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Old 03-14-2011, 08:44 AM   #4
ng2951
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Good luck on finding a place that rents TMs. We wanted to do the same when we were looking for a TM and never did find one.

However, there are a few things you can do to simulate a TM and get an idea of whether a TM is for you.

You can find trailers with the approximate amount of floor space you will have in a TM. Assuming your TV (tow vehicle) can tow that weight you can try it out. If you are OK with the way it tows, realize the TM will tow better and easier than that.

If that trailer is too heavy to tow (and it may well be too heavy as TMs are light) many rental places will bring the trailer somewhere and set it up for you. You will miss the towing part, but you can still try the camping part.

When camping the biggest difference between a TM and most trailers is onboard storage and the size of the refer. TMs do not have ceiling to floor storage. Also due to this lack of ceiling to floor capabilities, the refer is about half the size that you might find in a conventional trailer of the same size.

The bathroom is another difference. Frankly, I like the recirculating toliet. It is truly a water saver. Also, the TM's shower is really quite good and much better than the "wet baths" that the smaller pop-ups and lightweights have.

One of the really nice aspects of a TM many people do not notice, is that TMs have a lot of window space. You can look out any direction from your TM. Some lightweights only allow visibility in two or three directions, not the TM's four. That much visibility allows a lot of sunlight and contributes handily to the feeling of openess in a TM despite the lack of slideouts.

Another feature and difference are the fulltime beds. Most lightweights lack these. Its very handy and nice not to have to assemble/disassemble your bed every night/morning.

As someone who likes/dislikes his TM but has no plans to replace it anytime soon (high fuel prices), the real question you need to answer is whether you are an RVer type or not. I knew I was OK with it, I just wasn't sure the pardette was. Well after 3 years with our TM we still use it at least once a month and camp in it three to five weeks a year in it. The pardette and the two dogs love it.

The one thing I am sure of with the TM is that I can go camp somewhere in a really nice trailer while others are staying at home waiting on fuel prices to drop. That is what keeps me in my TM...
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