Traditionally, toy haulers have been the RV of choice for lovers of motorsports. When many RVers think of toy haulers, they picture them at a dune-swept campground with the ramp converted to a patio and ATVs or dirt bikes parked nearby. However, campers are finding toy haulers useful for more than just motorized toys. Let’s investigate the intriguing, albeit uncommon, layout that is the front kitchen toy hauler.
While harder to find than more common toy hauler floorplans, a toy hauler with a front kitchen could be your ideal adventure basecamp.
What Are The Pros and Cons of a Toy Hauler with a Front Kitchen Floorplan?
As with all large and small toy haulers, you’ve got to weigh the advantages and downsides of front kitchen toy hauler floorplans to determine if one is right for you. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Pros
- Dedicated Cooking Space. There’s a clear delineation between the kitchen and the living area.
- Room for Residential Appliances. A larger kitchen means more space for a bigger refrigerator, a cooktop with more burners, a microwave, an oven, and ample counterspace.
- Increased Living Area Comforts. Many front kitchen floorplans offer theater seating and multiple sofas that can convert to beds.
Cons
- Increased Pin Weight. The kitchen holds most of an RV’s largest and heaviest appliances, combined with the weight of dishes and food.
- Reduced Dinette Options. You may be limited to bar top seating or setting up a removable table for meals.
- Reduced Sleeping Space. Some front kitchen toy haulers only offer the drop-down or Murphy bed in the garage as the main sleeping space, lacking a true primary suite.
- Towing Considerations. With some of the highest gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) amongst towable RVs, you’ll need a substantial tow vehicle to handle this weight.
4 Front Kitchen Toy Hauler RVs
Ready to learn more about toy haulers with front kitchen floorplans? Here are a few examples of these rare campers.
Forest River XLR Nitro 407
Specs
- Length: 45’2”
- Garage Length: 11’
- Dry Weight: 14,694 pounds
- Cargo Capacity: 6,306 pounds
- Sleeping Capacity: Up to 10
Favorite Feature: True Primary Suite with Queen Bed Slide
The 2023 XLR Nitro 407 is a mammoth toy hauler that houses a complete residential-style kitchen. Ready for any meal, it boasts a 24” oven with a cast iron cooktop above it, a 16 cubic-foot 12V refrigerator, and wraparound countertops that offer loads of space for meal prep and serving. The waterfall stainless steel sink also includes a glass rinser for easy dishwashing.
You’ll find stain-resistant vinyl flooring throughout, and the living area is adorned with three convertible sofas. All offer decent views of the entertainment center, with an electric fireplace below it to remove the chill on cooler evenings.
We love the primary suite with a queen bed in the slide-out in this camper because it offers a private main sleeping area, unlike some of the other front kitchen toy haulers. But the garage is one of the most versatile in the industry as well, with a drop-down bed and two gaucho-style couches that convert into beds. Plus, the rear ramp seamlessly converts into a patio deck for a comfortable, elevated outdoor lounge space.
Forest River Riverstone 42FSKG
Specs
- Length: 44’10”
- Garage Length: 9’2″ (66″ wide)
- Dry Weight: 17,726 pounds
- Cargo Capacity: 3,274 pounds
- Sleeping Capacity: Up to 4
Favorite Feature: Work Desk with Campside Views
Despite its size, the 2024 Riverstone 42FSKG best suits couples. The front kitchen offers a small dinette with bar top seating, a huge central island with a three-burner cooktop, a double-door residential refrigerator, massive countertops, and ample pantry space.
Our favorite feature, the office space, appeals to remote workers or anyone who requires a designated workspace while traveling. The campside slide-out in the living area boasts a desk with drawers and overhead storage, topped with massive windows so you can enjoy the view while you work.
The living area also features an EZ Glide sofa bed, theater seating across from the entertainment center and an electric fireplace. With this front kitchen toy hauler, you still get a true primary suite, as the garage is actually located below the main sleeping area. The 66” x 80” super queen bed provides a comfortable place to rest each night, and you won’t have to convert it for daytime use.
