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By Tony Barthel
It’s not often that I stop in my tracks when I see something in the RV business – as “your design is oftentimes my template.” But when I saw the Genesis Supreme Overnighter that’s just what happened.
Genesis Supreme is a relatively new company in the RV world. They started in 2012 in Southern California, but the founders have decades of experience in the RV industry. The company only makes toy haulers – that’s it – and all of their models are built in Perris, California.
What caught my eye was their Genesis Supreme Overnighter, which I thought of as the Chevrolet El Camino of RVs, for lack of a better description. While most RVs are more like vans, this one has a big open back deck on which to roll your toys or just use as a huge deck.
The front of the trailer is an enclosed space just as you’d expect in a trailer, and the back is the huge open deck. The deck measures 14’ 6” long and can haul about a ton-and-a-half, depending on what else is in the trailer and specifically which model suits you, as the different models vary in weight.
I could see this for a race car, outdoor equipment or other things you might not want inside a traditional toy hauler. This also gives you the opportunity to haul taller items – like the S.S. Juan Pollo, for example, which had a huge chicken in the back. Well, assuming that a Cadillac will fit and isn’t too heavy. But there are other cars with giant chickens on them that may be lighter.
There are four different models that feature the 14’ 6” deck and one that has an 18’ deck with a much smaller travel trailer section; all of the different models vary based on the configuration of the front living portion. One of these has a back dinette with the bathroom and galley at the front; another has a full bed with a mid bath and back kitchen; the third has the galley at the front and a full bed in the back; and there’s a model with two HappiJac beds and a galley and bathroom at the front.
The four different models all share capacities and build methodologies such as laminated side walls with fiberglass front caps and radius roofs. I would describe the interiors of these as “generic toy hauler” in that they follow the general design of most average travel trailers.
The big back deck features drive-up ramps that form the “tailgate” of sorts. When in transit those ramps help keep whatever’s back there, well, back there. When you’re parked they come off and mount as a ramp to facilitate getting it out of the trailer and onto the trail. Or into a parade that celebrates giant chickens in cars.
The kitchen features a two-burner stove, stainless steel sink and the usual dual-mode refrigerator. Of course, there’s also a microwave.
Owing to the fact that these are truly designed for serious cargo hauling, these offer two 4,400-pound axles with optional 6,000-pound axles. There is also a power awning available but does not come standard.
When I saw these in person, one of them had a pop-up tent in the cargo area that effectively turned it into a patio; another had lawn chairs and a tent.
The concept is unusual but certainly could make sense for some people. The interiors were a bit generic in materials use, but that just makes them more like most trailers rather than really unusual. Of course, the fact that these are so cargo-biased leaves less space for camping unless you count having a giant rear deck on which to hang out.
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Definitely looks like it would be heavy on the rear with more than one off road toy. I don’t know why the caddy with the chicken is pictured, caddys of that year weigh in excess of 3,000 and usually closer to 4,000 lbs, with all the extra gear on the caddy I would put it closer to 5,000 lb. Most sand jockeys would put 2 or 3 machines on and wonder why it sways.
The Caddy is there because I speculated on whether this was a great way to haul it around – it’s in the article. It’s meant to be funny.
Seems to me towing weight distribution could be a problem.
Most of the items you mention carrying on the cargo deck are way too heavy to carry. After adding about 1/000lbs of normal camping gear, you’re only left with 2,000lbs of capacity for the outside deck, which would not mean any normal size cars. But it would be great for motorcycles, snowmobiles, quads, kayaks, canoes, small pontoons. I wonder if the cargo area & axles are marine grade so you could launch a boat/pontoon from the deck?
I can see the draw for this design, enabling bringing whatever toys you need along, yet having an inside living space. Got a good chuckle out of the S.S. Juan Pollo reference and visual!
The idea is NOT new. My brother owned a Nomad in 1972 that was similar that he woud haul snow machines and atv’s.
Sink is right inside the entry door next to the 2burner stove
Saw 2 friends who took long twin axle trailers and put pickup campers up front. Enclosed the front for storage and used the back for vehicles.
My nephew did this as well – it was pretty effective and he paid $500 for the whole thing but no RV park would let him anywhere near the front door.
I wonder if I could back my 20′ pontoon onto it?
Certainly an interesting design. But where do you wash your hands after using the toilet? Get water for cooking? Seems they forgot the sink.
There’s a sink pictured right next to the stove in the specific floorpan displayed here.
Interesting concept. Remembering the magazines Rod & Custom and Dune Buggies both had ramp trucks so they could carry their toy on the trucks and pull a RV trailer behind them. This is a better than an enclosed toy hauler.