Building the ultimate toyhauler! - Page 2

sailwing2003 · 08-19-2012, 09:37 AM

I had about the same needs and looked at doing the self build. I ended up with a Work & Play 18LT for only 50% more dollars than your budget.

It was a easy deal, got ready to do Moab in a couple of weeks after buying. Used it for a number of trips, and it worked great. Much better build quality than most of the rv style toyhaulers. Those are just stick walls on frame, with usually rubber roofs. The Work & Play are solid walls, and bolted on all 4 joints, and seem to last for years. They are heavier, and the longer ones are the same price as the 16' and 18' when I was shopping used. If I had been looking for a bigger W&P I could have traded up, as those were wanting to trade down, due to having too small of tow vehicles.

Good luck with your build.

pvangel · 08-19-2012, 05:24 PM

I agree the Work&Play are great trailers but they are so heavy (which is why they last so long) and am worried it will kill my gas mileage, I'm thinking under 2000 lbs for my build trailer and those are closer to 4000lbs.
If I had a diesel I wouldn't think twice on the W&P but the 1/2 ton gas truck will suffer I believe...

pvangel · 08-19-2012, 05:49 PM

I just checked and the 18' weighs 5200lbs, thats a heavy trailer.

If my build trailer starts at 1300 lbs and I add 700 to it (which I don't think I will) then add 5 bikes at 200lbs and say another 500lbs of gear etc than loaded it would be 3500 lbs. I'm guessing 3000 loaded but still that is a big difference.

ragtoplvr · 08-19-2012, 05:57 PM

much of the gas mileage hit is from the trailer frontal area. Some streamlining pays big dividends.

Rod

pvangel · 08-19-2012, 06:39 PM

The wind drag is a valid point and I am sure it effects the mpg but...

If you take a 5200lb trailer and add the same weight, 1500lbs to it that's 6700 lbs versus 3500 lbs that's a ton and a half extra your pulling up a hill and that's will definitely effect mileage,

pvangel · 08-27-2012, 04:08 PM

I have been busy so haven't spent much time on the trailer hunt but did stop today on the way home from Boston and saw a nice one, a 7x14 vnose but am stuck now on the size and think it might be too big?

My current trailer is 5x8 so 40 sqft and definitely to small.

I have been looking at 6x12's(72 sqft) but feel there a little tight for what I want so have been drawing plans for a 7x12 or 6x14(84 sqft), the 6x14 is not a common size but the 7x12 is.

So the trailer in the pic is a 7x14 (98 sqft so more than twice my current trailer) and seemed huge inside, I had a 7x16 before that was great as far as room goes but to big for my needs now.

The trailer in the pic is 1865 lbs empty so if I added 400lbs to it outfitting it and then 1000lbs of motorcycles thats 3265lbs loaded to go. Even 3500lbs would be doable.

Not sure if I should save a couple hundred pounds for a single axle (trailer in pic has brakes on both axles) and 14 sq ft, or go for the bigger trailer? I like the vnose with the drop as it should cut through the wind better.

DirtyOldMan · 08-27-2012, 07:38 PM

My hillbilly rv

Kitchen hangs on the outside. That's the shower cutain on the left

bunk folds up against the wall, for now guests use a cot.

It'll hold 3 bikes easy, (shower test in progress)

Shower in use

It's a 6x12 vee nose, you can haul larger ones with a half ton truck but I don't want to and this one is adequate for my needs. Water for shower is heated by a propane camp heater, gravity fed from a container on the roof, through the heater and into a container on the ground. Then the container on the ground is placed on the roof and rub-a-dub-dub.
Surprisingly, the 7gal container spewed water uninterrupted for a full 20 minutes.

sailwing2003 · 08-27-2012, 08:59 PM

Back to help. See you had a Work & Play. Mine was 8' wide, and while I liked the interior space, your idea of a 7' wide trailer would be better in many ways.

