New member. New owner. 3023 rejuvenation questions

Greetings,

I'm a new member on this site and to trailer camping in general.
We just took delivery of a 2001 trailmanor 3023 yesterday from a private party.
I have zero experience with trailers and campers so it has been an education just buying and towing it home.

Our tow vehicle is a 2013 Jeep Wrangler 4 door with a manual transmission.
Installed a tow hitch and a brake controller and in the 15 miles home already have a list.

Are there any experienced trailmanor owners in southern california who can guide me on where to get parts for our camper?

Here is my list so far.

1. Mirror extenders
2. Trailer has no battery. Need to buy a battery and connect. Need box.
3. Replace propane tanks and hoses? Buy a box?
4. Replace tires
5. Replace brakes
6. Service wheel bearings.
7. Clean fresh water tank. How?
8. Clean waste tank. How.
9. Need to hsve it detailed inside and out. Who?/ where?
10. Replacement lense for a couple of market lights
11. Fridge door lock/latch
12. Camper door latch to keep upper part closed when stowed.
13. Mattress toppers? Replace mattresses?
14. Dress electric cables.
15. Not sure how the electric brake emergency disconnect system works.
16. Should I upgrade to 15" wheels and tires or stay with the 14"
17. Outside has some scratches. Is there a spray can white paint that matches well enough to do touch ups?
18. How do I clean the awning
19. Need to buy it a cover. What are my options?
20. Looks like the tow hitch doesn't lock the ball down. Any service guides for this?
21. What all else do I need to check/look for?

We are very excited to start with this thing, but I want to make sure I have it all thought out since with 2&4 year old kids and a wife who has never been into camping, it's all on me to make sure it all goes well.

Any advice, guidance and referrals would be appreciated.

And if there is anyone local (I'm in Pasadena ca), I'd love to connect with.

All the best,

Z

[Bill]

Z -

My first question is this. How "handy" do you consider yourself to be? Are you willing / able / anxious to do a lot of this yourself? You can. Or are you looking for a service place where you can simply drop off the trailer with a list, then write a check when it is all done?

Many of us are handy, and can offer all sorts of suggestions. But there is no stigma attached to the "drop it off and pay" approach, either.

Bill

[rvcycleguy]

Welcome... Long list there.

I'm not in your neighborhood but there are lots of SoCal members who will reply soon. Many of your questions can be addressed by dropping by a local RV store. Many of the TM components are common to everyday tow behind trailers. Don't get too hung up on TM specific.

1. Any RV store or Walmart will carry mirror extenders
2. Any local parts store will sell a deep cycle 12v battery. Get the best you can afford. They may sell a box for it but not always. May have to drop by marine parts store for the box or a RV store.
3. Propane is specific to an RV store. As well as the hoses. With little to no experience, you may need assistance on this issue.
4. Any good reputable tire dealer will suffice. Use trailer specific tires. Not car or truck tires. Trailer tires. Side walls are tougher and can take the abuse a towed trailer will encounter.
5. RV specific generally but can be done at a reputable automotive shop. the brakes are drum type with an electric magnet set up for the braking system to operate.
6. Get those done at the same time as the brakes. the previous owner may have installed a buddy bearing adapter that will allow a grease gun to lube the axle without removing the wheel.
7. There are drain valves located on the drivers side front left corner area. Use the fill opening to fill and then drain. Some here have used chemicals to clean and then drain. Be careful with residual chemicals.
8. This is not for the faint of heart. There is not black tank under the TM. It is all housed inside as part of the toilet. Can be one of the more messy jobs if it has not or never been done. I would inspect the toilet in the TM, remove the top so you can see inside the unit and inspect the pump motor, screen and internal components. You can back flush from the outside.
9. Use a reputable service that understands RV's and the gelcoat texture with exterior paint.
10. Lens are somewhat universal to RV's. Not TM specific.
11. Norcold or Dometic should be the source for parts. Can be ordered at the RV store.
12. May be TM specific. I have not seen another RV with that plastic latch.
13. Don't use one myself. No help here
14. ??? not sure what your asking here.
15. There is a disconnect pin mounted on the left side of the hitch area between the a-frame. Follow the cable connector to the switch pin. When the pin is dislodged, an electric impulse sets the brakes for an emergency stop. You connect the cable end to the tow vehicle so if by chance the trailer breaks away from the tow vehicle, the trailer brakes will engage.
16. Some TM cannot be upgrade due to the wheel well height. Someone here will reply with a solution. I have 15's from the factory, so no help here.
17. Don't try can or aerosol paint. The outside surface is a gelcoat. get a professional opinion from someone that knows what they are talking about. Marine is similiar.
18. I spray mine with a soapy/water mix and use a scrub brush on an extended handle. Top and bottom. Let dry before retracting.
19. No help here
20. Have someone look at it. Maybe its dirty, rusted, and can be cleaned and regreased. I use a hitch pin lock when towing so that I know its down and locked in place and you know that when the hitch pin holes line up.

