Just bought our Trailmanor

[k_and_p_camping]

We put down the deposit on our new (to us) 98 3124KB. We pick it up on Thursday, and we'll be using it this holiday weekend. We've been looking at this board for about 6 months, and we just kept hoping we could find a 3124KB at a reasonable price. We have 3 children still at home, and they usually bring at least one friend so we need the sleeping space! The trailer is rather dirty, has some hail damage (nothing structural), and has only the one sofa bed up front: no chairs or an additional sofa. We got it for $2000 under NADA blue book, and even more off of what the dealer was asking.

We've had pop-ups for about 18 years, so we're pretty good at the basics. Now it wil be a full-employment act fora while to clean and fix this one up. Thanks for all the help.

Pam

[Happytrails]

Np Pam, and I'll bet we'll be right here when ya have questions on cleaning/fixing this or that :D Welcome to the family!

Happytrails.......

[B_and_D]

We just bought one too! It's a 1997 2720. Everything works except the two lights over the front bed, and the switch for the TV booster, next to the sink. It kind of fell apart when we switched it on, have the pieces and will try to stick it back together with the battery disconnected. Will have to check out the maintenance discussion on those. Has AC, TV antenna, awning. It is very clean, aside from some rust.

Picked it up on Friday, drove it home and even found a campsite for Saturday and Sunday night without reservations. They said they'd had a lot of cancellations because of the gas prices. There were even riverside spaces left empty.

WE LOVE IT!!

It was so weird, we were all sitting in it last night, and looked out the window at all the pine trees, and it looked alot like the window they show in the TM ad on their website . We felt like we had always owned it.

Only thing is, we couldn't figure out where in the heck the fuse box is.

Now the ball starts rolling for all the organizing, accessories, etc.

Hope you had fun with yours this weekend.

[Windbreaker]

Just in front of the rear bed, on the bathroom wall near the floor is where you will find the fuse box.

I sure like to hear about folks enjoying camping.

Make sure you take photos, and share them.

Have fun.

[arknoah]

Welcome B and D and Pam. We hope you enjoy your new toys as much as we have. Pam, how did the holiday weekend go?

[hal]

B & D, Welcome to the world of the TrailManor. I can remember the excitement of having a TrailManor. In fact this feeling is re-experienced every time we set up ours. We still sit in ours and study the interior and its finery and agree on how fortunate we are to have selected a TrailManor.

There are many details of your TrailManor. You will discover the anew each time you use it. One feature that most of us have stumbled over is the control of the lights over the bed. It seems that these lights are controlled by two (three) sets of switches. You probably found the individual switches that are a part of each of these lights. Their is a second and a very important switch that controlls these lights plus the fancy lights that are located on the end wall next to the bed. This switch is located in one of your ceiling vents. It is almost camaflaged because it looks like a round knob without having a purpose. To turn on each of these lights, first of all rotate this round switch one click. If any of the lights do not turn on, go to the switches that are attached to each and turn on the light.

This system is not a three way light system. I would guess that the purpose of the round knob switch is to be able to control all lights near the bed without having to climb up onto the bed. Then after crawling into bed, they can in turn be shut off individually without getting out of bed and controlling them with the round knob. You will find a variety of ways that you can set up these lights for your use. As an example, we find the lights that are in the corner to set a relaxed mood while sitting during the night. So, we leave their individual switches turned to on and then when it is time to go to bed, turn them off using the knob switch.

I have tried to second guess the engineers who placed various features into the TrailManor. The conclusion that I have come to concerning the “dual’ control of these lights is for safety. As you are aware, all 12 volt fixtures in the rear of the trailer are shut off together by a “kill switch” when the bathroom wall is folded down. This is an important feature as any light that is left on and comes into contact with bedding or anything flammable can cause a fire that can destroy a trailer. Being that their is no kill switch for the front end of the trailer, at least those lights are are least accessible can be controlled by one switch. Often, I have considered installing a kill switch for this half of the trailer and have hoped that someday, all 12 volt lights, plug, etc in the front of the trailer would be turned off by one.

Hal

[B_and_D]

Thanks to all of you for all your help.....especially Larry and Robin who showed us their TM's (and REALLY made us want one!!) And thanks to Hal for the TM opening and closing instructions. We brought that paper with us to the dealer, and we knew more about the procedures than the guy who did the walkthrough there. He tried to close the bathroom wall without taking out the pin at the rear bed...I started loudly saying, "wait, wait..WAIT..." or else he would have broken it! And thanks again to Larry for demonstrating the TM lowering & raising up again. We would have definitely broken something if we didn't have so much help from the great members of this board. Thanks to all of you for your quick replies to our queries.

