Pondering purchase of TM

[Randoni]

Hello, we have been Rving for about 20 years, currently have a toy hauler we bought new and converted to studio apt type set up. I always wanted a trail manor or hi lo. Have seen a couple of 3124KS to kinda get some inside size relation. Has anyone went from standard type Rving to TM and increased their trips and enjoyment. Our trips usually are 3 months and 8500 miles. I'm trying to improve the total trip including towing these miles. There are only two of us and the tow vehicle is not a consideration. Any advice you have on models to look at, and any experiences you have had changing to TM would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Randoni]

Thanks for the reply the 2720sd looks great, I just have never seen one in person. We were looking at the king to sleep cross ways. But in actuality there probably is no way of getting up in the night without waking each other. I'm thinking the smaller size has its Advantages. one of my favorite trips was across Canada in an old tent trailer, I'm hoping by stepping sideways to this will return some of that fun.

 

[br2_wdc]

Hello, we have been Rving for about 20 years, currently have a toy hauler we bought new and converted to studio apt type set up. I always wanted a trail manor or hi lo. Have seen a couple of 3124KS to kinda get some inside size relation. Has anyone went from standard type Rving to TM and increased their trips and enjoyment. Our trips usually are 3 months and 8500 miles. I'm trying to improve the total trip including towing these miles. There are only two of us and the tow vehicle is not a consideration. Any advice you have on models to look at, and any experiences you have had changing to TM would be greatly appreciated.

There are 4 main advantages to move from a regular Travel Trailer (TT) to a TM:
1. Low Profile: A regular TT is like pulling a billboard; the TM has a much lower profile, which saves on gas and reduces sway.
2. Reduced Weight & Length: My 3023 is a 30ft long trailer that folds down to 22' 8", fits in my garage (with swing out hitch) and weighs a little over 3000 lbs - please tell me anywhere on the planet I can get a TT that matches those numbers.
3. Hard sided 3 season capable: With a strong A/C, furnace, and hard sided protection, you are protected from essentially every type of weather short of heavy snow.
4. Camp Anywhere: National park with no hookups? Huge campground with all the amenities? Everything in between? The TM with a battery, recirculating toilet, and water tank enables you to camp ANYWHERE.

The biggest down side to the TM for me is the setup/taking down; that adds about 15-30 minutes to your setup/take down times. For me, that is a small price to pay for the advantages.

One scenario that may make sense is to purchase an older TM with a lower entry cost that meets your needs to try it for a season or two, to see if it works for you; if it doesn't, TM's in good condition hold their value.

Good luck with your decision ...

 

[Larryjb-HILO]

One aspect that convinced me to get a TM was the amount of help available here. If you have any amount of DIY skills, some one around here has a fix for just about anything that could go wrong. The only downside about this site is that it keeps adding to my wish list of things to upgrade.

br2: You must have one heck of a garage! I can't even get my 2720 in my garage.

 

[Gwenne & Len]

If you have a Tow Vehicle that will pull a TM with a king bed, it is worth it. We had a 2720, which we loved....but when we got our 3124, the king bed and extra space and storage are great. We don't wake each other up when we get up in the night, fyi. Worth it!!

 

[br2_wdc]

Purple Line Trailer Mover to the Rescue ...

One aspect that convinced me to get a TM was the amount of help available here. If you have any amount of DIY skills, some one around here has a fix for just about anything that could go wrong. The only downside about this site is that it keeps adding to my wish list of things to upgrade.

br2: You must have one heck of a garage! I can't even get my 2720 in my garage.

First, I agree 100% that I should have added this Forum as a "5th" reason to get a TM; no question the information I received here gave me everything I needed to pull the trigger on our 3023 (which had to have the swing out hitch as you will see shortly).

In terms of my garage, I may someday publish a book on what it took to get my 3023 in the garage, but to summarize: I vastly underestimated my ability to use our tow vehicle to maneuver a 3000 lbs TM into my 21 foot deep garage with only 3" of leeway front and back, and 5 inches either side, and 5 inches on top; oh yeah, I also have a steep driveway

I would prefer not to say how many times my poor neighbors saw me attempt to back the TM into my garage, but suffice to say given the extremely small margin for error I could not get it in.

Numerous TM Forum members mentioned a powered trailer dolly as a solution, which I looked into, but when a member mentioned a sale on Purple Line trailer mover I jumped, had it installed, and was finally able to get my trailer in the garage. Not the cheapest solution, but truly may have been the only solution for my situation.

I did a quick search and found the link to the YouTube Video which describes how it works:

 

[Popmom]

Wow. We have a steep driveway, too. We opted to pay to park our TM in storage. I may have to look into this. Storage isn't cheap. We have a spot to park our TM under a large deck on a patio. I just thought our driveway was too steep--that the rear bumper would bottom out on the concrete trying to back it up from the street. hmmmm. very interesting.

 

[ArkyDoodle]

I too have a tight garage situation with an uphill driveway and the Purpeline IS the right answer...It ain't cheap, but I can now easily back the TM outta the garage, set it up and get stuff in and out of it in about 5 minutes.....and put it back in it's place (within a couple of inches to the walls) in just a few more minutes......All without sweat or strain....A lifesaver on this old back

 

[Bill-TMO]

An alternative is to mount a front hitch receiver on your truck. It doesn't need to be as heavy as the main hitch on the back of the truck, because it will never see the stresses and loads of over-the-road use. But with a hitch on the front, tiny adjustments in position and direction are possible. No need for a full-blown WDH - a simple one-piece ball mount (even from WalMart!) is fine. And once you remove the ball mount, the receiver is barely visible.

