Former owner. Interested again...maybe?

[momto4girls]

We used to own a 2002 2720. Sold it when our kids were in college because we didn't use it enough to justify the cost of owning/storing.

My husband and I are once again considering some sort of lightweight travel trailer. I have been looking at every option so far except a Trailmanor. The reason being that I want to be able to set up by myself. Our old TM--there was no way I could have set up/taken down by myself.

Would a new one be easier to deal with? Our old one...we struggled to get the door to set right. It was really touchy.

I have a 2012 Toyota Highlander with low miles. When we had the TM, we towed with a Tacoma. I was really never impressed with the Tacoma as a tow vehicle. Terrible gas mileage. I have towed a fully loaded 5x8 U-haul cargo trailer twice (round trip out of state) with my Highlander, and it towed beautifully. I averaged 18-19 mpg.

I have been considering an Aliner--aframe camper and a T@b 320 S. They aren't cheap, and I've been lurking on the Facebook pages. Build quality on the Aliners especially is questionable. The T@bs don't seem to be too bad, but they are still pricey for such a tiny trailer.

The TMs are very attractive with the full bath, tons of storage, large kitchen, extra sleep space. I mean you get so much for such a light weight camper. It's tempting. I live in Alabama. Not far from Bankston Motorhomes in Huntsville. They have been a TM dealer for--ever.

Thoughts on the new models?
Thanks.

[Bill]

Are you thinking of buying new or used? Either way, I'm sure Bankston would be glad to have you (back) in the fold.

I had a 2002 TM, then a 2006, and now a 2020. Although the newer ones are a bit sexier, I'm not sure I see a lot of difference in build quality. A reasonable first step would be to let Bankston know about your level of knowledge of TMs - you are not a newbie. Let them know about the previous setup/takedown issue. And let them know that you will not take delivery until you have had a chance to do a thorough inspection, in their lot or some other open space, without a helpful salesman hovering over you.

As part of the inspection, you will do setup/takedown of the shells several times, do interior setup/takedown a couple times, try out all the appliances (which means they will need to provide electric and gas), and do a quick look for dings-dents-gouges-loose-stuff. Make it clear that you will give them a "punch list" of things you find, and you will expect the items to be dealt with before you take delivery. And be prepared to compliment them on the quality of their prep work, too.

Arrange for a dealer follow-up visit maybe a month down the road - and by "arrange", I mean "schedule it", not just handwave about it. Plan a camping trip (even if it is just Camp Driveway) before the follow-up visit. If you have no issues after camping in your new TM, you can always cancel the follow-up visit, with a cheery well-done-thank-you-we-love-it at the same time.

I think Bankston is a good dealer, and they should have no problem with any of this, especially if you are buying a new TM. And you can also casually mention that you have queried the Forum, and expect to report your experience there.

It probably should go without saying that you should approach all of this as friendly but firm. You may not get everything you want, but you should get most of it.

Let us know how it goes.

Bill

[Bill]

To help with your pre-delivery inspection (PDI), a number of our members have posted checklists. You can find some of them by doing a simple Search on the term PDI. This pair looked particularly useful, but there are others.

https://www.trailmanorowners.com/for...ad.php?t=17998

https://www.trailmanorowners.com/for...ad.php?t=20440

Bill

[Shane826]

The biggest reason people have trouble setting up/tearing down and/or with the door is stuff is out of adjustment, either due to use over time or the TM has severe issues... My 2007 3326 was a fight to set up, and the door never worked right (it stuck so bad my wife said it was a fire hazard). I had TM replace both roof shells (roofs were sagging), torsion bars, and lift arms so all moving parts were new and aligned properly. I can now open that 3326 with one hand and the door works perfectly.

Point being, I’m guessing a new one that is set up properly will work a whole lot better than a 15-20 year old unit that is probably all out of whack.

[momto4girls]

Thank you all for the input. That's actually encouraging. I'll be in Huntsville next week, so I plan to go take a look at the new models. I'd prefer to buy used, but I at least want to look at the newer ones first. Also, they have the T@b I'm interested in. It will be good to compare.

[jgilliam1955]

Look at all the small campers out there. In South Carolina, there is Lil Snoozy 2. Your vehicle will pull it. There is Casita, Scamp,etc. Our first camper was aTM, and we loved it.
Our budget will not allow a new one yet.

[Househunterlives]

Originally Posted by momto4girls

We used to own a 2002 2720. Sold it when our kids were in college because we didn't use it enough to justify the cost of owning/storing.

My husband and I are once again considering some sort of lightweight travel trailer. I have been looking at every option so far except a Trailmanor. The reason being that I want to be able to set up by myself. Our old TM--there was no way I could have set up/taken down by myself.

Would a new one be easier to deal with? Our old one...we struggled to get the door to set right. It was really touchy.

I have a 2012 Toyota Highlander with low miles. When we had the TM, we towed with a Tacoma. I was really never impressed with the Tacoma as a tow vehicle. Terrible gas mileage. I have towed a fully loaded 5x8 U-haul cargo trailer twice (round trip out of state) with my Highlander, and it towed beautifully. I averaged 18-19 mpg.

I have been considering an Aliner--aframe camper and a T@b 320 S. They aren't cheap, and I've been lurking on the Facebook pages. Build quality on the Aliners especially is questionable. The T@bs don't seem to be too bad, but they are still pricey for such a tiny trailer.

The TMs are very attractive with the full bath, tons of storage, large kitchen, extra sleep space. I mean you get so much for such a light weight camper. It's tempting. I live in Alabama. Not far from Bankston Motorhomes in Huntsville. They have been a TM dealer for--ever.

Thoughts on the new models?
Thanks.

If your interested. I am selling my 2010 TM-3023.

[momto4girls]

Originally Posted by Househunterlives

If your interested. I am selling my 2010 TM-3023.

That's a great floorplan! That's what I wanted when my kids were young. I think if we decide on another TM, I'll try to find one with a king bed.

Best wishes on the sale!