TrailManor Changes

[BOB_STRONG]

I was talking to Linda Hulsey, and she asked me if I would post the following request. As you all know, the changes that have occured in the TrailManor over the years is because of members like us. I am sure many of us have responded in the survey after purchasing their TrailManor regarding things that they would like to see different in the units.

TrailManor is in the process of putting together a list of changes that people would like to see in the 2007 model year. Now is your chance to give the company some good feedback.

If you have any suggestions, please send them to [email protected] with "TRAILMANOR CHANGES" as the subject. They will be printed out and given to everyone at the factory to look at.

Please don't let them down. Now is a great opportunity to voice your opinions.

 

[Bill & Lisa]

Here were OUR light weight suggestions

1. Fix doors in the cupboards in the bathroom. We have cut 45 degree angles on the two doors that meet in the corner but maybe shorten the door on the sink pedestal, make it one piece and open from the corner towards the thetford.
2. Hinges on the upright wardrobe need a block of wood behind them on the inside of the wardrobe. Currently the screws holding the hinges on only go through the plywood and it doesn’t take long for them to loosen to the point where they can not be tightened. If the framing around the door opening on the inside of the cabinet were wider the screws would have something better to bite into.
3. a second strap on the fire extinguisher to hold the bottom of the unit into the place for it. If only one strap is desired for ease/speed of removal move it closer to the bottom and use a clip or molded opening that would securely hold the top of the extinguisher in place.
4. Frame around the ceiling vents. Screws holding the 1” frame into the ceiling do not screw into anything. We made covers to keep the early morning sun out and they are held up with Velcro at the 4 corners. If we are not very careful removing the covers (read one hand holding the frame against the ceiling and the other gently pulling each corner one at a time, we can easily pull the frame out of the ceiling.

Bill (mostly Lisa!)

 

[fcatwo]

Tires, tires, tires. Many Interstate Highways passing around and through large cities are set up so that drivers are required to change lanes one or more times to follow a through route. If traffic on both sides of you is running 75mph you will have to match that speed to change lanes. If it's true that TrailManor is using tires that are dangerous to run over 65mph they should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[PopBeavers]

If it's true that TrailManor is using tires that are dangerous to run over 65mph they should be ashamed of themselves.

Not a problem in California. Max speed is 55. Even if I went 10 over I would be within spec.

 

[fcatwo]

Actually a transition from I-5 to I-10 on the Pasadena Fwy was the first time I had to speed up 10-15mph over previous hwy speed to change lanes getting around LA. Atlanta and Houston are two others that come to mind. We cut over at Bakersfield these days to avoid the LA experience.

 

[pbuck1]

I don't believe the 65mph is a precipitous threshold where below it you're perfectly OK and above it you're always dicing with death. Tires fail usually because of heat and load, and yes, they will get hotter the faster you go. But just how hot they get must depend on other factors, too, like the ambient temperature, road surface, tire pressure, etc. So I think speeding up above 65mph for a while in order to merge with the faster traffic in another lane is probably quite OK even with 65mph rated tires On the hand I wouldn't exceed the rating on a sustained basis, especially on a very hot day.

Paul

 

[Freedom]

All you ever wanted to know about trailer tires but were afraid to ask! See this very informative site: http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.dos

 

[rockerga]

Good stuff - Thanks Jim!

 

[rickst29]

"Always inflate trailer tires to the maximum".... I DON'T THINK SO.

Goodyear says otherwise. Per my post on page 2 of the "bigger wheels, heavier axles" thread (at http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showpost.php?p=24744&postcount=14 ) They recommend that you 'tune' your tire PSI downwards when you're running with less load than the tire max.

Who you gonna believe, the manufacturers' load/recommended pressure tables (which are dated 2005), or a dealer with a "one sentence fits everbody in all situations at all times" proclamation he probably 'learned' from his granddaddy umpteen years ago?

discounttires's page seems to keep it simple for the more stupid and careless of their customers. And maybe Carlisle and other less-known brands sell tires with different recommendations, they mention Carlise specifically at the bottom of the page. But Goodyear has obviously put a lot of thought and work into this table of recommended PSIs for their tires. (Ref the other post, above.) I feel that Trailmanor owners, especially those running with big tire/axle upgrades on small, light trailers (such as I), should pay attention.

My 2619 (with upgrades) will probably leave home about 4K lbs when I'm done overloading it and fillling the water tanks. At the 65 PSI max ratings for the tires, for which Goodyear shows a max load of almost 1100 lbs more than I'm carrying, the poor TM would probably be riding so hard that a gazillion screws would be rattled loose in the first 10 miles.

Per Goodyear, to provide for proper tire flex and keep the TM from being shaken to bits, I'll drop the PSI to about 50. The sidewall flex characteristics which they will have @ 50 PSI under 4000 lbs load is roughly the same as the flex characteristics they would have @65 PSI under max load (5080 lbs). And that's the whole idea... instead of running them ROCK-HARD when you have chosen tires with a big load margin, you run them AS THEY ARE DESIGNED TO BE RUN. Tires are a suspension component with an important role in softening the ride; you need to configure 'em right.

