Larry_Loo

Bypsy, $9,500 for a 1998 3124KS seems like a reasonable price, depending on its condition. If it's clean and the interior doesn't show a great deal of wear, inspect it more carefully. Here's a not all-inclusive checklist:
1. Overall appearance: does the exterior look clean and undamaged (a few small ding marks on its front end caused by stones may be normal); is the same true of the interior - no excessive wear?
2. Closed condition: have the dealer close and latch the TM. Are there gaps between the seals of the shells? Does one shell tilt to a side? How difficult was it to latch the shells? How difficult was it to open both shells and get the upper shell into locking position? Try opening and closing yourself. Get up on a short ladder. Does everything look okay on the roof with a cursory inspection? Inspect the latches, especially the stirrups attached to the upper and lower shells. Are they loose? Can you see more than one hole drilled for each sheet metal screw/bolt? The attachment of these stirrups are a weak point of TMs - because the screws holding them on are inserted into thin wall tubing.
3. Tires: have the dealer remove the fenders' skirts. Are the tires Carlisle ones? If they are, you can plan on an added expense of putting on Goodyear Marathons to minimize blowout risks. Do the wheel wells both look the same? If they are different, this may be a clue that one was repaired after a blowout. You should then check the areas on the insides of the wheel wells, to see that the interiors of the cabinets are in good condition (or were repaired properly). If the wheel wells were modified by rounding off the corners, this is an added bonus.
4. Seals and Velcro strips: inspect the condition of the fabric-covered seals at the front and rear ends. You will have to push the front slide and the king size bed back in to inspect these. They are subject to a lot of wear. Are they torn? Look at the bottom seal on the front slide. What is its condition? Examine, as best you can, the side seals. Do they appear to be in good condition? Are the Velcro strips on the inside walls of the front shell and body of the trailer intact? or are they beginning to peel off? In time you may have to replace them, but it's not something you may wish to do right away. Are there a lot of black streaks on the ceiling? How worn are the plastic covers of the 12 volt lights? These may give you an indication of how well aligned or badly aligned the shells are when they are closed. Look at the small Velcro flaps that seal the lower half of the door. What condition are they in? What about the U-shaped steel latches into which the lower door's pins snap - are they intact or broken?
5. Appliances: can the dealer show you some kind of certification that the appliances and propane system were checked out by a certified repairman. You might consider asking the dealership to hook up the refrigerator to a 115 volt cord several hours before your inspection of the TM - to see if it's beginning to get cold (it can take several hours). Does the air conditioner give off cold air? Can you light the stove easily? If you can get the dealer to put 2+ gallons of water into the toilet, does it flush properly? Does the TV antenna raise and lower easily and rotate okay? Does the TM have the horizontal propane tanks? If, by some means, vertical tanks were installed, they may have very limited propane capacity. Look over the battery (inside the frontmost cabinet of a 3124KS) Is it a true deep-cycle battery or is it an automotive or "Marine-RV" one? If it's either of the latter two, you may have to replace it soon.
6. Beds: with the king bed pushed out to its fullest, climb on to the bed and examine how well the seals fit all around the bed's head end. If there are large gaps, large amounts of cold air can flow through them while you're sleeping - causing you discomfort.
7. Miscellaneous: examine the inside of the door's latch. Does it latch securely? Or does the sliding latch barely fit in its latch plate? Are the lower and upper door seals in good condition? Are all the 12 volt lights working? You can expect that both decorative lights at the front of the TM not to work. This is normal. Does the Fantastic (?) exhaust fan work - if there is one? Does the radio work? Does the propane heater work? The fan will be noisy - this is a normal condition. Do the windows open and close easily? Are the curtains in fairly good condition? Screens not torn?

As I mentioned, this is not an all-inclusive prepurchase inspection list. However, if you find most of the components I've mentioned in good condition, you may have found a TM in good condition. Bear in mind that TMs seem to require more maintenance than conventional trailers. You will have to repair or replace some parts in time. You just want to purchase one that will require the least expensive and troublesome repairs. We like our TMs because, in spite of all of their shortcomings, every one tows like a dream! ;D ;D