Earl,
I bought a new TrailManor three years ago with no prior camper/ camping trailer experience and having never seen a TrailManor up-close prior.
We had decided that we wanted a camping trailer (which would comfortably hold 2 adults and 2 kids) that could be towed behind a SUV which would spend 90 percent of its time as an around town shuttle vehicle. (So our tow vehicle had to be large enough to just hold us, kids, and their friends for a short time....and also pull a camping trailer when needed.)
Our TrailManor 2922KB has met our needs as a camping trailer which is fairly easy to tow with our midsize SUV, is comfortable, and is self-contained (we don't have to worry about midnight trips to campground bathrooms).
The TrailManor does require a certain amount of set up and breakdown that comes with the design. Depending upon how comfortable or how Spartan your camping style is- that additional physical setup and breakdown time (which is unique to the collapsing upper walls) can vary hugely. Many owners state that the additional setup/ teardown means that they don't view their TrailManors as an overnight camping option and that a three night stay is a reasonable length for the amount of setup required. Many of the setup/teardown items are in common with other camping trailers; while others are unique to TM's.
I've camped with "the guys" and think I can setup and breakdown our TrailManor in just over 30 minutes. When my wife is along; she swears it takes three times that long...but she also wants to stretch the "camping experience" and sit by a campfire roasting S'mores until 10pm the night before leaving camp.
I'd suggest trying to make your decision this way (adjusting based upon your needs):
1. Tow vehicle- do you already have a tow vehicle which will tow all sizes of TrailManors, or will that be a constraint? Don't just factor dry weight; realize you will likely carry hundreds of pounds of additional gear.
2. Number of beds needed and is a king bed a requirement for you (the king bed models also offer additional rear storage space)
3. Camping style- are you more likely to camp with full hookups or are you likely to boondock/ dry camp. Slider models (with the expanding front section) have smaller, 20 gal, freshwater holding tanks which will limit camping time without hookups.
4. Will you be happy with the TrailManor design? The breakdown walls make towing much easier, but come at the cost of always taking additional time with setup and teardown. They also make customizing the camper require out-of-the box thinking.
Considered the above and reach out to members of the forum who are in your general geographic area. Most TrailManor owners are happy to share the unique design features of their campers and I think also share the design shortcomings. Once you've seen one close-up, I think you'll have more peace in deciding if it's worth it to make a trip to a dealership to see current model year TrailManors.
Rich and Lynn
2021 2922KB
