Disappointed in Trailmanor quality

[inghamm]

+1 Auburn - Kent Valley RV

+1 on Auburn - Kent Valley RV. They were a dealership and still an official parts / service center for Trailmanor. They know the Trailmanors very well. I have taken mine there a couple times for service/upgrades and have been happy with the results.

We first heard about them back in May from Ken. We were on our second camping trip that we had planned to have our new 2720(Q with us, and for the second time we were tent camping in a hook-up site. (The factory was having difficulty completing ours) While riding around the campground we spotted this beautiful 2922 (K Silver Trail Trailmanor. So of course we stopped to talk. Ken was more than happy to talk. He was very happy with his unit, but not at first. He had bought it from Camper Outlet down in Portland area (where we had ours on order.) He had a long list of things that were wrong with his unit when he had picked it up, but then he had taken it to Auburn-Kent Valley RV and they had made everything right.

Anyway, the Bonney Lake location is 25 miles from Auburn-Kent Valley RV. I would definitely trust them to do an inspection, and give you an estimate of repair costs.

 

[kevin425]

I didn't mean to set off a 3-page discussion, but thanks everyone for all your feedback.

I understand that all RV's have issues. As I stated in my first post, I owned a travel trailer for a couple of years. It was horrible quality and I sold it knowing that it was going to become a money pit if I kept it. That experience is what made me go over this traimanor so closely.

I grew up camping in a 21 foot Terry trailer. My folks have gone through 2 different bus-long Class A's. My aunt and uncle had a truck camper. I have tented and hiked all my life. I understand all about camping and RV's, and about quality. Which is exactly why I was disappointed in the Trailmanor. Trailmanor is a small company, and for a small company to survive among giants (Thor industries and Forest River), it needs to be different. And not just different, but better. For them to survive, I thought they would put more time and effort into making a better trailer. I love the folding idea, but that alone won't keep them afloat forever. If the quality drops to the cheap Forest River brands, they will go under. For the price of a new Trailmanor, I can buy a used conventional trailmanor and a used tow rig. That's why I was disappointed; I was expecting more from a small, independent company.

Maybe it is just the newer models. That thought crossed my mind, as I had heard nothing but good things on the forums. But most of those posts are 5--8 years old. There really isn't any new reviews regarding their trailers since the company was bought and moved. Maybe its growing pains, who knows, but I hope they fix it.

I don't mind fixing a trailer. I have done wiring, plumbing, carpenter, fiberglass, you name it...I've repaired it. Just because I can doesn't mean I want to. I don't want to buy a two-year old trailer that already needs a lot of maintenance.

As for why I was looking at the Trailmanors to begin with, considering I have a full-size truck and intend to store it outside, was because it offered 3 separate beds in a very small profile. My family does a lot of camping off the beaten path, and the smaller profile would let me get to places a 11' tall rig won't. I liked the aerodynamics of it, that it had an oven, and that it was known for its quality. Well, that last one went out the window.

Since then, I have been looking at some other brands; Lance, Artic Fox and Outdoors RV. When I find the right unit, I'll buy it. I hope this helps answer why I started this post to begin with.

Again, thanks everyone for your input, advice and opinions.

 

[br2_wdc]

I didn't mean to set off a 3-page discussion, but thanks everyone for all your feedback.

As for why I was looking at the Trailmanors to begin with, considering I have a full-size truck and intend to store it outside, was because it offered 3 separate beds in a very small profile. My family does a lot of camping off the beaten path, and the smaller profile would let me get to places a 11' tall rig won't. I liked the aerodynamics of it, that it had an oven, and that it was known for its quality. Well, that last one went out the window.

Since then, I have been looking at some other brands; Lance, Artic Fox and Outdoors RV. When I find the right unit, I'll buy it. I hope this helps answer why I started this post to begin with.

Again, thanks everyone for your input, advice and opinions.

Good Evening Kevin:
Thank you for clarifying some of your points, and providing additional detail on your RV background/experience and why you were considering a TM. I still believe you are being a bit nit-picky (is that even a word?) with the particular TM you were "reviewing", but I have to (grudgingly) concede that much of what you are saying may not be as biased as I initially thought.

Having said that, I am wondering if quality is one of your main requirements, why isn't Airstream and Winnebago on your list for consideration? When I think quality, those 2 to me seem to be the leaders and have stood the test of time.

Thanks for the update and good luck with your search.