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Old 02-18-2016, 12:43 PM   #1
OCfamily
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Default Towing vs. Hauling Trailmanor Across Country

Hi Everyone,

Been reading the forum because we are interested in owning a TM. We are located in southern CA, and actually have a 2010 Trailmanor 2619 lined up, but it is located in Maryland (2,700 miles away). We have a few questions and would appreciate any feedback:

1. We think it's a great deal at less than $9,000. Everything we looked at over here in the west coast (very rare/low to no availability) is substantially higher. We are buying it sight unseen, so there is a lot of risk but the price offers room to make necessary repairs. The dealership listed it in great condition with everything working. The TM passed the Maryland State Inspection regarding the towing conditions, wheels, and bearings, etc. What does everybody think?

2. To have to delivered to CA, we received a couple of quotes to both tow it behind a truck or haul it on an auto carrier or flatbed. The rate difference is approximately $500 more to haul. Given that the TM passed the state inspection, the dealer recommends towing it since that's what these things are made for, and that's how they are delivered to the dealerships. What does everyone recommend?

Looking forward to owning a TM and perhaps meeting any nearby TM owners.

Thank you,
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Old 02-18-2016, 01:50 PM   #2
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I've seen the folks at TM ship their new units on a flat bed but maybe that's because they move 'em more than one at a time.....
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Old 02-18-2016, 02:11 PM   #3
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Since you didn't mention the rate for either towing or hauling, it is hard to judge whether either one is good. But I'm sure you have added the cost of delivery to the $9000 purchase price, to see if it is still a great deal, with "room to make repairs" if needed. It very well might be a good deal, since as you say, prices are substantially higher on the west coast than in the east, especially in the winter. But without considering the delivery charge, you don't have a complete picture.

As for towing vs hauling, you can't make a decision until you know what happens in the event that there is a problem on the road. If the trailer is being towed, and one of its wheel bearings smokes (for example), or it has a flat tire in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday afternoon, you can be assured that the towing company won't handle the issue for free. They won't let their tow vehicle hang around East Overshoe, South Dakota, for more than an hour or two unless you are paying an hourly rate. And in the worst case, they may simply drop your trailer beside the road, call a local towing company tp pick it up, and continue on their way. You need to know how this is handled. By the same token, if your trailer is being carried on a flatbed, and the flatbed dies for two or three days, do you have any recourse for the delay?

I am frankly surprised that it is less expensive to tow a trailer behind a hired pickup truck than to put it on a car hauler with 8 or 10 other vehicles. I would think that for a trailer the size of a TM (in other words, the size of a pickup truck), the hauler, either enclosed or open, would be a good deal less expensive, especially if final delivery for the entire load is to a single point (as opposed to your home address). I know that TMs are usually (though not always) delivered on a long car hauler with 4 TMs aboard, behind an F-350-size vehicle, rather than a single trailer behind a single truck. The comment that singletons are "how they are usually delivered" refers to big fifth wheels or big upright towables, rather than small trailers like the TM.

Have you contacted ABF U-Pack? I don't like them much, but you do get to rent space by the foot in one of their big semitrailers, and you don't rent more space than you need. Have you contacted one of the antique car haulers? They also rent space by the foot, and may be willing to fill out a load with your trailer if they don't have a full load of antique cars. When you talk to either, be sure to emphasize the low height of the TM - they load their semi-trailers on two levels, and will put another vehicle either above or below yours. This will cut your rate substantially.

Do any of the railroads do coast-to-coast hauling on a flatcar or boxcar? I know this is done in the east on the New York to Florida run, but I don't know if it is done between the coasts.

Finally, you mention that the TM passed the Maryland state inspection. Do you have any idea what that inspection includes? I'm not knowledgable, but I would bet that it centers around safety issues that would effect other dirvers - adequate tire tread, safety chains, breakaway switch, lack of hanging hunks of sheet metal, and so forth. Does it give you confidence that the trailer will actually tow successfully for a long distance? I don't know, but you might want to go to the Maryland DMV site online and see exactly what is inspected.

And for what it is worth, if you elect to have your trailer hauled, be sure to understand whether they will (or can) haul it as a triple with another trailer. At least one of our members has a horror story to tell about a triple haul that included his TM.

You need to be sure you do your homework in depth before you decide. The $500 difference you mention might not be the final arbiter.

