Considering purchasing a TrailManor

Trailmanor

Hello everyone my name is Mike and I live in Allen Park, MI. :new_newbi I have been RV'ing since 2009. My first unit was an 18' Roadrunner that was like pulling a bill board. I traded it in on a Hi-Lo 17T TowLite which has served my wife and I very well with one little (Big) problem. No not with the Hi-Lo but with the storage space. We (She) has figured out that there is not enough room for her to bring half of the house except the kitchen sink which happens to be in the trailer. We are looking for a nice sized RV that has a towing length no greater than 24' closed. It has to have both beds on each end because she likes getting up in the morning and sitting at the dinette without having to undo the bed to sit there. We both have back problems, her more so because she had the L4 and L5 fused in her back from a serious car accident in 2011. Our first RV was an impulse buy and then we started researching for our next one. We did not discover the TrailManor until now. Here is the catch, we need to sell (or trade) our 2005 Hi-Lo before we can buy the next one. At the present time it is winterized and covered for the winter at our storage facility. I go back to work teaching on the 1st of September. I am the second owner, the first owner was a woman that hardly used it, got married moved to England and said she had no use for it. We use it 3 weeks out of the summer and it is in fabulous shape. We have it out there for sale on craigslist, RV Trader, RVT, and RV Oodle.
Craigs list
http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/rvs/5173168714.html
RV Trader
http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2005-Hi-Lo-Towlite-17t-115362827
RV Oodle
http://rvs.oodle.com/view/hilo-travel-trailer-17t-towlite/3978809013-allen-park-mi/
RVT
http://www.rvt.com/Hi-Lo-Tow-Lite-17T-TowLite-2005-Allen-park-MI-ID6461384-UX174153
 
Now sure if you are looking for a TM or just advertising your HiLo.

There are several models that have beds at each end and a dinette such as the 2619 but if you are looking for storage you would be better off getting a shell for your pick-up (better aero also).
 
In terms of storage... In my 3124KB, I have 4 under counter cabinets, 3 drawers under the wardrobe, and 4 more under the twin aisle sofas. The other interior storage is the large reach in under the rear bed. Exterior only has the rear bumper area reach in storage.

As you would know with the Hilo, all storage is below counter height. I keep clear view storage tubs with lids on the center aisle when packing down. Bedding, linens, camping gear, shower stuff, clothes. In the rear storage goes chairs, free form patio mat, water hose, leveling planks, tent for the kids, air mattress, float tubes, air compressor, battery charger, extra 30ft TM power cord extension, fire pit shovel, etc.
 
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Padgett said:
Now sure if you are looking for a TM or just advertising your HiLo.

There are several models that have beds at each end and a dinette such as the 2619 but if you are looking for storage you would be better off getting a shell for your pick-up (better aero also).
Click to expand...

Actually we are looking for a TM. Don't need a shell for the truck, just need a longer rv. TM has the proper towing weight. I can tow the longest one that TM makes and still be under the weight limit. We are selling the Hi-Lo but are going to use the proceeds to go after a TM.
 
Trail Manor

Padgett said:
Now sure if you are looking for a TM or just advertising your HiLo.

There are several models that have beds at each end and a dinette such as the 2619 but if you are looking for storage you would be better off getting a shell for your pick-up (better aero also).
Click to expand...

I saw a unit like yours for sale on You Tube and I asked them if it was sold and they said yes. I like the way it raises and lowers, along with the full sized bath. The beds on each end are a fabulous solution to my wife and I's problem. She spent hours on You Tube looking at the TM's. She is wanting to see one so we are looking for one close to us.
 
Check the Gross Combined Weight Rating. The Tacoma may be 10,000lbs?

The longest TM will weigh in loaded with gear at 4000+ lbs. plus truck weight 3600lbs, and plus any payload to include passengers and any gear in truck bed. Adds up quickly.
 
