2024 Grand Design Momentum MAV22 toy hauler - big toy hauler capability in a smaller package
Today we get to look at another new RV floor plan for 2024 - this time from Grand Design in the form of the Grand Design Momentum 22MAV or Momentum Adventure Vehicle. This is a new smaller toy hauler from Grand Design in their most affordable build technology - wood frame with aluminum siding or stick and tin. But Grand Design does stick and tin a little differently than most builders.
This smaller toy hauler travel trailer certainly can be used as intended but might make a lot of sense even if you never ever use it for hauling toys.
Stick and Tin
Building trailers in this configuration is less expensive just because there are fewer forms and costly processes involved in the build. There are also advantages to this type of construction including the fact that, if there has been damage to the outer shell, it’s easy for just about anybody with even moderate carpentry skills to affect a repair.
The disadvantages include the fact that the uneven surface is slightly more difficult to seal and owners really should pay attention to all the places where there are holes in the wall including windows and baggage doors and that sort of thing. But these are maintenance points on all RVs.
In fact this is one of the areas where Grand Design makes a lot of noise by using a four-step process to seal places where two major structures come together. In the side walls where they join the back and the roof Grand Design has a four-step seal process that the company claims reduces the need for re-sealing.
We have an article about the different RV construction types and why it matters.
In fact the company states that this build process is a reason they offer a three year structural warranty on these models. Cool.
A toy hauler
The designers at Grand Design (would they be Grand Designers?) intended this towable RV to be a toy hauler and it absolutely is that. In fact, as far as toy haulers go, this one is surprisingly capable given the size. There is enough space for exactly the kind of vehicles some people want to bring along.
Motorcycles, side-by-sides, kayaks, eBikes, and so many other things can absolutely be accommodated in this relatively compact trailer. There is also a surprising cargo carrying capacity at over 5,000 pounds.
There are tie-downs that are attached directly to the steel chassis so you don’t arrive at your destination and your Harley has ripped the tie-downs out of the floor. Yes, I’ve seen this in the models where the tie-downs are only secured to the wooden subfloor.
In fact you could say that this would Harley be a good situation.
But I can imagine a situation where someone could like this trailer even if they have no toys to haul.
Plenty of space for work or play in the Grand Design Momentum MAV22 toy hauler
Hauling no toys
The floor plan here maximizes open floor space and has tie-downs for cargo as previously mentioned. In fact the kitchen tucks in along the road-side wall and the camp-side wall only has an overhead cabinet attached to it. Grand Design includes two recliners that are not attached to the floor. There is a couch over on the road side that can tumble fold into a bed but can also be flipped up against the wall.
So all that open space gives me ideas. For example, my sister-in-law has an Etsy store called Baby Maverick Boutique where she goes to various community sales and shows off the nifty things she makes. With something like this she could bring her sewing machine and materials and take her show really on the road.
This would be especially nifty with the uGreen portable power station I reviewed.
I could see taking my own show on the road and bringing along a desk and using this as a mobile office. Heck, I could go knocking on the doors of other RVers and ask to peek inside their RVs and write reviews of them to share with you.
No. Maybe that’s not a good idea. But you see where I’m going with the flexibility of this floor plan. So many of us, including myself, modify RV floor plans to suit our needs and this is closer to a blank canvas. With camp-side windows.
What I love
There are a lot of things I love about this floor plan including the fact that there are no slide rooms. There are plenty of camp-side windows which seem to be a disappearing thing lately in many RVs but not this one.
There are no floor registers for the furnace which is especially good in something designed to haul other somethings. The ceiling height is 84” which is seven feet for those of you measuring with your feet.
There is a queen-sized bed over the cargo area in the back that uses gas struts to enable you to raise and lower the bed. I prefer this to an electric mechanism for so many reasons, not the least of which is that it’s simple and quick. You can bring down the overhead bed with one hand in just a few seconds and return it just as quickly.
Two adults could absolutely sleep up here but I could see up to three or four younger campers occupying this space which would create great memories for these junior RVers for years to come. Many of us look back on the time we camped with our relatives and brought cousins along with great fondness.
Another nice thing - if you’re not using this to provide sleeping space it could be storage for supplies for your adventure or business. I could see my sister-in-law using this to store fabric for her creations, for example.
Even though they’re tucked up against the walls there is still a good amount of interior storage on this rig with overhead cabinets and storage under the kitchen counter top - the plumbing has been tucked up nicely leaving you with space. Heck, you could even put a garbage can under the sink.
There are also cabinets over the couch/bed in the front of this rig as well as under that front couch.
Sleeping in the Grand Design Momentum MAV22
I had mentioned that loft bed in the back of this trailer and the couch on the road side of this rig tumbles open to provide another small sleeping space, although the cushions aren’t going to be all that flat.
But the main sleeping space might be one of the biggest reasons someone does not like this floor plan. The main bed is a Murphy bed at the front of this rig and it’s in a slightly enclosed space that requires you to crawl in from the foot of the bed. Further, it’s a bendy bed meaning that the mattress has to bend to accommodate the Murphy mechanism.
I know a lot of you would pass for this reason alone. Also, there is no curtain in front of the bed in the event that your pajamas, or lack thereof, cause your fellow campers to pray for vision issues.
You could just leave the bed down all the time and put in a better queen-sized mattress if you’d like, but that enclosed space would be a deal breaker even for me and I like Murphy beds.
There is a bed-side space with both household and USB outlets but only on one side of the bed.
Other details
It should also be noted that the kitchen does have a three-burner propane cook top but the only oven is of the microwave variety and not one that incorporates fancy features like convection cooking and air frying.
Further, there is literally no outside storage on this. Nope. None. Whatsoever.
There is plenty of interior storage and cargo carrying capacity but that’s no help for things like the power cord or stinky slinky or those things that always live outside because they’re stinky or dirty.
Boondocking and travel access
Another area where this unit absolutely excels is for those who want to use it for boondocking. There are tremendous holding tanks with 90 gallons of fresh water capacity and 74 of gray and all that gray water is in a single tank - no fancy tricks with two tanks.
Of course since this has no slide rooms you have full access to everything all the time except if you’ve loaded a larger amount of cargo in here, but that’s on you.
Would I tow this with a half ton truck?
One thing to take into account is towing. While this isn’t all that heavy unloaded at 5,600 pounds I would absolutely not tow this with a half-ton pickup. There is so much cargo and liquid capacity on this I can see you often being closer to that 10,950 pound capacity than you might assume.
We have a complete guide to RV towing here.
My thoughts
I really like this as much for the opportunities to be a mobile office or base station for adventure as anything. There’s that big outside patio that has a gate around it making it also good for camping with pets or young children. There is a pull-down screen between the inside and outside to keep the flying annoyers outside.
One thing to note - some toy haulers also have a fuel tank aboard to fuel-up motorized toys but this one does not. Often those toy haulers with fuel tanks also have a generator and, again, that’s not here. It wouldn’t matter to me for how I use this rig but it might to you.
The thing to consider is if the few down sides of this rig are enough to outweigh the surprising capabilities of a toy hauler this small. If so, there is a larger version but I like the combination of compact exterior and tremendous capability.
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