Takes from the Sand Show:

[TPC]

We made it to the SSS show.
I would recon the show was bigger this year than ever.

The main thing we wanted to check out was the show price on Weekend Warrior Full Throttle 40 to 50 foot toy hauler.

We're saving. It's going to be some time before we can afford one,, so what the hey, let's get a good picture of how much we REALLY have to save to buy it, and how much we can save in cost on purchase.

The well known Glamis Warrior guy on GD.com "da man" quoted us what we though was an unreasonable price when we visited his place of business.

We camp at the river with folks that all have the 45 ft Full throttle. They all paid about $30.000 less than what Sha,, errr,, aaaa, "Da man" on GD.com quoted them.

Yeah,,, our suspicions were correct. Travelon RV in SD was about $32.000 less than Glamis Warrior/ Giant RV.
We're talking full loaded, with a heat duct to the rear storage area.

If you notice in the Pic above, the kitchen has only the one oven/combo microwave. I over looked that and the wife caught it right away. Ya gottal have the microwave seperate, and several visiting girls told the WW rep that too, and he need a kick in the nutsac because WW just doesnt get it.

I've always stressed go with the takes the wife or GF or daughter has on RV's. It's a BFD. Dudes are Myopic.

I think the "Da Man" is popular because the elped people get WW warranty issues resolved, and those with credit problems he got financed like it was all up to him.

So,, For a good price, one must shop around.

Sitting in the kitchen area, it was amazing how many people are interested in that Full Throttle mod too.

Also, many wives and groups of wives wanted a piece of flesh from the WW reps for unresolved issues with their WW.
That blindsided us, but it was fun to watch.

No RV can be a bigger POS than the one we have now. With zero support from Fleetwood.
The original legend Sandemon told us ya have to simply remember RVs are either cheap junk or expensive junk.

The show itself was teriffic. I can only suggest if you like to eat your way through like I do, avoid the dedicated food stands in the exhibit halls. It's like they are run by the DMV or the post office.
Buy food off the mom and pop speciality trailers.
Much, much better.

Our neighbors have the Ford F450 that they tow their Dunechaser trailer with.
Other than dissapointing fuel economy, they are pleased with the truck.

Dodge is releasing a V8 Cummins next year that is getting good MPG and has no particulate emissions filter.
Far far more power and torque that the current inline six, and its 500 lb lighter.

The Toyota 3/4 and 1 ton Caterpillar Diesel with Allison tranny Tundra won't be rated high enough to tow the Full throttle WW.

The Chevy Kodiak, looks like a phone booth on a piano dolly, but, we expect GM to change all that.

The Ford f 650 is the wifes choice, but ya can't tow a 5th wheel with the pick up bed. The mini bed sucks, the flat bed does too, and no one yet makes a pick up bed that the sides fold down like on the old VW van pickup trucks.

All our friends with the F650 can't keep rear ends in them. It's brutal Allison 5000 tranny is teriffic though. (The Dmax have the Allison 1000.)

So we came away with the thought that we won't have to save as much to buy what we want, and the wait for the next generation of tow vehicles will jive with our savings time frame too.

 

[Flyinbowtie]

Thanks for report, TPC.
One of the familes in our gang has the 45 ft.full throttle, and they are talking about getting a bigger one? Apparently, they will build them bigger.
They've had their share of problems and issues with quality control as well.
This is a family of three, mind you.
They bought a F450 4x4 CC and tow it with that. Even with the 450, they are about 1k over when loaded down, or so I am told.
Can't see needing/wanting/spending that kiind of coin on the stuff, but that is just me. Cheap vs. expensive junk is so very accurate.
By the time you get it all on the road, you could have purchased a home on a lot someplace.
The stuff depreciates like a rock falling out of the sky.
But it is fun to look at.

 

[TPC]

I take your point FBT.
The Full Throttle 45 is the only toybox that interests us and will haul all our stuff.
They are avail up to 50 feet.

It is a stranded, fast depreciating investment for sure, as are the high mileage tow vehicles in todays market.
But with our stuff wearing out, it'll probably be the direction we go.
All things considered and by compairison, the lower cost direction for us.

I ran motorhomes in the past, and have had my fill of that initial cost and depreciation. Seemed like a real money burner to operate and maintain.

A Ford or GM tow vehicle out on the road is soo much easier to get serviced or fixed and in most cases cheaper than a MoHo in my experiences.

 

[Flyinbowtie]

I've had the Class A, too, Ross.
If I was looking to replace our little Arctic Fox Camper, it would be with a big trailer. Class A RV's are a real money pit; you've got to use them or they really make no sense. In 12 years we only put 22k on ours, but got to buy untold numbers of tires, vac. line, etc, etc. etc. I was a slave to that damn thing every time we decided to use it.
If you guys are gonna use it, go for it.

 

[OCMerrill]

We like them but they don't work for us.

1. My Jeep will not fit inside due to height limitations.
2. My boat travels with us.

So we are stuck with the MH thing.

Almost all full timers use the 5th wheel program for reasons TPC stated. The truck is just plain easier to deal with.

We even thought about the tandem tow but that limits the 5th wheel to 28 feet and creates the Commercial Class Lic with doubles endorsement.

 

[RiverDave]

Thanks for report, TPC.
One of the familes in our gang has the 45 ft.full throttle, and they are talking about getting a bigger one? Apparently, they will build them bigger.
They've had their share of problems and issues with quality control as well.
This is a family of three, mind you.
They bought a F450 4x4 CC and tow it with that. Even with the 450, they are about 1k over when loaded down, or so I am told.
Can't see needing/wanting/spending that kiind of coin on the stuff, but that is just me. Cheap vs. expensive junk is so very accurate.
By the time you get it all on the road, you could have purchased a home on a lot someplace.
The stuff depreciates like a rock falling out of the sky.
But it is fun to look at.

