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The Critter and The Butterfly
United States
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 10 เม.ย. 2019
Hi and welcome to our channel. We are Matt, the Critter, and Rini The Butterfly, and we will be exploring Parks, landmarks and interesting locations around the United States while RV camping with our Trailmanor trailer. The Trailmanor is a very unique trailer and we'll show you the mods that make it our home away from home. We will also be exploring cool places and events around Southern California that are an easy drive from our home in San Diego. When we come across an interesting RV camping idea or product we'll let you know. There is always something new to learn and explore, and we look forward to sharing our adventures with you. Please subscribe to see what we're up to. Thanks, and safe travels.
How we did it. Trailmanor Suburban Water Heater major service. It just wanted some new parts.
The water heater on our 2011 2720 Trailmanor was having a few issues so it's going to get the full treatment. Check out how it went.
มุมมอง: 187
วีดีโอ
"How we did it" Trailmanor Water System Sanitizing
มุมมอง 697ปีที่แล้ว
In this "how we did it" video we show how we went about sanitizing the fresh water system on our 2011 2720 SL Trailmanor.
Calico Ghost Town Main Street, Train ride, and Mine tour highlights.
มุมมอง 77ปีที่แล้ว
Part 2 of our Barstow/Yermo adventure. Come with us as we share some history, and take a walk down Calico Ghost Town's Main Street. Plus train ride and mine tour.
Our Barstow Yermo Adventure. Museums... Diners... and History... oh my
มุมมอง 125ปีที่แล้ว
Come along and check out the Barstow/Calico KOA and Barstow and Yermo's local area attractions. Museums, Diners, Local Spots, and history.
2011 Trailmanor 2720 SL Graphics Removal and Installation
มุมมอง 921ปีที่แล้ว
In this "how we did it" video, we show our process of removing and replacing the graphics on our 2011 Trailmanor
Our visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
มุมมอง 44ปีที่แล้ว
Grab a snack and a drink and come along as we take a stroll through the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Short Traillmanor Screen Door build Overview
มุมมอง 4432 ปีที่แล้ว
This is a short video on how the screen door on our Trailmanor was made and how it works.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Adventure 4 2022
มุมมอง 502 ปีที่แล้ว
Come along as we explore the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden 4 2022
มุมมอง 542 ปีที่แล้ว
We took our still cameras and checked out the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Come along and check it out.
Micro Air Easy Start Model 364 unboxing and installation. Dometic Penguin 13,000 BTU
มุมมอง 2.5K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Micro Air Easy Start Model 364 unboxing and installation. Dometic Penguin 13,000 BTU
"How We Did It" Purple Line Quattro Trailer Mover Trailmanor Install
มุมมอง 3.6K2 ปีที่แล้ว
"How We Did It" Purple Line Quattro Trailer Mover Trailmanor Install
Easy Trailmanor Suburban Water Heater De-scale, Flush, and Anode Rod Check.
มุมมอง 9003 ปีที่แล้ว
Easy Trailmanor Suburban Water Heater De-scale, Flush, and Anode Rod Check.
Our weekend visit to K Q Ranch and Julian CA.
มุมมอง 4.8K3 ปีที่แล้ว
Our weekend visit to K Q Ranch and Julian CA.
Iceco iCooler JPC 42 unboxing and review. It's a fridge, it's a freezer, it's a cooler.
มุมมอง 1.8K3 ปีที่แล้ว
Iceco iCooler JPC 42 unboxing and review. It's a fridge, it's a freezer, it's a cooler.
R V Storage Lock Upgrade and a couple more.
มุมมอง 8034 ปีที่แล้ว
R V Storage Lock Upgrade and a couple more.
How we did it: Solar and A.C. upgrades, installations, and walkthroughs. Trailmanor 2720 SL
มุมมอง 1.9K4 ปีที่แล้ว
How we did it: Solar and A.C. upgrades, installations, and walkthroughs. Trailmanor 2720 SL
How we did it; Horst Grey Tank Miracle Probes Install 2011 Trailmanor 2720SL
มุมมอง 2.2K4 ปีที่แล้ว
How we did it; Horst Grey Tank Miracle Probes Install 2011 Trailmanor 2720SL
Lit Mobile-Lit Solar: Solar Power Bank Unboxing and Review
มุมมอง 1.9K4 ปีที่แล้ว
Lit Mobile-Lit Solar: Solar Power Bank Unboxing and Review
How We Did It; Trailmanor New Curtain Install
มุมมอง 6K4 ปีที่แล้ว
How We Did It; Trailmanor New Curtain Install
A May hello from The Critter and The Butterfly
มุมมอง 1344 ปีที่แล้ว
A May hello from The Critter and The Butterfly
This doesn't show you using hot water heater bypass. You mentioned a couple of times that you filled the hot water heater on purpose. I've heard people mention that a hot water heater should be cleaned with vinegar instead of bleach, and that these cleaning should be spaced out (as to avoid a chemical reaction between bleach and vinegar.) Are you aware of any issues with running bleach through a Trailmanor water heater? Do you know why our systems do not come with a bypass?
