Got the itch

Dwighop · 12-08-2013, 09:00 AM

I've got the itch to trade the fw for a th. If you has to do it over what have you liked and disliked and just learned to live with. I am coming to the realization that outdoor kitchen will no longer be an option. What else?

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SAD · 12-08-2013, 11:30 AM

I've gone the other direction.... I went from a 5er TH to a traditional 5er.

Our camping trips fit into two categories.... 1) when we take toys and 2) when do NOT take the toys because it's just a "regular" camping trip... Could probably divide the types of trips 50/50.

On our "toy camping trips", our toys are 2 categories: water (2 jet skis) and land (2 ATVs). Roughly split those 50/50 again.

We began to not like the lack of living space - when it's eaten up by the garage.

Using my rough math above, 75% of the time, nothing was in the garage.
Of the times that we take toys, 1/2 of that time was spent pulling tandem. Only 25% of my time was anything in the garage.

I figured we were losing a lot of living space for only using the garage 25% of all trips.

Considering at least 1/2 the time we'd have a toy with us, I thought to myself, why can't I pull tandem more often? Like when we take the ATVs as well?

So we made the jump to traditional 5er.... And just figured if we take the toys, we'd pull tandem regardless of which set of toys we take.

What do I miss about having a 5er TH?? A few things:

1) water capacity. 200 gallons for the TH vs 66 gallons for my current Avalanche
2) on board generator - TH had an Onan 5500 - press a button and vroom.
3) fueling station - was convenient at home for filling not only the toys, but mowers and other equipment as well. 60 gallons in fueling station vs having gas cans in the shop/garage.

What do I prefer about the traditional 5er??

1) living space
2) living space
3) living space

I don't regret making the swap at all.

Dwighop · 12-08-2013, 12:36 PM

Living space was my biggest concern. I haven't seen one unless it was a monster that gave enough of it. Did you end up with something like an Idaho tote?

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SAD · 12-08-2013, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwighop

Living space was my biggest concern. I haven't seen one unless it was a monster that gave enough of it. Did you end up with something like an Idaho tote?

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Just regular trailer for the toys. Don't mind pulling tandem at all.

Dwighop · 12-08-2013, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAD

Just regular trailer for the toys. Don't mind pulling tandem at all.

Don't legally get that luxury in Florida.

Sledge Hammer · 12-08-2013, 06:56 PM

I feel like the garage in my Fuzion 315 converts into a pretty decent living space when the bottom bunk is converted to two opposing couches with a freestanding table in the middle. We use the garage as the dinette and have removed the U shaped lounge in the Kitchen/Living room and have replaced it with a Lazy Boy recliner couch. We are snowbirds and haul a Harley and a Zodiac. Tough to do with a regular 5er.

Sledge Hammer · 12-08-2013, 06:58 PM

I have to add that the ramp play pen with its own awning is a great addition.

SAD · 12-08-2013, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwighop

Don't legally get that luxury in Florida.

You cannot tow tandem in Florida?

Murphsmom · 12-08-2013, 08:40 PM

What's an Idaho tote? I live in Idaho, but never heard that term before.

KanTC · 12-08-2013, 09:09 PM

Murphsmom,

It's a brand of dolly-type trailer used to tow ATV's & etc.
http://www.idahotote.com

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot

antiqfreq · 12-09-2013, 06:59 AM

I only left Florida three years ago for Georgia and in all my camping years I have seen many, many people towing their toys behind their fifth wheels.

So many Northerners come down for the winter and stay 4-5 months and a lot of them tow their boats especially.

So I don't know from legal to non-legal but they definitely do it.

Jo

Hoyt31 · 12-09-2013, 07:16 PM

I have a fusion 390 with the party deck. The problem I saw was spending so much money for a toy hauler with no options and no room. I have tones of room in mine and all the options . My brother in law bought a new 5th . when we go camping we usually hang out at my th. If anthing , make sure it is the right one for you .

crash · 12-10-2013, 05:21 AM

Raptor 384pk has a side party deck and a rear one too

and most of all is the built in generator and being able to haul your motorcycles and golf cart with you,ours has the 14ft garage so we can get 2 harleys and a golf cart in there

.No power at home just go to the camper push a button and enjoy the comforts of home while you watch your nieghbors drag thier generators out and fight with the power cords

rough rider · 12-11-2013, 04:37 PM

We had a bumper pull 33 ft toyhauler with garage seperate from the main living area and loved it. There is nothing like having a dedicated garage for toys and tools. Our hauler was not that big so we got a little creative with the garage once we arrived at our destination. Like most toyhaulers we had a couple of jack knife couches that convert to a bed which is nice for the sake of seperating people when you sleep. Once we were setup we would put a large screen TV in the garage and make it our theater room, black framed TV against the black ramp, nice picture at night. Anyway we liked the idea of having 3 seperate rooms, bedroom, living area and garage worked out nicely and gives you some personal space. Well that being said we had to let the unit go our garage was only 10 feet enough for some folks but not us. We do have a 384 on order that will not be ready until January due to some beta testing Raptor is tolling around with. Anyway we are big fans of toyhauler 5th wheels because they are just plain fun and you can garage your toys without towing 2 trailers. Just ask Crash in the above post they seem to really enjoy their 384 with 2 porches and 14 foot garage and I see why, I hope to join them soon with my own 384, after all we are all harley riders.

