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Old 06-10-2005, 09:28 PM   #4
RockyMtnRay
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 816
Default Where do you intend to primarily tow a trailer

Quote:
Originally Posted by ebcallah
Bear with me as I am new to this. So glad I found this site. My husband and I are looking into buying a TM. We are currently tent campers of 20+ years and yes, it is time to move on. We need to get off of the ground (back problems) and AC is a must (can't tolerate the heat like we used to in a tent) and we are tired of having back up and then dry everything out after it rains.We were looking at purchasing a PU and I came across the TM while doing research online. A couple of questions before we go any futher with our research: 1. We have a 2000 Isuzu Trooper and have not pulled anything before - are we jumping ahead of ourselves or is the TM as easy to pull as the website states? 2. What model(s) should we look into as first time buyers - 2 adults and one 16 yr old who is 6'3" and usually brings a friend along? 3. How well does the TM hold it's value - so if we do purchase and then would like to trade up what can we expect monetarily? Any other first time buyer info. would be greatly appreciated.
Your Trooper has 230 ft-lbs of torque and achieves that power at only 3000 RPM (for towing horsepower is meaningless, max torque is all important). And it has 4.30 gears in the differential(s)...an excellent ratio for towing. It also has a 108 inch wheelbase...quite adequate/safe for TrailMainors of up to about a 2720. All in all, a very good combination for regular towing in the midwest/south with mostly flat terrain and low altitudes. But marginal for regularly towing in the high/steep mountains of the west (Sierra Nevada or Colorado Rockies). Ok for a one-time trip "out West" but not regular high mountain towing.

TrailManors are indeed lightweight and very easy to tow when compared to all other travel trailers and even the heavy popup/tent trailers. But not quite as easy as the TrailManor website would lead you to believe...the numbers that TM publishes are the minimum tow vehicle tow ratings for an "acceptable" towing experience. If you want a "good" or "excellent" towing experience, you need be thinking of vehicles with substantially (~1500 lbs) greater towing capability for each size trailer/altitude than specified by TM.
__________________
Ray

I use my TM as a base camp for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and climbing Colorado's 14ers


The Trailer: 2002 TM Model 2720SL ( Mods: Solar Panels (170 Watts), Dual T-105 Batteries, Electric Tongue Jack, Side AC, Programmable Thermostat, Doran TP Monitor System)

The Tow Vehicle: 2003 Toyota Tundra V8 SR5 4X4 w/Tow Package (Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Prodigy Brake Controller, Transmission Temperature Gauge)


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