Towing capacity

I will definitely get the folding hitch. My Tacoma is weighted at 6000 lbs. Towing capacity including passengers. This makes it 5300 towing weight with the truck loaded. I had it weighed when I took out my hilo and the max weight was 7900 lbs. with the trailer. The hilo dry is 2850 and hitch weight is 300 lbs. With the Weight Distribution Package makes it easier to tow. Even the 3326 King is weighted at 4916 lbs. loaded with a hitch weight of 486 lbs. The hitch weight on the Tacoma is 600 lbs. But I do not want to pull that long anyway. But it does give me choices of the type of TM to buy. I guess it falls under the heading of the type that the wife wants to get. It definitely has to have the two beds of that I am sure. My next outing will not be until spring anyway. Tuesday it is back to teaching and usually I do not have a life until June with a couple of breaks in between. Christmas off for about 2 weeks, week off in Feb. and then again in April the week of Easter which is usually when I pull the RV out for the season and take a short road trip before summer. I hope to be in a TM before next summer for a trip to the Gulf side of Florida.
 
Regarding the Tacoma, our 2007 Tacoma seems to do fine with our 3023 TM, with a WDH installed that is. Too much squat on the notoriously under designed Tacoma rear springs without the WDH.

It handles very well due to the weight forward of the wheels design of the TM and the low profile. And transmission temps seem to stay in the safe range according to my monitor.

But that said, I do not want to try any trailer heavier than the 3023. And we have not had any trial runs in steeper hill country. I'm not expecting that to be a walk in the park with this combination.
 
+1, Oldstick, I think you'll be disappointed towing in the mountain ranges with your setup, but probably fine in the foothills.

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum. Oldstick is right, you probably don' want to tow a 3124 or a 3326 with a Tacoma. Even with a WDH, the tail will be wagging the dog.
 
I have a tendency to agree. I had the 2007 and traded it for the 2015. WDH and heavy duty towing package is a must. But still do not want to push it over the limits. 22-24' in the lowered position is about as comfortable as we are going to get I think. Thanks for all of the input as it helps making the decision of which model to look at.
 
Well, since you're looking into what your Tacoma can tow, I've got a 2007 with the factory-installed tow package and have towed my 2004 3326 without a problem. I do have a soft-topper removable 'shell' on the back that might help with the drag and gives great extra storage as Padgett mentioned and I use a WDH, but in all honesty I barely notice that I'm towing it. Extremely good gas mileage as well. Pretty much any TM out there should work for ya and good luck hunting!

-Dan
 
TM Pilot said:
With a tongue weight of about 500lbs on my TM2619 and a tongue weight limit on my F150 of 500lbs without a WDH, I wanted to decrease the 2.5" squat of the rear of my F150 when the TM is hooked up. Since my TM2619 has a 3500lb axle, I didn't want to use a WDH to distribute any more weight to that axle. So I installed an Airlift RideControl adjustable airspring.
Click to expand...

Wait a minute. I don't mean to be disagreeable, but if I'm understanding, you were concerned that the tongue weight of the trailer was right at the max for your tow vehicle. This is a very valid concern, since the tongue weight on the hitch removes weight (and hence steering and braking capability) from the front end of the tow vehicle - where most braking and steering are accomplished.

But you addressed it by installing air bags? Air bags have absolutely no effect on tongue weight of the TM, or the tongue weight rating of the tow vehicle - other than adding 25 pounds or so to the weight on the rear end of the tow vehicle. So the front end of the tow vehicle remains unweighted, and steering and braking are still impacted as before. Yes, you decreased the squat, but did nothing to address the real problem.

The air bag advertising is very convincing, but the reality is not.

Again, my apologies if I sound unpleasant, but the safety issues hiding behind airbags really bug me.

Bill
 
I've been using air bags under my Tundra for several years along with a WDH. Allows me to add payload to my truck bed and then level out the squat with the proper setting of the WDH.

I would agree with Bill that without a WDH, you've not shifted the tongue weight or load safely. If you've not measured wheel openings from the ground, on both axles, you may not be level.
 
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Agree with Bill. Air Bags have a place but it is not weight transfer but rather to raise the rear suspension so it is not sitting on the bump stops. (or use one to control wheel spin with an open rear end).

True, raising the rear does tend to level the vehicle somewhat but to change the weight distribution you need a weight distributing hitch.

I do not have one but am in a special case where I consider the trailer axle to be at its limit already plus my Jeep is designed for towing & the attitude does not change much when hitched - the front has never felt light.
 
When reading those charts note that (t) means factory towing package required (at top of lists). Is often a lot more than just a hitch.
 
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