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Old 04-24-2009, 09:00 AM   #21
PopBeavers
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We picked the 2720 because it was the biggest that fit in the garage and it also sleeps the most.

When we bought it, our son (now 26) was in college and raced mountain bikes. So we used it as a base at mountain bike races. At 6 foot 4 he slept in the front bunk and petite daughter, though she could have slept on the dinette, slept in her backpacking tent. Allegedly I snore.

Our son now sleeps in his own tent.

Sometimes w take my wife's blind bother. He sleeps in the font bunk. When goes with us, one of his two son's (26) usually goes along. He sometimes sleeps in he dinette and sometimes sleeps in a tent, depending on how his dad is feeling. If it looks like his dad needs additional help, due to other medical issues, then he sleeps in the trailer.

When it is just the two of us we sometimes wonder if we should have gotten the SL or SD instead. For just two people, the front bunk becomes an awkward to use storage area, at least for us.

But, just about that time we realize that with our son getting married in July, in a few years we may have grand children, in which case the front bunk will be handy again.

My wife's parents, when they were still alive, had two different motor homes. the fist was a 28 foot Southwind. The second was a 32 or 34 foot Bounder. We borrowed both. Neither had slides.

When camping, you lose about 6 feet off the front, though you can pile stuff on the dash and seats. So 28 becomes 22 and 34 becomes 28 feet. The same size as our TM.

In either MH, it was difficult to have people inside while preparing meals. The kitchen was very small in both motor homes. In our TM, one person can work on he counter behind the stove, one at the sink and another at the table. a little tight but doable. Since it never rains in California we rarely need to do this as we frequently cook outside. However, if you don't live in California, hen you may encounter more rain than we do. Therefore, you will be indoors more often than we are. So consider how many people will be inside and where, especially during meal prep time.

When we retire we will likely buy something bigger, but still keep the TM. By then it will be 16 years old. Not enough residual value to put much of a dent in the new trailer. By keeping it we can still use it to go where the new trailer can not go, or let the kids use it.
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Old 04-24-2009, 10:02 AM   #22
Queeniereads
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Well, I have to add my two-cents. We bought our TM becuase it is safe to tow and economical to tow because it is low. We had had a terrible accident towing a travel trailer, and wanted something that felt awfully safe. We like the Tm very much, 'tho I admist to missing the slide with the dining area occasionally and the fuller-sized refrigerator. But, part of the fun is peeking into toher people's TMs and finding out what clever things they have done to outfit their camper for longer trips. For example, we just bought a hassock with room inside to store all our shoes and to sit on when we eat or whatever. True, you cannot take your whole house with you in a TM, but I find the lack of clutter to be liberating, and we feel safe. We have had our TM since 2005 and have not had any problems excpet for a few screws that needed to be replaced or screwed back in. No leaks. No equipment failures. Good luck in making your decision. Q
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Old 04-25-2009, 10:47 PM   #23
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And don't forget the price of fuel could go to four dollars a gallon again. As soon as the economy even hints of a recovery the speculators will get the price up faster than it went down. It would be a hard sell for the motorhome then if you wanted to get rid of it. Just one more thing to throw into the mix.
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Old 04-26-2009, 08:46 PM   #24
ng2951
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The other nice thing about either TT or TM is in the event you have problems with the TV, you can drop it off without dropping off everything else. It has been one of the reasons we shied away from motorhomes. 8 MPG did too.

Since "cap & tax" with European style fuel prices, may be on the horizon having a TM may make the difference between making that trip or not.

Just remember that RVing is not cheaper than staying in a hotel, but it is heck of lot nicer and the dogs are usually always welcome...
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Old 04-28-2009, 12:24 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pittsbrat View Post
After screening all kinds of trailers and motorhomes, the TM seemed the best for us -- on paper. However, on visiting the dealer and checking them out I must admit I was less than impressed. The finishings seemed cheap, the seals at the seams did not seem robust, and they were much smaller inside than I'd anticipated. At every turn, it seemed like it wouldn't stand up to much use. I was hoping it was a collapsing travel trailer, rather than a hard sided popup, if you get the difference.

