Considering buying a 2005 2720SL from private owner

[Wavery]

I think that the statement, "His cons are that it's a lot more work than tent camping" may be referring to the maintenance of the TM (or any RV for that matter).

The one nice thing about tent camping is that once you get home, clean your gear and put it away, you're done with it until the next camp-out. You don't have to pack the w/brgs, wash the camper, store the camper, change the tires, fiddle with the wiring, buy new tires and battery every few years, own an appropriate tow vehicle (and maintain it) etc, etc, etc.

I think that one must enjoy the fiddling with these darn things as much as the camping. I know that if I only camped once or twice a year and didn't care for messing with the trailer, tent camping may be a better option for us. However we camp a couple times a month and working on the TM is a good hobby for me.

[tgpmd1]

Harveyrv, I think you hit the nail on the head. We are very organized with our tent camping so we have it down to a science. We even have an outdoor kitchen with running water (GSI camp kitchen). My son just moved up to Boy Scout from Cub Scouts and I think he's afraid that we won't use it as much as tent camping, plus he stated last night, "how long does it take to winterize and annual maintenance?" I couldn't answer that one.

We used to camp a lot more often, but I've been volunteering so much in the few years that I really don't get much vacation time. Hope to get a lot more individual camping done than the group camping thing since my son has finally moved out of Cub Scouts. Still going to do the Camp Director thing for Cub Scout Day Camp since I still have three years left on my certification and I love working with youth to get them outdoors.

I'll still trying to convince dh to see the unit. Asked the person selling it if they could move outdoors and start the fridge up. We'll see what they say. Also waiting on the list of options.

I was worried about winterizing....turned out to be very easy. Took less then 1/2 an hour and that was with a 10 minute break. LOL Really not much more then opening the drain lines. Most do it on the last outing, then put it away for the winter.

Keep working on him! it's worth it.

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by tgpmd1

Harveyrv, I think you hit the nail on the head. We are very organized with our tent camping so we have it down to a science. We even have an outdoor kitchen with running water (GSI camp kitchen). My son just moved up to Boy Scout from Cub Scouts and I think he's afraid that we won't use it as much as tent camping, plus he stated last night, "how long does it take to winterize and annual maintenance?" I couldn't answer that one.

We used to camp a lot more often, but I've been volunteering so much in the few years that I really don't get much vacation time. Hope to get a lot more individual camping done than the group camping thing since my son has finally moved out of Cub Scouts. Still going to do the Camp Director thing for Cub Scout Day Camp since I still have three years left on my certification and I love working with youth to get them outdoors.

I'll still trying to convince dh to see the unit. Asked the person selling it if they could move outdoors and start the fridge up. We'll see what they say. Also waiting on the list of options.

The Boy Scouts have their ways of doing things, which were great fun for them on cold rainy winter nights that had us wondering how they are surviving out there.

We, on the other hand, have been really interested in Boy Scout knots and recipes over the years, but wouldn't trade our TrailManor to go back there. On his campout weekends, you can enjoy going somewhere else with hookups!

Also look under the TM. If the trailer was really stored inside and not used much, under the trailer should be clean. There really shouldn't be any rust and check the frame. Check where parts are welded for seperation or cracks and cracks around the cutouts in the frame where the torsion bars go through the frame. The axle might have a slight curve in it, that's normal. The high part of the curve in the axle tube should be in the middle. The first place I look at anything that drives on the road is the bottom.

I bought my 2008 slightly used in 2009 and it looked new. You can tell the difference between slightly used and not. Open all the cabinets and look inside, especially under the sink. I spent 2 hours at the dealer looking at mine before buying. The dealer (Custom RV) said look all you want and let us know if you have questions. It was really nice to look at everything without being rushed. Then they spent an hour and a half just explaining and showing me how everything worked. Good Luck Robert

[tgpmd1]

Thanks! We're going to see it tomorrow evening. Wish dh and I luck! I'll ask if I need any further advice before purchasing.

[MariaG]

Another thought - even if you buy it and try it out and decide it's not for you, the resale market on TM's is very good, so if you're getting a good deal on it and decide to sell, you probably won't be out anything. Good luck!

[tgpmd1]

We saw the unit and tomorrow we are going to be TM owners! I need to look at the forums for some info about a few things, but overall, it's in great shape, no leaks even after the rains we had the last couple of days. Opened and closed great. The underside of the TM was clean and looked great. The only thing they forgot to do was turn on the fridge, but the A.C. and most other things seemed to work well. I think we'll have a test run at home in a few days. I want to check on replacing the tires and wheel bearings first.

One question, when we tested taking down the bathroom walls, the power went out, then came back on when the put the wall all the way down. Is that normal? We closed it up twice and it did the exact same thing, but everything else electrical seems fine.

I'm so excited! Thanks for everyone's help with this. I hope to meet other TM owners sometime soon.

The excitement of a new toy!!!

Pure joy!

[Wavery]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

The rear shell lights are controlled by a safety switch on the bathroom wall. That's normal.....

[B_and_D]

Sounds like you've found a good one. Ask them to put the frig on propane tonight and then make sure it works when you go see it again. If it works on propane, you can use it anywhere, with or without hookups.