[tentcamper]

Welcome. There are a lot of post about many of the things you posted.

Here how I do 2 of them.

7. Clean fresh water tank. How? If you don't have any mold in the tank. Just add about a cup of plain bleach to the holding tank. Fill the tank with water. Then run the pump until water comes out of the cold and hot faucets. Let the camper sit for a couple of hours and pump all the water through the system. Drain the system at the low point drains. Refill with clean water repeat the steps. Somewhere along the process you will need to drain the gray water tank. I normaly just open the gra water at the start of the process.

8. Clean waste tank. How. Gray water. Before I leave on a trip. I just pour some dawn dish detergent down the drain and pump about 5 gallons of water down the drain. The water slush's around in the tank on the trip and the detergent cleans the oil. Once I arrive at the camp site I dump the tank. I only do this if once ever few years, or if gray water tank sensor are not giving me the right reading.

Black water, I never clean it. But what I would do is fill the toilet, run the flusher. Let it sit for 10-12 hours run the flusher for 3-5 minutes but with only 30 sec intervals. Let it rest for about 30 seconds between flushes. I would pull the dump handle below the toilet and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I would open the dump valve outside and dump into a five gallon bucket. But only about 2-3 gallons at a time. I would dump in my bathroom toilet in the house. If you want you could use the toilet chemical when doing this.

[DoubleT]

Congratulations! We had a 2619 and loved it. Here are some things that helped us along the way.
1. Extended mirrors- would highly recommend these- Longview found online.
2. Tires- check mfg date. Found on inner side of tire. Probably nothing more than 4 years old. Would recommend Stainless steel valve stems
3. Recommend servicing wheel bearings, any reputable RV center can do this.
Recommend laser temp. gauge to check bearings temp while on road.
4.Order door latch from trailmanor dealer. Will not sell parts direct from factory
5.Be careful on the thickness of mattress covers, even a small coverlet on top of the mattress might not allow trailer to close.
6.Try Mr Clean magic sponge found at wal mart for outside/inside marks. Also we have had success with Clorox cleaner with bleach. Do not use this in toilet though.
7. Also try happy camper for your toilet system. Found online
8. Adco at camping world for you cover # 12295.
9. Try lubricating with spray lithium grease for your hitch.
10. get familiar with this forum. great source of information.
Hope our experiences will help you.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Zartoon

20. Looks like the tow hitch doesn't lock the ball down. Any service guides for this?

Z -

I will comment on #20, simply because it seems so important. If I read you correctly, you think you may be driving around with the hitch mechanism not fully closed and latched over the ball. The hitch weight of a TM is high, so the hitch probably won't bounce off the ball. But probably isn't a good word in this situation.

Take a quick look at the three pictures below. And yes, my hitch is still dirty after my last trip, please ignore that.

In picture #1, the hitch is open. The arrows point out two holes, one in the body of the hitch, and one in the latch lever. When the hitch is fully closed and latched, these holes will line up. There is another pair on the other side of the coupler, of course.

In picture #2, the hitch is closed and latched. Or is it? It is hard to be sure simply by looking at it.

In picture #3, I have slipped the hitch pin through all four holes and out the other side. If the hitch is not fully closed and latched, the pin will not go through. This is the only way to guarantee that you are good to go.

