Toy haulers combine the comforts of an RV with the practicality of a towable garage. They are popular for outdoors enthusiasts who want to take their ATVs, boats, and bikes on the road with them. But can you get a car in a toy hauler? We've done the research, and here's what we've found.
Lightweight and compact cars are your best bet for loading in a toy hauler. It is essential that the car not only fit in the garage but also stay below the weight rating of the toy hauler and its ramp. Cars that can meet these standards for many toy haulers include:
- The Chevy Spark
- The Mitsubishi Mirage
- The Mini Cooper Hard Top 2 Door
- The Mazda MX-5 Miata
Always be sure to check the weight rating for your specific toy hauler and its ramp and the weight of your vehicle before attempting to load it in a toy hauler.
Let's look at each of these vehicles in more detail as well as other issues related to the cargo capacity of toy haulers, towing your toy hauler, and some top-notch Class A toy haulers.
Best Cars for Toy Haulers
While not every toy hauler will be able to fit a car in its garage, these cars can fit many.
The Chevy Spark
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDUP0_mB48Y
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 143.1"x62.8"x58.4"
- Curb weight: 2,266 lbs (without options)
The Chevy Spark is the shortest car included in this list. At just under 12' in length, it can fit in many, but not all, toy hauler garages.
The Spark is an affordable compact hatchback that gets an impressive 30/38 mpg (city/ highway). It's a great option for some fuel-efficient exploring while your toy hauler is hooked up at camp.
The Mitsubishi Mirage
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 151.4"x65.6"x59.4"
- Curb weight: 2,095 lbs
The Mitsubishi Mirage is the lightest vehicle on our list. Because of this, you will be able to get it up more ramps, and it will use less of your available weight in your toy hauler.
While it's lighter than the Spark, it is also longer. Many toy haulers have garages that are shorter than the Mirage, so always be sure to double-check your garage's dimensions.
The Mini Cooper Hard Top 2 Door
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 152.2"x68"x55.7"
- Curb weight: 2,711 - 2,769 lbs
The Mini Cooper is one of the most iconic and stylish compact cars. While it may be the most immediately recognizable mini, it isn't the lightest. The curb weight of the Mini Cooper puts it over the weight rating of many ramps. Make sure you know yours before attempting to load it.
Like the Mirage, it comes in at just under 13' in length.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 154.1"x68.3"x48.6"
- Curb weight: 2,341 lbs
For those looking for a sporty and stylish option, the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a lightweight sports car that can fit in many toy hauler garages.
The low curb weight of the Miata doesn't just help you get it in your toy hauler. The lightweight design assures you'll feel all the giddyup of its 181 hp engine as well. Great for getting an exhilarating ride in the great outdoors.
Can you Fit a Smart Car in a Toy Hauler?
Smart Cars have been popular in Europe for years, but you can find them on American roads as well. They are small, efficient, and have been fully electric since 2018.
The recent models, known as the Smart Fortwo, come in at a maximum length of 107.87" and curb weight of 2292.81 lbs. With these dimensions, they can even fit many toy haulers with smaller garages or weight ratings.
Smart cars are an excellent choice for hauling, but finding them can take some work. New Smart Cars are no longer being sold in the US. However, you can still find used Smart Cars at some dealerships or for sale by their owners.
Can you Fit a Jeep in a Toy Hauler?
While Jeep has an extensive lineup, the Wrangler is their most iconic vehicle. It's particularly popular among lovers of nature and the outdoors, but can you put one in a toy hauler?
The Wrangler is too long and too heavy for most toy haulers. Its exterior dimensions are 166" x 73.8" x 73.6" (LxWxH) and it has a curb weight of 3,948 lbs. While there are some toy haulers with large enough garages and weight capacities, there are few ramps that are rated for that much weight. You are likely to cause expensive damage to both your toy hauler and your Wrangler if you try.
Even the smallest Jeep SUV, the Renegade, is over the weight capacity of most ramps. It has a curb weight of 3,210 lbs, and that's excluding fluids and fuel. Unless you are positive your ramp is rated for the weight of your vehicle, it is best to avoid loading it in a toy hauler.
How Wide is the Opening on a Toy Hauler?
