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Old 02-20-2008, 09:28 AM   #58
SCBillandJane
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 146
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Well, we started this post, and we are excited to tell you that we followed all the advice and found a 2003 3124 KS in Tampa, Florida. That sucker just latched on to our 2007 Tundra and followed us home last night on a 600 mile trip. It is sitting in the driveway, and we can still hardly believe that it is ours. Thanks to everyone for your advice. You made the difference.
I do have some advice to prospective buyers of a used Trailmanor. The previous owner's brother had been in the RV repair business for 14 years. His explanation of the hook up of a weight distributing hitch kept me from a dangerous situation by showing me how to take the weight off the bars before hitching and unhitching. I knew that it was good to have one, but nothing else. Advice number one: know how to use one before you go. I was lucky.
I had 3 new Denman 225 ST 15 225 R75 2640 load capacity tires installed at a Tire Kingdom. Be ready for poor service and a lack of knowledge. I had read on this forum (I think) not to jack the trailer by the axle which is exactly what they were going to do. My wife whipped out the owner's manual, and they brought out a portable jack and used the frame behind the tire well. They installer gave me funny looks and said the spare hasn't been on the ground, and the tires on the trailer were in new condition. They were new in 2002 when the trailer was built, and due to the owner's illness, had probably had only a few thousand miles or less on them. I could tell they thought I had money to burn. They coudn't remove the wheel fenders. I had the square head screw driver thanks to the forum again. I had to remove the spare because they didn't know how. The installer jammed the air gun against the wheel chipping the paint on the wheel. After installing the tires I asked the man to use a torque wrench to 95 pounds (thanks forum). He refused twice holding up the air gun saying that it was enough. I had talked with the manager about putting in 65 psi which is what the sidewall called for. Thank goodness we went only a short low speed distance for the night. The next morning there was only 50 psi in the tires. We had to go to four gas station air pumps before we found one that would pump the tires to 65 psi. We did keep the spare as a an extra spare because we want to go to Alaska.
Be prepared. Thanks wmtire, Bill, and many others! There were no surprises. It pulled with no sway on I95 when surrounded by trucks. Even my dear wife fought me for the right to drive. Towing was no problem.
Thanks again to all who helped us. We can't wait to take our TM on our maiden voyage (soon!) and start making memeories and meeting other TM owners!

Bill and Jane
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