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Old 11-04-2011, 06:00 AM   #11
tgpmd1
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I ran across this web page once after I purchased my TM:

http://www.camperfinds.com/trailmanor-trailers-for-sale

Doesn't look like everything is there, but it looks like it does pick up those on Craigs List.

Also, have you seen a TM in person? The tipping point for us was going to an RV show and actually seeing one and how it worked. A TM was the only camper we considered in our search.

Good luck in finding the perfect TM!
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Old 11-04-2011, 09:20 PM   #12
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Quote:
...I take it that getting a 3124KS using the same TV would be totally unrealistic.
Yes, 3500# is really about as low as you ever want to go.

One other thing to do that rest of us learn after we have done it wrong 2 or 3 times. Get the TV for next sized trailer you are thinking of owning. I have done that maybe twice (once if you consider that the first TV was bought without thinking about a trailer at that time). It is far better to have more TV than less, and make sure it is equipped with your mission in mind.

In my last example I was going to get 2WD drive Dodge 2500 diesel. The pardette wanted something a little larger and luckily we bought a 4WD GMC Sierra with the LBZ engine.

It was a little overpowered for whatever we thought we might buy in TT. Plus I did not like the 4WD because I wanted all the economy I could get. Well the first time I dragged the new TH out to the range I hit a soft spot and the wheels started spinning. Put it into 4WD and the whole rig moved through slog without a care. Since we go there a lot, I know I can get out if I hit that mud patch again!

My buddy says when he bought his Dodge 3500 diesel he save $6K by getting 2WD. Which he says was good because he had to buy a $6K winch to pull truck and rig out of all the places he got stuck.

So far, I am one of two people in our club with 4WD. It is something to consider when evaluating you next TV purchase.
Quote:
...I will check with the dealer to find out exactly what was included with the tow package. I like the idea of adding a Trans cooler...
If you do not have tranny cooler I would certainly get one, especially if your TV package is only rated for 3500#.

I cannot say that there has been any aftermarket device for my truck that I value more than the ScanGauge. It has taught me more about what speed is best for my entire package, lets me judge just how far I can push that tank of gas, and still give you transmission temperature.

For my diesel it showed me my best cruise speed was 66 MPH and best range cruise was 55 unloaded. I am still closing in on loaded cruise speeds, but after a time you can even tell which way the road is sloped!
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Old 11-05-2011, 04:35 PM   #13
Brittany Dogs
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Dealers seem to say great things about any tow vehicle. If you blow your transmission or engine, they have no real responsibility in the situation. Especially a legal one. I agree 100% with Bill. I pull my 2720SD with a vehicle rated at 6000 pounds capacity and 600 pounds tongue weight and it is just about OK in the hills of the Adirondacks. I believe in "margin" in doing things. Towing a 3500 pound trailer with a 3500 pound capacity tow vehicle offers no margin. Add on outside temperature, hills and extra cargo we all tend to take when camping and well things tend to get exceeded fairly quick.

Just my honest opinion.
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Old 11-05-2011, 05:44 PM   #14
scrubjaysnest
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We just got back from 6 and 1/2 months on the road with our TM, an SL. Without putting the TV and TM on the scales we were pushing the 10000# mark and we travel light. Some thoughts for you.......The sl gross vehicle unloaded weight is 3218 add in AC unit and awning another 100# in round numbers, + 40# for two full propane bottles and you are pushing 3400#. That leaves about 100# for food, bedding, and other supplies. Several TM owners are reporting their TM for the 2720 models fully supplied runs some where between 4200# and some what higher with tongue weights in the 400 to 600# range. I think you will be pushing the limits with maybe the tail waging the dog. The TM tows like a dream and after our trip this year our set up and break camp time was less than the pop-up we used last year. This year we only hit around 6000 feet;
last year with the pop-up it was over 9000 feet.
You may get away with using you TV on flat land but any kind of climbing maybe really marginal.
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Old 11-05-2011, 09:47 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brittany Dogs View Post
Dealers seem to say great things about any tow vehicle. If you blow your transmission or engine, they have no real responsibility in the situation. Especially a legal one. I agree 100% with Bill. I pull my 2720SD with a vehicle rated at 6000 pounds capacity and 600 pounds tongue weight and it is just about OK in the hills of the Adirondacks. I believe in "margin" in doing things. Towing a 3500 pound trailer with a 3500 pound capacity tow vehicle offers no margin. Add on outside temperature, hills and extra cargo we all tend to take when camping and well things tend to get exceeded fairly quick.

Just my honest opinion.
Agree completely. My TV is rated at 6500# because I like having the extra margin for mountain passes, merging etc..... I also moved from the 2720SL to the 3326K for the space and extra axle for load capacity.
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Old 11-05-2011, 11:09 PM   #16
Mr. Adventure
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Back to the original poster, maybe there's a manufacturing change that won't support a 500# rated hitch for a 2007 when they were available in the '04's, but I'd bet that the hitch manufacturers have just become reluctant to say things on stickers.

Regardless, ratings are guidelines based on broad assumptions, and this is a gray business rather than the black and white one a lot of folks would like it to be. Different manufacturers rate vehicles differently, and different TrailManor owners haul different amounts of stuff along with their TrailManors. Actual owner experience is very important. My Highlander is rated for 3500#, but because in my owners' manual the 3500# rating means there's really 3500# there for the trailer, there's actually about 4700# available for a payload and trailer between the empty weight of the tow vehicle and it's Gross Combined Weight Rating. Here's my actual numbers and the discussion thread that followed "What it really weighs": http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10652

I don't believe there is any big power problem with the Lexus/Toyota V6 power train for towing a 4000# TrailManor in the Rockies or elsewhere on the major roads, but in the boondocks you're on your own (that's the point, right?). There could be durability issues that go with extensive amounts of towing in the mountains. There have not been any Toyota V6/transmission failures reported here that I am aware of, in the mountains or elsewhere. If I lived in Colorado Springs I might own a truck like everyone else out there, but I wouldn't hesitate to visit with my Highlander and Trailmanor.

