A Toy Story

‘To serve as a diversion rather than for serious or practical use’, that’s the definition of “toy”.

The notion of what a toy is has a tendency to change over time.  Children play with toys in the form of action figures, dolls or building blocks.  As they become teenagers, the thought of playing with toys becomes ‘uncool’ but teens play board games, video games and on their smart phones and computers just the same.  But when teenagers cross that dreaded threshold into adulthood, something strange happens; the idea of owning and playing with toys begins to surface again.  Only now, the toys are larger, more expensive and require time and maintenance to keep them functional.

These toys range from classic cars and motorcycles to any variety of off-road vehicles.  Adult toys are fast, shiny and fun to ride or drive.  And just as a child takes his/her favorite toy to school for show- and-tell, adults like to show their toys to their friends and tell about the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into them.  But toys this size can’t be shoved into a pocket or a backpack.  These toys need their own kind of special transportation.  These toys need toy haulers.

Lucky for you Phoenix Coach Works also builds toy-haulers and enclosed trailers as well as custom horse trailers.  All designs are fully customizable but rest assured that everything we build is done to the following standards:

  •  seamless aluminum roofs to withstand leaks
  • axle/tire combination specifically designed to your needs
  • pressure treated plywood floor with undercoat to prevent rotting
  • all-steel frame with aluminum exterior
  • full unit insulation

With this in mind, let us we take a moment to showcase the Phoenix Bike and Car RV.  This home away from home can fit two motorcycles in the 8’ width or a car in the 8.5’ version.  You find all the amenities you desire in the bathroom complete with a shower, vanity, toilet and remote electric fan.  The kitchen boasts a 2-burner cook-top with a fan, microwave, sink and a 2.5 cubic foot refrigerator/freezer.  And after a long day on the trail or in basking in the sun, you can relax and replenish yourself using the fold-down couch and dinette that easily converts into a bed.  The Phoenix Bike and Car RV is available in lengths ranging from 16’ to 24.’

It’s very important to choose the correct design for your needs so if you have any questions at all regarding our toy haulers and enclosed trailers (including 4, 6 or 8 horse trailers or a Phoenix Coach Works series van) please contact our staff and schedule a consultation.  With over 25 years of experience in over the road hauling and custom fabrication, we’ll hook you up!

We are proud to provide quality service and satisfaction to our customers.  Even more, we are happy to do it.

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Insuring Your Toy Hauler

Having a toy hauler allows you to travel with your family and enjoy the great outdoors while taking the comforts of home with you.  No matter where you plan to travel, even the best thought out travel plans can sometimes go astray. When they do you will be glad that you thought ahead and got a well rounded RV insurance policy for your toy hauler camper.

Here are some of the things you should consider when deciding upon your toy hauler RV insurance:

  • Don’t assume the contents of your toy hauler or bike RV are covered just because you have an RV insurance policy. Most policy’s limit what they will cover inside your toy hauler.
  • If you are carrying expensive toys inside your toy hauler, make sure your policy includes theft coverage. Many toys are highly sought after by thieves.
  • Standard insurance policies often offer a limited amount of coverage for roadside assistance and towing and the cost of towing an RV may be as much as 3 times the cost of towing a car.
  • You can get RV insurance under a standard auto policy or get specialty RV insurance. Specialty RV insurance is more likely to take into account some of the aforementioned items. In the case that something happens you will be more likely to get a claims adjuster who focuses solely on RV insurance cases.
  • Specialty RV insurance policies often offer coverage for Vacation Liability which pays up to the limit of liability for injuries the RV owner is legally responsible as a result of an accident occurring during the time an RV is used as a temporary vacation residence.

If you are in the market for a new toy hauler, check out our custom toy hauler options. You can also see pictures of our toy haulers by clicking on the gallery tab at the top of the page.

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Transporting Bikes with Your Fifth Wheel Campers

Recently a post on HDTalking.com caught our attention. A travel enthusiast was trying to find the best way to transport his Harley with his fifth wheel trailer.

One possible solution he was considering was to put a carrier into the receiver “hitch on rear tow of vehicle” that the bike would actually sit on. A 600-700 lb bike is a lot of weight aft of rear axle when most vehicles have class III hitches and a carrying weight of 500 lbs.