For example, here is the one that would fit my truck.
https://www.etrailer.com/fmr-2014_Ford_F-150.htm

As for scraping the bumper or the hitch, a couple 2-foot pieces of 2X6 or 2X8 plank, laid on the pavement across the direction of travel, will work wonders. I know I have to use them as I back my TM over the swale where my driveway meets the street.

Bill

 

[HoMiPa]

on drivers side under front bumper I don't know what it's called it's where you can attach a rope to pull somebody that's where it is

Tow hook

 

[br2_wdc]

Wow. We have a steep driveway, too. We opted to pay to park our TM in storage. I may have to look into this. Storage isn't cheap. We have a spot to park our TM under a large deck on a patio. I just thought our driveway was too steep--that the rear bumper would bottom out on the concrete trying to back it up from the street. hmmmm. very interesting.

It's something you should think about; the biggest hurdle for me was not the cost of the unit itself (around $700 with shipping), but it was finding someone to install it. The difficulty is this is an RV specialty item, so regular auto mechanic shops are reluctant to try an install.

I rolled the dice with a local independent RV dealership which had done some basic work on my TM before, but had never installed this type of product. The service manager was pretty sure he could do it, gave me an estimate and a time frame, and completed the work on budget and on time ... and (so far knock wood) it works like a charm!

Before considering this solution, I would definitely recommend doing some research on getting it installed.

 

[Randoni]

Well I will say, I have never heard or seen that trailer mover before. Doesn't the spray off the wheels in the rain just drench it? It does look like it would solve a lot of problems. I was going to say the hitch on front would be easy, but it has been mentioned above. As far as storage and tow vehicle, a larger trailer would be fine. I have house on a hillside with the lower level all garage. So what it adds up to is a sloped triple wide driveway 60 feet long and a garage with two 60 foot bays essentially under the house. And another 50 foot flat driveway in front of the house. As far as tow vehicle, I have a dodge diesel, long bed that as 100 gallon bed tank. 29 mpg hwy, 15 mpg towing our 28 ft toy hauler that's 11 1/2 ft high. I'm looking at basically going sideways, and getting something easier to tow. One of my best trips was pulling an old Coleman tent trailer across Canada. I guess I'm looking at camping instead of Rving, if that makes sense. I appreciate your input. As far as maintenance on a TM shouldn't be a problem, pretty mechanical. I'm just amazed how many different models and lengths span through the years.

 

[br2_wdc]

Well I will say, I have never heard or seen that trailer mover before. Doesn't the spray off the wheels in the rain just drench it? It does look like it would solve a lot of problems. I was going to say the hitch on front would be easy, but it has been mentioned above ...

... I appreciate your input. As far as maintenance on a TM shouldn't be a problem, pretty mechanical. I'm just amazed how many different models and lengths span through the years.

To answer your question the spray off the wheels has not been an issue at all as of yet. Every time I park it and engage the rollers, I can see the motors and no issue with road grime at all.

It's hard to put in words how fantastic it is to successfully maneuver with minimal clearances a 3000 lbs TM into our garage using a remote control!

I think you put it best: you want to camp as opposed to "RV'ing", and while I believe a TM works for either scenario, IMHO it really does shine for "camping".

Since you are "mechanical", your skills plus this forum will enable you to tackle anything that comes your way in terms of upkeep and maintenance.

So what it really boils down to: which model and how soon are you getting a TM?

 

[Randoni]

Well the wife loves our current coach, but is set on the trailmanor. I've got to the point in my life that I'm being advised to lower my exposure to sun, so I'm having to pick and choose hobbies. Our plans are to sell the motorcycle, bass boat, and our toy hauler. The yield of those should buy us a good TM, and then some. We are planning on selling those in July, find a TM and take a extended fall trip. That should give me time to check the bearings, and get new tires. Since trailer tires have gotten so unpredictable the last 10 years. I went to a 2 year and gone rule on tires. No matter the miles. It's really kinda insurance. I'm guessing since we have a tow vehicle, and plenty of space, it's going to be a go big, or go home when shopping for a trailer.

 

[br2_wdc]

Well the wife loves our current coach, but is set on the trailmanor.
The yield of those should buy us a good TM, and then some. We are planning on selling those in July, find a TM and take a extended fall trip. That should give me time to check the bearings, and get new tires. Since trailer tires have gotten so unpredictable the last 10 years. I went to a 2 year and gone rule on tires. No matter the miles. It's really kinda insurance. I'm guessing since we have a tow vehicle, and plenty of space, it's going to be a go big, or go home when shopping for a trailer.

As I'm sure you have learned, it's always good to keep the wife happy!

I also agree with you 100% on trailer tire issues the past decade, and being proactive replacing them becomes a form of cheap insurance. IMHO based on my research in the Tires Tires Tires forum, I decided to go with Maxxis and have been very pleased with their performance so far. Not the cheapest tire solution, but the additional "margin for error" is what I hope I'm paying for/getting with Maxxis.

One last thought is that many folks here have added TPMS sensors, something I plan on adding to my TM sooner then later; provides additional "insurance" plus a built-in reminder to keep tires properly inflated.

There is no harm in looking, so let the TM shopping begin ...

 

[Randoni]

What I've been doing, is every time we stop for what ever reason. I put my hand on the tires. I have found a couple early problems just from the temperature difference. In the winter it's really easy, summer a little more difficult....lol. Thanks for all the help

 

[GolfingDebby]

When we were looking for a used Trailmanor we decided to buy the largest one they made because of the king-sized bed. It was a wise decision for us because it also has a sofa, chair, separate 3 drawer chest, 2 person dinette and dual axles so we can carry more stuff. We spend about 5-6 months a year camping and it's been perfect! We tow it with an Expedition. Good luck on your search!