Bill
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Old 02-18-2016, 02:34 PM   #4
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Thank you Bill for the thorough reply. I placed a listing on U-Ship to get some bids and the ones to tow were around $1,500. I am currently using an auto transport broker to find someone to haul, and the estimate they gave me is $2,000. These are fully insured delivery companies and I will definitely ask regarding the break down in the middle of delivery, delays, and the full process prior to hiring someone. These rates are with flexible dates so the delivery company can fill out a load.

I also contacted a few other auto transport companies and their rates are $3,500 and up.

The statement regarding how TMs are delivered to the dealerships came from the dealership my TM is at, to justify their recommendation. And it appears they don't really have the full picture either.

Again, thank you. I'll look into ABF U-Pack and the antique auto transport.
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Old 02-18-2016, 04:40 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill View Post
Finally, you mention that the TM passed the Maryland state inspection. Do you have any idea what that inspection includes? I'm not knowledgable, but I would bet that it centers around safety issues that would effect other dirvers - adequate tire tread, safety chains, breakaway switch, lack of hanging hunks of sheet metal, and so forth. Does it give you confidence that the trailer will actually tow successfully for a long distance? I don't know, but you might want to go to the Maryland DMV site online and see exactly what is inspected.

And for what it is worth, if you elect to have your trailer hauled, be sure to understand whether they will (or can) haul it as a triple with another trailer. At least one of our members has a horror story to tell about a triple haul that included his TM.

You need to be sure you do your homework in depth before you decide. The $500 difference you mention might not be the final arbiter.

Bill
Good Evening Bill:
I grew up in Maryland live in the area and am well versed in what a Maryland Inspection means, and while it's more then just a safety inspection for lights, etc ... , it's unfortunately only as good as the inspector doing it. So most dealers have an arrangement with a gas station or local inspection station were diligence may not be the top priority. So I would be skeptical of anything other then the basics being checked.


Quote:
Originally Posted by OCfamily View Post
Thank you Bill for the thorough reply. I placed a listing on U-Ship to get some bids and the ones to tow were around $1,500. I am currently using an auto transport broker to find someone to haul, and the estimate they gave me is $2,000. These are fully insured delivery companies and I will definitely ask regarding the break down in the middle of delivery, delays, and the full process prior to hiring someone. These rates are with flexible dates so the delivery company can fill out a load.

I also contacted a few other auto transport companies and their rates are $3,500 and up.

The statement regarding how TMs are delivered to the dealerships came from the dealership my TM is at, to justify their recommendation. And it appears they don't really have the full picture either.

Again, thank you. I'll look into ABF U-Pack and the antique auto transport.
Hello OCFamily ... welcome to the forum! I feel your pain and frustration of limited options, and understand your situation completely, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts specifically to this unit.

I believe I saw it online this afternoon at a Maryland dealership in Joppa, MD. My main question from the pictures is the front window cover doesn't appear to have the Trailmanor logo. So best case it somehow got cracked and was simply replaced, and worst case the front shell was hit hard enough to do enough damage to replace the cover, which could mean alignment or some other unknown issues with the front shell.

My other question is similar to Bill's in terms of a "good deal". When you factor in the approximately $2,000 for shipping, the price advantage you mentioned shrinks, and this also cuts into your funds to make any necessary repairs. Let's say repairs run approximately an additional $2000, which puts us around $13,000 total. IMHO, you are no longer in the "good deal" category, just an OK deal, and no ability to have the dealer fix something they said was OK in order to get you to buy it!

I am pretty certain with some patience and some time, you'll find something closer to you that meets your needs and will be as good or better deal. But if you have already purchased it, then Bill's suggestions on transport options make the most sense and I'm sure the forum can help with any other issues you may find once you get the unit. Either way good luck!
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Old 02-18-2016, 05:09 PM   #6
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Thank you Br2

That is the one! I noticed the missing logo in the front window shield/cover as well but from reading the forum, those sometimes are optional items that may have been added after the fact? The dealer does provide a 30 day warranty on everything operating, no leaks, etc. And the warranty allows me to have things fixed and be reimbursed for them.

I plan on taking the TM to a TM dealer in Ontario CA to have everything checked. The reason why I think it's a great deal is because in the west coast, a 2009 2619 at the Ontario CA dealership goes for almost $19k and anything 2010 and up is at least $15k-20k plus in nearby western states.

I ran a check on the VIN but did not find anything. (I couldn't find any info as oppose to the VIN showing no damage). If anyone knows where to look, I would appreciate it.

Br2_ have you have dealt with or spoke with that dealership in Joppa? Over the phone they seem to be nice and accommodating, but that's just my impression over the phone. Any insight on these guys? They claim to be a big reputable company and the reviews online are mixed, but fairly good.

