Opinion about 3023

[KdHammonds]

I am considering buying a 1996 3023 that is being offered for $13,995 including weight distribution hitch, anti sway bars, and brake controller for my tow vehicle included.  Does anyone have an opinion about this deal?  The 3023 is with air, awning, levellers, sofa/two chair arrangement, TV antenna, etc.  The overall condition seems pretty good.

Feel free to respond directly at [email protected]

By the way, we intend to tow this with our 1998 GMC Safari, any concerns?

Thanks,

Keith

[Larry_Loo]

Kd, my opinion is that $13,995 may be a little too much for a 1996 3023 even with the equalizing hitch, antisway bars and brake controller thrown in. By the way, does the price include installation of the latter 3 items? If it doesn't, that would make the price even less of a bargain.

If you haven't already done so, you should look up blue book values for a 1996 TM 3023, with all of the optional equipment that it has, on a web site such as NADA, at:

http://www.nadaguides.com/

Wishing you the best of success in locating a good TM!  ::) ::)

[KdHammonds]

Thanks for the reply.

I did check the NADA guides and found it to list for $11,900.  

One other concern I have about the TrailManor is the recirculating toilet.  I have a family of five and I am concerned about the utility of the toilet for this number of people.

Thanks for any input.

Keith

We have a family of 2 (The wife and I) and we camped for a week-end with us using only the TM toilet for nature calls. By then end of the week-end (about a full 48 hours) the tank on the toilet showed about 80% full. We weren't trying to "conserve" in any fashion our use of the facilities.

Doing simplistic math it would appear 1 person for 1 day is 20% of the capacity. Multiply that times 5 and my estimate is you would need to dump once per day with excessive use. (I'm not sure your mileage would be any better with a "standard" RV toilet though. - 5 persons will be quite a (pardon the pun) "Load" for any RV toilet. Obviously, using campground toilets when possible, etc. will extend this...

Hope this helps..

I am considering buying a 1996 3023 that is being offered for $13,995 including weight distribution hitch, anti sway bars, and brake controller for my tow vehicle included. Does anyone have an opinion about this deal? The 3023 is with air, awning, levellers, sofa/two chair arrangement, TV antenna, etc.

The price seems high to me, too.

We have a family of 2 (The wife and I) and we camped for a week-end with us using only the TM toilet for nature calls. By then end of the week-end (about a full 48 hours) the tank on the toilet showed about 80% full. We weren't trying to "conserve" in any fashion our use of the facilities.

My estimates weren't so scientific.  I figured the toilet capacity as four days for the two of us.   Maybe five.  That's starting the trip using the trick I think Paul H first posted, where you only fill the tank with enough water to make the recirculating pump cycle, somewhere about 2/3 of the way to "E" IMHO.

[arknoah]

Ditto on the price.   While we pay a lot for the TMs, like all new vehicles, they lose a lot in price once we drive them off the lot.

Regarding the toilet, with our family of four, and not trying to conserve, we fill up the toilet in a weekend.  We also use the trick of charging up the toilet only until it begins cycling, rather than all the way up.  On one three day weekend, we were able to last with one charge, though with a family of five, just getting through a standard weekend is about all you can hope for.   Only you can decide if that is enough capacity for you.

[Denny_A]

F.J & Ellen wrote:

>We also use the trick of charging up the toilet only until it begins cycling, rather than all the way up.  On one three day weekend, we were able to last with one charge, though with a family of five, just getting through a standard weekend is about all you can hope for.   Only you can decide if that is enough capacity for you. <

Somewhere on this board is written the "final" solution to extending the terlit useful life. Pull the dump handle on the floor. That deposits about (guess) a half-gallon into the pipe to the outside dump valve. Just be real sure the outside valve is shut before attempting.  ;D

If you purchase this unit, you may want to consider converting to a regular camping toilet with a black tank.  See the post under Maintenance by jelgan.  We purchased his 93 2720 TM and LOVE the conversion he did to the camping toilet.  We have camped 3 weekends and have not come close to filling the 20 gallon black tank.  

[KB7OUR]

I would love to learn more about the black tank conversion on your 2720. Can you fill us in on any details? Where's it installed? What brand? And anything else of interest.

Wade

:DThe price you listed seems too high to me as well.  We just bought a 3023 1995 TM and it is in great condition, garaged most of it's life, etc. and we paid a lot  less than you listed.  Even with the stabelizer bars, etc. they should come down a considerable amount.

We slept 5  in our TM last week with no problems.  We do try and use other facilities when possible to preserve toilet, but we managed just fine.

Good luck looking !