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After 25 years in the horse trailer and toy hauler business, we have heard it all…..but one of the most common issues our customers have experienced with other toy hauler RV brands is continuous tire blowouts. The reason for this is simple; many toy haulers are built with axles and tires that are far under-rated for the weight of the trailer itself.

“We have repaired many frames and what some of these guys use as frame material, we use to build out our window frames, not carry the weight of the trailer”, says Joe Skupski, owner of Phoenix Coach Works. When building trailers that are used “as a trailer” to haul goods – be it freight, horses, or Harleys – the frame and running gear are of prime importance.

When purchasing a toy hauler camper do the following calculations:

1. Find out the axle capacity of the toy haulers you are interested in purchasing

(For example at Phoenix Coach Works, our GVWR or gross vehicle weight rating is 7000 lb using 2-3500 lb axles in our 16’ to 20′ models with increased axle and tire capacities in larger units)

2. Determine the weight of the cargo you will be hauling

(Two full size Harleys would be 1600 lbs plus around 200 lbs of gear for a total of 1800 lbs)

3. Ensure that the weight of the trailer and cargo is at least 500 lbs under the axle capacity to be safe

It pays to be an educated consumer – many toy haulers are built with axles and tires that are far under-rated for the weight of the trailer itself, making them highly susceptible to tire blowouts which are not only expensive but dangerous. Most travel trailer builders simply design campers with very fancy interiors to give it a “homey” look with the cheapest materials they can. The undercarriage or axles and tires are just a means of rolling their homes around as cheaply as possible.

At Phoenix Coach Works we design our toy haulers for work functionality, and then install living quarters in them. If you are in the market for a new toy hauler, we invite you to check out our toy haulers here. And if you already have a toy hauler and want to get the latest tips of the trade from an industry insider, we invite you to bookmark us and check our blog often or become our Facebook Fan and get our blogs delivered weekly to your wall.