First things first, I'm convinced there is no ideal solution for someone looking to have a decent camp trailer while hauling a full size vehicle, but I think we're getting close. Mbryson's thread "Toy Hauler Ramblings" has some great info. We've debated for quite some time as to what our solution will be.
About a year and a half ago we picked up a nice used 8"6" Lance truck camper. Our jeep has been torn down for the majority of the time we had it, but we did take it out camping quite a bit. We found it was too tight for our comfort. It simply didn't have enough floor space for two full size adults, and a dog or two. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if we threw a kid in the mix (sometime down the road).
This discovery also eliminated the redneck toyhauler option. This was also a little too redneck for us.
About 6 months ago we sold the camper, and started a search for a nice enclosed car hauler. We were looking for a 102"x24' trailer that we could tear down and add living quarters/windows to. We looked around a lot, and found the standard size rear door on most enclosed were too small (6'3" IIRC). This added more stipulations to what we were looking for. I ended up realizing we would probably just end up in hotels and eating out every trip, or paying a ton for a custom built car hauler. Until this weekend
Last night we came across this toy hauler on KSL. It's a 26' Villa Motorsports trailer. It was listed as a toy hauler shell, and I would say this describes it very well. Most of the insulation is finished, but that's about it. We weren't able to find anything about the company, but the owner said it seemed well built. He didn't have all of the details on it's story, but he apparently bought it from a guy who picked it up in it's current (unfinished) state. My guess is Villa Motorsports was a startup trailer manufacturer, and this was purchased when they went out of business in 2002 (year per the title). We drove down to St. George this morning hoping for the best, and it turned out very well. The inside needs a ton of work to complete it, but we're excited to make it exactly how we want it. The frame is very well built, and the 3 5200lb axles should provide more than enough capacity for what we'll be adding to it.
It came already equipped with a lot of the electrical work, plumbing (grey, black and fresh tanks already installed) water pump, A/C unit, and some other odds and ends. No doubt this thing needs a lot of work before it's finished, but we plan to have it usable by EJS (one project at a time). We'll update this thread as the project comes along.
Further down the road we'll add some much needed personality in the form of a vinyl wrap.
About a year and a half ago we picked up a nice used 8"6" Lance truck camper. Our jeep has been torn down for the majority of the time we had it, but we did take it out camping quite a bit. We found it was too tight for our comfort. It simply didn't have enough floor space for two full size adults, and a dog or two. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if we threw a kid in the mix (sometime down the road).
This discovery also eliminated the redneck toyhauler option. This was also a little too redneck for us.
About 6 months ago we sold the camper, and started a search for a nice enclosed car hauler. We were looking for a 102"x24' trailer that we could tear down and add living quarters/windows to. We looked around a lot, and found the standard size rear door on most enclosed were too small (6'3" IIRC). This added more stipulations to what we were looking for. I ended up realizing we would probably just end up in hotels and eating out every trip, or paying a ton for a custom built car hauler. Until this weekend
Last night we came across this toy hauler on KSL. It's a 26' Villa Motorsports trailer. It was listed as a toy hauler shell, and I would say this describes it very well. Most of the insulation is finished, but that's about it. We weren't able to find anything about the company, but the owner said it seemed well built. He didn't have all of the details on it's story, but he apparently bought it from a guy who picked it up in it's current (unfinished) state. My guess is Villa Motorsports was a startup trailer manufacturer, and this was purchased when they went out of business in 2002 (year per the title). We drove down to St. George this morning hoping for the best, and it turned out very well. The inside needs a ton of work to complete it, but we're excited to make it exactly how we want it. The frame is very well built, and the 3 5200lb axles should provide more than enough capacity for what we'll be adding to it.
It came already equipped with a lot of the electrical work, plumbing (grey, black and fresh tanks already installed) water pump, A/C unit, and some other odds and ends. No doubt this thing needs a lot of work before it's finished, but we plan to have it usable by EJS (one project at a time). We'll update this thread as the project comes along.
Further down the road we'll add some much needed personality in the form of a vinyl wrap.