Thanks for the comment. Sorry for the delay in responding. My comments section seems to have some issues. To my knowledge, there is no water heater bypass in the Suburban water heaters found in Trailmanors. Possibly simplicity of installation and use may be why. People have installed them aftermarket though. I have never had any issues when doing the treatments, and the water heater shows no ill effects when viewed with a borescope. After the water heater descale and system disinfection treatments you're not supposed to be able to detect either chemical after the separate treatments and rinses are completed, so chemical interaction wouldn't be an issue in that case.
We're a few years down the road now... have you made any further modifications?
Thanks for the comment. Most of what we've been doing is maintenance related, but I'll have to check to see if I've missed anything.
Definitely a 2-for-1!!
Well done Sir!
Thank you. Thanks for watching.
Keep the videos coming!
Brilliant. Would work so much better than the magnetic curtains.
Yeah, I've seen the screen curtains and liked this much better. It's not too hard a build if you're handy.
You love your TrailManor as do I. I have a 2007 2720qb. Thankyou for sharing. There isn't a ton of info out there. Best camping experience we have had.
Hi Cindy and thanks for watching. Our Trailmanor is the perfect RV for us.
Hello. Funny whenever I fell a need to do something to my Trailmanor I refer to your videos. Recently didnthe water heater flush and anode replacement. I am looking to upgrade to Lipo4 batteries. Already bought them. I can't do the charger upgrade now. I was wondering if there is a way I can disconnect the current charger from charging the battery. I will just rely on my solar to charge my batteries. My solar setup will allow me to charge the batteries. Thanks for any help. Happy travels.
Hello Allen and thanks for watching. IMO As long as the trailer fuse panel is still attached to the batteries, and the solar can keep the batteries charged, on a temporary basis you could delete the DC charger. I would wait for the changeover if possible until all the needed parts are in hand. Connecting to shore power wouldn't power any 12 VDC appliances like lights, water heater ignition, water pump, heater, emergency brakes, etc as with a 12 VDC converter. The batteries would have to handle it all. Keep an eye on the batteries' condition as solar only produces at its' best 4 to 6 hours a day. In winter it produces less. It would be like boondocking re; no hookups. You lose a lot of systems when 12VDC isn't available.
Thank you for your reply. We only boondock or dry camp. Never plug in anywhere. But our power requirements are low. Solar power anywhere from 200 to 500 watts of solar panels. Was it easy to run the larger 6 gauge cable to the battery? Thanks again and have a good day.
Yeah, on the 2720 it was easy, just a short distance with a few twists. I cheated by using the existing cable to pull the new one
@@thecritterandthebutterfly Excellent. Thanks again. Will be doing that tomorrow.
How wide is the door on those?
Hi Redpine and thanks for watching. Our door jamb opening is 23 inches wide, the door itself is about 23 1/2 inches wide.
Looks like a great trailer
Yes, we are very happy with ours.
We’re looking for a Trail Manor 2922KS.
Hi Doc and thanks for watching. It takes a little searching, but they are out there. There are RV sites as well as Trailmanor sites that have several listed. Good hunting.
great video
Thanks. We appreciate you checking it out.
Great video! We just got a trailmanor 2330. Your videos are very helpful.
Hi Snodie (Mr Robz), and thanks for the comment. Sorry for the delay in responding, but my notifications seem to take a while to get here. I'm glad the videos are helping out. The TM is a pretty slick design. Thanks for watching, and safe travels.