Thank you,
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Old 02-18-2016, 05:42 PM   #7
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For the reasons Bill eluded to, if I were to have a TM shipped cross-country, the ONLY way I would do it were on the back of a truck/flatbed. If my only option was to have someone pull it, I would simply find another TM. There are lots of things that can go wrong, especially on a used unit where the condition of the tires, bearings, and brakes are unknown. If it were towed, what happens when your hired driver goes a little fast through some areas that are hot on a road in rough shape? That's a perfect recipe for a blowout, and on a single-axle TM, that means damage. And it can be pricey -- thousands of dollars potentially if there is damage to the grey tank. Not worth the hassle for a few hundred bucks savings.

I wouldn't spend the extra cash to have it transported in any sort of enclosed trailer. I don't see any benefit.

I too have checked into hauling a TM cross-country, and it too was my experience that flatbeds were more expensive than someone towing it. I presume that is partially supply/demand, but probably mostly because a multi-vehicle carrier can load up with a bunch of cars/trailers, and then start hauling. But even once he drops off a unit, he can keep going to deliver more units. Someone towing a trailer then has to turn around to pick up another job, or have carefully scheduled to pick up another load nearby.

Another option I would consider: go pick it up yourself. It would be a long haul, but you can make it from SoCal to the east in 3-4 days, so you could conceivably be back in a week. You'd camp the whole time the way back and see some incredible countryside in the process, so it would basically be a bit of a vacation. ROAD TRIP. Plus, now is a perfect time because fuel prices are the lowest they've been in years, and most campgrounds are pretty much EMPTY. I drove from LA to Tennessee to pick mine up, then headed to the Northeast to visit some family, then up into Canada where we kept heading west before dropping down into Wisconsin and Minnesota. Then through the Dakotas, etc. It was an awesome trip. After all, these campers have wheels!!

Doing that also gives you an opportunity to see the unit first hand before leaving the lot. I'd ask that the bearings be replaced before pickup (a $100 job), brakes inspected, and I'd also have plans to replace those tires before you get on the road unless they were just replaced (check the date code). You're going to have to do it when you get home anyway, and the extra miles are free since you never replace trailer tires due to tread wear.

Give them a deposit, and start driving!

Dave
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Old 02-18-2016, 06:11 PM   #8
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Beware on U-Ship those are mostly all BIDS by brokers. That means they put your cargo, pickup, and destination on a board with a bid attached. When a driver accepts the job, your item gets shipped. But as I'm sure you can imagine the higher price,, shorter mileage jobs always go first. Your TrailManor could sit quite a while before someone accepts the bid. I was looking to ship a TrailManor from Missoula, MT to Rochester, NY and went through all the runaround on U-Bid. The long distance ultimately killed the deal.
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Old 02-18-2016, 07:34 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito View Post
For the reasons Bill eluded to, if I were to have a TM shipped cross-country, the ONLY way I would do it were on the back of a truck/flatbed. If my only option was to have someone pull it, I would simply find another TM. There are lots of things that can go wrong, especially on a used unit where the condition of the tires, bearings, and brakes are unknown. If it were towed, what happens when your hired driver goes a little fast through some areas that are hot on a road in rough shape? That's a perfect recipe for a blowout, and on a single-axle TM, that means damage. And it can be pricey -- thousands of dollars potentially if there is damage to the grey tank. Not worth the hassle for a few hundred bucks savings.

I wouldn't spend the extra cash to have it transported in any sort of enclosed trailer. I don't see any benefit.

I too have checked into hauling a TM cross-country, and it too was my experience that flatbeds were more expensive than someone towing it. I presume that is partially supply/demand, but probably mostly because a multi-vehicle carrier can load up with a bunch of cars/trailers, and then start hauling. But even once he drops off a unit, he can keep going to deliver more units. Someone towing a trailer then has to turn around to pick up another job, or have carefully scheduled to pick up another load nearby.

Another option I would consider: go pick it up yourself. It would be a long haul, but you can make it from SoCal to the east in 3-4 days, so you could conceivably be back in a week. You'd camp the whole time the way back and see some incredible countryside in the process, so it would basically be a bit of a vacation. ROAD TRIP. Plus, now is a perfect time because fuel prices are the lowest they've been in years, and most campgrounds are pretty much EMPTY. I drove from LA to Tennessee to pick mine up, then headed to the Northeast to visit some family, then up into Canada where we kept heading west before dropping down into Wisconsin and Minnesota. Then through the Dakotas, etc. It was an awesome trip. After all, these campers have wheels!!