Another option under consideration was to tow a trailer behind the fifth wheel camper trailer which not only makes it extremely difficult to drive (seriously…towing a trailer behind your camper trailer and vehicle is just crazy!), but also can present significant structural issues such as putting too much stress on the frame of your vehicle which can reduce your pin weight or bend your hitch or frame.

There is very little room for error when you are either towing a trailer behind a fifth wheel RV or hitching your bike to the rear of your camper. Worst case scenario you can wreck, lose your bike, or a combination of both! If you have the need for a fifth wheel and also need to travel with your bike, you may want to consider a toy hauler trailer instead.

A toy hauler camper can give you the best of both worlds. At Phoenix Coach Works we combine the best in RV luxury with custom amenities such as:

  • A bathroom that contains a shower, vanity, toilet, and remote electric fan.
  • A full kitchen with a 2 burner cook top with fan, microwave oven, sink, and a 2.5 cu.ft refrigerator freezer.
  • Other toy hauler amenities include thermostatically controlled a/c & heat, hot water heater, electrical outlets, ample lighting, and large windows for ventilation.
  • And for your motorcycles, our toy hauler trailers feature a spring assist fold down ramp and extension, along with recessed tie downs, making the loading and unloading of your bikes a snap.

If you need a place to stay as well as a means to transport your bike, the Phoenix Coach Works toy hauler travel trailer is the perfect solution for safe travels for your bike and your family.

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Toy Hauler Floor Rot

Leaks in the roofs of fifth wheel toy haulers are one of the most common RV repairs that we see at Phoenix Coach Works. These leaks can ruin the interiors of your toy hauler camper and eventually lead to floor rot, a very expensive toy hauler rv repair which requires removal of the interiors to replace the floorboard. This repair is so expensive, that many customers often opt to forego the repair and buy a new toy hauler camper.

At Phoenix Coach Works, we ensure that our first priority is quality construction to avoid these types of problems. Our products are built to stand up to the rigors of everyday commercial use. Here are a few examples of the quality construction methods we utilize:

• Our floors are created from pressure treated plywood that is then undercoated to prevent floor rot

• Our roofs are constructed from a solid piece of aluminum instead of using rubber or seamed roofs that break down over time

Our philosophy is: Build it as if it were your own, and treat the customer as you would family. Strive for excellence everyday and learn from yesterday.

It is a dedication to quality and workmanship that sets Phoenix Coach Works Inc. apart from the rest. Perhaps that is why, after 25 years in business, 90% of our products are still on the road.

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Throw Out Your Camper Covers & Regain Your Freedom

One of the major problems with many toy hauler rv’s is that, after a few years of exposure to the wear and tear of the elements, they begin to leak. To extend the life of their campers, some toy hauler manufacturers recommend customers buy a cover to protect their trailers from the rain and snow. At Phoenix Coach Works, our custom bike rv’s are constructed from quality materials that are designed to withstand the elements so that they do not leak and no covers are needed.

So what sets Phoenix Coach Works toy haulers apart from the rest? Instead of using rubber or seamed roofs that break down over time, we use one solid piece of aluminum that can withstand the roughest of conditions. This same type of construction is used in large commercial freight trailers that are designed to be used day in and day out in all types of weather, so you can trust that your Phoenix Coach Works toy hauler will last.

Many manufacturers sell toy haulers that are incorporate all of the interior design bells and whistles one can desire, while skimping on the quality of the exterior that will protect their luxurious interior. For this reason, leaks are the ultimate death of most campers.

“I have a large camper trailer in here now that has several large leaks and the floor under the linoleum is rotted. They have opted for us to fix the leak but not the floor because it would entail removal of the entire interior at a great price” – says Joe Skupski, owner of Phoenix Coach Works and 25 year industry veteran.

Don’t be a victim of toy hauler camper leaks or be tied down to campers that need covers, start with the quality construction provided by Phoenix Coach Works.

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Phoenix Coach Works to Attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

The 2010 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the 70th anniversary, making the world’s largest motorcycle rally an even bigger celebration than recent years. If you are planning to attend, Phoenix Coach Works invites you to stop by, meet us, and see our bike rv. We will be bringing our smallest size toy hauler camper – the answer to attending motorcycle rallies.

Built first as a cargo trailer, our bike rv packs a punch and can ride hard, enduring the everyday use often imposed on toy haulers by bike and Harley owners. Then we install the amenities needed after a long day of riding such as a spring assist fold down ramp, kitchen and full size shower. Small and efficient, the Phoenix Coach Works toy hauler is able to navigate crowded areas at bike rallies – areas that the larger toy hauler rv’s cannot.

