Wheels on Trailmanors

Hello, this is my first post. My hubby and I will most likely be purchasing a Trailmanor in the near future. We've decided on Model #S720sl. We were also looking at the Hi-Lo brand but like the Trailmanor because of its compact towing size. The Hi-Lo has 2 tires on each side of its trailers, and we notice the Trailmanor only has one on each side. Hubby wants to know if anyone has experienced a blow out of any kind, or if anyone is aware of the reason for Trailmanor's 2 tires versus Hi-Lo's 4. We have yet to go to the dealer in our area, so I thought some feedback from experienced owners would be helpful beforehand.

Thanks for anyone's assistance.

Shirley:

[commodor47]

Welcome to the board!

I can't offer any information on tire "blow out" . . . haven't experienced one to date. In general, the heavier the trailer the more axles are needed to support the weight. A Hi-Lo is quite a bit heavier than the TM (except for the largest model which has two axles).

You might try a SEARCH on blow outs. I just read where two or three have had blowouts and results.

It just seems to me that if a trailer has a total of four tires it must be carrying more weight than a trailer with two tires. More weight translates in to using more gas when towing! Also someone mentioned the HiLo only goes UP! The TM goes up and OUT! More space. I have seen a couple of old HiLo's at a campground and they are small and bulky. One had trouble lifting the shell on old one and needed five people to lift it! Just my two cents!

Midwest Dave
Northwestern Illinois

check out the hi-lo web site. They list the sizes and weights of thier units. Are you limited in what you can tow by your tow vehicle? If not (i.e. it is a big V8) the difference in gas milage will be not as noticable as trying to pull with a 6 cyl. I think you need to get up to the 29 foot model of the Hi Lo to have a permanent bed. I couldn't tow a Hi Lo with a permanent bed with my TV, so it didn't take long to eliminate the Hi Lo from my list of possiblities.

Bill

It's my understanding that if a tire blows on a tandem axle, it's recommended to change out BOTH tires on that side, since the remaining tire got overloaded for a short while.
Sounds expensive. From that point of view at least, I'm glad I have a single axle.

Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for all the replies.....wow, I'm impressed! No, we're not at all limited by pulling weight, as we have a 8 cyl Toyota 4Runner. The question I asked was more of a general nature and I let my hubby read the responses. It sure makes a lot of sense to me. I'm spending some time getting to know my way around the forum. We're hoping to get our trailer by the end of this year. Does anyone have opinions on buying new versus used? My daughter just bought a 'toyhauler' (2007) that was slightly used, but has had continual problems and no warranty coverage whatsoever. So, we are thinking new, but again, would appreciate some input.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Annico

No, we're not at all limited by pulling weight, as we have a 8 cyl Toyota 4Runner.

Oooh, be very careful here. The 4-Runner is not a small vehicle, but it is by no means a large one either. A quick trip to the Toyota web site shows that the 2007 4-Runner (with new goodies that previous years didn't have) has a 4.7L V-8, which is very close to the 4.6L V-8 that my Explorer has. It has a bit more hp and torque, since it now has 32 valves and VVT - but not a lot more. Does your 4-Runner have these? Finally, the advertised towing capacity is 7300/7000 (presumably 2WD vs 4WD), which is exactly the same as my Explorer.

So now the first question becomes, Where will you tow? In the midwest or the Gulf coast, you will not notice that a TM is back there. At 10,000 feet in the Rockies or Sierras, you will find that your 4-Runner is kind of limited, just as I find that my Explorer is kind of limited.

And that begs the question of What will you tow? My TM 2720 SL has a dry weight of 2865 pounds. It is hard to make a direct comparison between TM and Hi-Lo models, but the nearest Hi-Lo model (2706) has a dry weight of 4479 pounds. That's a difference of 1600 pounds - almost a ton - right off the bat in the basic trailer, and you will DEFINITELY notice that! And remember that "dry weight" (sometimes called UVW) is a misleading term - you will load either trailer with about 600 pounds of stuff.

I personally would not even try to tow this Hi-Lo up into the Rockies or the high Sierras - and since that is one of the places we love to play, that would make me very sad. But if your playground is the midwest or the Gulf coast, you'll probably be OK either way.

So. Continue in the direction you are going. You have a good tow vehicle, but don't overestimate its capabilities. Be sure you understand the difference between dry weight and road-ready weight, and be sure you understand what the term "towing capacity" really means - you need to deal with terms like GVWR and GCWR. Be sure you know where you will be towing. And enjoy. Done right, it's a wonderful experience. Done wrong, it ain't quite so fun.

Bill