Because this is an enthusiast forum, you guys know the good points and the bad points and how easy the compromises are to live with. So, please, convince me I'm wrong. Really. I'd kinda like to be wrong because it would save me about $50K.
I know this is a TM forum but if you're looking for a collapsing travel trailer, have you checked out Hi-Lo? It is another option. We compared both Hi-Lo and TM when looking for our next RV several years ago and that is how I came to know of this forum. I still come back here from time to time to see what's new. We chose a Hi-Lo and like it. Ours has been trouble free going on 3 years so far.
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Old 04-28-2009, 03:34 PM   #26
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My comment is that ALL RVs are a compromise. Whether you have a tent or a class A pusher diesel, you gain and you lose on each choice. You have to decide what it is you want out of the experience and pick the option that best suits your circumstance. Trailmanors fit a niche market. If you fall into that demographic, it is a good choice. If not, it may not be so good. Most of the people on this forum fit that niche and are enthusiastic about it.

Good luck with whatever you choose!
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Old 04-28-2009, 06:45 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Al-n-Sue View Post
My comment is that ALL RVs are a compromise. Whether you have a tent or a class A pusher diesel, you gain and you lose on each choice. You have to decide what it is you want out of the experience and pick the option that best suits your circumstance. Trailmanors fit a niche market. If you fall into that demographic, it is a good choice. If not, it may not be so good. Most of the people on this forum fit that niche and are enthusiastic about it.

Good luck with whatever you choose!
Besides the niche market aspect, another feature of the Trailmanor is this website. Other RVs may have a similar independent forum, but not all.

The nicest RV owners on the web are the members of www.trailmanorowners.com. If you don't believe me, just ask us.
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Old 04-28-2009, 06:58 PM   #28
mbd4kids
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As a previous owner of a full size trailer, I would agree that you might be giving up on interior space. However, since that one rolled in a highway accident, and we were a bit afraid of it happening again, we switched to a very used TM. So far no leaks, and I assure you, you don't know it's behind you compared to a full size camper. There is no drag on the car, and in fact, my husband got better mileage (slightly) pulling the tailer on our maiden voyage home, than we got going to pick it up. That definitely doesn't happen with a full size. And compared to regular pop ups, well, there is no comparison. You are safe in a full shell from storms, and you can't find a bathroom like the TM unless you seriously give up floor space. Good Luck!
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Old 04-28-2009, 09:37 PM   #29
SCBillandJane
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It has been interesting reading how many different reasons people have for choosing Trailmanors. To answer durability questions we bought a 5 year old 3124 last year and traveled from Key West Florida to as far North West as you can go by road in Alaska. With other trips we have about 20,000 miles with mostly one night stops in full facility campgrounds. We never had to stop for repairs. Not even a flat tire. Other units under repair in Alaska for long periods of time made us appeciate what we had. Yes, set up can be a pain in the rain or heat, but that is a few minutes. For the long driving hours where we forgot we were pulling a trailer it was worth it. My suggestion is go to a dealer with your wife and put the unit up and down 5 times in a row. If you and your wife are still interested, buy it.
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Old 04-29-2009, 07:08 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by meriflower View Post
I know this is a TM forum but if you're looking for a collapsing travel trailer, have you checked out Hi-Lo?...
I also don't think this forum is snobbish about TMs or Hi-Los. If I were going to get a Hi-Lo I would be looking at the 25s-27s. They have a really nice interior setup, especially since they locate the bathroom between the bed room and living room.

On the motorhome side, you may want to check on the solvency MH manufacturer. Some have gone out of business and that might make some of the proprietary parts difficult to come by.

With a trailer it sure makes it simplier since there is no motor or transmission to fool with.

The only major problem, if you want to call it that, I have had with my 3326 was the street side front molding cap flew off the trailer. I patched it with duct tape (even held up through two frog stranglers) until TM sent me a replacement (less than a week and $32).
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