Top-10 toy haulers

Want to camp in comfort but still enjoy all your 'toys' while on holiday?

You're in luck, as there are a number of 'toy hauler' campers and caravans available, to suit a range of budgets and requirements.

Toy haulers are usually based around conventional caravan or camper trailer designs, with additional platforms, decks, or bars added in, on and around the main body structure for carrying motorbikes, kayaks, a jet ski, tinny, mountain bikes or other recreational equipment.

Here we’ve listed 10 different toy haulers currently available in Australia to suit a range of adventurous pastimes…

Royal Flair Raptor

The Melbourne-built Royal Flair Raptor has been on the market for a couple of years now, and packs a lot into a relatively compact footprint.

It’s available in seven different layouts – all but one with an internal shower/toilet – and in body lengths from 11ft 5in to 17ft 6in.

Sleeping and lounging is inside the fixed roof body and cooking outside, while the large platform extension out back is big enough to carry a quad bike.

More toys go on top with a 10-point roll bar that encases the body and can be customised with various roof rack options to carry kayaks or a dinghy.

Related: Raptor flies into Supershow

MDC XH7.4 Xpedition Hauler

A cut-price ‘copy’ of Patriot’s Queensland-built TH toy camper, the imported MDC XH7.4 Xpedition Hauler is aimed at families who like to take their motorized toys with them on holidays.

Up front on the tandem axle off-road trailer chassis is a forward-fold tent-style camper with auto-opening roof that sleeps up to five family members under canvas, while the 2.3m x 3.0m alloy deck out back is big enough for a side-by-side ATV.

Cooking is outside on a pull-out stainless kitchen with three-burner cooktop and sink with hot/cold tap, alongside a 95 litre slide-out fridge.

Related: MDC launches first toy hauler camper

New Age XU

Going up against Jayco’s Basestation range of toy haulers, the Melbourne-built New Age XU22BC blends the best of caravan living with an easily-accessible ‘garage’, so nothing gets left behind.

The 22ft XU was designed and engineered by New Age owner Walkinshaw Performance to fulfil a multiple of purposes, ranging from a family holiday base to a mobile office or event HQ, and it can sleep up to eight, depending on configuration, as long as the toys are parked outside.

Related: New Age XU 2019 Review

Paramount Tough Mudda

Paramount has joined New Age and Jayco in offering a big caravan-based toy hauler. Called Tuff Mudda, it's available with a range of suspension options, layouts and body sizes, from 19ft 6in to extra-large 25ft.

Unlike the New Age XU's, the Tough Mudda's rear garage can serve as the kitchen and dining area, as well as offering extra fold-down bunk beds at night.

The checker plate covered drop down ramp at the back is also power-operated on the Tough Mudda, making it easier to open and close.

Related: Paramount Tough Mudda for sale

Jayco Work 'n' Play

Loosely based on Jayco's JPod mini-caravan, the 10ft 10.35-1 Work N Play model is Jayco’s smallest toy hauler and has been described by the company as “part caravan, part mobile garage”.

Just over five metres long,  2.4m high and 2.12m wide, the baby toy hauler boasts a Tare weight of 1011kg, an unloaded ball weight of 125kg and up to 500kg payload.

Inside space measures 3.113m long and 1.521m high, providing enough room to run a small Honda quad bike up the Raptor-coated drop-down ramp between the two bench seats, with nine tie down points to secure items.

Related: Jayco unveils baby toy hauler

Van Cruiser SUV Outlaw

Melbourne’s Van Cruiser specializes in off-road, custom built vans and the compact ‘SUV’ toy hauler is one the niche designs it released a few years ago.

Measuring just 1500mm wide, there’s space inside the compact body for not much more than a double bed mattress and storage cupboards. However, its key attraction is the range of bolt-on, bolt-off ‘toys’ from tinnies to trail bikes it can carry to playgrounds well off the beaten track.

“I’m building it for people who simply want somewhere to sleep at night in remote places, but otherwise want to spend the rest of their days outdoors,” explained Van Cruiser boss Enzo Gnocato, at the time..

“It’s really an untapped segment for the fishing, hunting and 4x4 market.”

Related: Toy hauler for tough nuts

NextGen NextLevel

Rather than carrying the ‘dirty’ bikes inside, Melbourne manufacturer NextGen has come up with a neat alternative in the form of a fully-equipped caravan with separate motorbike carrier at the rear.

Like any luxury off-road van the 16ft 6in NextGen NextLevel is loaded with off-road equipment including coil independent suspension and off-road hitch, not to mention comfort items like a diesel heater, roof-top air-conditioner, lithium battery system and TV satellite dish.

However, it’s main party trick is the dirt bike carrier. Running off an extended rear bar that also supports the two spare wheels, the two-part rear platform includes tie-down points and a ramp for the bike section, with another platform with separate ramp that allows safe access to the bike.

To keep it all legal this rearmost mounting platform, which incorporates the rear taillights and rego plate, folds up when travelling.

Related: Next Gen goes to Next Level

MAN 4x4 custom toy hauler

This custom-built ‘monster’ toy hauler rig was advertised for sale earlier this year, and shows what’s possible with enough money, time and creativity.

While the MAN 4x4-based Jacana motorhome ‘tow vehicle’ is impressive enough, it’s the custom alloy trailer that really catches the eye.

With two levels as well as open and closed sections, the tandem axle trailer is designed to carry a large aluminium trailerboat on top, along with a Suzuki Jimny-sized 4WD SUV and CanAm quad bike below. There’s also an enclosed garage on the lower level big enough for up to three motorcycles.

The custom toy trailer also comes with a 100 litre water tank and 12V powered tap, plus a 140 litre fuel tank with bowser to keep all the motorized toys running.

Related: Monster toy hauler motorhome for sale

Patriot TH toy hauler

Queensland’s Patriot led the pack when it introduced its impressive TH560 toy hauler trailer about five years ago.

With many updates since, the Patriot toy hauler is now available as the 6.1m long TH610, which essentially packages up Patriot’s X1 camper body with a 2.4m wide by 3.0m long rear deck for the motorized toys (there's also a TH730 with 4.2m long deck).

With an external frame and roof rack over the rear deck, there’s also scope to carry a  tinnie, outboard and spare wheel holder.

Related: Patriot TH560 Review

Rowville Equivan

This is a toy hauler caravan with a difference: designed to carry 'live' toys, as well as motorised ones!

Built by Melbourne’s Rowville Horse Trailers (which also sells Kokoda Caravans), the Equivan borrows many features from the caravan industry including a side entry door, front tunnel boot and roll-out awning.

However, a door in the dividing wall from the front living/eating/sleeping area leads to a rear climate controlled ‘horse bay’ that incorporates movable barriers to contain two horses, with a clever drop-down, bunk bed arrangement on one side that folds up into a wall compartment when not in use.

When not being used as a horse float, the Equivan can also carry motorbikes and other outdoor equipment in the rear space.

Related: Equivan sales galloping along