A Blank Sheet Of Paper

Suppose that you had no previous camping equipment and had decided to buy a medium size Trailmanor to use during retirement. Trips would vary from a 10,000 trip to Alaska to a 100 mile trip to the beach or mountains. There would be some dry camping but most would be full service camping. When "customizing" the trailmanor at the official Trailmanor site what would you have Trailmanor supply as options? What would you make sure that the dealer provided (batteries, propane tanks, etc.) and installed? What would you buy at Walmart? I know that this depends on many variables but I think that for some things that it would be cheaper or better to let the manufacturer do it, somethings are better installed by a dealer, and somethings are cheaper and the variety better at Walmart.

[Bill]

There are only a few factory options, and of course you would specify whichever of those you want. I'm thinking of air conditioning, TV antenna, swing-around hitch, hanging cabinet, microwave in lieu of oven if that interests you, countertop extension (aka "microwave box"). Awning, of course, if you want it - I have no use for mine, wish I didn't have to lug it around. Carpet vs no carpet may be an option. None of these are easy to retrofit outside the factory, so get what you want, right up front.

Propane tanks and regulator come standard from the factory.

Almost all of what the dealer does is just final delivery prep. To the best of my knowledge, the dealer installs only one item as a standard thing - a battery. As a default, most will install a marine/RV "deep cycle" battery from Interstate, either a Group 24 or a Group 27. This is a perfectly fine battery if you camp with hookups, but a little lightweight if you want to do extended dry camping. In this case, you might want to upgrade to a pair of 6-volt golf-cart batteries. You can Search this group for specific recommendations.

The dealer will probably also give you a "getting started" kit. It will include a white water-supply hose, a slinky sewer hose, and a first bottle of toilet chemical. You should make sure you have all of these before your first trip. He may also give you a 30-amp-to-20-amp adapter as part of the kit.

Can't think of anything else the dealer should supply as a standard thing - or that he has available as a TM-specific option.

Trailmanors are pretty complete - there isn't much else that you "need". As you camp, you will identify a few convenience items that you would like to have. Most of them can be purchased from WalMart. A few items, I suppose, are specific to camping or RVing, so you might get them from Camping World, or any RV store including your dealer. But it is hard to make up a list - most of it will be specific to your needs, and you will find them out as you camp. Do you need a charcoal grill? Some people can't live without one, I have never found a use for one. It is up to you, but you can add one whenever, and if ever, you want one. Do you need a blue tote for sewage? Only you will know, and only after you have camped for a bit. Do you need a cigarette-lighter plug-in voltmeter? Only you will know. How about a complete solar-power system? Again, ...

To get started, your best bet is just to hunker down for a few hours and read through as many posts on this forum as you can digest, particularly in the Technical Forums section. You'll get a lot of ideas from that. See anything that appeals to you? But if you are new to camping/RVing/Trailmanors, your particular list of goodies will come from your own experience, and I'm not sure anyone can give you a definitive answer based on their particular experience.

Have you looked at the Trailmanor.com web site, and seen what is standard and what is optional from the factory? Bottom line is, get the factory options you want, then go camping. You will not find that anything important is missing, you will have a wonderful and comfortable experience, and you can add "goodies" later, as you decide what you would like to have.

Bill

It took us a couple weeks to outfit ours to our specific needs once we got the trailmanor home. You'll need bedding, dishes or paper plates, and various other kitchen utensils - take a long lighter too for lighting the stove and campfire. We also have a battery operated fan for the fridge to keep the temperature even as well as an exterior thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature which is almost essential in my opinion if you want to keep lettuce and other delicate foods from freezing (both very inexpensive and can be found at CampingWorld - I bought mine on eBay). Television if you want it (we also have DishNet). Toiletries for the bathroom as well as Thetford recirculating toilet chemicals and toilet paper specific for RV toilets (CampingWorld or Walmart). For the exterior we like to use a water filter which fits between the freshwater hose and the TM. Flashlight, chalks, leveling blocks, ball hitch grease, hitch lock and TV mirrors are essential! I'm sure I missed a lot of other things but this is all I can think of off hand. You might want to visit a local campground/rv park with full hookups and a Walmart nearby on your first time out just so you can get a good feel for everything and buy the necessary items as need be.

You'll need a weight distribution bar and a brake controller fitted to your tow vehicle prior to towing which your dealer can assist you with. Most of us here recommend the Prodigy Brake controller as being the most efficient and reliable and cost effective... this is what we have.

If you have never camped before, you might want to perhaps try renting a small camper or RV before buying to get a feel of the whole experience. Just remember that it will be hard to compare what you rent to a TM.

