News and Events
June 27, 2008
The Black Diamond 260FQB by Holiday Rambler allows toy enthusiasts to bring along their favorite toys-and their luxury living quarters.
Words By J. Martin Kohler
A crown jewel in the world of upscale receiver hitch style toy haulers, the Black Diamond is the benchmark against which all other toy boxes can and should be measured. With a GVWR of 11,344 pounds, the BD-260FQB Black Diamond is a model that can instantly turn the full-size pickup truck and many of the larger SUVs found parked in driveways across America, into instruments of fun and recreation. Marrying these types of vehicles with the Black Diamond toy hauler travel trailer permits the American family to immediately begin enjoying the passionate and exciting world of ATVs, motorcycles and dune buggies. But just as important, it permits those same end users to simultaneously immerse themselves in the lifestyle that goes hand in hand with high-end luxury recreational vehicles.
There are at least three main points about this travel trailer that should grab the toy hauler enthusiast's attention. First, a large number of vehicles on the roads of America today can tow the Black Diamond. This is due in part to the way Holiday Rambler designs and builds this unit. The walls and roof are laminated structures with tubular aluminum members that have block foam insulation cut to fit the grid pattern created by the intersecting tubular members. A vinyl-dressed luan panel covers the interior of the walls. The wall's exterior is fiberglass. This toy hauler sits on twin 5,200 lb. axles that are integrated with the 10-inch I-beam chassis and steel outriggers. The suspension is supported by a leaf spring configuration.
Point number two involves the Black Diamond's exterior profile. The roofline gently slopes from the rear of the unit to the front, a design that facilitates drainage and because the rear of the roof is slightly higher than the front the aerodynamics provide for better towing and handling characteristics. The most obvious and most important exterior feature is totally different from comparable toy hauler products. The bullet or cone-shaped nose angles to run parallel with the structural V-shape members of the trailer tongue area terminating in a modified bullet nose configuration. Capturing what heretofore has been unused area, this configuration yields more trailer for the toy enthusiast to put to use.
Two other important pluses associated with this bullet nose presentation need to be noted. First, because the nose is not blunt, there is no slab-sided front (flat front) to plow at a 90-degree angle against the air as the unit is being towed. Instead this nose parts the air, making the Black Diamond slip effortlessly into the slipstream created by the tow vehicle. This unique ability improves towing characteristics and handling and improves fuel economy.
This enclosed nose area above the trailer tongue, a space that traditionally in the past was lost space and under-utilized, all of a sudden yields added utility and functionality. It houses three LPG tanks and the house battery. Both are accessible through a door. Special attention needs to be paid to the fact that Holiday Rambler has elected to use three 20-lb. LP bottles, the same kind that can be removed and swapped out at Wal-Mart or wherever this kind of portable LP tank service is offered.
On the inside, this nose area provides a huge amount of additional storage space accessible from the Black Diamond's forward stateroom. In this area a television, cabinets and a wardrobe are housed. While reviewing the front stateroom, take note of the fact that the queen bed is an island-style configuration, one that permits you to move around the side of the bed, making it easy to make the bed, to access the floor to ceiling wardrobe and to reach items that are stowed in the cabinet complex built into the nose cone.
The interior cargo bay is huge. Along the street side it measures 148 inches in length. On the curbside it measures 160 inches. The width is 96 inches. With this kind of square footage and with the cargo tie-downs that lace the cargo deck front to rear (each rated at 2,500 lbs.), this Black Diamond is capable of hauling four ATVs, five motorcycles or some combination thereof. The cargo deck is dressed with a gas and oil resistant material so that any leakage from the toys can be quickly cleaned up without staining the surface. Oh yes, there is also additional storage space located below the front queen bed, accessible from the outside.
This model of the Black Diamond has a dry weight rated at 6,172 lbs. and a total cargo-carrying capacity of 5,172 pounds. The three holding tanks (fresh, gray, waste) have capacities of 110, 40 and 40 gallons, respectively. Even with the fresh water tank filled (approximately 1,000 pounds) the remaining cargo-carrying capacity is a respectable 4,000-plus pounds, more than sufficient for all the toys, personal gear, dry goods and stores you may want to haul with you into the backcountry.
The Black Diamond can be equipped with an optional refueling station that includes a 30-gallon fuel tank, hose, nozzle, electric pump and an automatic shut off valve controlled by a timer. No more is the toy enthusiast required to carry fuel cans for the toys. The same large 30-gallon fuel tank is also used as the fuel source for the optional 4.0kW auxiliary generator. With the standard and optional equipment, the Black Diamond has the capability of supporting extended periods of backcountry, stand-alone RV camping with all of the residential creature features that accompany the luxury RV lifestyle.
When a destination is reached and the toys offloaded, the cargo bay area instantly converts into a massive salon-like residential area. The padded and upholstered sofa and dinette fold down from the walls and can quickly convert into a sleeping area. Two stacked queen size beds (one is standard with a second offered as an option) remain tucked against the ceiling when not in use and are lowered and raised simply by touching a switch. All told, with the two, stacked queen size beds, the converted sofa and dinette and the queen bed in the forward bedroom, the Black Diamond 260FQB can comfortably sleep up to ten for the night. Furthermore, by adding the optional rear screen door when the back wall/loading ramp is down, the fresh breezes from the outside can be enjoyed without having to deal with any little flying critters that may want to come visiting.
Copious amounts of space in overhead storage compartments line the sidewalls. The compartments are open in front and feature cargo netting to keep gear like riding helmets, boots, and duffel bags in place. The fold-down bench style seats for the dinette are positioned perpendicular to the walls with the fold down sofa/sleeper positioned parallel with the walls. Plenty of natural light can be enjoyed even with the rear ramp closed, for there are large tinted windows on both sides of the cargo bay area that include pull down shades for privacy. The side entry is located forward of the dinette.
A good deal of effort has gone into planning and appointing the full service galley, while keeping the area it occupies compact. Positioned forward of the side entry, the galley sits across the center aisle from the large residential bath and a double door refrigerator. At the end of a day of riding trails the full service dry bath is equipped with a full size standup shower that is a very welcome feature.
On cold nights those resting inside will be kept comfortable and warm with the 30M BTU forced air furnace ducted throughout the unit. The roof air conditioner is optional, with two sizes (13,500 BTUs and 15,000 BTUs) available. Be it in an RV resort or a million miles from the maddening crowd, the Black Diamond stands ready to be enjoyed. The only thing missing is you.
