The new old guy that converted from a Trailmanor TT

[PopBeavers]

We drove for 6 hours to attend the Pomona RV show this past Saturday, 10/20/12. We bought the new 2013 Solera 24R, the rear queen model. It is in the build line and should be finished in about 4 weeks. We will take delivery at our local dealer in Morgan Hill.

I don't recall when I started camping. My mother tells me I was 6 months old. So that would be January 1954. I doubt that. She's 88. I will not argue with her. My best guess is deer hunting season in California in 1954, when I would have been about a year old.

We bought a used Chevy crew cab truck in 2005 (1500HD). DW asked if it was big enough to tow a trailer. 30 days later we purchased a Trailmanor 2720. Now 7 years later DW has become tired of the setup time, popping it open and closed. I'm not quite there yet. But if momma ain't happy then nobody is happy.

In 2008 we bought 2 ATVs, 1 dirt bike and 1 dual sport motorcycle. The two dirt bikes will fit in the bed of the truck and still allow me to tow the trailer. But I need an ATV trailer for the 2 ATVs. So that means I am buying gas for not only the Chevy 1500HD but also a GMC 2500HD. They each get 11 mpg towing. So that is really like getting 5.5 mpg because I need 2 trucks.

I can tow the ATV trailer behind the 24R. They tell me that I will get between 16 and 20 mpg with the 24R. That is a 3 to 1 improvement. That means 3 times more camping trips.

DW and I are still working, so all trips will be close to home (about 150 miles one way) plus a weeks vacations sometimes. After retirement we expect to still have the 24R and will get out a lot farther.

I will be on medical leave for awhile. I am thinking of taking the 24R and my motorcycle down to Quartzite. I have driven through in the summer but have never been to the big event. My brother will be there again.

I know a lot about backpacking, tent camping, and RV camping in a TT. What I do not know much about is RV camping in an MH. Specifically a Solera. So here I am to find out more.

One of the places I like to go to I will no longer be able to visit. Driving in to Crandall Peak required that I tow the trailer in 6 inches of mud, down hill, with a cliff on the right side, in the dark. I adjusted my steering so that the street side wheel of the trailer was in the rut created by the truck. The truck had wide tires and I was in 4wd, so they were nice straight ruts. What an adventure. I wonder what our first 24R adventure will be.

I wish the 24R had 4wd and skid plates.

I *HATE* camping anywhere where I can see another camper.

I don't have much use for full hookups. There is a reason that these things are called FULLY SELF CONTAINED.

The 35 gallon fresh water tank is smaller than the 40 I have in the TT. I will need to figure out a solution to that. I would prefer a second on board tank or a larger tank. Until then I have 8-5 gallon containers.

First trip will probably be to Big Sur in December.

[wmtire]

Howdy old friend and TrailManorite. You will find several of us from the TrailManor Owners forums here, including Mtnguy and myself.

Bobby

[MtnGuy]

Well, I'll be. Wayne, you have been a long time contributor on the Trailmanor forum, and I know they will miss you. It will be a pleasure to have you here. Besides Bobby and myself, there is also ng2951, yworrydog, and a couple of others that have joined this forum.

We too loved out Trailmanor, but the missus' back problems required a camper with a higher fridge and cabinets, as well as a bed that was more easily accessible. We now love our Surveyor, and even though it tows great, of course it isn't as easy on gas as the Trailmanor.

The 24R seems like a great new floorplan. I know you will enjoy that.

[PopBeavers]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Well, I'll be. Wayne, you have been a long time contributor on the Trailmanor forum, and I know they will miss you. It will be a pleasure to have you here.

<snip>

I am rather surprised to find this many old friends around here.

The last time I looked at the most prolific posters on TrailManorOwners.com, Chris was in first place (obviously), the moderator (cannot recall the name) was in second place and I was in third place.

Fourth place was way behind me.

I claim to be a prolific poster. I do not claim that anything I post is valuable.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

I am rather surprised to find this many old friends around here.

The last time I looked at the most prolific posters on TrailManorOwners.com, Chris was in first place (obviously), the moderator (cannot recall the name) was in second place and I was in third place.

Fourth place was way behind me.

I claim to be a prolific poster. I do not claim that anything I post is valuable.

I had a lot of posts on the Trailmanor forum, and if I had stayed there I would have been right up there with you.

[ng2951]

Man did you go over to the dark side! I really do miss the old 3326, but at least I don't have to argue over whether you can run the fridge on gas while driving or not. The pardette and I can pass each other in the galley without getting romantic.

I do miss the king bed and the dogs do too.

Now if we can get Keystone in to lower deisel to what it was a few years ago!!!

[yworrydog]

Only the smart ones come over it seems...do we need a special sub forum?

[JohnBlair]

We had a Trailmanor, fortunately it was totaled when our quonset hut collapsed. It was less than a year old so full replacement. We got a Hi Lo. Now we upgraded to a 2013 Windjammer 3008W what a difference!
John
3023 Trailermanor
2005 Hi Lo
Now 2013 Windjammer

[Terier]

Let me sneak into this friends reunion for a second to you to the FR forums!

[PopBeavers]

Fascinating to see so many old friends over here. Whoda thunk it?

However, using the same logon id and using the word Trailmanor in the subject probably got your attention.

I certainly remember wmtire and mtnguy. The others just are not jumping to the surface for me. Must be my age. This summer I celebrated the 38th anniversary of my 21st birthday.

That sounded better when I was 20 something.

Just a few months ago I renewed my TMO membership for 3 years, so I will probably hang out over there some of the time. We still have the TM. If DD (32) or DS (29) will use the TM then we might keep it for them to use. Otherwise it will be up for sale as soon as prime camping season arrives.

Two points about why we chose the 24R versus any other Sprinter model:

1. the slide out walk around (mostly) queen bed. DW has had 2 artificial knees installed as an OEM upgrade within the past year. This bed is important for her.

2. DW kept disliking the bathroom wall location in the 24R, thinking it took away a lot of space and blocked the view from the bed, in case we had so many people inside that we ran out of chairs. Then she suddenly realized how much traffic was going in and out while she was sitting at the table and decided it was bigger than she thought.

My biggest disappointment is that the fresh water tank is smaller than the TM. 35 vs. 40 gallons. I will need to figure out where to carry another 40 gallons when we go boon docking.

[JohnBlair]

I was 'factor' on the TM forum
John
The Canoeing Capital of Canada
2013 Windjammer 3008W

[ng2951]

...My biggest disappointment is that the fresh water tank is smaller than the TM; 35 vs. 40 gallons. I will need to figure out where to carry another 40 gallons when we go boon docking.

Oh, come on. Don't you miss all those cute refill techniques we used on the TM??? I don't know what you are complaining about anyway...the 3326 only had a 20 gallon FW tank.

If you are going to drag a toad, you could put the extra water in the toad somewhere (trunk?) complete with a transfer pump using the toad's battery.

You can imagine how different it is on water when I went from a 20 gallon tank to a 100. The problem with a 100 gallon tank is how long it takes to empty and the temptation to fill it all the way up.