Hello. I know I has been a while since you created this awesome video, of which I have look at more times than you can imagine. Thanks so much for making it! I have a 2720 queen bed and I would like to do what you did. I used the Trailer Valet, but it does not work any more as it did when new and it is constantly falling out of the hitch and smashing the trail manor to the ground, so I have to stop using it. Your solution looks like it will truly satisfy my issues. Thanks in advance for answering my questions: Is it necessary to custom bend the items you describe or is there any other way to mount them? (Ex. The small area just under where the hinges are) As I do not have a place that bends metal near where I live. I have 15” tires that are about 6 to 6.5” wide. Will the purple line model that you choose work with that size tire? You stated in a previous answer that there is no electrical work needed if you get the manual device. What do you mean by no electrical is needed? In your opinion will the Manually operated one work on the Trail Manor? As you stated you did not think it would fit on the Trail Manor. Again, thanks in advance for your assistance.
Hi Allen and thanks for the comment. We had a TrailerValet 5x originally, but it didn't want to climb our driveway very easily. I ended up replacing the drive chains in it because they stretched and one failed. Still have it in the inventory. Our trailer Valet had a mount that attached to the tongue and locked in. The way our Purple Line mover is mounted, we had to have our mounts modified so we could install them where we did. We built and installed a plumbing protector so we had to put the movers in front of the axle. They might be able to be fitted behind the axle and bolted to the side of the frame with some easy trimming if the movers would clear the plumbing drains and frame extensions. There are some good diagrams with dimensions on the purple line website. A cardboard mockup would be easy to make. The alignment and stowed distance from the tire is very important. There is still electrical work for the manual unit for the motors, just not for the servos. Either the manual or powered models will work on a TM. The width is adjustable on both. The manual has a crossbar that ties both movers together to engage both using a bar instead of the servos . The bar can be used on either side. I think I was worried the manual activation bar might have a clearance problem on the TM. I don't know if it actually does. I also liked the electric application unit better. All the units are adjustable width to fit many frame sizes. We have 15" tires and the movers fit and align fine. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching, and safe travels.
Thank You very much for your reply. Your comments are getting me closer to making the final decision. I’m currently leaning more towards the manual option as it is about $600 cheaper. I do have a few additional questions that, once answered, will allow me to push the purchase button. Questions: You commented that placing the device on the back side of the axle. Do that mean that when using the remote to move the Trail Manor you will be moving the front forward and not the back forward, if that makes since? If that is the case I will have to make the same mods you made because the Trail Manor goes into the garage and the hitch needs to be facing forward. In the video you updated that the shark bites can be mounted on the outside of the frame. Does that mean that to make it easier all you had to do was switch your custom brackets, one side to the other, and then we would not have to modify the shark bite? Thanks again for your comments and assistance.
@@ARDobbs Hi Allen. On the remote you can either set the tongue or the rear of the TM as the forward movement. There is complete control of the trailer direction of travel. If the frame brackets can be through bolted to the outside of the frame rail, I think the shark bite brackets will fit without any modification. The frame brackets come flat with just the 90 at the bottom for the shark bites. You''ll have to check to see if the mover will fit behind the off door side tire without being interfered with by whatever plumbing set up you have. We had to mount ours in front of the tires because of our plumbing protector. We had to modify the brackets to clear the torsion bars that pass through the frame. Hope this helps.
Hi 👋 good to see you, hope all is well. Thanks for the video. My HiLo has been stored since last fall. Time for me to do this too 😊
Hi Lori. We hope all is going well for you as well. The TM is pretty easy, just takes some time. Are you going to travel this summer?
@@thecritterandthebutterfly I'm hoping to get out there soon. I am having to put a new engine in my truck :( What a pain but, as soon as I get it back and do the necessary 200 mile breakin,, I'm sooo outta here. Been stuck here at home since late November Ughhhhh
@@LorisRVLife Sorry to hear about your truck, but you'll get there. Looking forward to some adventures.
Great video, we will be in Julian next month. Its a beautiful place to visit. Thanks
Hi Mike and thanks for watching. We were up there last week. Didn't get to Anza Borrego this time though. That's a cool place as well. We had a great visit with wonderful weather. Enjoy your trip. Safe travels.
Great video!
Thanks for watching. Safe travels.
Thanks for the information. It's made it easier for me to know what to do and what to buy. Peace.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching. Safe travels.
What are the size of the curtains?
Hi Stephanie and thanks for the question. Unfortunately, the TM is closed right now. We just measured the flattened stock curtains then added length for the edges, for the aluminium rod pockets, and for more fullness so they were easier to open. It's a heavier material than a usual curtain so that added to the fullness. Sorry I don't have measurements for you, but they will differ from each installation depending on the look that is wanted. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Did Luna come back?
