Hello...looking for opinions on Hi Lo's and Trail Manors

[countrygirl]

I am new to this site...we have a big camper...thinking of moving to a Hi Lo or a Trail Manor...

We love the looks and comfort of what we have but dh is not happy with the mpg.  We really don't think we want to do the popup camper again...older now and backs are not what they used to be.  

Currently we have an Outback 30RLS...sort of a palace on wheels...diesel hog too.  I love this camper and will be a lil sad when it is gone.

It appears to me the Hi Lo's are taller in tow mode the Trail Manors...the are also sort of plain.  The Trail Manors look nicer to me...but dh is looking mostly at the durabilty aspect of the campers.

A few years ago we saw a Trail Manor for sale on the side of the road when we were enroute to an archery tournament...it had been badly neglected...the white edge cover was in bad shape and bad leaks were apparant...I think it was about 20 years old and not title...so we only looked and left.

For those who own either of these two units please tell me of your true opinions about quality and durability.  We do hear Hi Lo's are "bullet proof" as in few problems.

I have been to both web sites for these companies and can not tell if there is storage below.  Gee...I will miss all the storage that I have!

Are either of these campers...enclosed on the bottom to help keep down the damage from rain splashing up on the underside?

We are in Florida and may go to Alachua and Winter Springs this weekend to look at some units.

[Civil_War_Buff]

I am new to this site...we have a big camper...thinking of moving to a Hi Lo or a Trail Manor...

We love the looks and comfort of what we have but dh is not happy with the mpg.  We really don't think we want to do the popup camper again...older now and backs are not what they used to be.  

Currently we have an Outback 30RLS...sort of a palace on wheels...diesel hog too.  I love this camper and will be a lil sad when it is gone.

It appears to me the Hi Lo's are taller in tow mode the Trail Manors...the are also sort of plain.  The Trail Manors look nicer to me...but dh is looking mostly at the durabilty aspect of the campers.

A few years ago we saw a Trail Manor for sale on the side of the road when we were enroute to an archery tournament...it had been badly neglected...the white edge cover was in bad shape and bad leaks were apparant...I think it was about 20 years old and not title...so we only looked and left.

For those who own either of these two units please tell me of your true opinions about quality and durability.  We do hear Hi Lo's are "bullet proof" as in few problems.

I have been to both web sites for these companies and can not tell if there is storage below.  Gee...I will miss all the storage that I have!

Are either of these campers...enclosed on the bottom to help keep down the damage from rain splashing up on the underside?

We are in Florida and may go to Alachua and Winter Springs this weekend to look at some units.

I will try and answer from a TrailManor perspectve.  I have a 2002 Model 2720, I moved from a Coleman Niagara and in the past 4 years I have never regretted the move.

I looked closely at Hi-Lo before I settled on the TM, and the only similarity that I can make is that they both "transition" in order to become functional.  You didn't ask for a point by point comparison, so I will only talk about my TM.

There is storage, and depending upon the model there can be quite a bit of it.  The trailers are very well built and the lift mechanism is very simple and backed by a lifetime warranty (although I have never heard on one failing).  The TM is VERY lightweight (less than my Coleman) and because the wheels are set farther back and with a heavier tongue weight there is essentially no sway at all (one of my favorites).  I like the high solid wall bathroom and the ease of set up.  

All travel trailers need routine maintenance and the TM is no exception.  I do an annual once over and check, caulk and tighten as needed everything that I can find.  The one you saw was probably not cared for like that.  And now (since 2000 I believe), the structure is such that there is no probability of damage in the event of a leak because there is nothing to rot, (no other TT claims that).  

The bottom is completely sealed and the soft seals do a pretty good job of sealing out road dust and the like.

TrailManor asked us owners for our inputs 2 years ago on things that we would like to see changed on the trailer, and as a direct result the 2007 model has incorporated many of those recommendations.  Not many manufacturers do that.

I am a very happy camper in my TM, I have logged thousands of miles pulling it over the Sierras and well as the Rockies (via I-70) without any issues whatsoever.  

If you have any specific questions, please PM me and I would happy to answer anything that I can.

[zamboni]

My parents disliked their Niagara and moved to a TrailManor which they love.

For what it is worth, I ended up with their Niagara, and my wife and I both didn't really like it (too finicky to set up); we now have a hybrid.  My parents told us we should buy a TrailManor... but we wanted something we could walk into without setting up (have an RV slip at my house).

[kemp kampers]

We are also looking at the Hi-lo and the Trailmanor and I think we're looking more towards the Trailmanor, more room and the ones we've looked at are pretty close in price. Also, with the price of gas going up up up the fuel mileage is something to think about!