In reply to Rallygorgo :
Deck height is definitely a concern I've had about toy haulers with regards to using one for a smaller car. The ramp approach and ramp-to-trailer break angles may be too severe for a car with the minimal ground clearance typical of a track/autocross car.
Right now, I lean towards some sort of van RV conversion towing a 20' enclosed trailer. Unfortunately, I am discovering cheap vans tend to be cheap for a reason...
Yeah, those toy haulers aren't really built with cars in mind -- more like bikes, quads, and side-by-sides. Plus you wind up needing to basically sleep in the garage to get your full sleeping capacity which isn't as posh and can be a hassle if you're going to stop on your way to somewhere for the night. Do you get all cramped up in the remaining living space or do you dump the car out the back, make the garage into a bedroom again, and then reverse that in the morning?
Those are all good looking options (well, except maybe the Vixen. I love those and they're really cool, but you might want to do some research on those before diving in because you're not going to find too many people that know anything about them, so you'll need to be the expert). I've become convinced over the last year or so that slides are the way to go if you're going to have more than two people trying to spend any amount of time in there, though. As long as the box is solid and tight, everything else can be dealt with fairly easily. Once the water gets in and starts doing damage, value drops and it gets hard to fix. Yes, those big old diesels are going to have problems eventually, and yes, it's probably going to be a little bit spendy. Get Good Sam, CoachNet, or AAA RV coverage so that if they have to put you on a lowboy and haul you 100 miles to the nearest mechanic you can spend all your money at the shop and not on the truck driver. Those old diesels are a little less complicated than the new ones and you shouldn't have much trouble finding someone who can work on them. They will run for a really long time, though, and for that particular era of chassis be your most capable towing platform.
One thing I did see in one of those ads was "needs tires soon". Depending on the size, you're looking at a minimum of about $300 per and with a tag axle, that's a $2,400 spend.
At the Starting Line School I attended, one participant had an enclosed trailer that he allowed the class to shelter in during lunch/rainstorm. All I can say is that having an enclosed trailer for the race car that has seating, a flatscreen, lighting and lots of cabinet and countertop space is awesome!
NMNA, but this give a nice look into a larger truck camper.
That's pretty awesome inside!
Buy this and a nice Suburban.
Ian F said:It would depend on how big your car is, but I wonder if a toy hauler like this one would work?
We looked at similar setups when we were first starting, and there are two primary problems: the approach angles as already mentioned. That particular unit has flipped axles to raise it, so probably a non starter. Second, being designed for ATVs and motorcycles, they often don't have sufficient weight capacity for a car, and the location puts the whole car behind the axles. Also, under 14 feet really limits what you can fit.
A much better option is an actual car hauler with living quarters, but they're usually more money, and longer. Something like this:
Gooseneck car hauler w/ living quarters
The problem is you're pulling 45-50ft of trailer, and the living quarters usually aren't any bigger than the camper we ended up with.
The Bluebird linked earlier looks like a solid contender, but any 30 year old RV is a little scary... and anything on a bus chassis that needs repair/replacement will be expensive.
pinchvalve said:NMNA, but this give a nice look into a larger truck camper.
That's pretty awesome inside!
Missed this while I was typing...
A camper with a slide can be decently roomy for 2. A little crowded for four. Ours is a wet bath, which saves a little space at the expense of elbow room in the bathroom. A dinette slide is, IMHO, the best bet because it essentially gives you a 'booth' instead of the 'U' shaped seating in most hardside campers. Much roomier, and more pleasant for hanging out if you're going to be inside.
Some pics of ours right after we bought it:
IMHO, truck + slide in camper + trailer is still the most versatile combo for the widest variety of missions. No extra (motorhome) vehicle to register, insure and maintain. It's a truck when you need one, and a motorhome when you need that. Maintenance and repairs don't have the RV tax. The camper itself is pretty simple to self maintain. Trailer options are wide open.
In reply to Rodan :
Yep. And then you have to store 50' of trailer. And that trailer linked would probably push the limits of most 1 ton dually pick-ups.
What I really want is a custom built "Super C" RV - similar to a van-based C-Class RV, but instead built on a 1.5T/4500 (or even 5500) pick-up truck chassis. These usually have better towing capacity (usually 10K lbs or more) plus the generally more comfortable driving ergonomics of a pick-up cab. Naturally, the BIG downside is they a staggeringly expensive.