 

[rickst29]

Also, how did we get on tires here?

maybe we should invite one of the Forum admin's to move our 'hijack' of this 'Trailmanor Changes' thread (last 3 posts) over to the "Frame" forum? I think that's the designated place for tire talk.

 

[cmc211]

Curtain Mod

I was thinking of a curtain mod and trying it myself. My popup coleman camper had a section of mesh across the top of the curtain so the A/C would still blow through when you close the curtain. Has anyone else tried this?

 

[hal]

We made a curtain just like you are talking about. We ran a curtain track across the width of the ceiling. The curtain divides the dinette area from the kitchen area and provided privacy for people who accompany us on an outing. With our 2720SD there is plenty of room on both sides of the curtain for getting ready for bed. The top section of the curtain is mesh and works well for air circulation.

Hal

 

[cmc211]

Sounds good. I am thinking of making a curtain on mine that give the person sleeping on the sofa some privacy also.

 

[sir1doc]

I may be in the wrong place and the newer ones may already have changed this but the Vin # plate on my 1991 is located under the top shell. When getting my tags at the BMV it was required that they see the vin number in person to verify the out of state title change. This meant that in my small town with only head in parking on main street I had to park the TM and open it on a busy street while waiting for the person to "find the time" to come out and see it. Although I met many new people who were intersed in the TM. it was a pain. I would ask the factory to put the VIN # in a easy to access place.

 

[Bill]

They've gotcha covered! On newer TMs there is actually a VIN plate and a VIN sticker. The plate is riveted to a frame member, up front near the hitch and easy to see. The sticker is on the street side, on the outside wall of the front shell, and therefore right in front of you when the TM is closed.

Bill

 

[sir1doc]

Thanks Bill, good to know

 

[Bruce]

2007 Improvements

Improvements I would most like to see.

1. Drawers in the kitchen cabinets. Squatting down or bending over to peer inside the cabinets really bites. Give us drawers that pull out so we can easily get at pots & pans, dishes, canned goods, etc.

2. A room with a view. Is there some way to lower the windows so when we are seated inside we can see something besides the tops of the trees?

3. A screen door.

4. Take the flourescent light from the bathroom and put in in the living room where it's high light output and low energy draw can be put to good use.

5. Make vinyl flooring and not carpet the default flooring choice. I won't even have carpet in my house - why would I want it in a camper?

6. A toilet that doesn't smell. OK, I realize the toilet was probably chosen for it's light weight and so therefore we can't expect a standard RV toilet with a 20 or 30 gallon black water tank and a positive seal but this is my wish list.

I love our TrailManor but if the 07 model came with these improvements I would be tempted to trade up.

 

[Bill & Lisa]

One I forgot to mention since we already fixed it ourselves but was of big interest during Chesapeake RV's annual campout was the stove top grate.

TM - get rid of the star pressure washers underneath and replace with cotterpins. Makes cleaning up the stove doable!

Bill

 

[MidwestDave]

Stove top grate removal for cleaning

We just took delivery of our new 2720 and used the stove top for first time.
DW fixed eggs and bacon on large burner and slopped some egg over side .
To remove grate I just lifted up as the corners were in rubber gromlet in each corner. No problem! Cleaned up mess and replaced again with no problem!
I also noticed another new feature that has been talked about on the form.
TM owners complained that their door would come loose while driving down the highway, well the folks at TrailManor are listening. A simple heavy duty plastic latch on the out side of the door is turned into position and WALA!
We are very pleased with our new rig.

Midwest Dave
Moline Ill World Hqds for John Deere Co.

 

[Bill & Lisa]

Dave,
Congrats on your new TM!

Now to throw you a challenge. Can you take and post a picture of the "New" door latch. There has always been a latch similar to those that hold the bumper in on the upper portion of the door. The problem is (with both the door and the bumper) is the single screw holding it in place loosens as you tow your TM arround. On the door is loosens to the point where gravity, helped by road vibration rotates the clip out of position thereby releasing the door.

On the stove top, I would lift the whole top off and see what holds the other end of those feet. It was a star type pressure washer which you may have pulled the leg out of when cleaning. This will result in the star washer showing up sometime as a mysterious screw,bolt, etc. that you have trouble identifying the origin of. It also may mean that your grate legs are now just held in by the friction of the rubber washer. A few good bumps on your next adventure could result in your grate roaming around the interior of your closed TM without any supervision leaving nicks and gouges on things as it goes. Flying grates in the past have been know to decapitate the sink facuet or at least serious scrape it up.

I hope you are right and the factory has come up with a better system but if I can delay the anguish of that first scrape or dent etc. I am glad.

Bill