Boys & Their Toys
If touring is a passion and cruising on a special two-wheeled toy is a greater passion, then Truelux have come up with the ideal way to tour. This Toy Hauler has all the comfort of a mobile home with a bike space included and no need to strap camping gear to the side panniers.
When retired couple, Stephen and Gillian Riley were looking for a comfortable way to tour this great land of ours they also wanted to have the luxury of taking their beloved Harley (a 2005, Dyna Wide Glide) with them.
I caught up with the Rileys recently in the Yarra Valley as a part of the Truelux Rendezvous, and as the rain came down we sat and chatted about their new Toy Hauler. The story goes that the ride-smart duo were on a Hog Ride in 2005 to Alice Springs and found themselves caught out without any accommodation.
There is only so much gear you can carry on a bike of course and when you are two-up there’s even less room. After a not so nice night, the couple discussed the possibility of taking their home with them, having the bike as a passenger for the long haul stuff then leaving the mobile home at base camp to do the fun stuff on the bike.
After returning from that trip the fun began for the Rileys, leading them on a journey of discovery that would see them in and out of caravan yards and spending countless hours on the net, researching how they could get what they wanted in a touring package.
The idea of a 5th wheeler appealed to the couple and eventually led them to Truelux in Bayswater Victoria. The meet and greet occurred and the design phase of their new home started in December 2014, nearly ten years after being stranded. The project took around 10 months to complete as the Rileys wanted it to be perfect and as they said – what’s time to a retired couple.
We’ll come to the details of the Toy Hauler soon and look at the bike box first. Truelux built the unit with the rear of the 5th wheeler being set aside for the bike. The space itself is just big enough for the Harley and a little bit of bike gear and while the Toy Hauler could have been built to have the bike in the lounge room, the smells of oil and fuel in the living area were not an option for Gillian.
Stephen, as a former mechanical engineer and muso, would as soon have the bike stripped down on the dining room table if he could but Gillian, while she loves the bike, wasn’t having any of those shenanigans.
Stephen spent hours and hours designing the ramp and winch cable system that pulls the bike up into place and allows it to come down the ramp safely as well. Stephen worked closely with Peter Groom and the team from Truelux to ensure the walls were braced for the winch and after some tweaking, the system works really well. The beloved Harley can get secured safely out of the weather and it allows the duo to head further afield without racking Ks up on the bike.
Toy Hauler Model #75
Truelux specialise in custom building their 5th wheelers and this Toy Hauler from the ground up is manufactured for comfort. The door is mid-mounted and stepping up into the Hauler, the bedroom is on the left at the front of the van while opposite the door is the dinette which is a comfy club style affair and seats four people easily.
The bedroom features a queen sized bed mounted island style off the front wall with wardrobes and cupboards both sides and plenty of storage underneath. Large windows in the walls and a roof hatch allow for plenty of ventilation and light.
Another large wardrobe with drawers is mounted on the passenger side of the Hauler between the door and the bedroom and provides yet more storage. A cupboard door opens on the dinette side of this unit to expose the very neat power management controls, fire extinguisher, keys and more. It’s a clever use of space which is typical of how Truelux like to build their 5th wheelers.
The kitchen runs between the door and the ensuite on the passenger side of the unit. It’s angled towards the ensuite wall and the sink is fitted neatly in this corner. The kitchen is not huge however it’s practical for two. The Rileys do a lot of outside cooking, so decided the optional inside cooker was not needed. Instead this space is filled with drawers and a nifty slide out pantry between the door and the sink is very handy indeed. A microwave and fridge are located opposite the sink, within easy reach of both the kitchen and dinette.
Across the back of the Hauler is the ensuite, complete with toilet, washing machine and plenty of storage in overhead cupboards and below the bench top. I liked the long bench top which allows for plenty of work space if required. A groovy basin dominates the area close to the good sized shower.
Extras inside include an entertainment system, extra LED lighting, Fujitsu reverse cycle heating unit mounted on the wall between the living area and the ensuite and some nifty cut outs in the wardrobes next to the bed with LED lighting for storing books and the like.
Overall the interior is neat, easy to manage and very practical. The choice of colours accentuates the calming feel of the van and makes it look a bit classy too. Of course the highlight of the interior are the Harley pillows on the bed as well as the Meerkat pillow that watches everything that happens in the van – scary really!
Externally the Hauler is very typical of the Truelux build. It features a fibreglass nose cone with walls and roof manufactured from sandwich construction fibreglass over a heavy duty Styrofoam. This Aussie made product is hail proof, very strong and offers excellent insulation properties. The floor is a high strength honeycomb fibreglass panel and is in one piece, affording excellent durability and all weather protection.
There is a large boot space up front on the side of the unit for bigger gear while next to that, between the door and the storage box, is a battery box trimmed in marine carpet that houses a couple of deep cycle batteries. On the other side of the door are two drop down picnic tables, perfect for outdoor entertaining and of course good for placing helmets and bike gear on too.
The body mounts securely to a Free Camping Duragal chassis complete with tandem leaf spring suspension and shockers on each side. Other features include electric front stabilising legs, a 9 tonne ADR approved hitch system, electric brakes and alloy wheels. The underneath of the unit is very neat and tidy with shielding on the tanks and the plumbing and wiring up out of the way for safe touring.
Other features fitted include a Camec triple lock door, double insulated windows, electric step, LED lighting, twin 95l water tanks plus a 95l grey water tank, twin 9kg gas bottles, two solar panels up top and the Rileys opted for a Honda 2KvA generator to power things along when free camping.
Overall the Rileys love their Toy Hauler and were rapt with the way Truelux handled their special needs above and beyond what would normally be called for. Personally I liked the unit and it really highlighted why custom building can be the best way to go to ensure happiness while touring.
The Tow Vehicle
The Rileys opted for a new 2012 Colorado diesel auto ute. This met all the weight and towing requirements for the Toy Hauler and offered a dual cab for some extra space in the cabin.
The 2.8 litre twin cam turbo diesel develops 132kW/440Nm with the auto variant developing 470Nm and is rated to tow up to 3500kg. Economy is rated at 7.9l per 100km from the factory. It’s an ideal vehicle to handle the Toy Hauler.
To help the standard suspension, air bags were fitted which ride well with and without the 5th wheeler on the back. This was one of the best mods the Rileys have done to what is essentially a great vehicle.
Stephen designed the tray and ball system on the back of the Colorado. It’s practical and neat and encompasses a great tool box as well. Stephen also mounted a reverse camera on the tool box to see the ball when hitching up – just to make life easier.
The Rileys love the Colorado for towing and for cruising around in when the Toy Hauler is parked up. It gets them around in comfort and they reckon it’s an ideal vehicle for their needs.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Truelux
Model: Toy Hauler 5th Wheeler
Travel length: 7.0m (24ft)
Travel width: 2.4m (8’2”)
Tare weight: 2760kg
Ball weight: 760kg
Price: $135,000.00 base model, as featured $149,000.00 including options
Find Out More
Peter Groom
Fac 3, 10 Industry Circuit, Kilsyth Vic 3137
03 9761 5100
info@truelux.com.au