My biggest issue with slide-in truck campers is the lack of secure storage. While generally not an issue for most people, one of the big reasons I want an RV is for going on mtn biking trips. When my bikes cost more than many of the cars I've bought, I want them inside and away from prying eyes. I still haven't found a solution for that problem with a truck camper, which keeps sending me back to vans.
In reply to Rodan :
How much weight are you towing?
In reply to Rodan :
I was thinking more of the Dynamax Isata 5 which can tow about 18,000 lbs.
The 35DB would fit the OP's needs nicely, since it has bunk beds:
Price is around $190K. 
In reply to Enyar :
Camper weighs 4500 wet.
Trailer depends on what we've got loaded. With the NA and stuff for a local trackday, around 7500. With our NC Miata and my motorcycle + stuff for a trip, it's around 8500.
Mine with original 22 feet of Dodge 440.
wae said:Do you get all cramped up in the remaining living space or do you dump the car out the back, make the garage into a bedroom again, and then reverse that in the morning?
It depends on how many are sleeping inside. If it’s just me, the car can stay inside because the couch in the front folds down into a bed. If someone is with me, I can put the car outside under the awning and pull the bunk(s) down in the back.
I think for the track trips the camper might be ok because it might just be myself and a buddy and a 28ft vnose with a couple miatas
Then I have a truck to pull a normal travel trailer/whatever the wife likes for camping however I did look at Toyhaulers and the ramp length/breakover angles even on ones with the 13ft garages that would fit a miata make using them for cars sort of a no go.
I have seen bunk house class C's for less than 30k the floorplan linked above is definitely the floorplan that makes the most sense for me if we could find the right one, but the class C can do an open deck trailer with 1 car and won't be pulling s 28ft vnose with 2
The biggest issue I have with Class A is most the floorplans are not really family with kids setups. C is definitely better in that regard. And if you go A you pretty much might as well get the pusher because otherwise they don't tow more than a C really
https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2006-Damon-Daybreak%2C-BunkHouse-3276-122879843
These bunkhouse ones with the slider on the right rear seem to be the best layout for families but I don't find as many of them out there especially in the older/nicer busses
If you have room deal with two trailers for different purposes, then a truck with a 2-car trailer and a separate travel trailer could work well.
Try to get to an RV show. You'll get a chance to look at a TON of different layout options. I'd look at a 5th wheel for the camper. Some of the ones I saw were tailor made for families. Some even have two bedrooms. One and a half baths are also popular in longer models. Also, if you can go to an RV show with an intent to buy, you can get incredible deals. I was amazed at what I saw for "show prices".
For example:
/Aire/Floor_Plans/CR-30MD-800x332-100.png)
The "show price" for this one was $37K. I forget the exact number, but MSRP was well over $50K. I think there's an option where you can replace the sofa in the small room with bunks. There are a couple of things I don't like about the layout (lack of usability with the slides closed), but if I still owned my Cummins truck, I would have been tempted - I would have yanked the sofa and made that my "bike" room.
Travel trailers seem to be able to be had for deep deep discounts for sure.
Let's say
10-12k for a 3/4ton decent tow rig might need the diesel or even show DRW at that point?
5-6k for the truck bed camper
Bunk house travel trailers are much more common this one doesn't look half bad and is only 6,500, looks like much newer can be had for around 10k even, my favorite layout for these is the "master" queen bed in the front with the bunk beds in the rear for the kiddos with a door for sound reasons
https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2002-Vanguard-PALOMINO-829BH-5001107195
2k or so for an open 1 car trailer
6k for a 28ft vnose. (I think that the enclosed trailer would be a down the road thing)
Most the motorhomes I have seen with bunk house style layouts/diesels I thought looked good put them at around 30k
5er vs bumper tow it would be more annoying to have to remove the 5th wheel hitch to put the camper on/off
5-6K for a good slide-in camper like Rodan has might be optimistic, based on my research. When I had my Cummins, I shopped for a slide-in quite a bit since the truck was already set-up for one (tie-down bars welded to the frame between the bed and cab). The MSRP for a 2018 model like his is over $40K and they seem to hold their value exceptionally well. I rarely saw a decent one that wasn't damaged and was dry-stored for under $20K. I'm not saying there aren't deals out there, but they just aren't common. And you can't dawdle about them - they sell fast.
