Toy Hauler Loading Tips

If you’re a powersports fiend, chances are good you often want to take your all-terrain vehicles or dirt bikes outside of the city. You might even choose to compete with them out of state! Either way, this means that you need a secure way to transport them wherever you choose to go.

A toy hauler is precisely designed to serve this purpose, allowing you to take your toys wherever you like while having comfortable accommodations right at hand. Toy haulers are large trailers that contain cozy living quarters up front with an enclosed garage space at the back. This makes them ideal for anyone who loves to take their powersports vehicles camping or to the racetrack.

Allan Dale Trailers & RVs is your local fifth wheel dealer, with locations in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. As such, we’ve provided this list of tips for successfully loading up your powersports vehicles safely in your cargo bay without incident.

Prepare Your Trailer

First, you’ll want to take the time to adequately prepare your toy hauler for the drive. You don’t want to suffer a breakdown on the highway with all your toys in tow. You’ll save yourself a headache now by making sure everything is functioning as it should.

Check all of your trailer’s tires to make sure they’re evenly aired up to the manufacturer’s suggested recommendation. This will reduce your risk of suffering a blowout and help to save your tread. And speaking of that, you’ll want to make sure the tread depth is sufficient and that your tires show no bald spots or cracks in them. Look for objects embedded in the rubber. Any flaws may mean replacement if not a simple patch repair.

Next, check the alignment of all your mirrors with your toy hauler hitched to your vehicle. You need to be able to see down both sides of the trailer to its end.

Finally, test your brake lights and turn signals so that other drivers know you’re reacting to traffic. Everything should be bright and easy to see.

Distribute Weight Evenly

When loading your toy hauler, bear in mind that anchoring a trailer to your towing vehicle shifts the weight balance and thus, how that vehicle operates. You don’t want to place too much weight at the rear as this could be extremely dangerous at high speeds.

Your goal ratio is to place 60% of the rear ahead of the front axle and 40% behind it, with 10% centered over the hitch itself. Shift weight forward as much as you can so that your toys are balanced, and ensure that weight is also balanced from left to right to avoid putting undue pressure on one side of tires. Taking the time to evenly balance weight will make your towing setup much easier to drive.

Loading Up

Now it’s time to load things up for real! Park your toy hauler on a piece of flat and even ground without a lot of obstacles in the way. You need to have sufficient space to drive up your toys. Block the wheels and lay the ramp down, making sure it’s stable before you get in your powersports vehicle. Drive at a slow, even speed that will allow you to surmount the ramp without blowing through the front of your trailer. Once you’re in the cargo bay, turn off the engine to prevent carbon monoxide build-up.

Securing Your Vehicle

Once you’ve got your vehicles on board, you’ll want to secure them within the cargo bay. Unsecured vehicles can bang against the walls or each other and do some real damage.

Use ratchet straps to press down the vehicle’s suspension or use D-ring tie downs to anchor it to the interior of the cargo bay. Test your vehicle’s security by tugging at it a few times from every angle. If it stays in place and the weight is evenly balanced, you’re good to go! Put up your ramp and securely close the bay.

If you need an RV, a camper or a trailer for your upcoming camping adventures, visit one of our dealerships in Edmonton or Red Deer to see what we’ve got in stock. We also carry toy haulers in many different styles to suit your needs! Allan Dale Trailers & RVs proudly serves the entire province of Alberta.