I towed with my half ton Avalanche with SnugTop topper, and up hill from Ft. Worth to Amarillo, to Moab, in head winds I was getting sometimes less than 7mpg per tank. With a tail wind, up hill, east bound out of Albq. NM I was amazed to get a 12mpg tank. It seemed to be the wind, more than the weight of the trailer with a GSA and X-Challenge inside. I once towed 400 miles to the coast and back without bikes, and got hammered on mileage again with winds.

8' trailers required mirror extensions to be able to see down the side of the trailer on the highway, and backing. The truck is 6' wide, standard mirrors work well with 7' trailers.

If doing again, I would sure buy another Work & Play, but if I were building, v-nose, 7'. I would also go tandem axle, hoping to be able to tow on a flat tire till I found a safe spot to change the flat one. And with a tandem you can often drive up on a stack of wood blocks with the single good tire to change a bad one, without risking a jack accident, or messing on a badly sloping shoulder.

OaklandStrom · 08-28-2012, 09:00 AM

The reason I ended up with a 14x7 is that it was the smallest trailer I could find with tandem axles. Each axle (in general) has a 3,500# capacity, if it has brakes. A single axle trailer is good for 3,500# and a tandem is good for 7,000#.

I also like the security of a second set of wheels on the ground.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pvangel

I have been busy so haven't spent much time on the trailer hunt but did stop today on the way home from Boston and saw a nice one, a 7x14 vnose but am stuck now on the size and think it might be too big?

My current trailer is 5x8 so 40 sqft and definitely to small.

I have been looking at 6x12's(72 sqft) but feel there a little tight for what I want so have been drawing plans for a 7x12 or 6x14(84 sqft), the 6x14 is not a common size but the 7x12 is.

So the trailer in the pic is a 7x14 (98 sqft so more than twice my current trailer) and seemed huge inside, I had a 7x16 before that was great as far as room goes but to big for my needs now.

The trailer in the pic is 1865 lbs empty so if I added 400lbs to it outfitting it and then 1000lbs of motorcycles thats 3265lbs loaded to go. Even 3500lbs would be doable.

Not sure if I should save a couple hundred pounds for a single axle (trailer in pic has brakes on both axles) and 14 sq ft, or go for the bigger trailer? I like the vnose with the drop as it should cut through the wind better.

ghostrider.y2k · 08-28-2012, 09:58 AM

This is what we use, works great.It will be for sale next spring when new replacement get delivered.

pvangel · 08-28-2012, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostrider.y2k

This is what we use, works great.It will be for sale next spring when new replacement get delivered.

Those are cool but tough to use for my daily trips to the track and huge tongue weight.

pvangel · 08-28-2012, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OaklandStrom

The reason I ended up with a 14x7 is that it was the smallest trailer I could find with tandem axles. Each axle (in general) has a 3,500# capacity, if it has brakes. A single axle trailer is good for 3,500# and a tandem is good for 7,000#.

I also like the security of a second set of wheels on the ground.

I agree on the second axle, I think it's much easier on the tires to spread the weight out.

pvangel · 08-28-2012, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailwing2003

Back to help. See you had a Work & Play. Mine was 8' wide, and while I liked the interior space, your idea of a 7' wide trailer would be better in many ways.

I towed with my half ton Avalanche with SnugTop topper, and up hill from Ft. Worth to Amarillo, to Moab, in head winds I was getting sometimes less than 7mpg per tank. With a tail wind, up hill, east bound out of Albq. NM I was amazed to get a 12mpg tank. It seemed to be the wind, more than the weight of the trailer with a GSA and X-Challenge inside. I once towed 400 miles to the coast and back without bikes, and got hammered on mileage again with winds.

8' trailers required mirror extensions to be able to see down the side of the trailer on the highway, and backing. The truck is 6' wide, standard mirrors work well with 7' trailers.

