TrailManor Owner's Forum - View Single Post

**Bill** · 02-21-2004, 12:10 PM

Do you know the seller? Will you be able to examine the unit before buying, maybe open and close it a few times? The TM has lots of moving parts, whose operation won't show in a photo. Can you get a written statement from the seller (or dealer) regarding which appliances work, along with an agreement that he will fix them if they fail within some short period of time (say 30 days)?

You would expect to fix/replace a few things in a unit this age. Maybe the battery, probably the propane tanks (which have to be replaced or recertified every 12 years, I believe), maybe the tires (which usually fail from age, not miles). But given that everything works pretty well, the price seems more than fair.

My one concern would be that the units of this vintage were framed with wood inside the walls, not metal. If there has been any water leakage into the walls, there could be rot. Rot can be fixed, but it is not simple. There is an expert on this board - look back a year or so for posts by HappyTrails.

And just a couple nits. The NADA form is not straightforward to use - they offer you the option to check a lot of boxes that you really can't or shouldn't check. Example: side-by-side refrigerator in a TM? Don't think so! In the list in your post, two things have been checked that shouldn't have been.
a) The unit is listed at the top as self-contained, meaning that it has a refrig as standard equipment, and the value of the refrig is included in the base valuation. But then the box is checked for a refrigerator added to a non-self-contained unit. That means that the refrig is counted twice, which artificially boosts the stated value.
b) Manual slide-out should not be checked. I'm not specifically familiar with the M-26, but if it has a slideout like a newer 2720SL model, for example, the slideout is counted in the base price of the unit. It should NOT be counted as an option. Again, this check mark also increases the apparent bottom line value over what it should be. Still, the price looks good.

Others will chime in here with better suggestions than mine. Let us know what you decide.

Bill

02-21-2004, 12:10 PM	#2
Bill Site Team Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine Posts: 10,104	Re:Is this a good price? Do you know the seller? Will you be able to examine the unit before buying, maybe open and close it a few times? The TM has lots of moving parts, whose operation won't show in a photo. Can you get a written statement from the seller (or dealer) regarding which appliances work, along with an agreement that he will fix them if they fail within some short period of time (say 30 days)? You would expect to fix/replace a few things in a unit this age. Maybe the battery, probably the propane tanks (which have to be replaced or recertified every 12 years, I believe), maybe the tires (which usually fail from age, not miles). But given that everything works pretty well, the price seems more than fair. My one concern would be that the units of this vintage were framed with wood inside the walls, not metal. If there has been any water leakage into the walls, there could be rot. Rot can be fixed, but it is not simple. There is an expert on this board - look back a year or so for posts by HappyTrails. And just a couple nits. The NADA form is not straightforward to use - they offer you the option to check a lot of boxes that you really can't or shouldn't check. Example: side-by-side refrigerator in a TM? Don't think so! In the list in your post, two things have been checked that shouldn't have been. a) The unit is listed at the top as self-contained, meaning that it has a refrig as standard equipment, and the value of the refrig is included in the base valuation. But then the box is checked for a refrigerator added to a non-self-contained unit. That means that the refrig is counted twice, which artificially boosts the stated value. b) Manual slide-out should not be checked. I'm not specifically familiar with the M-26, but if it has a slideout like a newer 2720SL model, for example, the slideout is counted in the base price of the unit. It should NOT be counted as an option. Again, this check mark also increases the apparent bottom line value over what it should be. Still, the price looks good. Others will chime in here with better suggestions than mine. Let us know what you decide. Bill