Oh boy, what did I get myself into? AKA Bought a trailmanor over the weekend...

[billharrison]

Well, I found a good deal, atleast I thought on a trailmanor 3023. Talked to the owner, saw some pics, made arrangements to go get it. It was about an 8 hour drive, and when I got there, it was quite a bit rougher than described. After a bit of bickering, we settled on 1500 dollars and I hitched it up.

1997 Trailmanor 3023. Aired up the tires, set out. Made it over 600 miles to within 15 miles of home, and the right tire chucked the tread through the metal surround into the fire extinguisher, busting the cabinet in the process. I limped the last 15 miles home at 30mph.

Well, thats the newest problem.

Basically, here is what I need info on, from those in the know. Atleast one wall on the front section has detached from the roof, appears to be rotted wood, I saw a write up on this, so I am ok with removing the wall and repairing it. More concerning to me is that the roof itself appears to be "drooping" in the middle. There is also a fairly decent "dent" on the rear half where it looks like someone put a knee. Anyone have a pic of the roof sections so I can see how they should look? It was dry and had been put up for several months, so I dont think these are causing any leaks, but it doesnt look right, I will get some pics when I get home.

Alot of loose nuts, bolts, etc on the bed arms, one of the arms is popped out of the track. No A/C, I will need to add one, that should be fairly straighforward. A broken vent plastic cover, and the upper door half has no latch, and I could not figure out how it latched so I just taped it shut for the drive home. Also a fair amount of rusty looking screws and other hardware.

Looks like I have a fair project, but the price seemed right, and I don't mind putting some sweat equity into it. I need tires, obviously, asap, then sort out the wall and roof.

Anyone familair with this? Tips, help ARGGHHHHH I feel overwhelmed but its in my driveway so I am making this thing work and restoring it to good operating condition.

Any help appreciated.

Might be some info of use in an old repair blog that was recovered from Internet archives:

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10660

[hillbillyhotel]

Hi yas
well you came to the right place,
first thing to think about is spending the 12.00 to become a full member so you can see all of forum,will be the best money spent,
am rebuilding a 98 3023 myself right now myself, its for me and the grandkids, if the are going to tear one up, let it be that one and not my good one,
you are more than welcome to send me a pm with anything we can help with,
do not feel overwelmed, been there,, all is not that bad,
like they said at the end of animal house. (everyone just remain calm, all is going to be ok)

You may wish to review MariaG's blog for info:

http://trailmanorrepair.blogspot.com/

[billharrison]

Well after checking out marias pics, im a bit more worried... her camper has a nice curve to the roof, both sections, mine is flat, even sunken in the middle... I don't see what actually supports that curve though? Anyone familiar?

[billharrison]

Here are a few pics of what im seeing.

The shells on TMs that I am familiar with are aluminum skins bonded to shaped closed cell foam.

There was more wood used in earlier models but I don't know if any was used in the roof.

I am no expert, but either something heavy fell on the roof or, and I can't picture how, the rear shell was pressed in from the sides to cause the longitudinal crease that runs all the way under the other shell.

You obviously like a challenge.

[MariaG]

Looking at the pics (and am I the only one who waits seemingly forever for those to load?) it definitely doesn't look 'right' to me. We were told that both shells should have a 1 1/2" crown to shed rainwater, and ours still had that even though it was all rotten. I think maybe something fell on that rear shell, or someone put something heavy on it. When we replaced the aluminum and wood strip across the back of the front shell, DH bent the aluminum to match that 1 1/2" curve and cut the wood strips to fit it. I know down the center of the roof there is a trim piece covering a seam or gap in the aluminum skin that originally had wood in it, but it was gone in places. Without peeling the panels apart we couldn't really do anything about it, so we filled any gaps with great stuff foam. We weren't looking for perfect, just functional. You paid less for yours than we did, and it's newer with a full bath, so as long as you're willing to put the work in, I think you can make it useable. IMO you definitely need to restore that roof crown, though.

[rvcycleguy]

IMO, the roof has collapsed due to water intrusion. The vents and covers are full of mildew and the seals have failed. It also appears that the inside construction of the TM has failed. It's a shame to see a fairly expensive vehicle, even in the late 80's, left outside to deteriorate in such a way. It's certainly can be repaired with money and time. Good luck and keep us updated from time to time on the progress. It's always interesting to see these projects take shape.

You might want to consider contacting the factory and get their advise. And I would second the opinion of spending $12 and officially joining this forum as their is a ton of good experience from members who have done major overhauls.