Taking down tm in rainy weather.

[2blueranger]

At present I own a toyhauler type camper, but am considering a trailmanor for it's towing ease. I have read you can put them up in the rain without getting the inside wet, but how about take down. Does the inside get wet if it is raining?

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by 2blueranger

At present I own a toyhauler type camper, but am considering a trailmanor for it's towing ease. I have read you can put them up in the rain without getting the inside wet, but how about take down. Does the inside get wet if it is raining?

I've actually had more take downs in the rain than set ups and can testify that the interior of the trailer stays dry on both set up and take down. The reason is there is substantial overlap of the front and rear upper shells (so there's never an opening above the trailer to let rain fall in) and the parts that slide out (like bed platforms) are always below the upper shells. IOW, the interior is always under a solid roof and within solid walls. You never have the situation where wet exterior parts (like a popup's wet canvas walls) will be stowed over the top of the interior items (such as the bed platforms).

In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that during both the set up and tear down process, there is a momentary period where there's roughly a 4 foot high opening at the back side of the front shell prior to the rear shell being raised. Keeping in mind that the front edge of the rear shell's roof is at this point several horizontal feet forward of the edge of this opening, it's theoretically possible that if it was raining and you had a strong wind (~25 mph or higher) blowing from the rear of the trailer (wind has to be strong and from the rear), then a little rain could be blown onto the front interior. However, if the person(s) doing the set up or tear down is (are) moving with alacrity, the amount of time this opening even exists should be well under a minute. If the wind is less strong or from any other direction other than directly behind the trailer, then even windblown rain can't get inside during set up or tear down.

P.S. You will be amazed at how much easier it will be to tow a TrailManor by comparison to a toy hauler. Toy haulers are downright evil for towing because you seldomly if ever have a close-to-ideal front/rear weight balance. Depending on how many toys are loaded (and how heavy they are), where they are tied down during transport, and how much water (and fuel) you have in the various tanks has a huge effect on the front/rear balance or location of the trailer's center of gravity. These massive relocations of the center of gravity in turn have a large effect on the tongue weight, propensity for sway, etc. By comparison, as long as you keep some balance in loading a TM, it's center mounted appliances and tankage pretty much insure the center of gravity will remain constant and located far enough ahead of the axle(s) to have a high level of inherent sway resistance.

The only thing I'll add is that the mositure on the rear shell that is trapped under the front shell makes me concerned about mildew on the interior ceiling of the front shell. So if I take down in the rain then when the TM is home and in the garage I pop the front shell up for a few days to let it air out in the garage. I can leave it open and still open and close the garage doors. I also leave the upper door open as I always manage to get some rain on the inside of the window because I usually have it open during take down.

I'm not claiming this is a problem or issue. Just that I am picky.

[2blueranger]

Thanks for the tips. They will certainly come in handy, if i do indeed purchase a tm. I,m leaning toward the 3023 because of the load capacity and the room. Thanks again.