Q's for TrailManor owners

I'm very interested in the TrailManor 2720, and would like to get some feedback from owners.  We have a Dodge Caravan 3.8 AWD, and it looks like one of the few reasonable options.  They look very cool.

* My biggest concern is leaks.  Is there leakage around the seals?  Does the wind howl through the seals?  Do the seals have to be replaced periodically? Do you get water inside when you're taking it down?
* Can you get into the trailer to put in luggage, and into the refrigerator, when the trailer is collapsed?
* Are there issues with the velcro straps?  Does the wind get through?  Do they need to be replaced periodically?
* Do the beds get cold, since there's outside air right below them?

If anyone tows with a Dodge Caravan, or equivalent:

* Are you satisfied with the towing performance?
* Can you open the van's hatchback when the trailer is hitched?

And generally, I'd like to know how you like them!

Thanks, any feedback would be welcome.

2720 owner. no water or wind problems. beds are not cold. so well insulated that we camp is this recent cold spell in the south with just an electric heater and bed conforter. in fact, have not used my gas heater this year. you cannot place items inside the trailer once it is closed (really not a big inconvience). as for towing i have v8 dodge 1500 ram and i really feel it is overkill for towing such a lite weight trailer. i brought my trailer new from the factory and have had very minor problems. all in all for the money it was a best buy for us.

Hi,

Regarding your really good questions (same ones we had) we have had no leaks at all.  I will say that it can be cold on the beds because you have your mattress on top of the aluminum.  No matter how well insulated it is, there are times when you sense the cold from the outside. On the other hand, we usually have condensation because there is very little movement of air from the inside to the outside.  Once you put on the heater, therefore, you get warm and stay warm.  The velcro straps are very secure, though our dealer has said that they will need to be replaced at some time in the future, since the hooks will make some contact with other fabrics over time, which isn’t really unusual with velcro.  

We’ve never had any trouble at all with water getting in.  There may be times when a little breeze might blow in some leaves while you’re setting up, but we’ve opened and closed our trailer in light rain with no trouble.  

As for getting inside, you can do so if you have the rear half down and the front half up, but it’s not easy.  I’ve done this a couple of times at home because I forgot to do something with the fridge.  

Since I don’t know much about your proposed tow vehicle, I would just recommend figuring carefully your weights, including fluids, cargo and people.  Since the 2720 is one of the smaller versions, it doesn’t require a great deal of towing capacity.

We’ve had our TM for just a year but really love it.  I think it was the ease of towing that sold me.  And we love only about 2 - 2.5 miles per gallon (out of the usual 16.5) when towing with our Toyota Sequoia.  You won’t find this kind of interior room that tows so easily anywhere!

Good luck!

F. J. & Ellen

In my opinion:

You should look at either a new tow vehicle and the TM or a different camper.
The Dodge Caravan is great as a van but the transmission is too weak for towing. Stock towing limit is around 2000 pounds and with the tow package, only 3500lbs. It is very expensive to replace the transmissions ($1000+). I have read online that even with the tow package folks have lost transmissions pulling 2000 pound boat/trailers.

We owned a Caravan and sold it when we bought our '98 2720 TM. We purchased a Chevy Astro (5000 pound pulling capacity) to pull the TM. Averaged around 13 MPG and had no problems pulling at 70 MPH. We did however average 14.5 MPG when we pulled at 65 MPH and below.

In September, pulled the TM from Alabama up to my sisters in Ohio and back down through Virginia. I slept on the wall side of the Queen and did in fact get cold. We had to run a fan winter or summer to circulate the air to the back. In Ohio, the temp dropped into the 20's and with the heater keeping it 75 degrees up front, it was 60 degrees on the rear bed. I would say that I got cold mostly from the windows in the back. The seals did not leak air.

We owned the TM for 5 months and sold it and the Astro van and bought a 33 foot fifth wheel and a Dodge quad cab diesel. We liked the TM and would have kept it if our kids had been in their teens. We found that the limited floor space was just too cramped for the kids to play inside. I even went so far as making a saftey gate that I clamped between the bathroom wall and the wardrobe to pen the kids on the rear bed for playing.

Before you buy a TM, read this site and know that what you are buying is a luxery pop up. Don't expect the TM to be more than that. During our 2 week trip we found storage space to be at a premium and had to constantly move boxes and luggage around. You need to know that the TM is one noisy puppy in the rain. We camped over 30 nights (and pulled it over 4000 miles) while we had it and it rained around 15 of them. The only leaks we experienced were with the front door and it turned out to be the seal around the top door section was not sealed.

