Kevin,
I have had two TMs (and a popup before them), so I have seen the quality on two straight-from-the-factory units.
1) My first had a leak around the vent that didn't appear until second summer. Maybe we had not had enough rain before, for me to know there was a leak. However, it took 2 hours to pull all the caulk, and re-caulk to non-leak condition. Not a problem, for a great trailer.
2) Yes, some screws don't seem to be seated well. So, I do what is necessary for each situation, to get a better seating for the screw. I would love to go to the factory to show them some of the poorly-positioned screws. Still, not a deal-breaker, as I have been at RV shows, and have seen loose screws in many units. Lightweight does have trade-offs.
3) Yep, the employees make some mistakes. I am in no way chastising you, but your post also has may typos. We all make mistakes, and overlook something that others would call a quality-control issue. All units have something that does not work right, just as every new house has problems. I have fixed some manufacturing oversights, with little effort, and have a great trailer.
4) The gaps are due to the collapsible design. I have small cloth strips that I wad-up and put in the gaps. I camp when it can be down to 10°, and we are plenty warm. If you put the "plugs" in, this reduces drafts considerably. This is another trade-off, as I can take my trailer wherever I want, vs. a full-height that won't fit under low-hanging trees on Forest Service roads. Also, I get a minimum of 25% better fuel economy towing my TM than an identical vehicle towing a full-height trailer of the same weight.
5) Not sure if the "pipe" you are referring to are the drain pipes, or the PEX water lines. Some flexibility is needed as things shift while on the road. Rigid mounts may pull out if you have too rough of roads that you travel.
6) The gap at the top can be solved by adjusting the hold-down latch. A simple adjustment. Torsion bars are not the culprit in this situation.
7) Every trailer I have been in has lighter-weight material than my house does. This is the nature of lightweight trailers. If you want heavier duty, you will pay much more, and have a much heavier trailer. Tradeoff.
8) See 4), above. I store mine outside, and have no damage from anything. No bugs, rodents, or water infiltration.
Pardon my post, but I love the TM design. It has many more pluses than shortcomings. Could they build them better? Sure. But, it is simple to fix most of what they were lax about constructing. If you go to other trailer forums, people are complaining about build quality of every brand of trailer. I believe that you will find shortcomings with every trailer you inspect closely. Maybe it is a matter of expectations.
The choice is yours, obviously. However, I think the TM is a great unit for what I purchased it for, and no other unit is as versatile for me. Your needs/wants are likely different, so what you decide on will, hopefully, fit your needs. As all above have said, the TM is not different from the rest of the affordable (as opposed to custom units) TTs, in that all have shortcomings in their construction. I think TM's shortcomings are easy to overcome, so I am quite happy to do a thing or two to my TM.
Enjoy your search for your family's camping experience.
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