Storing TM Open vs Closed?

BR

Brifla

Guest
Are there disadvantages to leaving my TM open most of the time while I have it parked at the house? It's nice to be able to do things in the TM when I have a little extra time without having to open and close the camper. I have the battery disconnected so that there isn't a draw from sensors, etc but wonder if there are reasons I should be storing the TM in the closed position. :confused:
 
We usually store ours open most of the time. That way we just keep it plugged in and we keep a small ceramic heater in it during the winter to keep the water lines from freezing. The only disadvantage I have found is you must be more diligent about washing it as it does collect dust and dirt just sitting there.
 
Brifla said:
I have the battery disconnected so that there isn't a draw from sensors, etc but wonder if there are reasons I should be storing the TM in the closed position. :confused:
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I can't think of any reason to keep it closed. I have a large garage with a high ceiling so we keep it inside, opened up, and plugged in. It's like having an extra bedroom and grandkids love sleeping in it when they visit. We also use the oven as a second one during big family events like Thanksgiving or Christmas. DW has also been known to send me out there when sinuses cause me to snore too much. :eek:

But as you point out, the best thing is that you can go out and do a bit of work on it when you have a few minutes. So my sense is that unless there is a reason to keep it closed, like limited space in the garage, it's a lot more convenient to keep it open.

Keith
 
The only time i feel that closed is a necessary option is when there is potential for extremely high wind. Lower profile catches less wind!

Tim
 
It sounds like keeping it open most of the time (except when large storms are expected) isn't a problem. Thanks for all the great input!
 
I suppose it depends on your country location. In Western New York most of us stop camping from October to May. So the TrailManor unit is stored during that time and most times it has to be stored outside.

Storage during high winds, snow, more snow, wet snow, more wet snow, I guess I'm inclined to store the unit closed with an Adco cover over it. The cover helps keep the sunlight off of the vent covers and the water seals on all the edges which I suppose might keep the seals lasting longer.

For those of you who can keep it open most times or even have a garage large enough to store it opened, I envy you. I wish I could do that.

With the winter we had this year, I could have gone camping for New Years Eve and a few more times.
 
We have stored ours open since it was purchased in 2008 with no issues or problems. We always remove all food but leave everything else ready to go which means very little preparation before a trip.

We store ours with:
1. A Adco Travel Trailer Cover.
2. Winterized in cold months
3. Plugged up to a in yard pedestal with surge protection.
4. Finally it is basically setup just like camping which is nice for being able to check it for problems or do maintenance etc.
5. We also leave Roof Vents open for airing out.
 
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We bought (Nov. 2010) our TM from the original owner who kept it set up most of the time (near Denver, CO) in a yard with a lot of sun. He used it as a place to write and read out of the house. Our top bag seal cracked and sort of dry rotted through last summer, and I think this may be due to overexposure to the sun from this earlier nearly-constant exposure. So if you're going to leave it set up in the sun a lot, perhaps some kind of UV protectant or cover/shade on the bag seal would be a good idea. That is, if I'm not wrong about the cause of the seal cracking like that. Currently holding together with some good-quality gaffer's tape and still seals OK though.
 
We leave ours open and keep an Adco cover on it. We also use calcium chloride as a dehumidifier and keep the receptacle full as needed.

For whatever reason, I usually go in it once every 2 weeks or so, I open up the windows when it gets warm to air out, or just need to put/get something in or out of it.
 
Is the top bag seal that Pauloh is referring to along the top and sides where the two sections come together? Isn't this seal exposed the same whether the TM is open or closed? Or am I missing something here?
Although, it would seem a good idea to keep covered from the elements to prolong its life.
 