At the show, Harley Davidson will be on hand demonstrating their newest models and allowing you to demo virtually every kind of bike that is available. Whether you are buying a new Harley at the show or already have one, you may want to take this opportunity to also test out toy haulers first hand as well. Try using the ramps to load your bike inside, and test out the amenities (in between attending concerts and trying out the local watering holes, that is). We think you will find our toy hauler campers to be best suited to your needs. We look forward to seeing you in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota to get your feedback.

See you in Sturgis!

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All Weather Toy Haulers

Phoenix Coach Works builds our new toy haulers from an all-steel frame trailer with aluminum exterior. Your toy hauler camper will feature a seamless roof and come fully insulated. One of the defining characteristics of the Phoenix Coach Works toy hauler is that they are built with no wood in the construction of the frame (unlike many of the other toy haulers for sale today).

At Phoenix Coach Works we pride ourselves in the quality of our trailers and Rv’s. After 25 years of building units for private and commercial haulers, we have learned the best practices of toy hauler construction. And our findings clearly demonstrate that wood construction in a trailer frame is not suited to the majority of weather you will find in the United States.

Our premier toy hauler construction from steel and aluminum creates a longer lasting toy hauler RV which will not rot and crack due to the elements such as snow and rain, unlike wood. Not to mention, our construction results in an overall lighter toy hauler, saving you money on the ever increasing cost of gasoline.

For the ultimate in custom toy hauler construction, contact us today.

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Toy Haulers for Outdoor Thrill Seekers

If you are an outdoor thrill enthusiast who lives to travel and wants to take your toys with you, the Phoenix Coach Works new toy hauler rv is for you. We offer a variety of sizes from 8’x16’ to 8.5’ by 28’ (click here to see details of toy hauler camper sizes along with prices).

Here are some of the toys you can take in our custom toy haulers:

• 4 Wheelers –In a 8.5 X 16 trailers one atv can go in straight, or you can turn the first to carry 2.

• Motorcycles – If you intend to carry only bikes the 8’ x 16’ will comfortably haul 2 Harleys. An 8’ by 20’ will carry 3 Harleys or if you are looking to carry 4 big Harleys you will need an 8’ x 24’ trailer.

• Cars – The 8.5’ wide toy hauler rv are the best choice to carry an automobile

• Dirtbikes – These toys tend to be on the smaller side of the spectrum and you can comfortably fit 3-4 dirt bikes in the smallest of our toy trailers

• Jet Skis and Snowmobiles – These toys can vary greatly in size, we will be happy to recommend a size given the dimensions of your watercraft or snowmobile

At Phoenix Coach Works we understand that your new toy hauler purchase is a personal one. While we have listed some general guidelines above, we would love to hear from you so that we can recommend the best size and amenities to fit your needs and toys. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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Custom Toy Hauler RV: Luxury on the Road

Toy haulers are the hottest type of trailer to come to the world of RV’s since the motorhome.  A toy hauler camper gives you a comfortable place to sleep and live as well as a cargo area to store your toys. Even though toy haulers have been around for sometime many are just modified motor homes built for occasional weekend use. These modified motor homes can be high maintenance due to wood framing and subject to moisture getting into wood thru every fastener on the body exterior.

At Phoenix Coach Works, our trailers are cargo trailers first,made for everyday use and modified with living quarters. We can customize your toy box trailer so that it becomes your favorite home away from home.

The Phoenix Coach Works toy hauler rv allows you to travel in comfort with the following amenities:
•    Bathroom contains a shower, vanity, toilet, and remote electric fan
•    Kitchen has a 2 burner cook top with fan, microwave oven, sink, and a 2.5 cu.ft refrigerator freezer
•    Living area features a pull down couch and dinette that easily convert into beds for sleeping.
•    Thermostatically controlled a/c & heat, hot water heater, electrical outlets, ample lighting, and large windows for ventilation
•    There are also generous cabinets for all your storage needs

The cargo area of the toy hauler camper features:
•    A spring assist fold down ramp and extension for ease of loading
•    Recessed tie downs

Whether you want to travel in style to motorcycle and car rallies or travel the country with your motorcycles, 4 wheeler, or car in tow, the Phoenix Coach Works toy hauler will provide all of the creature comforts of home.

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