How long have you lived in a TM?

I realize that the TM (even the biggest) is not intended for full-timers, but I was curious for just how long it would be comfortable to live out of. What's your experience?

An occasional motel break for a day here and there is OK for this poll (doesn't count as a break in your roadtrip).

We've gone 17 days for two years in a row and we just got back from a 16 night vacation. Towards the end with 2 kids (12 & 10) and 2 adults, the walls were starting to close in.

After I retired (1999) we took our TM 2619 on a 90 day trip - vacation and volunteer work. It was upon our return from that trip that we decided the TM didn't have the best features for us as long as we were workcamping for 3-4 months at a time. We "retired" our TM in 2001 and bought our current travel trailer that provides more of the "comfort" features that make extended living more enjoyable.

Our TM was a great vacation trailer for the 3 years we owned it... we just did not find it comfortable for living for extended periods.

We Picked up our 2007 3124KS on May 11th 2007 from MCD in Yarmouth MA, and since then have only been home for a couple of days. We use to spend the summer in a tent so the TM has really extended our camping season. We have gone to Maine , New Hampshire, and several local camp grounds on Cape Cod, Sturbridge, and Wareham. We also have a spot near the beach where we can camp two weeks at a time.
We are not retired so some spots have to be close enough to drive to work everyday, but coming back to our TM is pure heaven. We have everything we need to be comfortable and some extras I probably don't need. Our plan is to stay in the TM until Sept 3,2007, after that my husbands job gets crazy ( he's a Chimney Sweep) so the best we could hope for is maybe one or two weekends till spring.

Carol

[commodor47]

We spent the winters of 2005 and 2006 on the road in AZ, CA, FL, GA, and SC. At this point we still prefer to be home for Christmas thus put off our departure until the 27th or 28th of December and usually return home around the 1st or 2nd week in April. Due to family commitments we didn't travel this past winter. But we have reservations this winter for AZ (Mesa and Benson) from January through mid March before heading to FL and GA then back home.

We've spent 6 days in a row in our 2007 2720, with 2 adults, a 6 year old, and a 6 month old. It felt somewhat cramped after only a couple of days. Mostly due to the amount of extra "gear" the baby needs. (stroller, swing, seat, bassinet, etc..) Much of this we stored outside under the awning after the first day.

Thankfully, the front bunk can be used for storage as our 6 year doesn't require too much sleeping space, (yet).
We also have a 10' x 10' screen room which we use as our "family room" when not seeking the refuge of the TM's air conditioning during the Florida summer.

The biggest complaint I had with the TM in an extended stay is camping without "full" hookups and how fast the toilet/grey tank fills up with 4 people contributing to the uh...mix.
We're heading out again next month for only a few days. Hopefully we'll get better organized and par down the gear each time we go out.

Steve

[rickst29]

and no stress on (1) batteries; (2) holding tanks; (3) water supply.

So, except for the lack of hydro-jetted bathtub spa, they aren't hard at all.

With hookups is RVing.
Without hookups is camping.


I sure would like to find a place that has full hookups, campsite size it at least a half acre and I can not see or hear my neighbor, for $30 per night. Let me know if you find one.

I have enough neighbors at home. For camping, solitude is at the top of the list.

We are getting ready to take our first extended trip in our new to us TM. We will travel from NC to ND & MT & back on a 4 week trip. Haven't got our exact route mapped out yet. On our return we may dip down to LA to visit a daughter-in-law & grandson & family as our son just left for Iraq & they may need a bit of moral support for a day or two.

This is hopefully the first of many extended trips for us. We have promised to take Mom to her 70th HS reunion in 2009 & bought the TM for that trip as well as the yearly trip we make to see her. This is a surprise to her as we haven't told her we bought the bigger trailer yet. We have been traveling in our small T@B (fashioned after the teardrops but bigger) for 3 years to see her.

We are very excited & trying to not get carried away with loading things up in what seems like a TON of space after the T@B. A friend calls it our "Trailmansion". Seems like it to us too.

Originally Posted by SteveS_2720

The biggest complaint I had with the TM in an extended stay is camping without "full" hookups and how fast the toilet/grey tank fills up with 4 people contributing to the uh...mix.
Steve

You might be able to extend the use of your gray water tank by using a blue tote, and dumping that into the campsite dump station, or if the campsite doesn't have 1, carry it back home with you in the TV......but make sure the fittings are tight. You can then dump the blue tote into your outside sewer cleanout pipe.

You can under charge the toilet (I use about 1/2 gal. of water and some deodorizer to keep the bottom valve wet), then flush with water from an old milk jug or such, until eventially the level comes up to charge, then flush the regular method.....that can get you a day or so gain. Minimize toilet paper use. All of the boys can use a tree for #1. And you can always pull the bottom valve on the toilet (but make sure the outside slide valve is closed ) near the end of your trip (filling up your dump pipe), to get another gal. or so gain in the toilet. Make sure you reclose the toilet bottom valve after filling the dump pipe.

Chap