Need extended mirrors & other questions

I am just a discussion with my insurance agent and a signature away from purchasing a 2619 Trailmanor and have a few questions that come to mind.

Will I need to buy extended rearview mirrors for my Chevy suburban 1500 to see around the TM?

Is a Drawtite brake controller an OK unit ...or should I spring for a Prodigy controller?

How easy is it to move a TM by hand or with a manual hitch dolly?

I am curious how many of you have forgone the AC unit and feel the stock fan is adequate? I will be camping mostly in Calif and vicinity and just do not see the need for AC.... am I wrong?

Has anyone tried towing with a semi full grey water tank and will the TM tow OK as such?

I am sure I'll have some more questions the closer I get to taking delivery. Hope to see some of you out there this year (I hope, I hope, I hope)

How easy is it to move a TM by hand or with a manual hitch dolly?

Gwen, we move our TM from our driveway into our garage with a manual hitch dolly. It works like a dream - no problem. Our driveway is flat concrete. It would take a bit more muscle to use the dolly on gravel or uphill. My husband pushes the dolly and I boss from the back of the trailer. :P

[RockyMtnRay]

[quote author=Gwenzilla link=board=23;threadid=1874;start=msg13283#msg1328 3 date=1082879190]
I am just a discussion with my insurance agent and a signature away from purchasing a 2619 Trailmanor and have a few questions that come to mind.

Will I need to buy extended rearview mirrors for my Chevy suburban 1500 to see around the TM?
[/quote]
IMO, the stock mirrors on any light duty truck/SUV don't extend far enough for good behind-the-trailer visibility. The stock mirrors may suffice but aren't great. If your 'burban is new enough, you could get replacement mirrors that move in and out electrically...out when towing, in for normal driving. Look good, work great, but not cheap. The best quick-on/off mirrors are the McKesh.

Is a Drawtite brake controller an OK unit ...or should I spring for a Prodigy controller?

Definitely get the Prodigy (or a Jordan). The Drawtite is a time delay type controller...it steadily increases the trailer's braking force the longer you hold down the brake pedal...no matter whether you're very lightly pressing the pedal or trying to do a panic stop. That means you have way less than needed braking at the beginning of a panic stop, yet you will have way more than needed after a few seconds of light braking when gradually slowing. The only positive thing about the Drawtite unit is it is cheap.

Both the Prodigy and Jordan apply a trailer braking force that's proportional to the amount of braking you actually are applying to the tow vehicle. The Prodigy does it by sensing rate of deceleration; the Jordan does it by actually responding to the amount of brake pedal movement. There are other deceleration (or inertia) type controllers that are less expensive than a Prodigy; however, they are affected by gravity on hills...so you get too much braking while descending, not enough when cliimbing. The Prodigy is the only inertial unit that has enough sensors and brains to subtract out the effect of gravity from tow vehicle deceleration.

Given that the difference in price between a cheapie Drawtite and best-of-breed Prodigy is only about $60 to $80 but the performance difference is immense, it's a no-brainer to get the Prodigy.

How easy is it to move a TM by hand or with a manual hitch dolly?

Depends. Are you on a hard, level surface? How's your overall strength? An equipped 2619 is around 3000 lbs empty and has around 350 lbs of hitch weight. A strong person can move one on a level, hard surface with a hitch dolly, two people can fairly readily do so. However, if you're moving it on dirt/gravel...or up a steep driveway, you oughta be thinking electric mover or develop great skills with your tow vehicle (maybe install a hitch receiver under the front bumper). I have steep (20% grade) driveway and I don't have anyone to help me move my 2720SL so I bought an electric powermover and never have regretted that expense.

I am curious how many of you have forgone the AC unit and feel the stock fan is adequate? I will be camping mostly in Calif and vicinity and just do not see the need for AC.... am I wrong?

Answer depends on where in California...that's a huge state with an enormous diversity of climates. Cool, cloudy (or well shaded) campgrounds, A/C is probably not needed. Hot and sunny, probably yes.

Has anyone tried towing with a semi full grey water tank and will the TM tow OK as such?

The first year I had my TM, I towed it several hundred miles over mountainous roads with a 2/3 full grey water tank and didn't experience any significant drop in handling or noticeable increase in tendancy to sway. That tank is behind the trailer's axle though, so as it fills, it does somewhat move the trailer's center of gravity rearward...that reduces both hitch weight and decreases a TM's inherent sway resistance. I have also noticed that the rear of the trailer has a lot less ground clearance with a full grey water tank (it looks kinda droopy) so I wouldn't tow any farther than I had to with a full tank. I've gradually accumulated information (campground and highway guides) that list where the public dump stations are in my region (Colorado) so I now stop at one of those dump stations as soon as possible after leaving a campground if the campground itself didn't have a dump station (or, rarely for me, sewage hookup at the campsite).

I am sure I'll have some more questions the closer I get to taking delivery. Hope to see some of you out there this year (I hope, I hope, I hope)

Welcome to the group and keep asking questions. These were good questions...ones that few people had previously asked.

[quote author=Gwenzilla link=board=23;threadid=1874;start=msg13283#msg1328 3 date=1082879190]
I am curious how many of you have forgone the AC unit and feel the stock fan is adequate? I will be camping mostly in Calif and vicinity and just do not see the need for AC.... am I wrong?
[/quote]

My wife and I have lived in California for a total of 29 years. If you intend to camp with your TM during the summer months in most parts of California, you will regret not having an air conditioner. While the coastal areas usually remain cool during the summer, most inland areas may have temperatures from the 90s to low 100s during the months of June through September. Even in the Sierra Nevada mountains at altitudes below 5000 feet (Yosemite Natl. Park's visitor center, for example), the high daytime temps can reach the mid 90s. You also need to consider that the temperatures inside all closed trailers exposed to direct sunlight may exceed the outside air temperatures. Not having an air conditioner on your TM may make it difficult to sell it, in addition, when you decide to part with it. ??? ???

Another aspect to consider is humidity controll, a/c is great for that.

Hi,

we camp in southern california - and the air has been nice when it is over 90 out... even if we don't use it all the time - it is nice to have when needed.

teresa

[BobWilson]

We are from the southern part of California and so far haven't needed to use the A/C if you don't mind opening the windows. If you camp in campgrounds without electric hook-ups, like we do, then the A/C is out of the question. Even if I had a huge generator I wouldn't want to run it all the time. It breaks the peace and quiet. Even the A/C is a noisy thing. But you do have to plan where to go and when to go to avoid the heat of the season.

Actually in my lifetime of camping I really haven't needed an A/C at night. There are other alternatives such as evaporative coolers that will drop the temperature a little in dry weather, using 12v system. I bought a 12 Volt Swampy SpaceKoolr from www.swampy.net. But I am still waiting for an oportunity to use it.

[Civil_War_Buff]

I will answer your mirror question, I have a 2003 Tahoe and I also have McKesh mirrors, but I have found that the visibility on the stock mirrors is quite adequate for most trips. I will use the McKesh on long trips for the "added visibility". So, the answer is, you don't "need" extended mirrors, but you might "want" them on occasion.

Larry

Thanks everyone for the answers to my questions. My head is so full of new questions that I'm sure I'll be a nuisance for awhile.

Larry, (Civil_War_Buff) I visited your website a few months ago while researching my choices, and want you to know that your website was a helpful in making up my mind to pursue a TrailManor. We are buying our TM through Dinuba RV also, Stan at Dinuba was very nice and helpful, even though we had many questions and had our 7 yr old grandson with us to test his patience.... he passed the "annoy the saleguy" test with very high marks!!