Having a wide garage is great, as long as the door is still wide enough to load it. Most toy haulers will have garages between 90"-102." The width of the opening will always be at least a few inches, and sometimes as much as a foot, narrower.
Unfortunately, most manufacturers do not give dimensions for garage openings in their specification sheets. If you're loading one of the cars detailed above, you shouldn't have any trouble fitting it.
How Much Weight can you Put in a Toy Hauler?
Most toy haulers can carry between 3,000 and 5,000 lbs. Every toy hauler is different, and before loading something heavy, it is essential that you know the cargo carrying capacity (CCC) of your specific toy hauler.
While some companies tell you the CCC directly, not all do. Should you need to calculate it, you will need to know the unloaded vehicle weight (UVW, also known as "dry weight) and the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). Simply subtract the UVW from the GVWR, and the remainder is your CCC.
GVWR - UVW = CCC
Keep in mind that this CCC is not just for your car or toys. It includes water, gas, supplies, and anything else you load in your toy hauler. Exceeding the CCC will wear down your toy hauler and may increase your liability in case of an accident.
How Much Weight can you Put on a Toy Hauler Ramp?
When loading a car in a toy hauler, knowing the CCC is not enough. You also need to know the weight limit of your ramp, which is typically less than the total CCC.
Most toy hauler ramps can hold around 2,500 lbs. This capacity is plenty for loading the usual toy hauler cargo, such as ATVs and motorbikes, but the vast majority of cars weigh more than those vehicles. Be sure to check the specifications for your particular ramp and the weight of your car before loading it in a toy hauler.
You can learn more about this topic from our article, "How Much Weight Can a Toy Hauler Ramp Hold?"
What Vehicle can tow a Toy Hauler?
Most toy haulers weigh over 5,000 lbs and some as much as 20,000 lbs before loading with cargo. For this reason, heavy-duty trucks, like the Ford F350, are the most popular option for towing toy haulers.
There are lighter toy haulers available that can be towed by half-ton trucks or even smaller vehicles in some cases. To learn more about this topic, check out our article, "What Size Truck Do You Need for Towing a Toy Hauler?"
What Class A Motorhomes are Toy Haulers?
While the vast majority of toy haulers come as either tow-behind trailers or fifth wheels, there are some motorhome toy haulers as well. Any motorhomes that include a garage area and ramp can be considered toy haulers.
These toy haulers tend to have garages that are shorter than trailers of fifth wheels. Because of this, they aren't a great option for hauling cars.
That said, they can still be great toy haulers in their own right. Here are a few examples on the market today:
Canyon Star 3927 by Newmar
- Garage dimensions: 95.5" x 120"
- Approximate CCC: 5,400 lbs.
The Canyon Star 3927 was awarded 2021's best Type A Diesel Toy Hauler by RV News. And for good reason.
The Canyon Star is built on a Freightliner MC Chassis with a 340 hp Cummins "B" diesel engine standard. The front-end diesel engine gets you not only more hauling power but also better fuel economy.
While the 10' garage might fall short for many cars, the Canyon Star also has impressive towing power. It has an estimated towing capacity of 8,400 lbs, so even if you can't load your car in the garage, you can still tow it behind.
It also has a luxurious interior to keep you comfortable on your outings. While the specs we list come from the 2022 model, you can get a sense from the 2021 model yourself in the video below.
The Outlaw by Thor Motor Coach
- Garage: 96" x 122"
- Approximate Garage Capacity: 1350 lbs (Outlaw 38KB) or 1450 lbs (Outlaw 38MB)
The Outlaw by Thor Motor Coach has more cargo space but a lower CCC than Canyon Star.
It's built on a Ford F-53 chassis and has an 8,000 lb hitch. While your car might not fit the garage, the Outlaw has an extra 4,000 lbs of towing capacity on top of its garage capacity. This means you can load toys in the garage and still tow most cars behind it.
Check out the Outlaw Class A in the video from Thor Motor Coaches below.
In Closing
While most cars might not fit in toy hauler garages, we've seen a few great options that just might fit yours. We've also seen some Class A toy haulers that, even if they can't fit your car, can tow it behind, leaving garage space for your other outdoor toys.
A toy hauler and the right car are the perfect way to enjoy nature and the road. Now that you know more about them, you'll be ready to get the most out of both.
Happy hauling!