New 2005 2720 ordered

[B_and_D]

Wayne -

Congratulations on your purchase! I think you'll really enjoy it.

We hope to see you on the road once in a while with your TM. If you're in San Jose we're about 40 or so miles from you.

D

I callad the factory regarding special ordering the 2720 with larger axle and 15 inch wheels. Mike talked me out of it. He confinced me that:

1. he had only heard of this being done once.
2. it requires building the trailer outside of the normal assembly line (I understood that to mean much higher cost and longer build time)

On our way from San Jose to Auburn today we stopped by Dinuba RV in Rio Vista. Our TM 2720 was schedueled to be completed yesterday and should ship this coming week. We have a tentative appointment to pick it up on Saturday.

Only had a little bit of time to visit. We had never been to the shop. We bought the TM at a show and only talked with them at the show and on the phone.

Stan was very polite and helpful, even though he was busy with another customer. We discussed mirrors and he showed me the mirrors that he uses. These are the ones that slip over the stock mirrors. I think I prefer that over the mirrors that strap on to the door. I have a week to decide.

Mostly we walked through the TM's on the lot and salivated.

New roll-up garage doors have been installed. The TM will be easy to get in. The 2002 chevy 1500HD will fit if I park it perfectly straight. The rubber molding on the bottom of the door rubs on the rear bumper, but the door itself clears the bumper. I am seriously considering creating a framed in recess into the wall to give me a couple of extra inches to spare. I'm not sure if the fire code would permit it. Not sure I'm going to look it up either. The wall is probably 3 5/8 inches thick (2x4) plus the 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch sheet rock. Also not sure how much of a load the wall is carrying. Single story home, but the roof is concrete tile.

Odyssey brake controller gets installed tomorrow, by me.

I'm feeling like a little kid in a candy store.

[YWORRYDOG]

Wayne, before you buy the slip on mirrors, look at this
http://www.tow-n-see.com I have about the same set up as you will. I left the Mckiesh mirrors in the garage on the last trip. They are just a tad small, but can be adjusted with the electric mirrors. Also with a wider truck like yours, they work find. I got the convex one for the curb side, but wish I hadn't.

The tow-n-see looks interesting. The suction cup attachment makes me nervous. Just how long will the suction last? I would think that they need to be removed and reseated once in awhile. If that is once a day that would be fine.

I will admit that a flat glass surface is pretty much ideal as a suction mount point.

[YWORRYDOG]

Wayne, I think you box for e-mail is full so I'll post it here:

Hi Wayne,
The mirrors come with a safety cord that goes around you mirror. I put my on Friday night. We got 8" of snow by Saturday when we left. I did not remove them until Sunday night. I had to pry the corner on the cup, even after screwing the knob back in.

I have been checking these mirrows out, by looking at the Web Page provided. I called the distributors, but, they would not quote a price. So, called the dealer Recreation World in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They gave me a quote of $47.95 + 15% tax. They didn't know what I was talking about until they found a new booklet by Danzy Distributors Ltd. Says there are convex and regular type mirrors. Before I spend $100+ dollars, I'd sure like to know that these are excellent mirror to buy. I was thinking of the Mckesh, but, after hearing that one TM owner left them in the garage and used the Tow-N-See, it seems they are better. Any more suggestions??

John, Atikokan, Ontario 'the canoeing capital of Canada'
2003 Montana AWD
2004 3023 TM

[Bill]

John -

I have never used the Tow-And-See, but let me offer a couple of random comments.

First, a wide-field convex miror is a good thing, because it will tell you that "something" is back there. But it provides NO depth perception - it gives you no clue how far back that "something" is. To estimate distance, you need a flat mirror. The phrase

"Objects in mirror are closer than they appear"

is an understatement, a gentle warning of that situation. And it will be even more true with a mirror as small as the Tow-And-See. It is possible you would need two Tow-And-Sees on each side - one convex, one flat.

Second, the Tow-And-Sees don't appear to stick out very far beyond the stock mirrors. If you have a wide tow vehicle, it may be enough. I'm not sure that a Montana falls into that category, since it is 72" wide, same as my Explorer - and my Explorer definitely does not fall into that category. Remember, a Trail Manor is 91" wide, and at a very minimum, you need to be able to see straight down both sides of the trailer. This means that your mirrors must be 91" apart at the middle of the glass - the outer edges will be farther apart.

After all, if small mirrors were adequate, 18-wheelers wouldn't use mirrors as big as a kitchen table.

There have been a lot of discussions about mirrors on the board. I'm sure you've seen them. Many people have tried clip-on/slide-on/tie-on mirrors, and been dissatisfied. Most have gone to McKesh, and you will find a lot of really enthusiastic McKesh supporters, both here and on other boards. True, one guy does say that he left his McKeshs in the garage. What was his tow vehicle? Regardless, if you make your decision based on this one guy, vs all the others, let us know what you find. There's more than one mirror in the world!

Bill

[YWORRYDOG]

Bill, I am the “one guy” you refer to.

You are right, the width of the TV is the key. I have pulled many trailers and used the McKesh mirrors.. In fact, my McKesh mirrors have been with me for a long time. They are chrome plated that tells you they are old. I Always had a mini van, or S-10 at that time.

Now that I have a full size truck I can see down the sides of the TM with the stock mirrors. The Tow N See give me just enough to see behind the TM. Also a plus is that they fit in a shoe box size storage box in the back of the truck when not in use.

On Thursday around noon our new TM was still in Kansas. There were two drivers. No truth to the rumor that it is Dorothy and Toto. They had expected to be in California by noon Friday. I don't know what part of Kansas they were in, but to get from Topeka to Rio Vista would require an average speed of 65 mph with no stops, driving all night. As of 7 pm Friday they were still somewhere in Nevada. The factory rep kept Stan at Dinuba RV updated with the current location periodically.

Our TM was at the dealer some time this morning. Stan says they will have it preped by noon. We will be there around 1:00. I have a printed copy of the checklist.

Besides my wife and I, her brother and his son are going along for the ride. If it weren't for the detour, the dealer is a 2 hour drive one way.

The first thing I will be able to share is the interior color. My wife did not like the sand color. We ordered the blue interior, based on brochure pictures. Too late to change our mind now. Most people on the forum seem to prefer the sand color because it is bright. Dinuba RV only stocks the sand color. We thought the sand color was a little washed out. The blue looks more elegant, we think.

Stay tuned. More when there is more.