If doing again, I would sure buy another Work & Play, but if I were building, v-nose, 7'. I would also go tandem axle, hoping to be able to tow on a flat tire till I found a safe spot to change the flat one. And with a tandem you can often drive up on a stack of wood blocks with the single good tire to change a bad one, without risking a jack accident, or messing on a badly sloping shoulder.

The 7' wide dual axle is making sense to me as well, the trailer in the pic is pricewise the same as a single axle because it's on special which makes it that more atractive to me.

pvangel · 08-28-2012, 03:40 PM

DOM, Love the hillbilly trailer and will be using some of your ideas, your folding bed is close to what I was thinking.

pvangel · 08-28-2012, 03:58 PM

I was going to use the Blazintech couch like this one but know from sleeping on them that they suck for sleeping and at $500++ each I think I can build something better.

Same thing on the Bunk beds, although I think these are better to sleep on than the couch, for another $500 I think I can build them better.

08-19-2012, 09:37 AM	#16
sailwing2003 Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Pantego (DFW) TX Oddometer: 329	I had about the same needs and looked at doing the self build. I ended up with a Work & Play 18LT for only 50% more dollars than your budget. It was a easy deal, got ready to do Moab in a couple of weeks after buying. Used it for a number of trips, and it worked great. Much better build quality than most of the rv style toyhaulers. Those are just stick walls on frame, with usually rubber roofs. The Work & Play are solid walls, and bolted on all 4 joints, and seem to last for years. They are heavier, and the longer ones are the same price as the 16' and 18' when I was shopping used. If I had been looking for a bigger W&P I could have traded up, as those were wanting to trade down, due to having too small of tow vehicles. Good luck with your build. __________________ Dave Cobb Pantego (DFW) TX 08 R1200GSA Adventure 11-08 1998 Foretravel 36' Unicoach 295

08-27-2012, 07:38 PM	#22
DirtyOldMan Beastly Adventurer Joined: May 2006 Location: 1/2 way between p/hill & hooterville MO Oddometer: 1,718	My hillbilly rv Kitchen hangs on the outside. That's the shower cutain on the left bunk folds up against the wall, for now guests use a cot. It'll hold 3 bikes easy, (shower test in progress) Shower in use It's a 6x12 vee nose, you can haul larger ones with a half ton truck but I don't want to and this one is adequate for my needs. Water for shower is heated by a propane camp heater, gravity fed from a container on the roof, through the heater and into a container on the ground. Then the container on the ground is placed on the roof and rub-a-dub-dub. Surprisingly, the 7gal container spewed water uninterrupted for a full 20 minutes. __________________ 04 250 RFS 99 640 ADV 13 650 Terra

08-27-2012, 08:59 PM	#23
sailwing2003 Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Pantego (DFW) TX Oddometer: 329	Back to help. See you had a Work & Play. Mine was 8' wide, and while I liked the interior space, your idea of a 7' wide trailer would be better in many ways. I towed with my half ton Avalanche with SnugTop topper, and up hill from Ft. Worth to Amarillo, to Moab, in head winds I was getting sometimes less than 7mpg per tank. With a tail wind, up hill, east bound out of Albq. NM I was amazed to get a 12mpg tank. It seemed to be the wind, more than the weight of the trailer with a GSA and X-Challenge inside. I once towed 400 miles to the coast and back without bikes, and got hammered on mileage again with winds. 8' trailers required mirror extensions to be able to see down the side of the trailer on the highway, and backing. The truck is 6' wide, standard mirrors work well with 7' trailers. If doing again, I would sure buy another Work & Play, but if I were building, v-nose, 7'. I would also go tandem axle, hoping to be able to tow on a flat tire till I found a safe spot to change the flat one. And with a tandem you can often drive up on a stack of wood blocks with the single good tire to change a bad one, without risking a jack accident, or messing on a badly sloping shoulder. __________________ Dave Cobb Pantego (DFW) TX 08 R1200GSA Adventure 11-08 1998 Foretravel 36' Unicoach 295