I read a thread awhile back, about being overloaded and the insurance company pretty much telling you to get "F'd!"

From what I've heard the vast majority of rigs heading to the dunes fall into this category.. Any major failures, can ruin your life, especially after all the impending lawsuits.

RD

 

[Riverbound]

I read a thread awhile back, about being overloaded and the insurance company pretty much telling you to get "F'd!"

From what I've heard the vast majority of rigs heading to the dunes fall into this category.. Any major failures, can ruin your life, especially after all the impending lawsuits.

RD

that is 100% true. The people that are dumb enough to overload there stuff and put their families lives on the line becuase they didnt want to buy the appropriate tow vehicle baffle me.:swear dont forget the fact that they are also jepordizing my family and friends lives sharing the road with me. I towed our 40ft Alfa one time with my Old f-350 and although I was just under the max, I knew it was not safe, after that trip we went and started looking at tow vehicles and ended up with the FL60. i have now put well over 36k miles on it and have never felt unsafe towing our rig to the desert and back.
________
List of penny stocks

 

[Flyinbowtie]

Ya'll are preachin' a believer..
Wifey is in the insurance bizz, and I been to them overloaded wrecks.
Why do the folks who blow down the road at 80 MPH towing all their
stuff seem to be the same ones that are over GVW, or GCVW?

Fer that matter, how does a dealer let a guy off the lot in an F-250 when the trailer is more than the truck can legally tow?

 

[DeltaSigBoater]

Funny this topic came up, I was up at my dad's house this past weekend, and one of his neighbors has about 39' 2 axle, yes tandem axle, 5th toy hauler, that he was towing with a F350 dually.

I told my dad oh that looks real safe. :smackhead

I wouldn't mind having a 5th wheel toy hauler, like the WW FT, for those tips to the lake when the mobile home gets a tad crowded

 

[TPC]

I noticed at Emerald Cove this past summer, more people have bimini type tops on their Rhinos and Jeeps and Golf Carts
Aftermarket installations.
This is so they stow down flat and they can fit them in the toyhauler.
Especially the stacker haulers, where every inch in every direction seems to count.


Our jeeps & pick-ups in the Marines had fold down windows and bimini tops.

BTW: The WW 40 to 50 WW Full throttle is the only toy hauler in it's class that the bathroom/tub shower is totally isolated and off a hallway from the Master Bedroom.

Ya have kids and guests using the RR all day and nite while you're in the bedroom and ya want privacy both while using the restroom and in the bedroom.
So many people don't realize that until it becomes an issue.
The girls spot that right away when compairing Toy haulers.

Maybe some don't care. We had a neighbor family once, the Beach's, that would leave the bathroom door open when they were pinching off a chocolate loaf.

They left the bedroom door open too when the old man was laying the pipe to Mrs Beach as well.

Alice won't have that in our RV I'm sure.

BTW the Beach's first names are: Rocky, Sandy, Windy and Sunny. I kid you not.

 

[OCMerrill]

My window folds but the rollcage? The stacker stuff is ultra nice and would work well for me but then I need a toter of some sort.

A year or so ago we were out in Johnson Valley and a guy was putting a Jeep away inside a WW where the rear bed was removed. He had to change the wheels to smaller tires and it fit in there. Only time I have seen it and his Jeep had a good size lift.

 

[DeltaSigBoater]

I noticed at Emerald Cove this past summer, more people have bimini type tops on their Rhinos and Jeeps and Golf Carts
Aftermarket installations.
This is so they stow down flat and they can fit them in the toyhauler.
Especially the stacker haulers, where every inch in every direction seems to count.

Our jeeps & pick-ups in the Marines had fold down windows and bimini tops.

BTW: The WW 40 to 50 WW Full throttle is the only toy hauler in it's class that the bathroom/tub shower is totally isolated and off a hallway from the Master Bedroom.

Ya have kids and guests using the RR all day and nite while you're in the bedroom and ya want privacy both while using the restroom and in the bedroom.
So many people don't realize that until it becomes an issue.
The girls spot that right away when compairing Toy haulers.

Maybe some don't care. We had a neighbor family once, the Beach's, that would leave the bathroom door open when they were pinching off a chocolate loaf.

They left the bedroom door open too when the old man was laying the pipe to Mrs Beach as well.

Alice won't have that in our RV I'm sure.

BTW the Beach's first names are: Rocky, Sandy, Windy and Sunny. I kid you not.

I've noticed this, and understand that manufactures design & build this way to create a more open feeling in the bathroom. Thats all great if there are only 2 people using the RV, but most of us have family & friends we bring along too. Just what need to see, hear & smell during the wee-hours of the morning!

WW doesnt have a range w/ oven, instead they use just have a cooktop range & microwave below, which is very common on cabin boats with a galley. What I have done, and was wondering if any of you've used or thought about using a large toaster oven? Yes it takes up counter space, and needs 120 ACV, but its eaiser to clean and eaiser to replace over a range/oven unit. The food taste the same, but takes some getting used to on the temp & cook times.

What I would really like to see in RVs is a no Carpet Option. Even if you take off your gear out side the RV, bits of mud, sand, rocks, and whatever else is around your campsite, is eventually going to find its way inside. Seems to me that no carpet would make clean up a whole lot quicker.

 

[TPC]

We usually have a huge group of kids and their friends.

The oven is running on the holidays with a roast. turkey,, lasagna, on and on every day,, all the time.
And at the same time we also need a microwave at least 1400 watts because it runs all the time too.
Oven and microwave is essential in our lifestyle.

All our RVs have always had a big oven and a big microwave standard from the factory.
WW is the only RV builder that seems to not do it this way.

 

[intense]

What kind of prices are you finding on the 40?