We are considering one of the following scenarios, and I would appreciate input from people with either of these setups.

1. Toy hauler

Questions: Does a normal 18' or so toy hauler have sufficient room for 2 full size ATVs?

2. Camper + Ultimate Rack The Ultimate Rack

Questions: Does anyone have any experience with Ultimate Racks or anything similar, if so opinions please. Also is the load any worse w/ one of these plus towing a camper than just a toy hauler?

Thank you in advance for any help.

 

what do you have for a tow vehicle? sport or utility quads?

 

We have a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 w/ the 5.7L Hemi and looking to have 2 Can-AM Outlanders or Rengades, which are the same dimensions either way.

 

I've got a 21ft Weekend warrior ultra light. Can still pull it with a 1/2 ton truck without any problems. But to be sure, check your vehicle ratings for towing. Works really well with our Nissan Titan. When we just had 2 atv's, I could pull them straight in. Not sure how big the cargo area is on an 18ft hauler, but you might have to load them sideways. And those are some heavy atv's to be trying to do that with.

 

I would say that you should stick with a toy hauler that will fit 2 wheelers in. A rack on the back of your truck and a trailer would be too much weight on the rear axle. Plus it would have a lot of sway side to side with it.

 

Toy haulers are great depending on where you live I moved from California to Michigan and last year I was looking at buying a toy hauler based on my riding experiences in the CA desert and Glamis..... and man I am glad I waited and did some riding first. here in MI there are virtually no campgrounds that are directly connected to any trail or riding area. So you have to drive to the trail head or riding area from your campsite and of course no ATV's are street legal here. If we would have gotten a toy hauler we would have to load up and haul it every morning to go ride. I have a DiamondBack ATv cover and a bumper pull 28" travel trailer and I love the set up........ but I have a ram 2500 DIESEL. If you put one of those full size ATV's, a full tank of gas and a bag of chips .... you are most likely already over the maximum payload for your truck. I would check out what your truck can handle and that may make your choice easier......... good luck!

 

A typical toy hauler will not be wide enough for two full size atv's to be parked side by side. It's designed for 2 motorcycles side by side. So you will have to park the atv's end to end. If a typical full size atv is just shy of 7 feet long, then you will need at least 14 feet of open space inside the toy hauler. FYI - I am assuming utility ATV's.

Just measure your ATV's and then measure the toy hauler that you are looking at to decide if they fit.

 

I cannot imagine having 1000 to 1400 pounds sitting on top of the truck bed would be stable under ANY circumstances...your center of gravity would be radically changed by that kind of load.

I recently saw something that was a combination of a flatbed (carried two ATVs) and a pop-up camper that looked pretty cool....if I find the website I'll post it

 

You can't do the ultimate rack with those 2 atvs with a 1/2 ton. They will probably put you over your load ratings even before the rv is hitched up. I would look into the toy hauler instead. Or get a 1 ton, and even then you need to pay close attention to your numbers(hitch weight, cargo load, etc.)

 

GF's parents use a Monster Hauler, a really heavy steel rack, with 2 utility ATV's, and they tow like a 32' travel trailer (snow birding).

They have a single rear wheel 3500 Cummins powered Dodge, replaced the stock hitch with a stronger one, and they use a weight distributing hitch with sway control. The one ton also required air bags, and I would guess is over it's rear axle weight.

Anyway, that works really well for them. The advantage is once they have the trailer set in the park (where it stays all winter) they can take the ATV's and pickup for a day trip in another area where you can't ride ATV's to from the park.

Myself, I used to run a SRW 3500 Dodge with a 30' seperate garage 5th wheel toyhauler.

Typical of many RV's it is a little less than 8' wide inside, so to get two utility ATV's in they have to be turned sideways. Although I could do both by myself, the second one was a real bear. The first one was easy, up on the flat floor, but the 2nd one starts from 1/2 on the steep ramp, and the lugs of the tires tended to catch the transision of the ramp/floor.

I eventually installed a mini-jib crane on a piece of 1/2" plate bolted to the frame. It could be used to lift the rear of the quad so you could swivel it in.

Now I've got a 3500 dually and a 40' 5th wheel with a 14' seperate garage. I could probably pull the first machine in kind of diagonal, and pull a second straight in.

Usually, however, I turn the first one by hand, then carry another utility straight in on one side, and a BMW R1200GS Adventure on the other.

Naturally, if I want to haul quads to a trailhead that I can't legally ride them to, I have to break camp. I'd also better know in advance that I can turn a rig of that size around at the trail head.

On the plus side, 5th wheels tow very nicely, and when I get home, I just unhitch in my yard and maybe take some tension off the straps.

With a rack, you still have to unload and find room in the garage if you want the quads out of the weather.