We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Anyone with even a passing interest in RVs has heard of toy haulers. Anyone without a passing interest in RVs is probably not clicking on an article about an RV conversion no matter what you put in the title.
Well, maybe if the title were “One weird trick to transport your Smart car”. 😉
Now I have to ask my parents about toy haulers. They are Retired Ivory-Tower Academics ™, so that should be a decent bench mark
FWIW, while my English professor Mom hadn’t heard the term, she guessed it immediately-because it was me asking. I should have given her the headline and see if she understood the reference. This is how polls can include unintended bias.
I love that David is worried about the term “toy hauler” being a little too “inside-baseball” here, but the very next article on the site is an aerospace engineer teaching us about car aerodynamics, thermodynamics and the Bernoulli Principle.
As a layperson I appreciate the juxtaposition.
I mean, IS there a car tie-in with those weird early-hour German broadcasts that are just pretty music over pretty scenery? Those are like, a whole vibe, man.
I am aware of toy haulers and I kinda wish I weren’t because they just make me irrationally grumpy about how people spend their money and time.
Ha! I have a friend trying to sell his. He did a whole Everyone Racers podcast on camping at the track, and went into all the ways it just ended up being more of a pain than it was worth.
I’m more of a “toss a tent in the towpig” kinda person myself. The dream rig is a Cayenne with a roof tent, but alas, I still gotta wait for that. :'(
Roof tents are terrible if you’re over the age of say.. 40. They make me giggle though.
I picture them as a hammock tied 7’ above the ground unnecessarily.
So I can’t rightly say that I was or was not aware of the specific term “toy hauler” prior to reading this, however the concept is pretty straight forward and not at all confusing–it is pretty much what it says it is. What is confusing is David’s notions about Quantum Leap, Steve Martin, and that the target audience is “lay people” and what he seems to think they would or would not understand–especially given this site’s propensity for going into extremely technical deep dives (often from David, come to think of it) that would induce catatonia in the average “lay person”. For what it’s worth I tend to find those deep dives interesting and informative, but not particularly engaging, and just wee bit over my head having zero engineering in my background.
I hate to break it to you David, but you are kind of hopelessly out of touch. It’s endearing–don’t change, but you may want to defer to your colleagues when it comes to the zeitgeist.
Also, Ms. Streeter: damn that clip was dope!
I would love to read David’s reviews of y’all’s favorite driving songs.
That’s gold Thomas!
https://youtu.be/Ame5i5ud67Y
My favorite driving song.
DT: “I mean, the song is good but I don’t think anyone knows who this Led Zeppelin is.”
Answer to poll:
C: I did not know Quantum Leap existed until Scott Bakula went back in time to alter history to allow it to happen.
WTF? Did David somehow miss all the hype around Only Murders?
Steve Martin is not out of the game. And yeah, Toy Hauler is a now so well known as to have become a generic term. Like, you couldn’t trademark it.
Never heard of Only Murders…
(^5 it’s cozy in this hole)
Well now you have heard of Only Murders in the Building and you’re welcome. 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. Wait, have you heard of Rotten Tomatoes?
I’m guessing you don’t watch too much TV, but it is a truly glorious show.
Me neither but i think i know every episode of the old Quantum Leap. Not a fan of the new version. I cant believe they refer to their Black Admiral as Magic. I get the salute to the early version but really black magic?
Frankly i think you guys are even better inter squabbling. Need to post that all the time.
But remember if you are in NYC you have the accent not them.
I think we can clear this up.
Things that David gets an opinion about:
Things David never should never be consulted about
David is not allowed to have an opinion about rust, because his ‘opinion’ is just “sure.”
I love the color and look of rust. Gives the vehicle a sort of quality worthy of a post-apocalyptic aesthetic. I plan to paint my microcar that color, even though the body is non-metallic.
A car body with a patinated copper shell would be pretty cool looking.
No his opinion is it is just surface rust.
I think we need to start calling David “Principal Skinner.”
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/645/713/888.jpg
I bet he doesnt even get the steamed hams reference
…
At this time of the day, in this part of the country?
Unlikely.
Can we call Jason “Super Nintendo Chalmers,” then?
I’d say that Super Nintendo Chalmers would be Hardigree, trying to keep this thing on the rails
We’re learnding!
My cats exhaust smells like cat exhaust.
How has an automotive journalist not heard the term ‘toy hauler?’
And how does anyone not know who Steve Martin is? Or not think he, the guy with a current hit show, is not relevant?
I’ve heard “Toy Hauler,” but we write for the layperson!
LAY PEOPLE HAVE TOYS!
I’m guessing the vast majority of toy owners are indeed lay people.
My mom knows what it is.
Like almost everyone knows and it is easy to figure out based on context if you do not.
And with a good lead picture finding out will drive people who might not otherwise to read it…
You keep saying that but yet Autopian is by design a niche car site. Which, by the way, is why we are all here.
Steve Martin has a show?
Right!?
Both y’all are kidding me, right?
Yes, and a highly rated one.
With Martin Short and Selena Gomez. Does David know who they are?
Steve Martin is definitely still relevant.
He’s infamous, which means he’s more than famous.
Hi. We’re not really Mexicans.
Even my mother knows what a toy hauler is, and she is the most sheltered person I have ever known. I think she is also aware of Quantum Leap, but that might be a result of her weird kid.
A few common things she has not known include:
“Edibles” means weed, not just anything edible (She was asked, when WA legalized, whether it was now legal to mail edibles within the state. She answered something along the lines of being able to mail certain edibles, like cookies, but not others, like fish. The little old lady asking the question had to educate her.)
Anything about how police operate, so she believed the local cops when they complained that probable cause was too much to ask before use of force.
Rocky Horror Picture Show (just no idea what it was)
The Postal Service (band…she became aware of them at a USPS onboarding when someone younger than her snickered when they called the USPS the Postal Service)
What See You Next Tuesday meant (she asked me after my sister made a Facebook post and would not explain)
Almost anything about alcoholic drinks (and when she started drinking wine, she wanted guidance over the phone)
Basically anything about computers (she once called me to ask how to send an email she composed…I directed her to the send button, clearly visible)
And somehow David seems to be even more sheltered.
Jimmy, I mean David is our special bubble vato
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hE3rZoyvOw
A: He’s a bubble boy.
B: A bubble boy?
A: Yes, a bubble boy.
C: What’s a bubble boy?
A: He lives in a bubble.
B: Boy.
Weird Al’s live shows are fantastic!
<popular_culture_reference>
Also the “toy hauler” was clearly a modified EM-50.
</popular_culture_reference>
POINT OF ORDER.
FTFY.
POINT OF ODOR: ROOTWYRM SMELLS 🙂
You’re right, of course. He and the band are incredibly talented.
Just because, here is the video he did for The Hamilton Polka:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNEdEDbhTQw