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Old 10-02-2008, 05:57 AM   #1
otter68
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Default Opinions/help re: 1997 2619 potential purchase

Hi all! Long time lurker, 1st time poster - love the site - thanks for all the unwitting help! I checked out a used TM last night and would appreciate any opinions on the unit and advice regarding price – this is my first camper. I'm in Littleton, CO...

Here’s the info:
1997 Trailmanor 2619 - $7950
Probs: One front bed light doesn’t work, one side drapery track is cracked.
No A/C, has heat.
Has stove, oven, fridge (Dometic 3-way with fan), side awning.
He bought May 2008 and replaced cushions/beds/draperies, put on 14" tires, greased bearings, 1 new battery (+1 older), rear hitch receiver (2").
He used on 1 car-camping trip over the summer to CA; wants to go back to an in-bed pickup camper for off road camping.
He said he was into it for around $8300 (I know, I know - that's not my problem).

I think I was very thorough in my inspection: got on top/underneath, ran water/heater, ran electrical/gas, checked all appliances/furnace/outlets/ bathroom, running/brake lights, awning. No signs of water leakage/damage. Very clean w/appropriate wear for age.

Nadaguides.com with some of the "extras" included:
Low Retail: $3630 - 3880
Average Retail: $4405 - 4715

Around here, it seems used Trailmanors don’t come up very often and don’t last long, but his asking price seems way too high. Wondering how close to NADA (either way) is resonable? Am I asking for trouble with an 11 yo unit even though it seems to be in very good condition?

Thanks in advance for what I know will be awesome info!
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Old 10-03-2008, 07:43 AM   #2
lnussbau
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As in anything used, selling price is what the market will bear. While the asking price sounds a bit high to me, the NADA values you list sound a bit low to me. Ultimately, it'll boil down to whether you can find a better deal, including time and effort to find and inspect (and retrieve, if it's far away) another TM that would suit you. Also, have you asked the owner about negotiating a bit better price (sounds as though you might have done so)? I take it the owner isn't willing to fix the broken items...
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Old 10-03-2008, 09:02 AM   #3
Scott O
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Based on what the 2720 sold for (see another current thread) I would say this is very high. Much like searching for a car, be sure to check out all you can find and don't fall in love with any!!! In this market, you should be able to strike a much more favorable deal, and with the money you save you can afford to travel a bit to pick it up if it is not local.
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Old 10-03-2008, 09:45 AM   #4
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Default my thoughts

I'd echo what the others have said - the price seems a little high, but you pay what the market will bear. If he has someone in line behind you willing to pay, then the price if right. If not, you can negotiate.

My experience: when we bought our 3124 last spring, the dealer gave me a price and I tried to get him to come down. He basically said "that is the price." period. And I knew he had a line of folks behind me who would snap it up. So I paid it and glad I did.

As for the "problems" you mention, they seem minor and probably easily fixed. No A/C? That can be remedied if you deem it necessary. Unless you camp a lot outside of Colorado, you may not need A/C anyway. The mention of 2 batteries would concern me unless one is just a backup for the other. If they are linked in series (6 volt) or parallel (12 volt) it could be problematic. Search for posts on "battery" for more info.

One thing to consider is that the fall is a bad time to sell because the market is down - who wants to buy an RV and then store it till spring? But it is a good time to buy, because demand is down so prices should be better. You just have to decide if the savings are worth the months of non-use. Unless you're headed to sunny Arizona for the winter. Then you'd you'd probably want that A/C!

Whatever you do, you can be sure that you can find lots of support in this forum, plenty of advice (like it or not!), and many who love solving problems! Also, Colorado has the largest and most active owners group in the country. We've been once and are going again this weekend for the final trip of the year. If you'd like to see about 25 or so TMs in one place (about 30 trailers, but some are SOBs - Some Other Brand), come to Riverview RV Park west of Loveland this weekend! I'm sure there will be plenty of advice available there!
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Old 10-03-2008, 09:45 AM   #5
Wavery
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His price does sound high. We recently purchased a '98 2720 for less than that and it is in really good condition. The fridge, tires, wheel bearings, ceiling fan, water pump and water heater were all replaced since 2005. It also has electric levelers (about $3500 new). This guy put about $4000 in the trailer since he bought it and that made $0 difference in the selling price.. I added AC and it was easy.

Having said that, if it's worth that much to YOU....that's what counts. Just realize that you will probably take a big hit when you go to sell it in a few years. You will be faced with the same problem that the current owner has. You'll be trying to justify your selling price by what you paid for it. That only works if you are able to find a willing buyer (better known as a "sucker").

Location means a lot. We had to drive 2200 miles (round trip) to get ours. You might try offering the guy $5K. That seems like more than a fair price for a '97 2619. If he says no, you could always give him your ph # and tell him to give you a call if he changes his mind and tell him that the offer stands until you buy something else.

This is the beginning of off season. Waiting a bit may be worth-while. People aren't buying much right now so the guy may come down on his price and/or something better may come on the market.

It seems to me that I recently saw a 2001, 2720 for about $10K. The 2720 has a queen bed in the rear instead of a double. It also has an extra storage cabinet inside, under the rear bed. It is the full width of the trailer. Half is accessible from the inside and the other half is accessible from the outside. For us, that was a must.

We actually bought this trailer as a stop gap. We sold our Coleman Pop-Up and were without a trailer. We camp a lot and we really want a 2003 (or newer) TM 2720. Now that we have a usable one and realize how much we like it, we have time to wait for the right deal to come along. RV dealerships are folding like crazy, all over the country. You might find one with a TM in stock that he just wants to off-load. I missed a 2001 2619 at a dealership in SoCal by 30-minutes a few months ago (before we bought this one). They sold it for $9,000 and it had AC and the folding hitch. They had it advertised for $14K.

Here's a good search site:
http://www.oodle.com/vehicle/-/make_trailmanor/?s=price
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Old 10-03-2008, 01:08 PM   #6
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Hey, Wayne & Carolyn -

Little Mr. 9-6/9 must be here by now, right? Fess up! Time to bump up to 10...

I'm a lurker who appreciates all your helpful posts as we get ready to buy.

Pam
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Old 10-03-2008, 02:16 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nana&Papa View Post
Hey, Wayne & Carolyn -

Little Mr. 9-6/9 must be here by now, right? Fess up! Time to bump up to 10...

I'm a lurker who appreciates all your helpful posts as we get ready to buy.

Pam
Thanks for the reminder.......Nov 9th is the date.....
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Old 10-03-2008, 07:52 PM   #8
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I think he is too high. You can probably find a 2720 younger with more features and for less money.

On the older TMs the shell has a lot of wood in it. If there had been leakage, water may have damaged the wood frame. If you are going to pay that much, I would be darn sure the shell was in very good shape.

We bought our 06 3326 for a very good price. Try making a more reasonable offer on that unit closer to NADA and see what happens. Also do not be afraid to walk away.
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Old 10-03-2008, 09:27 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ng2951 View Post
Also do not be afraid to walk away.
IMHO, the willingness to walk away is the key to scoring the best price.

Dave
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Old 10-03-2008, 11:04 PM   #10
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Just one other observation. It's kinda weird that he'd buy it in May, put all that work into it and sell it 5 months later....something doesn't sound quite right.......
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