A toy hauler RV is a camper with a built-in garage at the back and a fold-down ramp door, so you can load dirt bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides, e-bikes, or kayaks and bring them along. Toy haulers come as travel trailers, fifth wheels, and a few motorhomes. When the toys roll out at camp, the garage turns into extra living space and the ramp becomes a patio. Here's how to pick the right toy hauler, tow it safely, and get the most out of that garage.
In Brief
- What it is: an RV with a rear garage and a ramp door that doubles as a patio.
- Three ways to rent one: travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome (Class C).
- Garages typically run about 11 to 17 feet on the models we checked.
- Check your tow vehicle first. Toy haulers carry heavy hitch weights — some fifth wheels exceed 3,500 pounds on the pin.
- No toys? No prob. The garage works as a bunk room, gear room, or office.
What is a toy hauler RV?
A toy hauler RV is a camper with a garage at the rear, accessed by a fold-down ramp door. Heartland RVs describes it as "a type of RV with a built-in garage at the rear, accessed by a fold-down ramp door," and notes that the ramp typically doubles as a patio deck once it's lowered at camp.
The garage is what makes it a toy hauler. Go RVing Canada says toy haulers have "a swing-down ramp and enough cargo space for a variety of off-road vehicles." Up front, you'll find the same things as a regular RV: a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. Many garages also include fold-away furniture, tie-down rings in the floor, and a built-in fuel station for refilling your toys.
Our small toy hauler roundup covers compact models if you're traveling light.
What types of toy haulers can you rent?
You can rent toy haulers in three main styles: travel trailers that hitch to a truck's bumper, fifth wheels that hitch in a pickup bed, and motorhomes (usually Class C) with a garage built in. Travel trailers are the easiest entry point, fifth wheels offer the most space, and motorhomes need no tow vehicle.
Travel trailer toy haulers
These hitch to a standard ball mount. Sizes range widely. Grand Design's compact Momentum MAV 17MAV is 22 feet 11 inches long with an 11-foot-6-inch garage and a hitch weight of 873 pounds, while its larger Momentum G-Class 25G runs 30 feet 11 inches with a 13-foot-6-inch garage, a 1,400-pound hitch weight, and a 30-gallon fuel station.
Fifth wheel toy haulers
Fifth wheels hitch into the bed of a pickup and are the biggest toy haulers you'll find. Grand Design's Momentum 344M is 39 feet 11 inches long with a 3,500-pound pin weight and a 19,000-pound GVWR. The flagship Momentum 392M stretches 45 feet 11 inches with a 17-foot garage. Curious where the name comes from? Here's why it's called a fifth wheel.
Motorhome toy haulers
A few Class C motorhomes include a garage, so you don't need a tow vehicle at all. Jayco's 35-foot Seneca ZX has a mobile garage with enough space for two ATVs and a work area, and Thor Motor Coach says every Outlaw model has a spacious garage. These are less common in rental fleets, so search early.
How big is a toy hauler garage?
Toy hauler garages generally run from about 11 feet on smaller trailers to about 17 feet on large fifth wheels, based on the manufacturer specs we checked. Measure your toys, including handlebars and ramps, and ask the host for the garage's length, width, and ramp door rating before you book.
- Grand Design Momentum MAV 17MAV — Type: Travel trailer; Overall length: 22' 11"; Garage length: 11' 6"; Hitch/pin weight: 873 lbs.
- Grand Design Momentum G-Class 25G — Type: Travel trailer; Overall length: 30' 11"; Garage length: 13' 6"; Hitch/pin weight: 1,400 lbs.
- Grand Design Momentum 344M — Type: Fifth wheel; Overall length: 39' 11"; Garage length: 11'; Hitch/pin weight: 3,500 lbs.
- Grand Design Momentum 392M — Type: Fifth wheel; Overall length: 45' 11"; Garage length: 17'; Hitch/pin weight: 3,650 lbs.
- Jayco Seneca ZX — Type: Class C motorhome; Overall length: 35'; Garage: fits two ATVs; Hitch/pin weight: none — no towing.
What we've found is that the garage's width and ramp height decide more than its length — a side-by-side with a wide stance can be the deciding factor. Ramp ratings matter too. Forest River's Vengeance Rogue Armored, for example, lists a 3,000-pound rated ramp door. A side-by-side plus riders' gear adds up fast, so check the rating on your rental.
Can your vehicle tow a toy hauler?
Only if its towing capacity, payload, and hitch rating cover the toy hauler fully loaded — including the toys. Toy haulers are heavy, and the weight on the hitch changes with what's in the garage. Find your vehicle's ratings on the driver's door post or in the owner's manual.
