Voltage Toy Haulers Have an Above-Average Price Tag, Yet Offer Beyond-Average Living

The machines known to achieve such transformations are none other than toy haulers. Yes, those massive travel trailers filled with the luxuries of home, including garages that can accommodate other smaller vehicles used for adventurous times while roaming the lands.

Well, one crew that's active in the toy hauler game is none other than Dutchmen RV, the one and the same that's been offering Americans travel trailers and mobile units for 35 years. One of their lineups, the Voltage, is made of an array of units that can achieve the above-mentioned capabilities, including offering garages that are up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length. 18 feet! That's big enough to fit a Chevy Tahoe – not sure that's in the plans, though, so check with Dutchmen before you try and cram such a beast inside.

Now, there are several floorplans available in this lineup, so to make things easier to understand, I'll run through some of the more important aspects of these trailers and ones that apply to all or the majority of layouts. Before we go on, let me point out that you may need to save up some cash to grab one of these babies, because prices start at a tad under $159K (€149K at current exchange rates), and while that may sound like a bit more than most folks would spend on such a machine, there are clear reasons why Dutchmen has appraised their goods at such a level.

To get us into the outdoor lifestyle flow, let me continue our journey into the Voltage lineup by completing the picture of what an integrated garage can do for you. You've been driving for a few hours and finally made it out into the wild. Well, if you're traveling with a myriad of vehicles, unload your motocross bikes, ATV or ATC, and kayaks and run rampant.

Ok, so you have a bunch of little baby vehicles running around outside your trailer. What now? Well, let's focus more on the Voltage, and not so much on the rides. After unloading everything, this very space that was once a garage can now be transformed into an array of living spaces.

For example, all units include an elevating modular dinette that can be raised or lowered to your will and even transformed into a sleeping area. Then there's the ramp door. Like most toy haulers, this feature isn't just for loading and unloading vehicles, but can be repurposed for one hell of an outdoor patio area. You can enjoy a cold one, set up some outdoor entertainment, or catch the night sky from under a sleeping bag. This is a great feature for family or friends that love an array of outdoor activities near your mobile home. Some floorplans include an entertainment center built right into the shell of your Voltage, so more than one lounge should be possible.

Continuing our journey into these puppies, another aspect that is really important for large families is the inclusion of multiple slide-outs in each model. I concluded from the manufacturer's website that each layout places a large lounge upon such a mechanism and, with it, opens up the interior of each Voltage to feel much roomier. Once you add an entertainment or galley setup onto their own slide-outs, even if you're traveling with a family of six to eight people, you should all still be able to bash crystalware or aluminum cans while cheering together.

Beyond the living room, lounge, and kitchen, the rest of your Voltage is reserved for nothing other than the bathroom and main bedroom, typically reserved for the owner or lucky guests. Now, the bathroom is a bathroom, so I'm just going to skip over that and point out that each unit's leading bedroom is set around a king-size bed. What does this mean for you? Well, it typically means another slide-out, and frankly, this one is kind of essential because that's one massive bed. Best of all, there's room to walk around it, and some units even have a place for you to hang another TV, not to mention plenty of storage for your clothes and other knick-knacks.

Finally, there's one very important aspect as to why the Voltage is priced as it is, construction. As I explored these units, I realized something: I have witnessed very few manufacturers that build a habitat quite like these. Heck, just the floor construction itself employs seven layers of materials and structures, resulting in a build that won't lose heat, will take a pounding, and allows you to venture into the colder months of the year. And that's just the floor; walls and roofs have four layers, and the garage has five.

Yes, you'll be paying a bit more for a Voltage toy hauler than the average, but at the end of the day, it's an above-average machine for beyond-average lifestyles.