A toy hauler garage is arguably one of the most versatile spaces in any RV. As designed, it hauls your large and motorized gear and easily converts to a dining, lounging, or sleeping area when you reach the campground. But are you truly maximizing the versatility of your toy hauler’s garage?
These toy hauler garage ideas will inspire you to upgrade or modify your RV to create the ultimate multi-functional garage space. They might also challenge you to think beyond the obvious to create a multi-functional space that truly fits your family’s camping needs.
Toy Hauler Garage Ideas: How To Use Your Space
Let’s cover six toy hauler garage conversion ideas, from most obvious to potentially surprising:
As a Garage
Using your toy hauler as a garage is the intended purpose of this space, but there are advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
- Dedicated space for motorized toys and other recreational gear.
- Secure storage for expensive equipment.
- Ventilated storage for gas-powered vehicles.
- Storage for extra transportation (i.e. e-bikes or golf carts).
Disadvantages:
- Gas-powered toys come with additional considerations for safe towing.
- You must unload gear to repurpose the garage as a living space.
- Security concerns of how/where to keep unloaded gear and toys outside your RV.
- Increased care and cleaning required for dirt/debris tracked in by gear.
Fortunately, a toy hauler’s design makes converting your space from a garage to other uses simple. Still, these considerations are important to understand for anyone considering buying a new toy hauler.
As a Dining Room
Flip-down sofas are a common feature in many toy hauler garages. Along with a removable table, they allow you to convert the space into a comfortable dining room. Depending on the model – like the Forest River Nightfall – this could even be the only dedicated dining space in the floorplan.
However, there are pros and cons of using your toy hauler’s garage as a dining room:
Advantages:
- The possibility for wonderful dining views out the back of your trailer.
- More dining space than your traditional RV dinette.
- Free up the dinette for another toy hauler conversion (i.e., mobile office)
Disadvantages:
- Climate control variability (not all toy hauler garages have heat and A/C).
- Dining with unpleasant odors from gas-powered toys.
- Setting up and breaking down a dining table when converting to other uses.
As a Lounge
With or without flip-down sofas, your toy hauler’s garage can become a comfortable lounge space if not used for storing gear or motorized toys. Sofas make this toy hauler conversion easy, but some RVers get creative with bean bag chairs, folding lounge pads, and other accessories.
Here are the benefits and drawbacks of using your toy hauler garage as a lounge:
Advantages:
- Open-concept space that allows for creative lounge solutions and the perfect rainy-day activity space.
- Wide-open views out the rear ramp door.
- Large, often blank walls to use as a screen for family movie nights (with the appropriate equipment).
Disadvantages:
- Climate control variability (not all toy hauler garages have heat and A/C).
- You may need to cover the garage floor with area rugs or another solution for added comfort.
- You’ll need extra seating solutions to host large groups.
Most toy hauler garages have a manual or electric drop-down bed, providing sleeping space for kids or guests. For families, this often means using the garage as a second bedroom once the gear is unloaded.
Advantages:
- Provides more privacy for those in the main sleeping area.
- Retains the living area for lounging or watching entertainment.
- Minimizes daily setup and breakdown of a second sleeping space once you’re in camp.
Disadvantages:
- Climate control variability.
- If you have young kids, the garage is located on the opposite side of the main sleeping area and might be difficult to hear and reach quickly
- Using the drop-down bed can compromise your ability to use the space for another purpose (unless you raise and lower it daily).
Toyhauler With An Office
The rise of remote work opportunities has led some to choose a toy hauler for full-time RV living. The garage can be the ideal mobile office space for a DIYer (or anyone who doesn’t want to pay more for an RV with a built-in office).
Here are the positives and negatives of using your toy hauler garage as a mobile office:
Advantages:
- It’s a customizable space that allows you to create your ideal office layout.
- Features like tie-downs and wall brackets make adding and securing office furniture easier.
- The proximity of the rear ramp or patio (if equipped) makes it enjoy fresh air and campground views when you need a work break.
Disadvantages:
- Embarking on a garage-to-office conversion may limit your ability to use the space for other purposes.
- Creating a comfortable workspace may require tools and expertise that not all DIYers possess.
As the Primary Bedroom
Some toy hauler owners have even converted their garage into their main sleeping area, freeing up the original bedroom for other guests or a larger RV renovation project. Let’s look at the upsides and downsides of this approach:
Advantages:
- The ability to create a convertible main sleeping area that doubles for a second purpose (like a mobile office or lounge area).
- Flexibility to renovate your toy hauler’s original sleeping area.
- Quick access from the sleeping area to the rear patio (if equipped).
Disadvantages:
- Climate control variability.
- Your mattress upgrade options may be limited by space and the capacity of the drop-down platform.
- Decreased ease of access to bedroom features like a wardrobe, inverted CPAP outlets, and more.
Toy Hauler Garage Storage Ideas: How To Organize Your Gear
The use cases above demonstrate the versatility of the toy hauler garage. However, many still presume you’ll haul gear from home to the campground. So, let’s show you some of our favorite creative toy hauler garage storage ideas from your fellow RVers.
Check out how these RVers converted the upper shelf in their garage from an open space that required netting for gear security to enclosed cabinetry.
These folks went online shopping to find dressers they secured in their toy hauler garage for dedicated clothing storage.
One downside of a toy hauler is you always feel like you have space for toys. But when you keep acquiring fun gear, sometimes you need to add an underbelly storage container to hold smaller items, like these folks.
Sometimes, you need simple storage solutions. In this case, it’s dedicated places for the bunk ladder and your fishing poles.
Toy Hauler Remodel Ideas: How To Change Your Space
Let’s wrap this article with some toy hauler interior ideas that we hope will inspire you. Here are some of our favorite toy hauler garage modifications from the online RV community:
Garage to Master Bedroom
Garage to Office
Garage to Lounge
Are you interested in renovating or redesigning other parts of your RV? Here are a few more helpful resources:
Do you have other toy hauler garage ideas we didn’t include? Share them in the comments below!