North Carolina's Division of Marine Fisheries towing guide says tongue weight should be at least 10% and no more than 15% of the gross trailer weight, and lists the driver door post, glove compartment, and owner's manual as places to find your towing capacity. With a toy hauler, load placement shifts that balance. A heavy UTV in the rear garage pulls weight off the hitch, while an empty garage puts more on it.
In our experience, renters underestimate how much a loaded garage changes the weight math. Tongue weight on bumper-pull toy haulers comes up again and again in the owner forums we follow. A few rules of thumb:
- Weigh it as you'll tow it: with toys, water, fuel, and gear.
- Know your pin or hitch weight: fifth-wheel toy haulers can pass 3,500 pounds on the pin.
- Need a truck? Some hosts rent tow-ready setups — browse fifth wheel and truck rentals.
Our guides to towing a travel trailer and choosing RV towing vehicles cover hitches, sway control, and capacity in more detail.
What can you use a toy hauler garage for besides toys?
Plenty. With the toys unloaded — or none at all — the garage becomes a second bedroom, a kids' bunk room, a gear room for bikes and paddleboards, a pet-friendly space, or a mobile office. Many garages have fold-down beds or sofas that turn the space from cargo bay to bonus room in minutes.
Heartland notes that when the toys come out, "that same garage converts into living space," with options like an electric bed that lifts to the ceiling or fold-down bunks. Forest River's Vengeance Rogue Armored lists a quick-set garage bed system and flip-up garage sofas.
Owners we hear from often turn the garage into a kids' bunk room. Other ideas:
- Bike and boat room: mountain bikes, e-bikes, kayaks, and paddleboards stay dry and locked.
- Basecamp office: a folding table and a view out the open ramp.
- Party patio: lower the ramp, add the railings if equipped, and set out chairs.
The garage is the room nobody fights over — until it's the bunk room.
How do you load and tie down toys safely?
Drive or push toys slowly up the ramp with a spotter, center the weight, and strap each one to the floor's tie-down rings with ratchet straps at four points. Then deal with fuel: the garage is part of your living space, so fumes and spills need attention.
The National Park Service's RV fire safety guidance says to make sure your RV's carbon monoxide and propane detectors are properly located and functioning, and to "use all fuels in adequately vented areas." For toy haulers, that means:
- Turn fuel petcocks off on bikes and ATVs before loading.
- Put down a drip mat under each machine.
- Air out the garage with the ramp or windows open after loading hot engines.
- Use the fuel station outside, never with the garage closed up.
- Test the CO and propane detectors at pickup.
We've heard plenty about the gas smell after loading a hot dirt bike and closing the ramp right away. Give it a few minutes to vent first.
Can passengers ride in a toy hauler while towing?
Usually not — and the rules vary by state. Many states restrict riding in a towed trailer. Ohio law, for example, says no person shall occupy any travel trailer, fifth wheel trailer, or manufactured or mobile home while it is being used as a conveyance on a street or highway. The one exception is a fifth wheel, and only if any child riding in it is properly secured and the driver has a way to communicate with the passengers. The safe default: everyone rides in the tow vehicle, buckled up.
Where can you take a toy hauler?
Toy haulers shine at off-highway vehicle (OHV) areas and dunes with campgrounds nearby. In Utah, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park offers 1,200 acres of open riding area for OHV enthusiasts and camping with showers and hookups. Sand Hollow State Park's Westside campground offers full hookups near its sand dunes.
Farther north, the BLM's Little Sahara Recreation Area in central Utah has four BLM-maintained campgrounds and a Sand Mountain that rises nearly 700 feet. Both Utah state parks require whip flags on OHVs in the dunes, so pack one per machine.
In our experience, dune-season weekends book up early. If that's your plan, look at rentals in St. George or near Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.
Ready to bring the toys? Browse toy hauler rentals on Outdoorsy and find a garage that fits your gear. Roam sweet roam.
About this guide
This guide was researched and written by the Outdoorsy editorial team. It draws on manufacturer specifications from Grand Design, Forest River, Heartland, Jayco, and Thor Motor Coach; Go RVing Canada; National Park Service RV fire safety guidance; North Carolina's safe trailering guide; Ohio's Revised Code; Utah State Parks and Bureau of Land Management recreation pages; and patterns from RV owner forums and conversations with Outdoorsy hosts and renters. Specs change by model year; confirm with your host. We have no commercial relationship with the brands mentioned unless explicitly noted.
