A Site to see.....

[CastleRockCamper]

Yesterday I went to the Denver RV show. While taking a look at the 2005 TM model, I went into a 2720Sl. Surprise, there was no bathroom or wardrobe. The area was replaced with a dinette across the back, though it still had the slide out in the front. First question "Why" if you needed more sleeping room why not get the normal 2720 and still get a bathroom? The sales associates were fairly busy so I did not bother asking this question of "Why".

Maybe testing the market to see if it would be a popular floorplan. It opened the trailer up from end to end because the wardrobe and the bathroom walls were not there, but still no bathroom......

Price....maybe a way to reduce the price of the trailers was the reason to remove the bathroom?

What will the future hold?

CastleRockCamper

[Bill]

Wow, that's really weird. Nothing on the TM website (MUCH improved for '05, by the way) shows anything like this. On the new site, you get to "Build your TM", just like the car sites, and the major options are listed. Nothing even suggests "Delete the bathroom".

Who would want a TM without a bathroom? I suppose it could be right for those folks who ALWAYS camp in a full-amenities campground with the shower-and-bathroom building right next to your site ... Not my cuppa tea, but there is lots of tea in the world ...

Bill

[BOB_STRONG]

Per Linda Hulsey, TrailManor built a 2619 with a dinette in the back instead of a bathroom & a wardrobe. This unit was originally designed as a rental unit. It sleeps eight & has seating for eight. People renting the 2619 Sport could stay at campgrounds with facilities or use a Porta-Potty ( there are additional privacy curtains in the 2619 Sport). TrailManor decided to test the market in Denver. Also, they built a 2720SL Sport with the dinette in the rear. As you has stated, they had both units at the Denver RV show.

Hope this helps. It sure had my curiosity working overtime.

[B_and_D]

This is interesting that TrailManor is thinking of new niches to fill the market.

Has anyone seen the floorplans of the newer HiLo with the bunkbeds in the front? I saw one on EBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4516119443&indexURL=6&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting.

I kind of thought that TM could come up with something in the SL models (more than likely a 33, 31 or 30 model) that would somehow have two full sized bunk beds in the front slide area. It seems that a lot of people really like the TM idea but need more beds (especially people with 3 or more children) and trailer/bunkhouses really appeal to them. If TM could come up with something with bunk beds, in addition to the main rear bed, I think they could really sell to this niche. It would work for us...

[marylynne]

The new Sport model is in the Southeast as well. I saw 2 of them at the Tampa RV show this weekend. I mentioned them to our local dealer in North Florida and he said he had one as well. It had only been in the plans for about the last 2 months. They were designed for the rental market and to try and get a lower price point for entry people moving up from a popup. Many popups don't have toilets so they are testing the market.

He said this would cut down on a lot of repair in the rental market by not having the bathroom.

Interesting concept. The thing I love is having a popup with a bathroom. That is the last thing I would give up.

Mary Lynne

[fcatwo]

We spend a lot of time in ours and are almost always hooked up. We might go for a TM with two wardrobes and the Thetford. I already brush my teeth in the kitchen sink when we are in a hurry to get away so that wouldn't be a big deal.

We still do a little self-contained bicycle touring so our idea of priorities relate to that. There is a lot of stuff in the TM that we don't carry on our tandem bicycle while touring so we put those in the non-essential category.