Trail Manor Options

[Bill]

Q: I am thinking about buying a new Trail Manor. What options are available?

A: Trail Manor can build their units with a large number of options. Some of them (like roof air conditioner or swing tongue) must be included at the time of manufacture. Many can be added later, but with higher cost and some aggravation.
For whatever reason, TM does not make its option list well known, and you can get stuck with something you didn't want (or without something you did want) if you just take a trailer off the dealer's lot. Before buying, be sure to press your dealer for an options list, and contact the factory if you have any doubts.
As you add options, be sure to remember what they do to the weight of the unit.

Bill

[dlajoie]

Speaking of non-obvious options, I just installed a CD/AM/FM player in my 2720SL in the prewired slot above the refrigerator. It seems to work fine. However, the radio reception is poor (we live below a cliff). I'm curious as to where the radio antenna wire goes to - where is the antenna? I'm assuming it does not use the TV antenna. I bought the CD player at Circuit City for $24 tax included - certainly a lot less than the TM option.

[mjlaupp]

The antenna is located on the back edge of the front shell over the bathroom. It is an amplified antenna with its power tap spliced to the blue power wire for the radio inside the upper exterior fridge vent access. The antenna is powered on when the 15a fuse is inserted in the converter panel.

I modified my installation to turn the antenna power on with the output from my AM/FM/Cassete player. I used the optional output wire that is used to extend a powered auto antenna. I also installed a 486 CPU cooling fan and heat sink on the back of the radio where the mounting strap for an in-dash installation goes.
MJL

[mjlaupp]

The 2002 TM uses a non-amplified folding telescoping antenna mounted on the sidewall at the rear street side of the front shell. It should be unfolded and extended before raising the top front shell.

The 2003 TM uses an amplified horizontal, black plastic incased antenna mounted on the rear edge of the front shell just above the water seal. You can see it when the top is down. There is a red LED that indicates power on.

No, I don't have a schematic.

MJL

[2619PDX]

My 01 antenna isn't amplified either...

Gregg

[dlajoie]

Thank you all for the copious flow of information. It really shows the value of this forum. It is interesting to note that the ground wire on the TM is white and is black on my Chinese made CD player. It is also handy to have a clock to look at as you enter the TM.

[mjlaupp]

.....It is interesting to note that the ground wire on the TM is white and is black on my Chinese made CD player........


The wire color differences have to do with the color conventions used for house wiring and those used for electronics.

House wiring (AC wiring) uses white for neutral, green or bare for chassis ground and black for hot. Neutral and ground usually are connected together in the power distribution box.

Electronic (DC wiring) normally uses black for negative, green or bare for chassis ground and usually red for positive. It is possible for a DC circuit to have either the black negative side connected to ground or the red positive side connected to ground and still operate correctly.

When the 2 types of wiring are connected in a common area, you have to ether choose one color for all neutral/negative wires, or use a completely different color (usually blue) for the DC negative. Using white for neutral AC and negative DC is the usual solution. I would prefer that the DC negative be white with a black stripe for identification, but that probably goes aganst the wiring convention used by most of the RV manufacturers

MJL