This luxury toy hauler accommodates road toys without sacrificing RV living space.
By Lazelle Jones
November 2018
When you walk through the front door of the recently opened La Mesa RV dealership in West Sacramento, California, the size of the building likely will amaze you. This indoor showroom — one of the largest in the United States — spans 140,000 square feet and houses up to 150 RVs of all kinds under one roof in a controlled environment. Also surprising is how many different RV manufacturers showcase their products in this space.
That’s where I found the Cyclone 4270 from Heartland Recreational Vehicles, a manufacturer of towable RVs based in Elkhart, Indiana. This triple-axle fifth-wheel toy hauler was on static display, looking as though a family and their friends had set up camp.
The Cyclone 4270 enables RVers with motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs, or side-by-sides to bring these vehicles with them on trips without sacrificing luxury, or room. It can haul several off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in its 13-foot-long dedicated rear garage. Once parked at a destination, this unit can accommodate several guests for days and nights on end — even in a primitive RV camp setting with no hookups available.
The Cyclone 4270 is substantial. It measures 44 feet long and 102 inches wide, with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 20,000 pounds. The truck selected for towing must be equipped with a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch rated to the appropriate GVWR. RV and truck dealers should be able to help identify which pickups meet the required specs and tow ratings.
The Cyclone 4270 can carry approximately 3,000 pounds of cargo, including vehicles, personal gear, rations, holding tank fluids, and 50 gallons of fuel in two tanks (one 20 gallons, the other 30 gallons). The motorized toys can be refueled in the same manner as at a gas station, even in a remote wilderness setting if need be. The refueling station comes with a nozzle; an electric pump pulls fuel from the tanks and delivers it to the fuel tanks on the toys.
The Cyclone 4270 review unit included a front Jack-and-Jill bath, with a three-quarter-depth, 48-inch-long fiberglass tub
The Cyclone 4270 can accommodate at least eight overnight passengers. To accomplish this, several sleeping quarters are spread throughout the unit. These include a single-level master suite with a bathroom up front over the landing. This area features a slideout that includes a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe with a mirrored sliding door. The full-size Jack-and-Jill bathroom has two separate doors that give guests in the living areas access to the bathroom without disturbing those who may be napping in the bedroom. The bath comes with a shower and a residential, three-quarter-depth, 48-inch-long fiberglass tub.
A king-size bed, with a residential mattress, sits above the exterior pin box and pin, around which the jaws on the truck-mounted hitch are locked. The pin is anchored and integrated into the Cyclone’s structural members. Once it is secured inside the jaws of the truck’s in-bed fifth-wheel hitch, the two units become one and perform as one while towing. The electric brakes on the triple 7,000-pound-rated axles are adjustable via a brake controller that mounts on the dash of the truck.
The Cyclone 4270 has a 10-foot-long living area sofa that seats five
Another sleeping quarter is centrally located in the living area. Here, a 10-foot-long leatherette-covered sofa converts to a comfortable bed for two. When used as seating, the sofa can accommodate five adults for watching the 55-inch digital smart-screen television that’s mounted across the aisle, above the galley. Each section of the sofa has its own recliner function, allowing individuals to tailor their seat and leg rest to their own comfort preferences.
The sofa is housed in an 18-foot-long, hydraulically powered slideout. This is also where the 18-cubic-foot French-door residential refrigerator-freezer is located.
The Cyclone 4270 features a generously sized galley with stainless-steel appliances and, for a contemporary look, an adjacent rounded dinette.
The state-of-the-art galley-dining area, on the curb side, will delight any dedicated chef or serious social entertainer. It features a semicircular counter and two designer bar stools. They make a great perch from which to enjoy a cup of coffee, a snack, or a full meal.
Behind this bar counter is a large, flat countertop that can be used however the chef sees fit. This also is where a deep, stainless-steel farmhouse sink is located. Both counters are fashioned from solid-surface material.
Adjacent to the large, flat solid-surface counter, and directly below the 55-inch wall-mounted television, is a sliding window that opens up onto a curbside patio. Food, dishes, beverages, etc. can be handed in and out through the window (more on this later). The patio is accessible from both the inside and the outside.
The galley also contains a large, L-shaped counter with a three-burner propane Furrion cooktop. This heating unit includes one high-Btu burner for quick high-temperature cooking. A respectable-size gas oven sits below the cooktop. The galley also includes a microwave-convection oven, thus, in essence, giving chefs a double oven. Appliances are stainless steel.
The rear garage area in the Cyclone 4270 can haul toys but also serve as a TV room, dining area, sleeping area, or a rumpus room.
Returning now to the large number of overnight guests the Cyclone can accommodate, we enter the rear garage, which is a pretty unbelievable venue, in my opinion. When the toys are off-loaded, the rear garage can instantly be converted into a TV room, a dining area, or a rumpus room. Or, the queen-size bunk beds turn it into another sleeping area.
Stacked one above the other are two fixtures that stow against the ceiling when not needed, such as when the area is filled with toys secured for transport. Both fixtures are electric/mechanically power-operated for raising or lowering. They ride on a set of tracks with cogs; the two fixtures engage the track to be lowered for service or retracted when not in service.
