road dirt coming in through bottom seams

[Marbet]

We are considering purchasing a 2720 and while shopping at another RV dealer looking at other options we came across a used 2008 3124 with a lot of road dirt accumilated inside the upper portion of the unit. It was so bad that I'm not sure the curtains and fabic areas could be cleaned. The Trailmanor seems to be a quality unit otherwise but, to open up the unit and see this would be very dissappointing. Is this a common problem or a case of the previous owner not shutting something correctly? Possibly something is not aligned properly. Any thoughts would be welcome
Has anyone had experience towing this model with a Honda Ridgeline?

MarBet; considering TM 2720

[Bill]

This is not usual. It sounds like one of the seals is not sealing correctly, which could be a missing seal, or a matter of adjustment. The seals are long narrow soft white canvas bags, attached in strategic places all around the TM. The bag is 2 or 3 inches in diameter, and stuffed with foam so that it contours itself to whatever is underneath it. If the seal is missing or dislodged anywhere, or if the shells are so badly misaligned that the seal doesn't make contact with the adjacent surface, then road dirt will get in.

As far as towing with a Ridgeline, just scan down the Towing Rigs forum. It has been discussed many times.

Bill

Sounds like a trailer which has been extensively used on dirt roads. Due to it's design, complete sealing is not possible. As Bill mentioned, the situation can be made much worse or drastically improved depending on the adjustment/condition of the seals which are designed to keep the dirt out. We do not typically take our unit on dirt roads, so our interior has remained pristine. It would be interesting to hear if anyone has any tricks to keep their interiors clean when travelling on dirt. As far as the specific TM you are looking at, I would be more concerned with possible structural damage from the way it may have been used than the dirt. To me, the dirt would be a symptom of possible rough use...check all screws and appliances for tightness, and check everything for proper alignment.

I have never towed my TM down a dirt road, other than the loops in the campgrounds. We have made as many as about 9 weekend trips in one year. I did not notice an unusual amount of dust/dirt. Been using the TM since March 2005.

We keep the visible walls wiped down pretty often. We do this while we are camped.

At the end of the season we completely empty the TM. All the canned food, cereal, spices etc. are removed and rotated through the house. All of the dishes, pots, pans come into the house to get run through the dishwasher.

Now that all of the cabinets are empty I wipe down the entire interior with an ammonia solution. This includes inside all cabinets, and the removal of all drawers to get the dust out of the back side of the drawers.

With the interior cleaned all the pots, pans and dishes go back in for the winter. The food does not go back in until the first trip for the next season.

When I was a kid we did a lot of camping at Lake Pillsbury. The road to get there is 18 miles of dirt. I have no doubt that if I took the TM there that the amount of dust would increase substantially. The TM is not hermitically sealed.

As long as the seals are intact, and you do not do a lot of driving on dirt roads, dust is not a major problem. But it is difficult for you to tell if the previous owner towed on dirt roads or if the seals need adjusting or they just never kept it clean.

[rtcassel]

Towing without the wheel well skirts in place can result in some dirt on the inside walls.

I've only had a problem once and that was after towing 30+ miles down a Missouri dirt road near Lesterville when it hadn't rained in weeks. Even the dashboard of the truck was covered with fine dirt despite the fact that the windows were closed. Now I carry a roll of that clear plasic wrap that sticks to itself and is about 6" wide. It comes on a handle and is often used to wrap around boxes on a pallet to keep them from shifting. I buy it at a home improvement store and use it to hold the rigging to the mast when I put my sailboat away in the fall. Wrap it around the perimeter of the TM, covering the gap between the shells, and you will be as well sealed as possible. Because it sticks to itself there is no residue left when you peel it off. I may try using it when cold weather camping to stop drafts. - camp2canoe

There is a beautiful site on a remote, northern Arizona Lake that my wife and I have longed to visit with our 2720sl. So far, I have been discouraged by the 12 miles of dirt road and haven't made the trip. The outside of the TM and the truck bed would be pretty well covered by a fine layer of dust and dirt. But I told my wife that I'd protect the TM insides by running a few wide strips of duct tape over the seals just before we drove those last 12 miles. I'm not sure if shell movement would loosen their hold or if it would really be worth the effort, but I thought it would be worth a try and a good selling point for my wife. But I really believe that if the shells are aligned and the seals are properly positioned --- that tape should not be necessary.

If you hold your speed down --- certainly to less than 10 mph to avoid damaging the front of the TM from rocks thrown by the tires --- then dirt is not as likely to be drawn or forced past the seals by vacuum or vortex.

Also, a little electric leaf blower would do wonders to remove road dust from TM and gear. But bottom-line, if we wear white gloves while remote camping I think we'll make ourselves suffer. A little dirt is part of the experience.

Dust infiltration caused by dirt roads is certainly not limited to TM's. We have owned a large traditional travel trailer, and without fail after travel down any length of dirt road there was always a light film of dust especially in the back area. This was an expensive, popular brand of TT, and new when purchased. Our pop-up also had the same problem a little dirt would filter in. The TM is no better or worse than our previous campers, if you get a bunch of dirt than it must be a seal problem that is fixable.
I just keep swiffer wet wipes for those occasions and do a quick wipe down of surfaces, and a dust cover on the beds, then I vacuum and clean the soft surfaces when we return home.. something that I do after a trip anyway.

[Bill]

Eric Larsen wrote

dirt ... drawn or forced past the seals by vacuum or vortex ... a little electric leaf blower would do wonders to remove road dust from TM and gear.

Eric -

You have triggered a thought that might appeal to someone who is experimentally inclined.

As we have discussed before, the shells of the TM may pump up and down a bit as you bump over dirt roads, and this might cause momentary vacuums which suck dust into the TM. But suppose we pressurize the inside of the TM, so that no matter what happens, there is air flowing out of the TM? An easy way to do this might be to crack open the electric vent fan cover, and reverse the electric connections to the motor to make it run backward. Instead of exhausting, it will try to force air into the TM. The air above the TM should be reasonably clean, so dust infiltration via this path should be minimal - I think.

This is an easy experiment to run. I would do it myself if I were headed for a dusty area in the near future. Unfortunately, we have NOTHING planned for the TM in the near future.

If anyone decides to try it, let us know how it works.

Bill

On my 2005 TM 2720, when the shells are closed the fan is over the roof of the rear shell.

Nice idea, but the logistics have a small problem.

The front edge of the rear shell is pretty much centered over the front bed in my TM. I know this because that I where I get black streaks on the ceiling. A fan intended to pressurize the TM when closed should be in front of that point.