Finding the right rig for full-time RV living is rarely a straight line. We knew early on that we wanted something more than just our truck camper for full-time living, but discovering our ideal setup took some trial and error. We spent four months in a 29’ Avenger travel trailer, followed by a year in a 17’ Casita trailer, before finally landing on the rig that best suited our wants and needs: a 21’ Desert Fox toy hauler.

Six years into living in our Desert Fox, we can confidently say it’s as close to the perfect rig for us as we’re ever going to get.

An important fact to accept when transitioning to life on the road is that there is no such thing as the “perfect” setup. That is precisely why we divide our year between living in the toy hauler and living in the truck camper. They offer two completely different ways to experience life on the road, and by having both, we get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Jump to:
Why a toy hauler
Specs & Off-grid power system
Photo Gallery

What exactly is a toy hauler?

A toy hauler is an RV designed with a rear wall that opens and lowers to the ground, transforming into a ramp. They are traditionally built to accommodate a motorcycle, quad, or side-by-side (the “toys”) inside the rear garage of the RV.

Toy haulers come in a wide variety of classes—including Class A, Super C, Fifth Wheels, and travel trailers—and range in style from industrial and “garage-like” to high-end luxury with completely separated rear garage spaces.

Because we don’t own or haul an OHV, we initially didn’t even consider looking at toy haulers. But as it turns out, this style of RV has a lot to offer far beyond the ability to carry motorized toys.

Why we love the toy hauler style

RVs have a tendency to feel a bit cave-like. No matter what make or model you purchase, you are essentially living inside a small box.

With a toy hauler, the entire rear wall can open, creating a stunning indoor/outdoor living space. Life on the road takes us to so many incredible locations. With our back door open, we feel like we are bringing the outdoors in, completely eliminating that closed-off feeling. Because we generally chase good weather, we are able to leave that back door open more often than not.

Unique attributes of the toy hauler

While the drop-down back door is what initially attracted us, we quickly discovered that toy haulers offer several other attractive attributes that standard travel trailers simply don’t have:

• Easy Customization: Many toy haulers feature modular furniture to make room for whatever “toy” might be stored in the back. Because of this modular design, it was incredibly easy to remove all the dated, uncomfortable factory furniture from our trailer. We replaced it with our own preferred pieces, creating a much more homey, personalized interior.
• High Ceilings: To accommodate tall OHVs, toy hauler ceilings are significantly higher than those in a traditional travel trailer. This gives the rig a wonderful feeling of spaciousness, not to mention allowing room for taller cabinets (and in a tiny home, more storage is always a bonus).
• The Stowable Bed: Our specific toy hauler features an electric lift system with two beds. At the push of a button, both beds lower from the ceiling to become queen-sized bunk beds. When the beds are stowed against the ceiling, the entire rear of our trailer becomes fully usable living space for daytime activities. Since we don’t need the upper bunk for sleeping, we converted it into our “attic” for additional storage. Because beds take up a massive amount of square footage inside an RV, the ability to stow our bed against the ceiling during the day is a game changer. It allows us to get a high level of functionality out of a moderately sized trailer.

Specs

• Make & Model: 2006 Desert Fox 21SW by Northwood Manufacturing
• Length: 21’ box (24’ including the tongue)
• Fresh water: 78 gallons
• Grey water: 46 gallons
• Black water: 36 gallons
• Propane: Two 30 lb tanks

DIY Additions

• DC compressor fridge by Dutchaire
• Mini split air conditioner 
• Water filtration system
• Factory-installed microwave replaced with an air fryer/toaster oven combo unit
• Max air fans w/ vent hood

Off-grid power system

Because we spend the vast majority of our time camping off-grid on public land, relying on RV parks for shore power was never an option. We needed a setup that would allow us to live, work, and run our business seamlessly no matter how remote our location. Mark custom-designed and built our electrical system from the ground up to give us total independence.

• The Solar Array: 1,200 watts of flat-mounted solar panels on the roof, regulated by dual Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 charge controllers. This array is so capable that we rely on it entirely—we don’t even use a DC-DC charger from the truck while driving. The sun handles 100% of our charging needs.
• The Battery Bank: A massive 560Ah 12-volt lithium powerhouse. To get exactly what we wanted, Mark built this bank using two 280Ah DIY battery kits from Sun Fun Kits, wiring them in parallel to maximize our off-grid capacity.
• The Inverter: A Victron MultiPlus 3000 inverter/charger. This heavy-duty unit takes our 12V battery power and flawlessly runs our standard 120V household appliances, meaning we rarely have to compromise on the comforts of a normal home while out in the wild.

To house our electrical system, Mark removed the on-board generator from the trailer giving him the perfect space for our solar components.

Photo Gallery