The lights over the front bed work...found the switch (it's just a toggle switch, silver) in the front hatch. None of us even noticed it.

We have the TM plugged into the 110 at the house, but the DC converter keeps making noise so I think we should keep it unplugged? Or should we just turn it off? I should read the instructions. It's been a crazy weekend, back to work today after driving 1700+ miles to pick up the TM. My son called home sick from school today and then threw up in the parking lot when H picked him up...has a temp...definitely has stomach flu, after having a BAD cold last week. Will have even more homework to catch up on...

Now the only thing to fix is the TV antennae booster....hopefully nothing is fried in there, it kind of smells like hot plastic /circuits....I think that little apparatus with the DC outlet and the red light and the switch below the sink is the entire unit, but I'm not sure.

I wonder if I could buy just that part of the antennae set if it is fried??

[Civil_War_Buff]

Hey neighbors, congrats on the TM, now we have ONE MORE in the neighborhood!! Glad that all worked out for you, now we will have to see yours! Sorry to that your son wasn't feeling well today, I guess that the trip took it all out of him huh? Well a quick trip to Santa Cruz KOA should be just what the Dr. ordered. ;)
We will be heading to lake Tahoe over the 20-22nd, and then we will be at the SC KOA on the following weekend. Lots of trips always planned...let me know what you guys are planning and who knows.

Glad that the trailer made it home OK, glad that you are happy, and I know that you will enjoy the TM for many years to come....now if we can just get the state to let us get PTI stickers for the TMs we wil have it made.

Enjoy,

Larry

[k_and_p_camping]

We had a good weekend in our new Trailmanor3124KB. Everything worked pretty much as planned, and we've added a number of items to our "to do" list. We had some friends over for a cookout on Saturday night and they were pretty impressed. We find the trailer absolutely HUGE coming from a pop-up, even though our pop-up was a big one with a slide-out dinette. Of course not EVERYTHING works well; the cheap sewer hose the dealer gave us blew up the first time my poor husband tried to dump, so we now have a much nicer one.

Number one on the to-do list is to get those huge storage compartments divided into smaller areas so things don't rattle around or get lost. I've already replaced the shower curtain (it had some holes and was really too short). We've also got to re-caulk around the tub/shower. I've also figured out I don't like carpeting! This time we were camping with water and electric hookups so vacuuming was possible. Much of the time though we spend boon-docking. It is much easier to sweep the smooth surface floor than the carpeting! I'll have to look up the instructions on removing the carpeting though I doubt that will get done this fall.

An interesting thing in our Trailmanor is that it came without either the 2 chairs or the second sofa (on the curb side). We're trying to figure out if we want to get some nice folding chairs or if it is possible to put something like a futon there. Anyone else change their furniture?

Pam S (to distinguish myself from the other Pam)

[BobWilson]

Texas_Camper said
Another item to watch for:
I like to keep the draw latches folded in tight when set up. If they are not swung out when lowering the tops, they can bind and be damaged. Be careful with that.
Also, the bolts holding the black latches on the swing arms need to be checked for tightness. I do this when checking the tire pressure and lug nuts. Don't overlook the spare. Sand and grit get into the black latches and the latches will remain open. When closing, the tops swing down, hit the rubber bumpers and spring back up slightly. You will think something inside is too high and keeping the tops from closing. Do not, I repeat, do not ask me how I know this



I had my corner (draw latches) get stuck when closing two times now. What do you mean by keep folded in tight? Since the shell support arms swing 90 degrees it is easy for them to move.

What do you mean by the black latches? I think mine are white with rubber handles that hold the shells down when closed. Tese are the ones you are talking about, right?

Bob W.

[Bill]

You can get a zipped copy of the TM portion of the manual (30-some pages) HERE (http://home.maine.rr.com/billjeffrey/TrailManor/TM Manual.zip). This does *not* include all the appliance manuals. I don't know if the factory can supply those, but most of the info is available on the web, at the various appliance manufacturers' sites.

Bill

[arknoah]

Pam S,

I agree on the carpet, and only wish we could have figured out the better utility of the tile floor before we ordered ours.

About a year ago, Maw Craig (I think) mentioned that she has a thing called a Fluppi, a little palm sized carpet sweeper that you can just rake across the carpet a few times and pick up a good deal of debris between times when you are able to vacuum. We bought one and find it to do a pretty good job -- not as good as a vacuum, but certainly a good quick alternative when you can't stoke up the dirt devil!

Here's a link to their site:

http://www.fluppiusa.com/

[MawCraig]

Yes, it was me! I bought my Fluppi at a flea market in Myrtle Beach, SC. Everytime I go there I buy one or two more .... fellow campers always want one! It's nice to be able to hand them one, right on the spot!