I looked at a 2004 2619 and 3023 at the RV Show in Dallas yesterday and the bumper storage for the sewer hose DOES open with the Trail Manor folded up. I opened it myself. It's not quite as easy as when it is open, but it definitely does open and you can get the sewer hose out when the trailer is folded up.

I thought of a couple of other items that would be improvements:

(1) standard screen door

(2) factory tinted windows (to prevent drapery fading if nothing else); apparently after market tinting is no easy task

(3) metal latch instead of plastic latch connecting top and bottom of door

(4) skylight over shower to provide a little extra headroom

(5) availability of a factory fitted cover for the Trail Manor. Even if stored inside, trailers get dusty and a cover is a good idea no matter where a trailer is being stored. If Trail Manor sold a heavy duty fitted fabric cover that had a locking cable underneath, I think they would sell a lot of them, given the relatively high price of Trail Manors. I always hate to see a Trail Manor that has obviously been sitting outside uncovered for several years. Not pretty.

(6) taking the ".com" off the Trail Manor logo on the rear window awning. It seems a little gratuitous. Minor, though.

With respect to the comment that products that do not evolve are doomed, I believe it is a matter of degrees. For example, my first RV was a 1983 25 foot Road Ranger fifth wheel. I purchased it in 1995. It had been cared for and was in excellent condition. Comparing the 1983 to newer models of conventional trailers and fifth wheels at the time, the only dramatic difference I noticed was that newer models were lighter. Other than that, I didn't think I was missing out by having an older trailer. With the Trail Manor, though, I look at models from the mid to late 1990's and it's amazing how much difference there is. So I agree with the comment that designs must evolve, but my original comment that Trail Manor has had a steep design improvement curve in recent years still stands, and I think that Trail Manor shoppers should be aware that a 2004 Trail Manor is an entirely different proposition than, say, a 1999 model.

For example, I was looking at a used 2001 2720SL in immaculate condition, for about $5,000 less than a new one. After looking at it a long time and thinking about it, I concluded that all of the improvements since 2001 might be worth $5,000. Just my opinion.

They are still, of course, all ingenious designs and light years ahead of the other "lightweight" bricks on the market.

Back to the original point, another significant improvement in the new models is the ability to plug in while folded up in the 2004's. That's a nice feature.