Ha, ha, ha... yes. She would sit at the front door and meow until we let her in. Thanks for the question and thanks for watching. Luna is a cool kitty.
Hello, Thanks for this great video. Can you recall where you bought your stainless storage rack that hangs over the wardrobe? Thanks!
Hi Charlie B and thanks for the question. Sorry for the delay in answering. Our comment section works kind of weird. We picked up that stainless storage rack on Amazon in 2019. It shows unavailable, but I'm sure there are others available that are similar. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Nice to see your face, Mr. Carver, Guess who
Very sad its only been 3 years and i am still sad for Rivera family
Wow! I'm not sure I'd have the patience for that!
Hi Amy and thanks for the comment. It was a time consuming task at first, but it went easier as I got the worse damaged graphics off. Lucky for me I'm a very patient soul and the results were well worth the work. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
nice
How is road getting up there?? Is it through the mountains??
Hi Yolie, and thanks for the comment. There are some climbs through mountains on the interstate but nothing bad. Once off the interstate the roads are good and easily driveable by larger RVs. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
I just got done doing on my new-to-me 2007 TM 2720 exactly what you demonstrated in this video! I pulled my anode plug and there was no rod that came along with it; it had corroded completely away and left a bunch of sludge behind. After draining and flushing the tank, it all looks to be clear now and ready for next season's use. Thank you so much for the great idea.
Hi Paul and thanks for the comment. There are a few preventive maintenance items on RVs that don't come to mind for owners. It's a different animal than a house. I'm glad our video helped you out giving your water heater a longer and more trouble free life. Get in the habit of checking electrical and propane connections as well as nuts, bolts, and screws occasionally also. When towing, your trailer is experiencing a rattling earthquake and it's surprising what can come loose. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Hello. I like your upgrades and am employing a few of them. I would like to know where you accessed power for your charging ports. Also I recently posted a question on the Trailmanor forum about powering the Trailmanor outlets from my inverter. Someone said you had done this. If you have, could you please direct me to the video that’s shows it? Thanks and safe travels.
Hi Allen and thanks for the comment. For the charging ports, we removed the antennae amp /power port on the side of the fridge cabinet, made a larger opening, and used the 12 volt power that was there. For the outlets, we have a transfer switch that automatically switches from shore or generator power to inverter power. It powers all 120 volt service in the trailer. People have also installed a dedicated outlet that is powered by the inverter only. That is another option. Check out this vider" How we did it: Solar and A.C. upgrades, installations, and walkthroughs. Trailmanor 2720 SL" to get an idea how we went about things. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching, and safe travels.
Thank you again.
Nice. We had an 01 2619 for a couple years before it got hit and couldn't be repaired due to the TM change over to different side wall thickness. But I like you upgrade ideas. They can work in any RV! Thanks!
Hi Gregg and thanks for the comment. Most of the upgrades and equipment that we have used on our Trailmanor will work out well on any other RV. Little things that can make RVing easier and more fun. Thanks for watching, and safe travels.
Great video, however propane doesn’t come out of the bottle even if the valve is open. Is needs a hose in it to release propane.
Hi Breanne and thanks for the comment. Yeah, I know. Modern tanks have safeties built into them. They can still leak, but minimally. I was apparently reflecting back to some earlier tank experiences. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
genius
Very nice. I like it. We need one for our 2006 2720. Been putting it off, but after seeing your method of attaching the screen to the door I am reinvigorated! Thanks.
Hi Allen and thanks for the comment. It was a pretty easy mod really. The hardest part for me was getting the screen the way I wanted it. And of course the slots in the bottom door section, probably could have done those a little cleaner. It works really well for us. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
great video that is what i need for mine do you mind sharing the spec of the brackets you order since i would like to order the same ones
Hi Pedro and thanks for the comment. The frame brackets were included with the trailer mover, but they come flat with just the one ongle on the end. We had a custom shop bend them for us. We ended up with a 6 1/2 inch drop and a 2 inch frame pad. There was a 1 1/2 inch bend in the original bracket and about 2 inches left for a frame guide. Your drop may be different depending on your tires and ride height. With a tape measure and some cardboard you should be able to get some pretty good dimensions. We installed our bracket lined up with the inside edge of the frame because that's where the instructions showed to put it. If we had it to do again we would form the brackets so we could put them on the outside of the frame. You wouldn't need to modify the shark bite clamp mounts that way. Check out the video at around the 5 minute mark and it shows the brackets and some dimensions. Good luck. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
@@thecritterandthebutterfly thank you so much for the whole information
Hello, thank you for making this video I was going to get the less expensive one since I have a Tab 320S Boondock 2021. I waited last year from April to October but nothing arrived. The owner and I decided on a fair price since I waited so long and got the Quattro I hired an RV technician who actually came to my house. It was a long and complicated installation and happy I got the right guy. This is no simple installation on some campers due to all the equipment under it. The question I have for you: when you attach the wheels (which I also ordered from Purpleline) which hole in the pipe is best to secure the wheels to (higher ones or lower ones) Another question is: how high should you Jack your camper up as I do not want to strain the pipe the wheels are attached to. Finally do you find that moving your camper with the small wheels in the back works the best? (In other words move the camper with the butt leading) I saw that you used some material for soft ground… very important not to get stuck in mud and stay mindful where your going and ground conditions As a newly retired RN I found great comfort using this remote since I solo camp and want to be independent and careful backing in to a campsite or putting it away at home Thanks!!!
