Purchasing a 1996 Trailmanor 3023

Hello, my name is Bob, I lived in Fernandina Beach, Florida, I am
new to this board. I am thinking about purchasing a 1996 3023 and would
appreciate any advice/suggestions/what to look for etc., when I go and
take a look. I am new to rv'ing, all of my research on the internet has
led me to believe that the Trailmanor is a quality/towable product. If I am
not asking too much any advice on what would be a reasonable price for a
good condition 1996 unit would be very helpful. Thank you in advance,
Bob.

[Bill]

Hi, Bob -

The price on a 10-year old unit will vary considerably, depending on the condition of the unit, how it is equipped, and the condition of all of its component parts. By parts, I am referring primarily to appliances, which are quite expensive to replace if they have failed. And after 10 years, it is reasonable to expect that one or more may have failed, unless the current owner has been scrupulous about maintaining them. This is true of any RV, not just Trail Manors.

You will find a lot of discussion of valuing older units in the Prospective Owner Questions forum - I suggest you go through it in some detail. For now, suffice it to say that you should open and close the unit several times to be sure everything fits right. You should try every appliance, in every mode (electric, gas, etc) to be sure they all work. You should plan on replacing all tires (including the spare) even if they have plenty of tread left.

You can also go to the NADA site to find used RV prices, just as you would a car. Go to http://www.nadaguides.com/

And of course, you will confirm that the running gear has not been submerged in salt water in any of the hurricanes in the last couple years. I think Fernandina Beach was spared most of that, right?

Hope this helps.

Bill

[Craigrrr]

Bringing an old thread to life, I too am looking at a 1996 trailmanor 3023 to purchase, is there anything that this age or model as greatly been upgraded since new? How often do seals need to be replaced ? what would one really pay attention to or ask questions of? This is a few states away from me, so I want to ask the right questions and ask for certain pics I should ask for?
thanks everyone

[Bill]

Other than the items mentioned above, I would check for rot in the wood frame of the shells, particularly the front shell. Use the Search tool on the term "rot" to bring up a lot of info, including how to check for it.

Bill

[Padgett]

And in Florida termites can be a problem. TMs after 2003 have much less wood.

[Craigrrr]

Thanks guys, more than likely the bag seal should be replaced it is a 96 model and in Michigan.

[HIKERZ]

Welcome to the forum. I am in Fleming Island,South of orange park. I have had dealings with J D Sanders for parts etc and they have been reliable (not the cheapest) but close

[Craigrrr]

Well I think I just bought the 96 TM 3023 , It is out of state and the dealer told me it was in very good condition and even crawled under it per my request to see if any frame rust or problems there along with chking wood rot issues, he said it looks great as far as that goes, inside is almost perfect and the outside needs washed and polished. all seals are soft and look great and said NO LEAKS at all. He is going to have the service dept. go through it with a fine tooth comb as I am traveling through a few states. He said he does not see it to be an issue but said he wants to chk it out before I drive that far. I like the way the salesman is doing business . purchase price we agreed over phone so far is 3500. does that seem too much for a 1996 3023 it has a spare with cover, 2 beds, couch and a chair plus the closet and cabinets above sink. and roof AC unit. not sure if it has a rec. hitch in the rear.

[shebantam]

I recently paid $4000 for my 1994 2720. Mine came with a lot of "stuff" including skirting, TV (as in television not tow vehicle), HD addition to the antenna Not stock curtains which have been promptly removed and blinds put up in all but front and back windows as well as the small window in the back bunkend and almost a complete set of Ryobi 18 volt stuff...all kinds of electrical stuff and he had changed the lights to LED. I also removed the recirculating toilet with the help of a friend and we put in a Thetford Curve. I know many say there was no issue with the smell in their TMs, but this was bad, previous owner even put in one of those small vents to the outside on the toilet.

Not a lot of rot per say, but the weather stripping at the bottom of the door frames is chewed up really bad and a few of the attachments to the front inside flap has come loose, will take care of this also, probably with Gorilla glue or very small screws

Everything had to be WD40's and later silicone sprayed, if it moved, it was pretty stuck. Everything moves nice now, still needs a spring clamp for the front on the door side and the torsion needs adjusted. Was hoping to get closer to Orlando, to get a hand from Padgett, since hubby is not able to do much...but will be in Jacksonville NAS after Thanksgiving as they are working on the FAM camp at Mac Dill AFB, so will look after these things myself...especially since I am now understanding there is a dealer in the area.

Especially for a dealer, this sounds like a good price, one I would have considered jumping on several months ago. Yours is 2 years newer and somewhat longer.

[Craigrrr]

Sounds like you got a lot of "Extras" nice haul!!!! I hope the service dept. gives it all a thumbs up. I am ready for a 32 hour road trip