If you decide a slide-in is what you want, then get the truck first so you can be ready to pounce when you find one. Yes, a 1-ton with DRW is almost a requirement if you want one with a slide. As Rodan mentioned, the suckers are heavy. DRW will help with stability. Especially if you want to tow as well. I wouldn't even consider SRW if you want to duplicate Rodan's set-up.
Personally, I think a 5th wheel would be easier to deal with than a slide-in although some of the 5th wheel hardware does remain in the bed, which can be annoying. Oddly, goose-neck RV trailers are not common. Not sure why. A goose-neck ball can actually be mounted so it can be recessed into the bed when not in use, which would be nice.
Looking at the RV you linked above, I noticed it doesn't appear to have a generator. Maybe not a big deal if you only plan to camp at RV parks with hook-ups, but if you are thinking of boon-docking somewhere then you'll need a generator. Some RV's are better for that than others.
I can't recall having seen a travel trailer that had a decent on-board generator option. I'm sure they're out there, but most of them that I've seen utilize portable generators. I've seen some 5ers with gennys mounted in the luggage compartment in the front, but I don't know what they do about fuel.
My first experience in a camper was with a TT that had a portable Honda generator. Step one in the morning was to get out of bed, get dressed, start the generator, then come back in to make coffee. With my motorhome, I can reach down and hit the switch on the side of the bed to start the generator so that by the time I crawl out and make my way to the galley, the generator is warmed up and ready to run the Keurig. First world problems, I know, but I don't think I could do it any other way.
Another interesting fact about 5ers versus bumper-pull TTs: In every jurisdiction that I've researched, it is unlawful to ride in a TT, but it is permissible to ride in a 5er. Not sure if that matters to you, but I know that it's much more pleasant when it's all 5 of us to spread out in the RV instead of cramming in the GL.
The 5th wheel doesn't help me with accommodations + transporting a car to the race track, however. I guess the other option as posted earlier is how "2 guys at the race track" friendly can you easily make a shuttlebus if an E-450 bus with DRW can tow a 28ft enclosed and have a sleeping area/fridge/maybe a toilet
wae said:I can't recall having seen a travel trailer that had a decent on-board generator option. I'm sure they're out there, but most of them that I've seen utilize portable generators. I've seen some 5ers with gennys mounted in the luggage compartment in the front, but I don't know what they do about fuel.
My first experience in a camper was with a TT that had a portable Honda generator. Step one in the morning was to get out of bed, get dressed, start the generator, then come back in to make coffee. With my motorhome, I can reach down and hit the switch on the side of the bed to start the generator so that by the time I crawl out and make my way to the galley, the generator is warmed up and ready to run the Keurig. First world problems, I know, but I don't think I could do it any other way.
Yeah I actually already have a portable generator but want a quieter one, most places I camp I can get power even trackside at VIR so for the travel trailer its less of an issue
Super C would be awesome but seem hard to find older/cheaper since you get the cabover bed and stuff but the bigger capacity
In reply to wae :
From what I've seen most 5th wheels will have a generator that runs on propane - usually twin 30 or 40 lb tanks in the same forward compartment. This seems to be enough propane to run the 3-way refrigerator, stove, water heater and generator for a surprisingly long period of time.
I agree most tag-trailers don't seem to have a generator, now that I think about it.
Jaynen said:The 5th wheel doesn't help me with accommodations + transporting a car to the race track, however. I guess the other option as posted earlier is how "2 guys at the race track" friendly can you easily make a shuttlebus if an E-450 bus with DRW can tow a 28ft enclosed and have a sleeping area/fridge/maybe a toilet
Sorry... I thought the idea of two trailers was still on the table - a two car with "basic" camping facilities for the track, and then something more home-like for traveling with the family sans a track car.
Ian F said:Jaynen said:The 5th wheel doesn't help me with accommodations + transporting a car to the race track, however. I guess the other option as posted earlier is how "2 guys at the race track" friendly can you easily make a shuttlebus if an E-450 bus with DRW can tow a 28ft enclosed and have a sleeping area/fridge/maybe a toilet
Sorry... I thought the idea of two trailers was still on the table - a two car with "basic" camping facilities for the track, and then something more home-like for traveling with the family sans a track car.
I didn't think about the 2 car having the basic camping facilities in it. You are correct in I would probably have a car trailer+ a camping one or the enclosed+family camping one, or just MH+car trailer
Was curious if anyone has, or ever had an old GMC motor home with the Toronado drivetrain? And if so, your thoughts on them.
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