The first to be lowered is a complex of upholstered folding bench-style seats, which fold open for use. When accommodating overnight guests, these benches can be further unfolded to create a queen-size, coach-wide sleeping area. The second fixture, which is sandwiched between the foldable bench seats and the interior ceiling, is a queen-size bed, which does not fold. Both queen-size beds can be utilized simultaneously, for the height of each can be individually adjusted using the electrically powered track system.
One more sleeping opportunity is located just forward of the rear garage and aft of the central galley: a loft area. Accessed via a ladder, it’s the kind of space children will especially enjoy. A youngster may consider it more like a little tree house than anything else.
A second bath is located adjacent to the garage and loft.
Glass doors provide access to the side patio, just off the galley, on the Cyclone 4270.
When lowered into position, the curbside patio has built-in rails and a hinged gate.
Let’s talk more about the patio areas, which are so innovative on the Cyclone 4270. First is the curbside patio mentioned earlier, located just outside the galley window. When it is lowered into position, built-in rails around the edges and a hinged gate descend with it. When the gate is opened, a substantial metal stairway leads 48 inches down to the ground. In addition to accommodating humans, the patio can sequester small pets as they relax outdoors. For travel, the patio floor folds back up against the exterior side of the unit and locks into place.
The Cyclone’s rear ramp can be turned into a second patio area with the EZ-Patio option. Hinges along the back of the ramp enable it to fold up and down for loading and off-loading vehicles. When the leading edge of the ramp is raised, the flat structure becomes a level, raised patio. Like the side patio, this platform is surrounded by a railed fence and a hinged gate; a set of sturdy metal stairs is available as an option. It also locks in place for travel.
Both patios feature electric awnings, with LED lights, that extend to shade practically the entire area below.
The Cyclone 4270 incorporates two side entry doors, each with hinged steps that fold out for service. The forward-most door resides just in front of the side patio and leads directly into the main salon area in the center of the unit. The second entry door is just aft of the side patio and enters the garage area.
This toy hauler includes two 40-gallon black-water holding tanks, one for each bathroom. The fresh-water tank holds 100 gallons, and the gray-water tank has an 80-gallon capacity. The Cyclone 4270 also has a 10-gallon water heater. Two 7.5-gallon propane cylinders, located forward on each side of the unit, can be removed and refilled where propane is available.
Two 15,000-Btu roof air conditioners are centrally ducted for cooling convenience. A third 15,000-Btu roof A/C with an energy management feature can be added as an option. The 35,000-Btu forced-air furnace also is centrally ducted. Electric power comes from a 50-amp hookup. To make this RV a truly stand-alone unit, a 5.5-kw Onan generator with fuel station and timer comes standard.
The Cyclone boasts welded tubular aluminum construction. The chassis is fabricated from 12-inch I-beams made of powder-coated steel. The 2-inch-thick walls feature aluminum studs, with foam insulation that gives the walls, roof, and floor ratings of R-11, R-40, and R-45, respectively. The unit features an enclosed, heated underbelly. Its EPDM roof is constructed from a single piece of plywood. To ensure heating and cooling ability, each Cyclone unit is thermal-tested from zero to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Three pairs of leveling jacks stabilize the Cyclone 4270 in camp. When equipped with the optional Level Up one-touch leveling system, full six-point leveling — front to rear and side to side — is said to be completed in seconds using one power source.
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the Cyclone 4270 is $118,026.
For RVers who are searching for that “crossover” vehicle that easily transports road toys on RV trips, the Cyclone 4270 deserves a look.
Specs | Heartland Cyclone 4270
MANUFACTURER
Heartland Recreational Vehicles, 2831 Dexter Drive, Elkhart, IN 46514; (888 ) 262-5992, (574) 262-8030; www.heartlandrvs.com
MODEL
Heartland Cyclone
FLOOR PLAN
4270 (side patio)
CHASSIS
12-inch I-beam
TIRES
16-inch G-rated, with aluminum wheels
BRAKES
drum
SUSPENSION
MORryde CRE3000
BATTERIES
(1)
ELECTRICAL SERVICE
50 amps
AUXILIARY GENERATOR
Onan 5,500 kw
EXTERIOR LENGTH
44 feet
EXTERIOR WIDTH
102 inches
EXTERIOR HEIGHT
13 feet 3 inches with roof A/C
INTERIOR HEIGHT
8 feet
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR)
20,000 pounds
CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY
3,000 pounds
INSULATION
sidewalls — R-11;
floor — R-45;
roof — R-40
FRESH WATER CAPACITY
100 gallons
HOLDING TANK CAPACITIES
gray water — 80 gallons;
black water — 80 gallons
AUXILIARY FUEL TANK CAPACITY
(1) 20-gallon tank;
(1) 3o-gallon tank
PROPANE CAPACITY
(2) 7.5-gallon tanks
WATER HEATER
10 gallons
WATER SYSTEM
demand
HEATING SYSTEM
35,000 Btu
AIR CONDITIONING
(2) 15,000-Btu units, standard;
additional 15,000-Btu unit with energy management system, optional
REFRIGERATOR
18-cubic foot two-way (propane, 120-volt-AC)
TOILETS
(2) porcelain with foot flush
WARRANTY
3 years limited structural
MANUFACTURER’S BASE SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$108,898
PRICE AS REVIEWED
$118,000