EB toy hauler?

[Denkim]

Hi everybody
I've looking at maybe getting a toy hauler (for kayaks). But i just don't want to pull a massive house down the road. But then i remembered A/S has a Eddie Bauer model that my work really well for us. So the question to EB owners is do you like yours for the space for "toys". They seem to be a great answer for kayaking, fishing,and still have a great rv. Please comment on yours good or bad.

Thanks
denkim

[Missy Grace]

We love our EB. We travel with a 16 ft canoe.
It secures well in 5 min. with the tie downs.
Get it!

[dkottum]

With the EB it appears the toy hauler mode is really only practical for weekend/short trip use, rather than touring. Take your canoe/kayak to the campsite, unload them, set up dinette, and you're camping. But if traveling, it seems you would have to unload and set up each day to use the trailer interior.

I like the EB for other reasons, we came close to getting one, but I've wondered how that works out for you?

[robert claus]

I'd like to move up to an EB, too. Not so much for the toy hauling, although I can see that as a plus, but for the huge screen door you can pull down with the hatch open. How nice would it be to sit and have coffee with that terrific view.

[jasperkins]

I had done ALOT of research on Toy Haulers / 5th wheels / Travel Trailers before finally purchasing our 9 month old Eddie Bauer 27FB. At first I thought what we wanted was a 43' Dutchman Voltage. 2 bathrooms, big garage, lots of beds, lots of storage, great interior, etc. However we then asked ourselves what we really would be using this for.

1. Travel to State and National Parks (many parks have a length rule)
2. Travel with our 2 large dogs
3. TT instead of 5th wheel (though we have a 2013 Ram 3500), as we use our truck bed for dogs
4. High end TT that could be used as a toy hauler (1 motorcycle, mountain bikes, kayaks, etc.)

At first I thought the PanAmerica Airstream was the right one. However I must admit that thing is LONG!!! Yet I am jealous of the extra room (garage). Now we love our EB Back Hatch door. We have hauled a lot, great for loading, and super nice when just camping. We pull the screen door down, and the outside breeze is wonderful. For our NEEDS the EB was the right choice. I little utilitarian with the noscratch floors, and sunbrella fabric benchs- which is what we wanted.

The best way I can describe it, is like a range rover vs Mercedes benz SUV. Each has their pros / cons. If we didn't have dogs and larger equipment to haul, and didn't want to go right into national parks, I think the 5th wheel would have been our choice.

[StagrLee]

I have put my 16' Sotar raft in the back of my EB (deflated and rolled up of course). The thing is a monster size wise until you juxtapose it against the Grand Canyon... Fits nice in the back of the EB, but no using the trailer until you unload everything. I'm currently making a bike rack out of PVC for the back of my EB which will strap into the D rings.

[Denkim]

Thanks everyone for replies,
jasperkins we too looked at a voltage (36 ft?) But as I said before the size of that trailer was just to big to pull down the road to us. (it was the smallest 5th toy hauler we look at) MSRP 100k. I just think a EB A/S would be the right size in the trips we take. We don't stay long because work. I've seen where big 5th wheels were pull to a park and left. This makes better sense to me. We currently have a small 5th wheel which is nice but no way of hauling our kayaks.

What about comfort and extra room for family? I don't see a lot of EB's for resale which is good I guess. But any idea about resale values?

Stagrlee did you purchase yours in Buda? How was the service?

[jasperkins]

I will admit that the EB is not going to be as comfortable as a Land Yacht or maybe another model its same size. It more utilitarian. It doesn't have the kitchen Nook table- instead it has a 33" bench row in place. The trade off is that it has ALOT of room compared to the other hard fixed floor plans. Also for traveling with 2 large dogs, the sunbrella couch fabric is GREAT! takes a lot of abuse and easy to clean.

My father has come to visit us the last few days, and we have turned the bench seat into a bed. Its good for a few days- a 5" wide mattress for a 3rd / 4th / 5th person. Just long enough for a visit, before they must leave :-)

I wouldn't get hung up on resale. Its an airstream. Depending on how good you take care of it, I expect it will depreciate just like the others- just not as fast as SOB.



All the benchs fold up and you can easily place a 26' Canoe down the middle :-)

[mefly2]

We can fit mountain bikes, our Zodiac raft easily in the rear utilizing lash points; or, a BMW R1200 GS tilted on the diagonal to get inside the hatch/door and lashed down.
If you can afford / justify the additional cost, it is a great RV ... larger wheels / tires, upgraded floors and upholstery, and straight sided galley without the sink bump-out...all with a screened in rear hatch dining area with foldable seating. In short, we feel that it is more versatile for our life style.