Doing that also gives you an opportunity to see the unit first hand before leaving the lot. I'd ask that the bearings be replaced before pickup (a $100 job), brakes inspected, and I'd also have plans to replace those tires before you get on the road unless they were just replaced (check the date code). You're going to have to do it when you get home anyway, and the extra miles are free since you never replace trailer tires due to tread wear.

Give them a deposit, and start driving!

Dave
Dave:
Excellent advice & I agree 100% that seeing any TM in person before you buy it is the preferred path. And while I love your idea about a cross country road trip, I am guessing the cost/time to do that will be prohibitive as a viable option.

Quote:
Originally Posted by OCfamily View Post
Thank you Br2

That is the one! I noticed the missing logo in the front window shield/cover as well but from reading the forum, those sometimes are optional items that may have been added after the fact? The dealer does provide a 30 day warranty on everything operating, no leaks, etc. And the warranty allows me to have things fixed and be reimbursed for them.

I plan on taking the TM to a TM dealer in Ontario CA to have everything checked. The reason why I think it's a great deal is because in the west coast, a 2009 2619 at the Ontario CA dealership goes for almost $19k and anything 2010 and up is at least $15k-20k plus in nearby western states.

I ran a check on the VIN but did not find anything. (I couldn't find any info as oppose to the VIN showing no damage). If anyone knows where to look, I would appreciate it.

Br2_ have you have dealt with or spoke with that dealership in Joppa? Over the phone they seem to be nice and accommodating, but that's just my impression over the phone. Any insight on these guys? They claim to be a big reputable company and the reviews online are mixed, but fairly good.

Thank you,
Hello OCFamily:
I see you are getting quite a bit of responses and some excellent advice! This forum is the reason I decided to get my TM, and the folks here are extremely knowledgeable and hopefully you're not getting too overwhelmed.

I do not know this particular dealership, but did a quick search and did find some of the complaints you may have seen (I'll put the link below). A large RV dealership is always going to get complaints, so I don't know that you dismiss the dealership on that alone.

But I realized in measuring the value of this unit we really have to understand: what are your requirements? Is there a reason you must get a 2619, which is one of the smallest units? Do you have a space limitation based on your garage or the place you'll store it? Does your tow vehicle have limits that prevent you from looking at the larger units?

The reason I am asking is I initially wanted a 2619 and then I went and saw one, and in person it seemed a little small. So I went back and remeasured my garage and figured I could get a bigger unit if it had the swing out hitch option, and I am thrilled I have the extra space and the parallel couches the 3023 offers!

I have just checked rvtrader.com, and there are other larger units then 2619 that look to be in as good or better shape then this one for 15k-17k asking, and they would probably take less if you move quickly and have cash, and they are on the West Coast.

My best advice is to not jump on something simply because you think you are getting a deal; I would suggest doing a little more homework through the weekend on your requirements, and if you haven't done so, go see some of these larger units near you. On a parallel path, you can check on the shipping options as Bill and the others have suggested, and get as much additional information on this particular unit and this dealer as you can. If by Monday you still feel strongly about this 2619, then go for it!

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/chesac...ryland-1163538
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Old 02-18-2016, 09:23 PM   #10
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Thank you everyone for all the great suggestions and input. My wife and I frequent this forum quite a bit before we seriously considered buying a TM. The cross country road trip would be nice, but we have a 1 year old and a 3 year old so that becomes quite prohibitive. As for the 2619, we will be towing with a 2013 toyota sienna with towing package. I've read quite a bit of discussion regarding that as a TV (I'll spare everyone another discussion)...I have a 800 lbs wdh with sway control and tekonsha p3 ready to go. Because of our TV, we feel we are pretty much limited to the 2619 or 2720 model. We don't mind the smallest model as it fits our family needs...for now. And we live in an hoa complex so the TM would need to fit in the garage. So far my measurements puts this particular TM very tight in the spot where I'm thinking of putting it. The garage sits on a steep driveway, again another discussion at a later date.

As for the dealership, I've read all the reviews and agree that with such a large dealership that they'll be some unhappy customers but overall they have been good to deal with. I think we are pretty much set on this one just barring the delivery issue. At the beginning when we were shopping for shipping quotes, we were adamant about having it hauled, however the price is over $3500 and the current quote of $2000 to haul is going into its 3rd week as the broker is trying to find someone willing to fill a load. That's the reason why we are now contemplating towing it as the broker found someone willing to tow for 1700 but we declined initially.
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