A zero-gravity ramp door at the back of the toy hauler provides garage access. It features rubberized garage flooring, four tie-downs, and motion-sensor lighting. While it’s not as large as the garages in some other toy haulers, there’s enough space to secure a motorcycle, golf cart, e-bikes, or other recreation equipment.
Grand Design Momemtum MAV 24MAV
Specs
- Length: 29’11”
- Garage Length: 18’
- Dry Weight: 6,580 pounds
- Cargo Capacity: 4,420 pounds
- Sleeping Capacity: Up to 2
Favorite Feature: Murphy Bed with Nightstands and Wardrobes
You don’t have to choose a massive toy hauler over 40 feet to enjoy the benefits of a front kitchen floorplan. Grand Design’s 2024 Momentum MAV 24MAV is one of the few front kitchen toy haulers under 30 feet. With a GVWR of 11,000 pounds, it’s a far cry from the 21,000-pound GVWRs of the other front kitchen toy haulers on our list.
That smaller size makes it easier to tow and easier to park in campgrounds with length restrictions. However, it does mean you won’t have as much sleeping capacity. You are limited to the Murphy bed and the fold-up dinette for getting your beauty sleep. That Murphy bed is worth some added attention, as you typically only see them in smaller campers.
The design is as thoughtful as it comes: coat hooks for hanging storage when the bed is folded up, large wardrobes on each side, multiple drawers for storing small personal items, and outlets for charging your devices. Plus, the bed is on gas struts for lift assistance when packing up your campsite.
Although the full garage length also houses the dinette and the Euro-style reclining chairs, Grand Design maximized the interior storage in this toy hauler. Don’t forget the thoughtful front kitchen design, with a three-burner cooktop, an oven, a microwave, a deep stainless steel sink, and abundant overhead storage.
Forest River XLR Nitro 405
Specs
- Length: 45’2”
- Garage Length: 11’
- Dry Weight: 15,519 pounds
- Cargo Capacity: 5,481 pounds
- Sleeping Capacity: Up to 10
Favorite Feature: Versatile Garage with Patio and Half Bath
The 2023 XLR Nitro 405 is very similar to the 407 floorplan but with one important addition: the half bath off the garage/secondary sleeping area. This provides additional privacy for anyone sleeping there but also gives you an extra washroom after a day of potentially grimy outdoor adventures.
Instead of tracking dirt into the single bathroom in the 407’s primary suite, you and your camping crew can utilize the garage half bath during the day. While that corner garage bathroom reduces your available garage storage space, the garage length is still the same as the XLR Nitro 407.
XLR Nitro campers include other notable features, such as a Gear Guardian wireless camera for garage security, a 50” TV in the living area, a 160-gallon fresh water tank, and a 40-gallon fuel station.
Smaller Toy Haulers with a Front(ish) Kitchen
There are also smaller, hybrid toy haulers with a front kitchen to consider. While the bathroom is technically the forward-most part of the interior layout in these compact toy haulers, they offer wonderful options for couples, solo travelers, or small families.
Due to their rarity, you may not find an ample selection of front kitchen toy haulers when browsing our toy hauler RVs. If you’re seriously interested in one of these campers, contact your local Camping World. If they are licensed for that brand, they’ll work to find a nearby dealer with inventory, re-route an existing order to your location, or order a new model from the manufacturer, providing you with information on expected lead time.
Are There Other Front Kitchen RVs?
Front kitchen floorplans are slightly more common in other RV types, but not by much. By RV type, you’re most likely to find front kitchen travel trailers, as the frame design makes it easier to configure the interior layout to suit this floorplan.
The next most common RV type would be fifth wheels with front kitchens. While the fifth wheel frame requires these to be among the tallest campers you’ll find on the road, they do offer some distinct advantages over other fifth wheel floorplans.
While uncommon, RVs with front kitchens hold a unique reverence amongst those who stand by the benefits of this floorplan. If you’re curious to compare them with other layouts, here are a few other RV roundups:
- Toy Hauler with Side Patio
- Off Road Toy Haulers
- Rear Kitchen Travel Trailers
- Front Living Fifth Wheels
Are you interested in where to find one of these front kitchen toy haulers? Let us know which one caught your interest in the comments below!