If I was going to do this with the Lexus 350, I would:
- Make sure the hitch receiver uses all six available mounting bolts, not just four which would be a major point of weakness and a sign of a lighter duty product.
- Always use a WDH because it reduces the loads on the hitch receiver bolts and keeps the trailer from unloading the front wheels (which would reduce braking and steering control).
- Keep an eye on all towing equipment.
- Drive conservatively when towing (you're a whole lot safer at 60 than you are at 70 in every recreational vehicle).
- Take it to the truck scale to get good weights. It's the only way to know what you're really doing.
- Remember always that safety is 90+% about how vehicles are driven and accidents are not nearly so often about how vehicles are put together.
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Old 11-28-2011, 09:57 AM   #17
Barb&Tim
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Quote:
Originally Posted by yoda911 View Post
Well we did it! I found a 2006 2720SD in excellent condition for a good price but needed to drive 1000 miles one-way to get it. I left on Thursday morning at 05:00 and arrived back home at 05:00 Saturday morning. I was pleasantly surprised as to how well it towed behind our Lexus even going over 3 mountain passes. Granted it was empty but hopefully if we keep our loaded weight down, we should be OK. I have already created a to-do list for it which includes the lift kit and 15 inch wheels. I greatly appreciate all of the information that this site has provided and all of the advice its members have given us. We are excited to try it out next spring.
Congratulations on your new purchase!

I just want to remind you that since your trial membership is now over you no longer have access to most of the information on the board. To get full access you will have to become a site sponsor.

See more about that here:
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...splay.php?f=15


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Old 11-30-2011, 03:38 AM   #18
Riwright
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Default Towing with a Lexus RX 300

I recently bought a used 3124KS. The documentation that I got with it listed the dry (empty) weight of the trailer at 3000 lbs. I had a Lexus RX300 to tow it with. Tow rating is 3500 lbs.

The book said it should be OK but I knew I was right around the limit, especially when you include gear. I live in SoCal so there is some pretty hilly country around here. The RX had 160000 miles on it and I decided I was willing to trade if it didn't work out. I did a couple of tows with it. I had a severe problem with "chucking." When you go over uneven pavement of any kind the trailer does a push-pull on the car. Very uncomfortable. I stripped out all the weight that I could and the chucking improved but was still unacceptable.

I also towed about 20 miles from 1000 feet to 1700 feet elevation. The transmission fluid smelled evil. Not a good thing.

Power was just barely adequate to pull the hills. Lower gears and slower speeds made it OK. Count on spending all your time in the far right lane in hilly country. I would not try any big mountains under any circumstances.

On the flats power was fine but chucking was a problem regardless of grade.

It took twice as long to brake as normal but this was expected. The trailer did not sway.

I had Camping World do the original setup and I was very unhappy with it. I took it to another hitch place. They told me that the tongue weight was too high for my setup and this could be causing the chucking problem. He thought perhaps the frame was flexing under the load. They also told me that I could spend a lot of money and still not get it towing right.

I traded the RX for a 2005 Tundra with a 7100 lb tow rating, twice what I have not and well over what I need to tow.
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Old 11-30-2011, 12:41 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Riwright View Post
<snip>
It took twice as long to brake as normal but this was expected. The trailer did not sway.
<snip>
This should not be the case. The TM should have brakes that are more or less adequate for stopping the TM. The TV should have brakes that are adequate to stop the TV.

I once made a panic stop with my TM 2720 loaded to around 4,000 pounds. The bed of the truck probably had close to 1,000 pounds in it. Truck weighs around 6,000 pounds empty. It seemed to me that I stopped in the same distance as I would have if I did not have the TM behind me.

Towing a TM, or any trailer for that matter, IMO, should not significantly increase stopping distance.

At the time I was towing with my Chevy 1500HD. I now tow with my GMC 2500HD. Both are overkill, but suit my needs well.

One feature that my GMC has that my Chevy does not have is when ABS is engaged, the controller pulses the voltage back to the TM brakes. "Virtual" ABS on the trailer. I have not tested this feature. It theory is sounds like a good feature to me.
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Old 11-30-2011, 08:43 PM   #20
Riwright
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Default Tundra update

Thanks for the info, people. I got the Tundra wired up and the WDH adjusted at the shop today. The clearance over the rear wheels is greater than the clearance over the front wheels so the rear end is not down at all.

The new rigs tows very well. The chucking problem is gone. Braking is much improved. The winds were very gusty today and I was surprised at how little the rig got blown around. Very stable.

Power is quite good even on steeper grades. I experimented some with downshifting but the transmission seemed to do pretty well at finding the right gear on it's own so perhaps I will leave it alone.

It's bumpier than I would like. Once I get the trailer loaded for camping perhaps it will ride smoother. It could be the fact that I stick to the right hand "truck lanes" when I tow and those lanes are much more torn up than the lanes I usually ride. I am also coming from a Lexus to a pickup and that takes some adjustment. The Tundra rides very well but not as well as the Lexus.


Overall I am very happy with things, I think I can pull safely. I don't think I'll have any more "white knucle tows" with the Tundra.


>> rvcycleguy

What kind of airbags did you add? How did they change the ride?

>> popbeavers
>>The TM should have brakes that are more or less adequate for stopping the TM. The TV should have brakes that are adequate to stop the TV.

With the new rig stopping felt a lot more "normal." I was surprised at how fast I could stop the rig.
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