Shane -
Over the years, TM has done some really nice upgrades to the design. The swing tongue was a masterpiece, and the folks in South Dakota have made it a standard item (not an option) on new TMs. Great move! Moving from LR-C to LR-D tires was badly needed, and the factory has made that a standard as well. The switch to torsion axles that have a built-in lift angle was a really good move, and took away the need for lift kits. Raising the kitchen sink to the level of the adjacent countertop has saved my back. Aluminum framing instead of wood was badly needed. The power slide on new TMs is a wonderful addition - I love just pushing the buttons and watching it! The all-lights-off switch at the entry door was simple, unexpected, and welcome. And getting rid of the carpet, which seemed like such a good idea until you actually had to live with it, was great. The engineers and builders at the company have stayed on top of things.
What would I suggest for a next move? The first thing on my wish list would be to upgrade the materials and methods used to build the door-side kitchen cabinet assembly. I've had three TMs, and every one has had problems with the cabinetry simply falling apart. In my experience, it is great in the showroom, but is not built to withstand the shaking and impacts of road travel. It is built with 1/16" or 3/32" sort-of-plywood over a skimpy poorly-braced white wood frame, all held together with a million short staples and a bit of glue. For example, on a recent trip, one of the kitchen drawers simply fell out because the staples holding the rails on a shim block failed. The shim block is far back in the cabinet, so access for repair is hard. The hanger bar in the wardrobe similarly failed. And for the third time, the oven in my TM is falling out of the cabinet because it is not adequately supported - and that is a big, expensive failure since the oven mfr (Furion) refuses to help.
It would be easy to improve the cabinetry while it is being built on the big flat construction bench, and before it is installed in the trailer. It is a lot harder to work on after the unit is installed and access is poor. I would gladly accept 10 pounds of increased weight and $50 of increased cost to have sturdy cabinetry. It would avoid my need to spend hours mending, re-assembling, and bracing things.
Make no mistake - I love my TM. But you asked ...
Bill
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