From a Fifth Wheel to a Toy Hauler – Growing into our New RV

Where Our RV Journey Began

Our family of five have been extended RV’ing since summer of 2021. When we purchased our first RV our children were still small at ages 11 ,6 & 5. We chose a mid-bunk Heartland fifth wheel with a large living space. Having a large living area was important because we love to host friends and family for meals. We also have game and movie nights as a family often. So, we found ourselves at a transition point of growing out of our current RV and needed to figure out what made sense for us quickly.

Growing Out of Our Fifth Wheel

Our children grew rapidly over the next three years.  Now 5’9, our daughter could barely get in and out of her loft. Sharing one bathroom was becoming difficult as our teen would spend a lot of time doing her hair and make up.

The two boys shared a small bunk room and were growing out of that space as well. Our family soon realized we were at a transition point. We either stopped RVing all together or find a new RV that fits our family better. The five of us collectively agreed we wanted to continue RVing, so we were determined to find a floorplan that would meet our needs. 

More Reasons to Look At New Heartland Models

Another struggle we had with our fifth wheel was storage for our outdoor gear. We own multiple paddle boards, five e-bikes and a few more outdoor toys for the kids. Packing up on travel days was quite a task. We had to put the paddle boards on the master bed.

Then came strategically stacking the e-bikes between the opposing slides in the living room and randomly place the other toys throughout other rooms. 

Exploring Our New RV Options

We went to two RV shows and toured hundreds of RVs, looking at bunkhouses, more mid bunks, double suites and toy haulers. All of us sat in each one we toured and pretended to do our daily routine to get a feel for which RV would work best for our family. We loved the idea of a toy hauler but didn’t want to sacrifice the living space. A larger living area so we can host our friends and family and have movie nights was priority. Many toy haulers have a small living area with only a 2-4 seat sofa. 

Torque 424 Fifth Wheel Toy Hauler

We walked into the brand new Heartland Torque 424 and every single need was met. This is a brand new floor plan by Heartland with a huge living space with three sofas plus a U-shaped kitchen for making large family meals. A bonus is that it also has a coffee bar.

New Added Garage Space

The Torque 424 is just under 47 feet with a 14 foot garage including a loft and two other sleeping spaces for our three growing kids plus a half bath for them as well. One of the biggest perks of switching to a toy hauler is the ramp door at the back of the RV, which allows easy loading and unloading the e-bikes, paddle boards and other toys on travel days. 

Growing Into Our New Toy Hauler

Our family could see ourselves living and functioning in this toy hauler and we have room to grow too! We decided to move forward and make it our new tiny home on wheels, and have now been in our Torque for a month and couldn’t be happier! And are much more comfortable. 

The additional room in the toy hauler is a breath of fresh air for the family. Suddenly, there is more space for everyone to relax and move around comfortably. The kids each have their own large beds in the back, while my husband and I enjoy a larger master suite at the front of the RV. The back patio has been a great extended living space. The kids enjoy time out there with campground friends. Us adults love to sit out back with a drink and our propane fire pit to wind down in the evening.

Overall, moving into a toy hauler has been a game-changer for our family. Not only did it provide us with more space and flexibility for our camping trips, but it also allowed us to continue to grow and evolve as a family. We are excited to see where our toy hauler takes us next and look forward to many more memorable adventures with our new home on wheels.

Original blog written by The Adventure Bones, Heartland Brand Ambassadors and owners of a 2024 Torque 424.