I have tent camped and canoed for week long trips to the boonies but with my wife and kids, camping had to be different. 2 weeks worth of formula, diapers, etc., etc. and there is not much room for anything else.

We can now load up the 5th wheel and have storage space for everything. No more need for boxes and suitcases. The kids have a huge area to play. I wanted to buy a 5th wheel instead of the TM but the wife thought the TM would work out. She thought it would be cheaper and we would be able to camp more places. The TM just did not work with our 2 toddlers. Could have been all that rain. I should have listened to the advice that a friend once gave me about campers, "Don't buy it if you can't live in it. If you buy something too small and drive 400 miles to get to your vacation spot and it rains the whole time you are there, you will have to live in it."

Hope this helps. The Trailmanor is a great camper. It costs extra to buy the Trailmanor luxery. Make sure to spend your money only once. Don't skimp on the tow vehicle either. Too small and you have major repair bills. Call your dealer and ask about towing capacity. Stop by the dealer for an oil change and talk to the repairman and ask his opinion.

Happy camping.

p.s. Here is a different site with a hard wall popup http://www.aliner.com/
     There was just a neat write up about them in camping life magazine.
     The one they reviewed was $10,600 new and GVWR was only 2500#
     with a tounge weight of 115 lbs. It sleeps 4. Not as roomy as a TM but
     small and should tow and garage well.

A couple of quick comments on Brian's response. First, I agree that the TM is very noisy in the rain.  If the rain is heavy, it can get annoying, though in a lighter rain, it is a rather soothing sound, kind of like the sound of raindrops in a puddle.  We actually found that sound very easy to take, but again in a heavy rain, that roof is noisy.

Regarding the space inside, however, I must comment that with our two kids (6 and 3) the TM is very spacious.  Ours is one of the larger models, granted, but last Memorial Day we had eight people in the unit for hours, with the kids watching TV and the adults playing cards, and no one seemed to mind.  Now, when the two teenagers came in as well, then it got cramped.  In truth, we have been impressed with the space the TM offers, and because we chose a larger model (the 3225 that isn't made anymore) we got extra counter space and easy to access storage that makes things go pretty well.

Just my two cents,

F. J. and Ellen

I have had the 2720SL for a year and think the TM was the best purchase.  Even with only one bed the sofa bed easily sleeps two and very comfortably.

As I have said in other posts we spent two weeks in New Mexico in snow, hail and two days of 65 m.p.h. winds with temps around 25 degrees.  Obviously we spent most of those days inside and found it to be a lot like home.  The rain is only annoying when it is a downpour, other than that it is quite soothing as F.J and Ellen said.

There are different likes and dislikes for everyone. In my case if I am going to enjoy the great outdoors I want all the luxuries of home but I am not going to drag 12,000 pounds behind me with a monster tow vehicle that gets 4 m.p.g. and makes a ton of noise with a generator.  A TM gives you all the luxuries of home plus great gas mileage, towability, no need for a huge truck ( I tow with a Chev. 1500 V6) and you don't pollute as much (recirculating toilet w/ 5 gallons).   It looks good, tows well, and drives well.  Setup is easy.  I have seen people fiddle with their 5th wheels longer than it takes us to setup.  Storage has not been an issue for us.  There are trade offs but I wouldn't trade a TM for anything else.  We are selling ours only to upgrade to a bigger unit for full-timing.  Enjoy whatever you choose.

It is the greatest thing on wheels.

In all due respect, I did my homework before moving to a fifth wheel. I would not continue to post on this site if I did not like the Trailmanor and the people that own them.

There are different likes and dislikes for everyone. In my case if I am going to enjoy the great outdoors I want all the luxuries of home but I am not going to drag 12,000 pounds behind me with a monster tow vehicle that gets 4 m.p.g. and makes a ton of noise with a generator. A TM gives you all the luxuries of home plus great gas mileage, towability, no need for a huge truck ( I tow with a Chev. 1500 V6) and you don't pollute as much (recirculating toilet w/ 5 gallons). It looks good, tows well, and drives well. Setup is easy. I have seen people fiddle with their 5th wheels longer than it takes us to setup.