Hi Susan and thanks for the comment. Our install was interesting because of the torsion bars on the Trailmanor. I also had to put it in front of the tires because of the things underneath. It's better to put the movers behind the tires if possible. The pipe on my dolly wheels is larger than the one on the tongue jack so I have a spacer that makes it a tight fit. Our pin won't fit with the tongue jack pipe seated fully in the dolly wheels. If you use the securing pin, if it will fit on the higher set of holes it would be better. You want to keep the movement as little as possible. When we move the trailer we have the jack just high enough so everything clears. The lower the jack can be, the less stress on it. If we are on solid ground the dolly wheels work just fine. Loose dirt or gravel can be an issue. Which direction the trailer goes depends on where we are parking it. It works equally well in forward or reverse. It feels a lot more natural moving it tongue first. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Great place! Home away from home.
Hi Chrome2. Thanks for the comment. We're definitely going to stay there again. It was pretty cool. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
This video was a HUGE help to us. You showed us clear, close-up photos and added a detailed explanation making your video the best. A big help was @8:09. Thanks!
Hi D Ranger and thanks for the kind words. We're glad our video was helpful to you. Enjoy your new Easy Start. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
free-standing patio propane fire pit 🤟
This place is still on my to-do list, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ! It's a massive and eclectic place with impressively diverse pieces.
Hi David and thanks for watching. I've seen photos of the Instrument Museum. Looks pretty awesome. We'll definitely check it out when we are in the Phoenix area. Safe travels.
Thank you for making this video. I think I want to get something like this for my teardrop. I know it’s overkill. :)
Hi Good and thanks for watching. It's overkill for a small trailer even the size of ours but it sure is nice after a long drive and a narrow or offset campsite. There are manual engagement models that cost less as well. Safe travels.
This is one of the best installation videos I've seen! Excellent job!
Thank you and thanks for watching.
What year is your rig? We are getting a 2008 2710
Hi David and thanks for watching. It's a 2011 2720 SI. Safe travels.
Noticed a screen on the upper part of your door, did you make that or can it be bought & where? Thank you, love your videos.
Hi Robin and thanks for the comment. Sorry for the delay in answering. I'm not getting messages sometimes. I made our screen door. It's pretty simple to do if you're handy. The top door and hinge needs to be removed to cut a small part of the top hinge that is used to support the top of the screen. That's really the worst of it. If you check on the Trailmanor fans Facebook page there may be leads to get a kit if you want to go that route. Good luck. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
what kind of a box did you use to add the backup camera. It is extended from the back of the camper and gave you room for electrical connectors?
Hi Martin and thanks for the comment. We used a piece of 3/4 inch Starboard and shaped it to act as a spacer because I didn't want to remove any of the foam from the wall of the trailer to make the connections. Worked like a charm. I also picked up a new marker light because the wires on the old one were just too short to work with. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
I'll be reshooting this tomorrow morning weather permitting.
I'll be shooting again tomorrow morning weather permitting.
your videos are not clear will lose you a lot off views
Thanks for the heads-up. Are these the lives or all of them? I'll check to see what resolution TH-cam is posting them at.
Love your travelog...Keep em coming!
I noticed you don't unhook from the Suburban. That would speed up your departure!
Thanks for the comment.. If we are level enough we stay attached. If we need to unhook we don't move the Suburban and can just drop back on the ball. We try to keep overnights easy. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Yeah, looks like a good spot. Thanks for sharing, Lo
Very nice.. :)