I ALWAYS use the hitch pin, because I did it wrong once, and scared myself half to death. A hitch pin costs about $4 at most hardware stores, big box stores, or RV service places. I recommend that everyone get one.

BTW, there are many items that go by the name "hitch clip" or "hitch pin". Most have a pin that is too big to go through the holes, so look for the kind that I've pictured. I think I got mine from the local NAPA Auto Parts store (cat # BK7552408).

Bill

[Bill]

To answer the second part of your question, about how to service the latch mechanism on the hitch. As previously pointed out, they do need to be cleaned and lubed occasionally, and it is easy. What I do is:
o Make sure the front of the trailer is solidly supported on the body jacks, not just the tongue jack.
o Lie down under the hitch and look straight up into the latch mechanism, where the ball would go.
o Work the latch lever a few times so you understand where the moving parts are.
o Wipe out the socket and latch mechanism with a paper towel.
o Put a daub of grease between the sliding surfaces, and work the lever several times to spread it.
o Stand up and stretch.
o From the top of the latch, put a healthy dose of a spray lube into all the sliding surfaces. Again, work the latch to spread it around. It should work smoothly. A lot of folks use silicone spray for this. I prefer a Teflon spray (Lowes has a good one), but either way, the important thing is to lube it.

Also, be sure to spread a daub of grease on the hitch ball each time you hook up. Use a paper towel to wipe the old grease off the ball - yes, it is grubby - squeeze a daub of new grease onto the top of the ball, and spread it all over the ball with your finger.

Bill

Bill,

Thank you for the reply. I consider myself pretty handy once armed with a source for parts and a little information. Have always serviced my own vehicles until recently where time is a bit if an issue, but I'd like to do most the work in the camper myself, if not all. The key reason for the camper is to be able to have low cost vacations with the family. We are a single income family so keeping costs low is key. One exception is reasonable aesthetic upgrades since the trailer is parked at my inlaws and I'd like it to not be an eyesore (which actually saves me money in the leg run because I won't have to pay for storage.
I would welcome your DIY wisdom.

Thank you

Z

Originally Posted by Bill

Z -

My first question is this. How "handy" do you consider yourself to be? Are you willing / able / anxious to do a lot of this yourself? You can. Or are you looking for a service place where you can simply drop off the trailer with a list, then write a check when it is all done?

Many of us are handy, and can offer all sorts of suggestions. But there is no stigma attached to the "drop it off and pay" approach, either.

Bill

[Padgett]

1. Mirror extenders - Amazon
2. Trailer has no battery. Need to buy a battery and connect. Need box.
Strongly suggest a Grp 31 AGM - about $170 from Sams. AGM has minimal venting.
4. Replace tires - many many threads. Consider a TPMS as well
5. Replace brakes - etrailer should be a label on the axle tube to identify which you have.
6. Service wheel bearings. - etrailer
15. Not sure how the electric brake emergency disconnect system works.
When the pin is pulled, 12v from the onboard battery goes to the brakes.
16. Should I upgrade to 15" wheels and tires or stay with the 14"
3023 is about the heaviest single axle TM. I am surprised it has 14" wheels. May need a lift kit for decent sized 15s.
18. How do I clean the awning
Very carefully, may be brittle.
19. Need to buy it a cover. What are my options?
I use heavy duty tarps from Harbor Freight. Around here a light duty won't last a year.
20. Looks like the tow hitch doesn't lock the ball down. Any service guides for this?
If unlocked, it will bang when starting/stopping. When latched it won't. Pin will make sure. Sometimes it will be hard to close, rocking the TV 3"-6" helps.

I have a mallet to pop the latches and lock the hitch.

Wrangler (assume you have the Unlimited with 6 speed with granny 1st) is marginal 3500 lbs max may be OK but tongue weight may be limiter. WDH will work but adds to the trailer axle load. Catch 22. OTOH my '12 Grand Chreokee with Pentastar V6 is a fine match for my 2720SL. Do you have the factory towing package or an aftermarket ?

[rvcycleguy]

Padgett,

I also wondered, although not outloud till now, about the tow rating of the OP's vehicle and the 3023. My 3124 is pretty heavy. Close to 4k lbs.

rv