08-28-2012, 09:58 AM	#25
ghostrider.y2k ride enything but HD Joined: Mar 2008 Location: NW Chicago burbs Oddometer: 789	This is what we use, works great.It will be for sale next spring when new replacement get delivered. __________________ MOTORCYCLES-->created to keep us from choking the idiots around us "w strone slonca..........." www.rapidroadrescue.com

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

08-19-2012, 05:24 PM	#17
pvangel ^OP Team AARP Joined: Sep 2005 Location: South Salem, NY Oddometer: 1,502	I agree the Work&Play are great trailers but they are so heavy (which is why they last so long) and am worried it will kill my gas mileage, I'm thinking under 2000 lbs for my build trailer and those are closer to 4000lbs. If I had a diesel I wouldn't think twice on the W&P but the 1/2 ton gas truck will suffer I believe...

08-19-2012, 05:49 PM	#18
pvangel ^OP Team AARP Joined: Sep 2005 Location: South Salem, NY Oddometer: 1,502	I just checked and the 18' weighs 5200lbs, thats a heavy trailer. If my build trailer starts at 1300 lbs and I add 700 to it (which I don't think I will) then add 5 bikes at 200lbs and say another 500lbs of gear etc than loaded it would be 3500 lbs. I'm guessing 3000 loaded but still that is a big difference.

08-19-2012, 05:57 PM	#19
ragtoplvr Beastly Adventurer Joined: Oct 2007 Location: S. W. Mssouri Oddometer: 4,596	much of the gas mileage hit is from the trailer frontal area. Some streamlining pays big dividends. Rod

08-19-2012, 06:39 PM	#20
pvangel ^OP Team AARP Joined: Sep 2005 Location: South Salem, NY Oddometer: 1,502	The wind drag is a valid point and I am sure it effects the mpg but... If you take a 5200lb trailer and add the same weight, 1500lbs to it that's 6700 lbs versus 3500 lbs that's a ton and a half extra your pulling up a hill and that's will definitely effect mileage,

08-27-2012, 04:08 PM	#21
pvangel ^OP Team AARP Joined: Sep 2005 Location: South Salem, NY Oddometer: 1,502	I have been busy so haven't spent much time on the trailer hunt but did stop today on the way home from Boston and saw a nice one, a 7x14 vnose but am stuck now on the size and think it might be too big? My current trailer is 5x8 so 40 sqft and definitely to small. I have been looking at 6x12's(72 sqft) but feel there a little tight for what I want so have been drawing plans for a 7x12 or 6x14(84 sqft), the 6x14 is not a common size but the 7x12 is. So the trailer in the pic is a 7x14 (98 sqft so more than twice my current trailer) and seemed huge inside, I had a 7x16 before that was great as far as room goes but to big for my needs now. The trailer in the pic is 1865 lbs empty so if I added 400lbs to it outfitting it and then 1000lbs of motorcycles thats 3265lbs loaded to go. Even 3500lbs would be doable. Not sure if I should save a couple hundred pounds for a single axle (trailer in pic has brakes on both axles) and 14 sq ft, or go for the bigger trailer? I like the vnose with the drop as it should cut through the wind better.

08-28-2012, 03:40 PM	#29
pvangel ^OP Team AARP Joined: Sep 2005 Location: South Salem, NY Oddometer: 1,502	DOM, Love the hillbilly trailer and will be using some of your ideas, your folding bed is close to what I was thinking.

08-28-2012, 03:58 PM	#30
pvangel ^OP Team AARP Joined: Sep 2005 Location: South Salem, NY Oddometer: 1,502	I was going to use the Blazintech couch like this one but know from sleeping on them that they suck for sleeping and at $500++ each I think I can build something better. Same thing on the Bunk beds, although I think these are better to sleep on than the couch, for another $500 I think I can build them better.