Toy Hauler Truck?

[valhalla360]

Saw an interesting combo yesterday.

A mid 20'some foot travel trailer pulled by a uhaul chassis van with the smaller box.

https://www.uhaul.com/Truck-Rentals/15ft-Moving-Truck/

Talked to them and they said they only take 3-4 short trips per year and just rent a van (uhaul claims a 10k tow rating and 6400lb payload, so seems reasonably capable) as it's cheaper.

While I don't know about the rental aspect but the combo seems like it would be a much more functional toy hauling option vs most of the bumper pull toy haulers.
- Toys aren't in the RV living space leaking gas or tearing up the floor.
- If the riding trails are a few miles from the campground, you can just take the van with the toys and leave the trailer setup.
- No need to empty the garage if just stopping for the night and not using the toys.
- Not really any more difficult for driving around than a full size van.

The only real downside I can see is you are limited on passenger seating (theoretically 3 but that would get old on a longer trip). Maybe you could get a 4 door pickup chassis with a similar box to solve that.

[valhalla360]

mkirsch wrote:
I thought the complaint these days was you could not get a basic vehicle without all the bells and whistles anymore.

Now we're complaining because a tow vehicle isn't fancy enough?

Really a non-issue. Most will be utilitarian versions but no reason you can't bling it out if desired.

[mkirsch]

I thought the complaint these days was you could not get a basic vehicle without all the bells and whistles anymore.

Now we're complaining because a tow vehicle isn't fancy enough?

[valhalla360]

Grit dog wrote:
Can only haul 2 people comfortably, like you said. Non starter for long trips or families.
Doesn't tow well, compared to other options. That combo is a guaranteed pooch in all but flat towing down the road at low altitude with the wind at your back.
Overall comfort. A stripped down F350 reg chassis cab is not exactly what most people expect for passenger and creature comforts.
Cost/benefit. Most people use their daily driver pickups to tow their RVs. Dual use benefit. A personal box van, if not a rental scenario, is even more useless unless you're going to home depot. And the appearance thing and lack of practicality of using a 16' box van as a daily driver.
Appearance. If I'm moving stuff, I'm moving. If I'm on vacation, I don't want to look like a homeless person driving a Uhaul.
And, no, I've never seen any rental 6pack box vans. Gonna say those don't exist. If buying a crew cab chassis with box, refer to the 2 reasons above.

I applaud the ingenuity and yes it works, but there's a reason it's not a thing, at all, for recreational RVers. Although dirt bike race teams do it all the time. Different application, really.

The 2/3 passenger limit is really the only downside I see. 4 Door van chassis with boxes are actually pretty common in Europe. I just haven't seen them in the states.

Or something like this:
https://jingletruck.com/2016-dodge-ram-5500-69596

I see no reason to expect it to pull a 25ft TT any worse than your average 1/2 ton pickup that is the typical vehicle for towing that size trailer. Might even be better aerodynamically since the van frontage should match the trailer pretty closely, so the wind only gets one shot at the frontal area.

If you are just buying a used Uhaul van, sure it's stripped down but if buying new or retrofitting, no reason you can't fit nice comfy captains chairs and some of the bling from more up scale vans.

Might look a little goofy but I wouldn't expect it to be much worse than commuting in a full size pickup. I've driven them in the past and nothing particularly difficult, certainly no worse than the folks who drive dually pickups as daily drivers. Plus go back 30-40yrs ago and most people would think it's goofy to drive a dually as a daily driver. Mostly perception.

I'm guessing most people just never thought of it...I didn't until I saw it. Might also be the marketing departments. Do you want to sell a $20k bog standard TT or a $30k toy hauler TT. Likewise, more and more, pickups are the proverbial Cowboy Cadillac's. I'm sure the Big 3 don't want to encourage you to buy something simple and practical for under $70k.

[dedmiston]

We usually see one or two U-Hauls out in the desert camping over New Years.

I always appreciate the git 'er done mentality of spending a couple hundred bucks to go on the trip instead of thousands a year in payments.

We fit our own toys in our garage when it's just us, but when our kids come home for the holidays with all of their partners, I have to get all the bikes tuned up and then we load them into a U-Haul pickup truck since there are too many toys for the toy hauler. Make it work.

[BCSnob]

As our cargo van is reaching the end of its useful life (for us) I have been researching for our next TV. For past 2-3 years I have been focused on a Rockport Cargoport body on a GM 3500 dual wheel chassis. I would order the "box" with rear heat, AC, and a powered vent for environmental control for the crated dogs. The "box" would also include a sliding pass-through door from the cab so we can monitor the dogs in transit and a curbside door for easy access when hitched to our TT.

We don't need the passenger space, we need the cargo space for crated dogs.

[Grit_dog]

In as much as EVERY RV configuration excels in some way(s) and is a compromise in others, that configuration sounds like a great option for that particular (very limited) use.
General limitations or turnoffs for everyone else who may not have the exact same wants, needs or preferences...
Can only haul 2 people comfortably, like you said. Non starter for long trips or families.
Doesn't tow well, compared to other options. That combo is a guaranteed pooch in all but flat towing down the road at low altitude with the wind at your back.
Overall comfort. A stripped down F350 reg chassis cab is not exactly what most people expect for passenger and creature comforts.
Cost/benefit. Most people use their daily driver pickups to tow their RVs. Dual use benefit. A personal box van, if not a rental scenario, is even more useless unless you're going to home depot. And the appearance thing and lack of practicality of using a 16' box van as a daily driver.
Appearance. If I'm moving stuff, I'm moving. If I'm on vacation, I don't want to look like a homeless person driving a Uhaul.
And, no, I've never seen any rental 6pack box vans. Gonna say those don't exist. If buying a crew cab chassis with box, refer to the 2 reasons above.

I applaud the ingenuity and yes it works, but there's a reason it's not a thing, at all, for recreational RVers. Although dirt bike race teams do it all the time. Different application, really.