Brigitte

Hondo

I agree totally with Bill. I will add my slant: If you follow anyone elses advice on what to buy, a bunch of the new items will soon be sitting in your garage unused. Your camping profile will be different. You may not even know what that is right now unless you have done a lot of camping. So take your time and get just what you need and the manner of implementing that need that works best for you. This is a big fun part of the whole experience: its called "retail therapy". Others call it shopping. Its also called "Walley World" or "Camping World", or the "Toy Store"!

Have fun!

There are only 6 items listed as "optional equipment" on the TrailManor site. The list is short and you just decide what you want to do when camping. One thing to consider is resale value - if you don't get an awning and AC, you may have a harder time selling later. Do you want to sit there and watch movies? Some do. We have never used our TV antenna - we go camping to camp. Others take all kinds of entertainment equipment. We rarely use the awning - only if there's rain. We haven't used the air conditioner, but our kids did when they used our TM, so there's some value there. In our opinion the hanging kitchen cabinet is a must (just don't load it too heavily because you have to pick it up and hang it on the wall at an awkward stance) but the swing-around tongue isn't necessary, in our opinion. Others wouldn't have a trailer without it. So you see, it's different strokes for different folks. We carry a small electric heater to use instead of burning up our propane in the furnace, although we have used the furnace to get the temp up faster. We have Travasaks for sleeping, (kind of a sleeping bag with sheets) others use sleeping bags and some make the bed up with sheets and blankets. We don't buy anything at Camping World that we can get at Wal-Mart or K Mart simply because it costs so much more at CW. We take a small gas grill, others take a charcoal grill, and some don't take any grill at all. We use mostly paper plates and cups, others like real plates and silverware. Somebody suggested the little refrigerator fan - we use one and always will - they're about $16.00 and run off one D cell forever. Less chance of freezing things you don't want frozen. As others have said, go camping and then decide what else you need. Use things you already have to start with and then you will have a better idea as to what you want to buy specifically for use in the trailer. This is my opinion only and YMMV. We've been camping as long as we can remember so it was easy to figure out what we "needed". As the saying goes, "Just do it!" and then figure out what will help you be more comfortable in your own trailer. Good luck and most of all Enjoy Camping!

The TM (or any RV/tent) is really just a place to sleep. Of course you have indoor plumbing, cooking and seating. If you have little to no experience it will take awhile to decide what you need and how you will use your TM. Will you use it as a base camp just for cooking and sleeping, or will you spend most of your time in it or some where in between. Will you pack all your food and "stuff" before you depart or get most of it after you arrive at your camp site? I couldn't agree more that you can make do with things you have at home until you figure out your personal style ... and needs. Some great advice here to try to use what you have and make notes about what you think you need that you don't have, what would be nice to have but you don't really need and what did you bring that you never used?

Almost all used RV buyers expect an awning and air conditoner. Beyond that I would think it is all a matter of preference. No doubt you have been reading the forums and can decide if you need a hanging cabinet or a swing away hitch. Alot of your decisions can be made based on your life style. You'll probably camp much as you live .... spartan or material girl, as the shoe fits.

Part of the fun of camping is the adventure and the unknown. Enjoy your journey!

We ordered ours so we could get nearly every option. e did not the the TV antenna. If I wanted to watch TV, I would stay at home. Even then, reading the TMO forum is more entertaining

We use the larger 40 gallon water tank nearly every trip. We also use the microwave drawer/cabinette and hanging cabinet every trip we take. We use the awning about half the time. This is the half that is in the summer, not the winter. We use the A/C a third of the time. I have no use for it in the winter. I have never used the rear hitch receiver.

The single most important thing I DID NOT have on a trip, was ant spray while boondocking.

It was mentioned briefly in one post but worth repeating:
* presure regulator for the water line
* water filter for the water line
* hose if it wasn't provided. We carry an extra length and a "Y" valve as some campgrounds have community water-one faucet that supplies several sites. Having a Y allows you to hook up your hose and still allows others to get to the water. The alternative is filling your onboard tank and disconnecting or you may find that other folks disconnect you to use the water and are not good about hooking you back up afterwards.
* I would get the wrap around carpet covers for the steps as they can help keep alot of the dirt and leaves out and are safer if it rains (wet metal gets slippery) (less than $10)
* another "your preference" item is to replace the two outdoor light's white lens on the curb side with amber lenses to cut down on the bugs attracted.
* If you enjoy sitting around a campfire, something to sit in. Size is one consideration, comfort is another.

anyway, my 2 cents worth
Bill