abneynormal · 12-11-2013, 06:04 PM

my 3912 is a monster and I love it. of course I'm a full timer. we use it for bike rallys mostly and trips. my dad and I both ride. the garage/ my bedroom holds my 900 Vulcan and his leighman 800 boulevard trike. I ditched the upper bunk and readjusted the bed height to 5'11". the only thing is heat n cooling. we opted for 2 ac units. the back gets a little hot but is livable. if I wanted to I would add a ducted ac unit if it really bothered me. in the winter I use a oil type space heater. personally I cant imagine not having the option to carry a bike, golf cart, four wheeler. Ialso, I have seen units that have a moving wall to open the whole unit up. we complain about the quality of rv trailers but the options are endless with them

BeerCan · 12-12-2013, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antiqfreq

I only left Florida three years ago for Georgia and in all my camping years I have seen many, many people towing their toys behind their fifth wheels.

So many Northerners come down for the winter and stay 4-5 months and a lot of them tow their boats especially.

So I don't know from legal to non-legal but they definitely do it.

Jo

They may do it but it is definitely not legal. State troopers here seem to ignore RV's for the most part but that could change at any moment. Right now the tourism dollars trump the regs.

http://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2011/316.515

antiqfreq · 12-12-2013, 07:45 AM

And that is why it is NOT enforced in Florida those almighty tax dollars !

Having lived here 56 years and I've seen a lot of towing from the north, south, to the
east and west -
and never have I heard of anyone being pulled over
for towing tandem with a fiver.

Maybe it has happened, then again, maybe they were doing 70 !

Jo

C130 · 12-12-2013, 07:49 AM

I think it depends on your family and what you do when you go camping. My kids are 9 and 12 so we load up 4 mountain bikes, grill, outdoor table, etc. My kids sleep in the back and love it. My son and I also ride motocross so use it to haul our dirt bikes also. If you only go camping and no other activities, no kids, then a toy hauler might not be the best use of space. I'd definitely like the extra living space of a regular 5th wheel but we have way too many toys to haul around and it's great to just be able to throw them all in the back. There's no way we could not have a toy hauler for our needs so it just depends on what you want to use it for.

The back patio deck is a huge plus in my opinion and we love ours. We always get tons of compliments on it also. My Fuzion 322TE isn't that big at 35 feet but we use it a lot at local state parks which makes it much easier to maneuver around. I saw one the same length that had 3 slide outs vs. our two which was really nice.

SAD · 12-12-2013, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeerCan

They may do it but it is definitely not legal. State troopers here seem to ignore RV's for the most part but that could change at any moment. Right now the tourism dollars trump the regs.

http://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2011/316.515

I admit that I just scanned that.... And I'm tired.... But what I read indicates that towing tandem is allowed.

Help me out... What am I missing?

BeerCan · 12-13-2013, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAD

I admit that I just scanned that.... And I'm tired.... But what I read indicates that towing tandem is allowed.

Help me out... What am I missing?

this is one of the applicable sections. Basically a truck that has all of it axles attached to one frame, can only pull one trailer and must be less than 65 feet long. There are some exceptions but none of them would apply to us with RV's. There is a section on tandem trailers that makes it look legal but if you read it carefully it applies to big rigs and is pretty restrictive.

Quote:

LENGTH LIMITATION.—<snip> Unless otherwise specifically provided for in this section, a combination of vehicles not qualifying as commercial motor vehicles may consist of no more than two units coupled together; such nonqualifying combination of vehicles may not exceed a total length of 65 feet, inclusive of the load carried thereon, but exclusive of safety and energy conservation devices approved by the department for use on vehicles using public roads. <snip>.

Quote:

Straight trucks.—No straight truck may exceed a length of 40 feet in extreme overall dimension, exclusive of safety and energy conservation devices approved by the department for use on vehicles using public roads. A straight truck may tow no more than one trailer, and such trailer may not exceed a length of 28 feet. However, such trailer limitation does not apply if the overall length of the truck-trailer combination is 65 feet or less, including the load thereon. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, a truck-trailer combination engaged in the transportation of boats, or boat trailers whose design dictates a front-to-rear stacking method shall not exceed the length limitations of this paragraph exclusive of the load; however, the load may extend up to an additional 6 feet beyond the rear of the trailer.

Like others here I have seen plenty of tandem RV setups on the road in FL. 99% of the time the tandem trailer is very short like one for wave runners or a motorcycle. I have never really seen someone towing a large trailer and say a large boat like they do out west. As I surmised earlier I think the cops just ignore it or are unaware of the law. Tourism $$ keep this state going and that might have something to do with it.

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