people who full time in a scamp(the 20' trailers). It is what you can live in, not a class of trailer, that makes a trailer full time.

 

[danemayer]

If you want to full time in your trailer go ahead. I have never heard of a trailer being "approved for full time use".

Here's the relevant language from the warranty page in the trailer manual that came with 2011 models (which I happen to have):

"Any product used as a residence or for a commercial or business purpose, including, not limited to,
rental, charter, or for other fees for service, is excluded from this Limited Warranty." (highlighting added)

I believe the language was updated in 2011 to allow the Landmarks could be used full-time without voiding the warranty.

As I said before, lawyers get paid to write warranties that protect the company. The more important point is that not all trailers are designed to be used full-time as a residence. You may experience more wear and tear than you would expect in a sticks and bricks home.

So no one will stop an owner from living full-time in their trailer. But you shouldn't be surprised if things wear out/break sooner than you'd like. And except for models where the company extends the warranty to cover full-time usage, since the price you paid for the trailer didn't include warranty for full-time usage, you should set your expectations accordingly.

 

[kakampers]

Landmark, Bighorn and Big Country are all warranted for fulltime use...the Landmarks warranty was increased to 2+5 in 2013.

 

[TwoGypsies]

The point of my question wasn't whether I, or anyone should or should not live full time in a unit. There are all kinds of people quite happily living full time in Cyclones and other toy haulers. In fact I'm one of them. Having the second room may not be for everyone, but with the carpet rolled out and multi-channel satellite tv set up we enjoy it every day.
My casual research indicates there are no toy haulers rated for full time use by their manufacturers. Given the Cyclone build quality vs. other Heartland 'full time' products it seems it would be easy for Heartland to gain a marketing advantage. Insulation for the garage might be improved and maybe some other technical changes I know nothing about would need to be done.
Heartland's marketing folks have done pretty well so far; no great need for advice from me. Fwiw, my observation is that toy haulers are RV entry point purchases, even the big expensive rigs. I can't imagine BH or similar rig owners are moving over to toy haulers; it's the other direction. Getting a larger slice of the toy hauler market should bode well for future growth.