Brifla said:
Is the top bag seal that Pauloh is referring to along the top and sides where the two sections come together? Isn't this seal exposed the same whether the TM is open or closed? Or am I missing something here?
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No, I'm the one missing something, thanks for pointing out my error...I forgot that seal is out in the elements, no matter TM closed or open. I do have a custom cover on the (closed) TM most of the time, but the previous owner had it set up a lot without the cover on. So again, maybe it's the UV exposure which caused our roof bag seal to crack, but possibly something else I hadn't thought of. It just now occurred to me that once or twice while following my wife (who was towing the TM), I've seen the front shell "bounce" up to 1 inch when the TM hits a bump. Maybe by compressing the seal on the bounce that's caused the cracked seal or made it worse over time. It does look like there is sun damage to the seal though.

Having dragged this thread off course, I will post a photo of the failing bag seal in case someone is curious. I've since put some gaffer tape over the cracked area, which is left of center (like me :p) when seen from the back of the TM. Made sure it was bone dry before doing so. My nearest TM dealer is 6 hours away and this was a much cheaper fix for the time being and I can live with it....caused no issues I could see during several weeks of use last summer, including rainstorms.
 

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I live in a neighborhood with a home owners association and rules about campers. They are not allowed on the street or the driveways or visible by the neighbors. I have my TM parked on the side of the house, closed and with an Adco cover. You can see the TM from both the road and the neighbors house, but it seems less obtrusive, almost like a car with a cover.

I haven't gotten a 'letter' yet.
 
Mkilmurry said:
I live in a neighborhood with a home owners association and rules about campers. They are not allowed on the street or the driveways or visible by the neighbors. I have my TM parked on the side of the house, closed and with an Adco cover. You can see the TM from both the road and the neighbors house, but it seems less obtrusive, almost like a car with a cover.

I haven't gotten a 'letter' yet.
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I got the same problem but you are lucky you have enough room on the side of your house. We are aloud to keep it on the street for 72 hours to get ready for a trip which is nice. We live in a 55+ village, so many people hit the road in their motorhomes/trailers during the summer, they have to bring them home from storage, clean them up load and turn on the frig. I keep my TM in the garage.

My 2000 S-10 stays outside now that is legal. :D

Dave
 

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Scottie Dogs:
A three car garage. "You do have a wonderful set up". My mouth waters.

Bob
 
T and C said:
Folks,

I know what a gaffer is in the tv/movie industry. I have never heard of "gaffer's tape". What is it?
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Not sure what wikipedia will say, but here's my "take": Gaffer tape is somewhat like duct tape but (in my experience) more cloth-like, non-reflective and available in various colors. In movie/photo studios there would be myriad uses for it. One nice feature is that even though it sticks very well, good-quality gaffer tape can usually be pulled off later (even much later) without leaving any residue behind...duct (or "duck") tape often leaves a gooey mess, especially after being heated in the sun. Either that or it falls off and leaves baked-on glue behind.

Major photo-supply stores will carry duct tape (bhphotovideo.com) but it will cost several times more than a roll of cheap duct tape. And honestly, there may be better material for fixing the TM bag seal, but I had the gaffer tape on hand.

Guess I should change my signature...I have used some gaffer tape (bag seal repair), and some vinyl tape (air conditioner shell repair), and maybe even some aluminum tape (can't remember where), but I think I have removed all the duct tape from my TM!
 
Scottie D,

Your place looks very similar to good friends of mine who live in Sun City Grand. How far are from there ? Is your place a Del Webb community?
They are nice.
 
moaboy said:
Scottie D,

Your place looks very similar to good friends of mine who live in Sun City Grand. How far are from there ? Is your place a Del Webb community?
They are nice.
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We are a good distance from there about 70 miles, we are in the far east valley and they are in the far west valley Surprise AZ. We are right on the other side of Apache Junction. We bought our TM in Surprise what a trip but happy we did that...

Remember no basements in Arizona, (ground is like a rock) and we don’t have a second story either just one floor, the 3 car garage is a necessity as far as I am concerned. People make a mistake not getting the 3 car garage when they move here and they regret it for storage or a small boat or a TM. We are from Chicago with basements all our lives so this was a huge adjustment. We don’t store useless stuff anymore.

We love it here, since 1995.

Dave

http://www.goldcanyon.net/
 
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