TrailManor Owner's Forum - View Single Post

RockyMtnRay · 09-11-2003, 08:43 PM

I'd add a couple more significant enhancements:
(14) Replacing "stabilizers" with genuine scissor jacks that can actually be used to level the trailer.
(15) Adding additional windows at the front of the trailer. The interior, even on a grey & cloudy day, is well illuminated by natural light.

As for some of the other changes, I'm not at all sure a couple were really improvements.

First, I for one don't at all like the new rear bumpers...mainly because they seem to prevent access to the sewer dump hose when the TM is closed up. As one of the 20% or so who don't use full hookup campgrounds (and therefore can't dump while the TM is still open), I greatly appreciate being able to pull the "stinky slinky" out of it's isolated storage in the bumper when I can find a dump station after packing up. Sure, being able to hook up AC power while closed (as before a trip) is nice, but there is multitude of ways to work around that challenge.

Second, I rather like those flimsy "elegant" lights. After two camping seasons (and travel over some pretty bumpy Forest Service roads to remote FS campgrounds), both of my TM's elegant lights are still working every time I turn them on...which is nearly every evening. Since I have a front couch in my 2720SL, the elegant lights add a softly lit "living room" touch to the front of my TM...perfect for a bit of end of evening reading or conversation with a glass of brandy or a fine port wine.

And finally, the move from side mounted to roof mounted AC is not a totally win-win solution. For many...like me...putting the AC on the roof means the trailer wouldn't fit through our garage doors. TM giveth and TM taketh...the foldaway hitch enabled storage of a 20 foot trailer in my 19 foot garage...the roof AC would have taken that away (particularly with the lift kit that's basically a necessity for primitive Forest Service campgrounds). So I was forced to pass on the AC option when I ordered my TM. Fortunately I almost always camp in cool to cold high altitude campgrounds, generally that don't have electrical hookups anyway, so not being able to have AC was not a biggie for me. And should I ever decide to camp in hotter, muggier locales, I always have the option of cutting a hole in the side of my TM and installing an AC in the cabinet...my 2002 has got the wiring in there for an AC unit.

09-11-2003, 08:43 PM	#4
RockyMtnRay TrailManor Master Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 816	Re:Trail Manor Evolution I'd add a couple more significant enhancements: (14) Replacing "stabilizers" with genuine scissor jacks that can actually be used to level the trailer. (15) Adding additional windows at the front of the trailer. The interior, even on a grey & cloudy day, is well illuminated by natural light. As for some of the other changes, I'm not at all sure a couple were really improvements. First, I for one don't at all like the new rear bumpers...mainly because they seem to prevent access to the sewer dump hose when the TM is closed up. As one of the 20% or so who don't use full hookup campgrounds (and therefore can't dump while the TM is still open), I greatly appreciate being able to pull the "stinky slinky" out of it's isolated storage in the bumper when I can find a dump station after packing up. Sure, being able to hook up AC power while closed (as before a trip) is nice, but there is multitude of ways to work around that challenge. Second, I rather like those flimsy "elegant" lights. After two camping seasons (and travel over some pretty bumpy Forest Service roads to remote FS campgrounds), both of my TM's elegant lights are still working every time I turn them on...which is nearly every evening. Since I have a front couch in my 2720SL, the elegant lights add a softly lit "living room" touch to the front of my TM...perfect for a bit of end of evening reading or conversation with a glass of brandy or a fine port wine. And finally, the move from side mounted to roof mounted AC is not a totally win-win solution. For many...like me...putting the AC on the roof means the trailer wouldn't fit through our garage doors. TM giveth and TM taketh...the foldaway hitch enabled storage of a 20 foot trailer in my 19 foot garage...the roof AC would have taken that away (particularly with the lift kit that's basically a necessity for primitive Forest Service campgrounds). So I was forced to pass on the AC option when I ordered my TM. Fortunately I almost always camp in cool to cold high altitude campgrounds, generally that don't have electrical hookups anyway, so not being able to have AC was not a biggie for me. And should I ever decide to camp in hotter, muggier locales, I always have the option of cutting a hole in the side of my TM and installing an AC in the cabinet...my 2002 has got the wiring in there for an AC unit.