Saw new trail manor rise - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

hilltool · 02-05-2016, 11:15 PM

Went to local Rv show today and low and behold they had the new trail manor Rise. I will post pictures tomorrow. In general, not impressed. No cables for lifting but , rather, hydraulically operated "posts" or " beams" vertically mounted inside that rise and lower. The bathroom walls must be disassembled to lower and the weight is about the same. In general, I thought the construction was shoddier but don't ask me for specifics because I'd be hard pressed to explain - more a general impression. Crawled under and checked out the hydraulic lines but did not see it in operation. Show price was 29,617.00!

JackandJanet · 02-06-2016, 10:01 AM

That's an expensive trailer! How big was it?

- Jack

hilltool · 02-06-2016, 02:25 PM

19 foot I guess: some photos

hilltool · 02-06-2016, 02:30 PM

Some more:

hilltool · 02-06-2016, 02:36 PM

Finally-I would buy a used 15 yr old HI-LO like mine for twice what I paid for it compared to what I was looking at yesterday!

JackandJanet · 02-06-2016, 04:29 PM

Yup! Doesn't look worth that much money to me either.

Thanks for the pictures. Good to see what I don't have to buy.

- Jack

sam · 02-06-2016, 11:04 PM

Interesting!! Thanks for taking pictures and posting. How come the interiors never seem to have a pleasing interior. brown and tan just doesn't do it for me. We recently went to our local RV show. Lots and lots of thirty something feet light weight trailers. Many with sold signs in them. That is until the pass/fail credit checks are in. I have an anxiety attack just thinking about towing a huge fifth wheel. You need a lift to get at the roof for washing/maintenance. Just slam a light wt. trailer down the road for a few years and I would bet it they don't hold up. We saw a few retro trailers that were cute. Nothing tempted me to go into debt.

Garry · 02-07-2016, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilltool

Finally-I would buy a used 15 yr old HI-LO like mine for twice what I paid for it compared to what I was looking at yesterday!

I think all types of RV's have some type of construction flaws, including our Hi*Lo's, but the Trail Manors I have seen all seemed to have shoddy construction and the fact you have to "build" parts after it is raised is not appealing.

hilltool · 02-07-2016, 12:58 PM

Agree with all. The fact that they damn near duplicated the Hi-Los in so many ways Im surpised they left off, in my opinion, the best feature----which is the number and size of the windows. When all is said and done it is that feature which I find lacking in 90% of RVs I sit in. Im also not convinced this new lifting mechanism is better as if one of those vertical posts tears out or gets "torqued" in some way you may have a real head-ache. Easier to replace a cable or pulley- in my opinion. Another thing they do which really annoys me, which Hi-Lo also did, is to install axles that are below the GVWR of the trailer. I realize the difference is supposedly made up in tongue weight, but why not design in some wiggle room and over build it a little. This Rise also lacked storeage by eliminating the overhead cabinets- and maybe you can have them installed as extras but at this price who would want to? If this thing takes off- the used prices on Hi-Los should climb as 35K certainly blows the lid off what you can pick up a hi-lo for used and it seems, in my opinion, to be a better unit in the first place.

Rick

JackandJanet · 02-07-2016, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilltool

...<snip>... Another thing they do which really annoys me, which Hi-Lo also did, is to install axles that are below the GVWR of the trailer. I realize the difference is supposedly made up in tongue weight, but why not design in some wiggle room and over build it a little. ...<snip>...

Rick

Rick, you hit the nail on the head here. I think the axle rating (3500#) on my trailer is either gross stupidity, or gross negligence. AND, according to the lady at Dexter axle I talked with, there is no simple way to replace it with a higher capacity axle.

It would not have added much to the cost of the trailer to have mounted a higher capacity axle in the design, so, why didn't they do it?

- Jack

RichR · 02-07-2016, 03:54 PM

A family member that camps with us has a TrailManor and he says he is always having to fix or unbend something. They are made so lightweight that things are rather flimsy.

If Kerolas's Campers, Inc., Lightweight Campers | Travel Trailers | Kerola?s Campers Inc. get their Hi-Lo into production I think TrailManor won't have a chance. The only thing that may be not good is that Kerola's models are small and they seem to specialize in small campers such as Scotty, Aliner, and teardrop models. So getting back to 22' models and larger seem to be far off. Presently they are not advertising the Hi-Lo so I'm not looking for a whole lot from them very soon.

KnottyRig · 02-08-2016, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilltool

No cables for lifting but , rather, hydraulically operated "posts" or " beams" vertically mounted inside that rise and lower.

I suspect those are individual hydraulic cylinders mounted vertically. Not necessarily a bad design, just a different design choice with it's own pros/cons. (Two cons - uneven lifting due to differences in cylinders and 3 more cylinders to manage, but can lift more weight than a single cylinder of same diameter/size).

The Hi-Lo approach of cables and one cylinder reduces weight, and puts alignment in the adjustment of the cables. Cables and pulleys have their own drawbacks too - cables stretch/wear, etc. Though a single cylinder weighs less than 4, and you have a single hydraulic unit setting the pace for lift.

KnottyRig · 02-08-2016, 12:53 PM

RichR - where did you read that Kerola was pursuing a Hi-Lo style trailer? Was it speculation in a magazine/blog somewhere? I'd like to read it, if you have a link. Nothing I've found on their site refers to it.

Thanks

Hersbird · 02-08-2016, 02:21 PM

I think what they are going for is to keep it light enough to tow with a minivan or smaller crossover. Something like a 3500# axle actually does have wiggle room built in. It will handle 3500# all day and night and I bet would take more no problem. Sure a 5000# will handle more but then it weighs more itself. I'd have to see it in person, some new building materials seem flimsy but are actually much stronger then older methods that "feel" strong. $30,000 is out of my price tag but have you seen the prices on some other small lightweights? Jayco has good prices for a straight up box but look at some of the others. The little Airstream is what $80,000?