My tow vehicle is a 1-ton Dodge Quad Cab with the 12 valve 5.9 Cummins Diesel. I went with a large 5er so that we could live in it while building a house. I would have otherwise opted for a 27' I do not use a noisy generator and can dry camp just as well as I could with the TM. My 33' weighs in at 9500 lbs and I get 12MPG yes not 4MPG but 12MPG while towing at highway speeds. My engine will last 350,000 plus miles (gotta love a diesel). I'll admit that it is a few feet longer than the Chevy 1500 ( I owned a Chevy K10 for 17 years and sold it as well as the van when I opted for the 5th wheel) but it is not a Kenworth. The towing of a fifth wheel is the safest and most stable of all tavel trailers. If you disagree with that statement, you need to know why tractor trailers used for delivering goods throughout our great country use the same system. Stable yet flexible. Easier to maneuver.
My setup also looks good, tows well and drives well. It is easier to drive than the TM was with the Astro.
Had I purchased a 2720SL instead of the 2720, I too might have found the interior floor space to be sufficient and never had 'traded up'. The 2720 however had no real usable floor space for the kids to play while 2 adults were seated at the dinette.
In the fifth wheel, I can set up in 5 minutes. I can stop and use the bathroom whenever I want to (no need to fully assemble the camper). I can stop and cook dinner at any time (also, no assembly required). The TM can be garaged. The fifth wheel cannot. This is not an issue for me as I live in a very rural area.
I do not own a camper to escape the city and therfore do not have to deal with a drive out of the city. I have driven both campers in city driving and the fifth wheel requires more concentration but is not any less safe. We bought a camper to explore new places and to limit the $$ spent while travelling.
The bottom line is a camper is a useful substitute for a lodge or hotel room. It would however be difficult to justify $20,000 for a camper that you are going to spend 14 nights a year in. The same number of nights in a hotel/lodge would cost you $3640 ($150/night room, $110/day food) versus $700 ($20/night campsight, $30/day food) for a camper. Difference of $2940. Figuring $250 year for tag, insurance, maintenance on the camper, you will begin to save money camping after 9-1/2 years.
I am not trying to pursuade any one from purchasing a camper. I own a camper and I own it because I like to know where I am staying. I worked for 3 years as a travelling salesman and in that time spent over 400 nights in hotel rooms. I prefer to sleep in a bed that I am familiar with and to cook and eat my own food. We will probably camp 30+ nights this year as well. I am only trying to say that there are a lot of things to consider before purchasing a camper of any type.
The Trailmanor is indeed a fine camper and will suit the needs of many very well. The larger TM's are probably more suited for families.
You must still define your needs and finances and try to make the most logical decision.
If you must upgrade your tow vehicle, make sure you upgrade it so that it and the camper will both fit your needs
Happy Camping

We love our trailmanor and I would buy another.  However, the fact of the matter is that the factory hopes to sell 800 per year in a good year.  TM's fit only a niche demand.  

The majority of RV'ers apparently have differing needs or place value differently so RV type comparisons are difficult.

Back to the original post:
We presently tow a TM2720 with a Chevy Astro van and I will buy a front wheel drive mini-van for this in the near future.  I expect no problem based on my experiences and knowledge as an automotive engineer.  Note: an equalizing hitch should be used to transfer some tongue weight up to the front drive wheels.

I have a model 23 (91) that is the same as the 2720.  I've towed it over 3000 miles in the last year with a Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.3 engine and towing package.  I also have an equalizing hitch and anti sway bar.  I can easily tow it at 60-70 mph and even use overdrive on relatively level ground.  My son is a Chrysler transmission repairman so I had him check the tranny after both of the first two long trips.  He found nothing to indicate that the transmission was under undue stress, no metal shavings, worn discs or even burnt or discolored transmission fluid.  The early Chrysler transmissionss had some serious problems, but they got significantly better in 93, and by 96 it wasn't unusual to see them with over 150,000 miles before repair.  I've owned 4 of these minivans and have put over 250,000 on each of the first three and have 65,000 on my 2001!
    We are careful how we pack and typically don't travel with full water tanks and load as evenly and pack as lightly as possible.  By the way, the recommended max. for this vehicle is 3800 lbs, and I try to stay at 3000 or less.  Hope this helps, Denny    (By the way, 18 mpg at 55-60, 14-15 at 65-70)

If you have children and plan to do any dry camping, you must consider the toilet capacity.  We do not want our children to use the NFS pit toilets, and the toilet capacity is only 3-51/2 gallons, depending on how you charge it.  TM tells me that it is not possible to add a holding tank, as there is no way to vent it.  There are ways to dump at your campsite into your own freestanding tank, but we have found it to be a lot of trouble.  We like our TM, but with 5 people in our unit this has been our major problem.