Trailmanor Experiences

[fmattox73]

Don't know if I'm on the right forum or not, but,

What are your hi's and low's from towing/using a Trailmanor
Models 27xx and 29xx. ( I think that they fit within
my towing capacity.)

Dealer experiences?

My closest dealer seems to be in California from Arizona

[scrubjaysnest]

bid_time wrote:
I don't see TM as a step up except in money. If you think you're going to save time or effort during setup i think you're kidding yourself. Maybe a Shasta type rv will work for 2 of you but your real cure might involve a new vehicle. JMO.

Compared to our last pup, a Coleman Mesa the TM is a breeze to set up.
No more back breaking lift the bunk with your back while trying to get the support poles in place. No back breaking while cranking the thing open. Just a minor tug and the lift systems do the rest. Unlike the pup no sway problems if you didn't load exactly right. For a small hard sided camper that will get you into CG's you can't go with a big TT fiver you can't beat the TM.

[lfloom]

I remember seeing someone set up a TM about 10 years before I got my own. It looked so complicated, though the owner assured me it was not. About 2 years ago we bought one, after having two different pups, including one with an electric crank. Oh, what a difference. It sets up with half the time and effort.

Unlike funpilot rig, we went for simplicity. Outs is the smallest unit, a 2417. No bathroom (though it is an option), no awning, tiny kitchen. As far as the interior - it is right smack between our first pup - a 10 foot Coleman Santa Fe and our second PUP - a 14 ft high wall Fleetwood Sequoia.

What we wanted - good quality, simple, king sized bed, exterior storage, a great dealer, fits in the garage. This was our only choice, and we love it. Yes, we paid more, but it is such a step up from the pups.

[funpilot]

bid_time wrote:
I don't see TM as a step up except in money. If you think you're going to save time or effort during setup i think you're kidding yourself. Maybe a Shasta type rv will work for 2 of you but your real cure might involve a new vehicle. JMO.

Absolutely correct that TMs cost more. But I believe you get a lot more:

More room (mine opens up to 31 feet)
A full bathroom
A fully functional kitchen
A real A/C
An awning
And the intangible - you feel so much more secure than in a tent enclosure for those popups that have that.

As for me, the setup and closing are quite quick and easy. I am about to go on a 10 day camping trip that will be my real full test of this new trailer, so I reserve the right to post other viewpoints later ...

[bid_time]

I don't see TM as a step up except in money. If you think you're going to save time or effort during setup i think you're kidding yourself. Maybe a Shasta type rv will work for 2 of you but your real cure might involve a new vehicle. JMO.

[fmattox73]

Like I said, I already own a pop up. It weighs about 2800 on a CAT scale.
That's 2500 + 280 Tongue weight for 2780 total.(Loaded) (Did I do that right for overall weight?

We pack light for just the two of us, and I fill ALL tanks after I get where we are going.

[wing_zealot]

Too much money for me. I owned a Hybrid for 12 years and I would consider that first or a popup if you don't have enough vehicle for a hybrid.

[scrubjaysnest]

We have the 2720SL and spend 6 to 8 months traveling with it. The SL is 3218 # without anything in it. 3680# on the C.A.T. scales with a two week's worth of supply's.

[bee_46]

We owned a 2720 SL Trailmanor for 14 years. Towed it with a Nissan Quest to start out then towed with a Nissan X-terra. We towed it from Maryland to Alaska twice. We had no trouble towing in the mountains and with sway bars it towed smoothly without sway. We set up quickly. DH handled the outside and I set up the inside. From pull in to set up including unhooking and leveling was about 15 minutes. We set up and tore down in the rain without anything inside getting wet.

We finally sold it as we are getting older and wanted something that required less to set up, thus our new to us class B motorhome.

We lost about 2 mi/gal on our gas mileage towing.

[lfloom]

There is a trailmanor group. There is a small cost for full access, limited is free:

Trailmanor Forum

[xteacher]

Try looking at the Aliner Expedition with double dormers, or at least a front dormer. It's a roomy camper, and it has a taller fridge than most of the Trailmanors, allowing it to have a little freezer compartment inside. If you live in AZ, you may want a CoolCat a/c-heat pump, rather than the standard 5K a/c. We sat in one for about 30 minutes in the broiling GA summer and we were cold!

[Ryanincc]

What about the A-Frames with double dormers? Full ceiling height all around?

With gear loaded in the vehicle and trailer, you probably would be way over-weight with the Trailmanor. Like I said, the smallest Trailmanor has a GVWR of 3500 lbs. They certainly are cool looking though.

[fmattox73]

Your right. The Models that I should have referred to are the
24xx and 27xx. yes, I've looked at the Aliner, Chalet, etc.
you're right, they are easy to set up, but I feel claustrophobic
inside one.

[Ryanincc]

Have you considered any of the A-frame trailers? Aliner, Chalet etc.? Very easy set up and very light. 3500 lbs is not much towing capacity for a Trailmanor. I think the smallest you mention has a GVWR of 3500 lbs. Forget the dry weight.

[fmattox73]

Thanks for the input. I have been considering a Trailmanor to replace
my current pop up, but my GVWR for towing is 3500lbs and several of the models fall within this limit. Right now, it takes me a little over an hour to setup the pop up and my interest was because of the ease of setup. I'm almost 74 and the pop up is starting to wear me out, plus my wife is Handicapped and it's a one man operation.

Any more comments/plus's.minus's??

Seals, Latches/locks and setup experiences were a concern.