Looking at "injured" 2001 TM 2619

We have a friend who is selling his 2001 TrailManor 2619 trailer. He said someone had rear-ended it in the past. The accident pushed the tongue of the trailer all the way into his mini-van. He said he sent the trailer to Trailmanor to get it fixed but didn't go into any details on what had to be replaced. (We haven't had a chance to see it yet so we don't know what it looks like.)

We would love to buy it but we have a lot of questions since it was "wrecked". If any of you have any answers we would greatly appreciate it.

ANyone know how TrailManors hold up in accidents? Would a 2001 have a wood or aluminum frame? How about the body, is it aluminum or wood? Would we need to be concerned that the frame was bent? Could there be damage we can't see with a visual inspection? How well could something like that be fixed? Any insight you could give on this would be appreciated. Thanks for your help!

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Barb & Tim

We have a friend who is selling his 2001 TrailManor 2619 trailer. He said someone had rear-ended it in the past. The accident pushed the tongue of the trailer all the way into his mini-van. He said he sent the trailer to Trailmanor to get it fixed but didn't go into any details on what had to be replaced. (We haven't had a chance to see it yet so we don't know what it looks like.)

We would love to buy it but we have a lot of questions since it was "wrecked". If any of you have any answers we would greatly appreciate it.

ANyone know how TrailManors hold up in accidents? Would a 2001 have a wood or aluminum frame? How about the body, is it aluminum or wood? Would we need to be concerned that the frame was bent? Could there be damage we can't see with a visual inspection? How well could something like that be fixed? Any insight you could give on this would be appreciated. Thanks for your help!

TraiManors don't typically fair well in accidents The "Shells" are quite vulnerable and very expensive to replace and very hard to repair. Any damage that was improperly done should be very visible. If the frame was bent, it would have been a pretty severe accident and it would probably have been totaled by the insurance company. Does the trailer have a "Salvage" title?

Since no passengers can ride in the trailer, the only concern, beyond visual or mechanical, would be that the axle is properly aligned. If it isn't, the tires would show improper wear patterns.

The frame of the body is made of wood. The inner and our skin is aluminum with a Styrofoam core. I believe that there may also be plywood or composite wood in the floor construction as well but I may be mistaken on that.

If the shells open and close straight and the sides look straight, there's not a lot more that could be wrong (having to do with an accident). Make sure that all of the appliances work, check the date code on the batteries and tires. Find out when the brakes and wheel bearings were last serviced.

You should probably count on replacing the the tires, battery(s) and getting the wheel bearings and brakes serviced anyway. If all those things are "proved" to be recent, it's a bonus.

Thanks for your quick reply! He is the original owner and has been using it for 5 years since the accident. He says the factory did a great job fixing it and it's "like new".

Does the fact it was in an accident make a difference on the what's it's worth?

[ShrimpBurrito]

Originally Posted by Barb & Tim

Does the fact it was in an accident make a difference on the what's it's worth?

If you were looking at 2 identical TMs -- same year, same model, same condition -- and you knew one was in an accident, and the other was not, which one would you rather buy?

Dave

[Wavery]

Buying a trailer is not like buying a car.

Buying a car that has been involved in an accident may have safety implications. That's why CarFax and some of these other "Reporting" sites were designed.

There are obviously no safety issues here (it has been used for 5 years without falling apart). What remains is a basic....9-year-old trailer/RV that had a repair done 5 years ago. Seems like that could actually be a bonus....especially if one of the roof shells was replaced.

Remember, he is not obligated to disclose the accident to you or anyone else. He probably disclosed it to you because he is a friend. He may or may not disclose that fact to others. Not sure that I would or not...... It really doesn't seem to be relevant and could cause more problems than it is really worth. Sounds like a pretty good friend to me.

Can you use the "Accident Card" as a bargaining tool?....... Probably........do you want to jeopardize a friendship?........probably not. I guess it all boils down to priorities here.

What I do know is that if you keep messing around, it won't be an issue because it will be sold to someone else. . How much does he want for it?

[wbmiller3]

I can't add to what harveyrv said about the effects of the wreck. But, I have the exact same year and model so if you end up getting it, feel free to ask questions!

If you want a cheap 2001, 2720 and live anywhere near North Carolina, check out my post in the for sale site. Of course, you're buddy will probably be upset if he sees somebody else's TM in your driveway...

Aside from my shameless plug for my own sale, does your buddy have the receipt or evidence of the factory repair? It seems if it was factory repaired you'd be in good shape because the factory won't want a liability like that hanging over their head unless they were sure it was fixed and safe.

Thanks for the feedback. That helps! Sounds like the accident isn't anything to worry about since he has had plenty of time to test it and he is a friend that we trust.

We just don't have any experience with trailers and didn't know what to expect. We had a Mustang once that had been wrecked. It looked great but rattled and shook on the highway (sounded like it was going to split apart!) so we didn't keep it long. Didn't want the same thing to happen here.

Ask if it has a "salvage" title. In some states an RV that has been in an accident has to carry a salvage title. May affect financing, if that is an issue.

Would that be in addition to the "regular" title or does that replace it?