Time to say hello, and thanks to forum members...

We picked up our '06 2720 a couple of months ago. Thank you to all the regulars on this forum... I doubt we would have our TrailManor if the posts hadn't answered so many questions (and you really showed us how dedicated TM owners are!) We took two short weekend runs to start our hands-on education. And then on July 6 we headed north to the lakes, rivers, mountains, wilderness, ocean and redwoods in very northern California. After a month and 2,000 miles we've learned a lot and had a fantastic time.

Our Honda Ridgeline felt like the ideal tow vehicle. We maxed out the TM's weight limit because we almost never had hookups, thus hauling fresh, grey and black water in addition to the 3 clunky bikes hanging off the TM's rear hitch (and of course we've pledged to leave behind half the food and clothes for the next trip). Still, we didn't nearly max out the Ridgeline's GVW or it's 5,000 lb max tow weight. There was plenty of power up steep mountains (although we didn't go above 5,500 ft), and the whole setup was just as stable and smooth as could be. Our dealer, Custom RV in Anaheim, set us up with a WDH and brake controller, and helped install the wiring harness we ordered from Honda.

We enjoyed discovering the wisdom behind all the unique design features of the TrailManor. In the wilderness campsites, we were always the most luxuriously equipped. There weren't any other 2 bedroom trailers or Class A's that could make it in! The TM sure is a curiosity for most folks!

We stayed a few days at the Wyntoon/KOA Resort on Trinity Lake, which is a great place for boating. We were really enjoying the full hookups until two of the biggest 5th wheelers ever made pulled up on either side of us. Their slide-out living rooms came so close that we had to completely retract our awning, and suddenly it was as though we were camping in Manhattan with skyscrapers all around. After that, hookups didn't have as much appeal. Our very favorite spot was Aikens Creek, a Nat'l Forest campground on the Klamath River. If you make it there, head for site 14 (most of the others were wiped out by the winter floods). There you can back way in and have your bedroom hanging over the rushing creek. Please add some stones to the dam that campers have been slowly building over the years, and say hello to the host of many years, Dave Stone (he'll greet you in person when you pull in).

We had a 22 gallon blue boy in the bed of the truck. That gave us spare dumping capacity. (Hey, it also makes a good float in the middle of a lake!) We bought a FloJet portable waste pump on sale at Camping World, so we could easily pump our our tanks directly up into the blue boy on the bed of the truck. (And we also use it to dump - through a garden hose - 50 feet from our curb into our sewer drain when we get home. It will pay for itself.) We ran conduit from the power harness behind the fridge, through the frame and into the rear bumper so that we have 12V power to run the pump right there, and we also use that power connection to run an inexpensive 12V winch that attaches to the rear trailer hitch; that way we can pull the trailer up our sloped driveway and tuck it into our garage, steering with a $40 tow dolly we bought on eBay.

On our way south at the end of our journey we called Custom RV with our list of little fix-it items, camped out for the night in front of their shop, and first thing in the morning they took care of us and we were headed home.

Now we have a number of small improvement projects for the TM. They are things we thought of on our own, on the trip, but sure enough we weren't the first to think of them... there are lots of helpful instructions posted on this forum. So thanks again!

[Speckul8r]

Sounds like a great trip!! I've put site #14 on the "list"!

Hope that is a sewer drain at home and not a storm water drain. You don't want to be dumping there if it is.

Originally Posted by R-R-and-S

As it turned out, we enjoyed getting liberated from the fridge... we were tired of having to run it on 12V power while travelling, and then worrying about the batteries if we shut off the Ridgeline while fueling or shopping for supplies. Between the fridge and the fridge fan, the batteries get rapidly drained, and the 12V power wasn't keeping the fridge very cold anyway. If we stopped for a small excursion along the road we ended up unfolding the trailer and converting to propane, and then folding it back down again, just for the sake of our small fridge. We wonder how others deal with this.

I always run the fridge on 12 volt while towing, but we never stop between home and our destination. But I may not need to as I already have the parts for installing an external battery disconnect switch. This will also turnt he fridge and fan off so you don't kill the battery while parked for a few hours.

Some owners have added an external switch that will allow you to turn the fridge 12 volt and fridge fan off without opening the TM. It is on my list of things to do someday.

I usually have the TM outside the weekend before a trip to fill the water tanks and stock supplies. At that time I put the fridge on 12 volt and also turn on the fridge fan. After backing into the garage I plug in to shore power. My primary goal is to minimize the amount of time between when I arrive home after work on Friday and the time we depart. I have it down to just a little less than an hour to load the last minute items (fresh veggies) and strap on the mirrors and hook up.

Thanks for the tips for camping around Trinity. We are tentatively taking a trip later this year, up I5 to the Klammath and then down the Klammath River to the coast. I have always admired the road along the River heading west from I5 and have never had the chance to take it. After that we will visit the Giant Redwoods and maybe stop in at Cabbot Cove, aka Mendocino. I don't have a specific itinerary yet.

Sounds like a great trip and your TM is fitting your needs to a T. Thanks for the report and what is next on your schedule?

Bill

We packed too much junk the first time too.

Thanks on the refrig altitude warning, I had no idea.

R-R-andS, "The manual says the fridge may not work well on propane over 5,500 ft."

We recently camped at 7400 feet for five days and had no problem with the fridge on propane the whole time. Temp outside was around 85 and kept the thermostat at around 3...temp in the fridge stayed 32-38 degrees...No Problem!
Yes, the guys at Custom RV are A+...bought our TM there last year.
Sounds like you all had a great vacation. We will be going to Big Sur, Lake Cuchuma, Lake Lopez, and Ventura Beach and other places in September for 2 weeks.
Your "neighbor" in Lake Elsinore,
Jerry

Hello again from the ROC. You have answere a lot of my questions re: the TM. Thanks.

R-R_and-S
I just found your post and was happy to find someone that had towed with the Ridgeline. We purchased our Ridgeline in Aug06 and after researching I beleive we have settled on a 2619. I really enjoy searching the Threads for info and opinions. Your comments on the RL were reassuring. Thanks
riverrat-06 Ridgeline-No TM yet- Kelseyville Ca.

If you haven't bought yet, you might want to consider the 2720 (not SL or SD) We bought a 2619 and have always wished we had gotten the 2720 because of more storage space in the back and the larger bed. The 2720 still has the same sized bed in the front and the dinette is the same as the 2619- in fact everything is the same other than the back bed and extra storage space in the back. Just something to think about. . .

Originally Posted by riverrat

R-R_and-S
I just found your post and was happy to find someone that had towed with the Ridgeline. We purchased our Ridgeline in Aug06 and after researching I beleive we have settled on a 2619. I really enjoy searching the Threads for info and opinions. Your comments on the RL were reassuring. Thanks
riverrat-06 Ridgeline-No TM yet- Kelseyville Ca.

Welcome, RiverRat, and thanks for reviving our post from last year. We've taken additional trips to mountains and desert, and continue to love the Ridgeline as a tow vehicle. We'll look forward to comparing notes as you buy a TM and do some traveling. We got so close to your home last summer!

Jim Erdman's comment about considering a 2720 is a good tip. We had rented campers with a double bed in the rear, and felt pretty claustrophobic. So we do appreciate the queen in back for us and the double in front for our son + sometimes a friend of his. But as our 2720 sits in the garage right now (with thanks to the folding hitch ), I wouldn't mind having a one-foot-shorter 2619 to work around!