Looking to Buy 200 TW 36' with DP

[NoW-2]

Hi -

After my wife suddenly saying, "Hey, let's go to Camping World" a couple weeks ago, spending a few hours looking around with no intention of buying, then spending a couple more hours being introduced to a Safari Zanzibar, then dozens of more hours online researching, comparing, studying, and reading, I found myself here a few nights ago.

Then today, we ran across a 2000 TW M-7372, owned by a single family, in what appears to be in great shape, for a very good price vs. NADA.

So, the local guy is suggesting the deal on the Zanzibar, but based on this community of TW owners and other research online, we're leaning heavily towards joining you as a TW prideful owner.

But I have a couple questions....

We'll be using it 'against the norm' with most of our time being spent using it in the winter, planning on pulling our 28 ft. enclosed snowmobile trailer for jaunts into the high mountains around CO. (We currently do this and have to get a hotel, leave before dusk, etc., so this addition to our family will likely bring a whole new level of fun to our snow-time adventures.

With the DP, I've gathered that there's no issue with the mountains, or pulling the trailer (about 5-6k lbs. loaded). But, is there anything I should know about boondocking in the winter regarding starting a DP in the cold, etc.? I'm guessing that a magnetic engine warmer would be a good idea to start. Any others?

I'm also planning on purchasing chains....a must have for CO high-mountain winters if you don't have a 4x4.

Of course, we'll use it in the offer winter months as well, likely with a car dolly then, as we usually visit family in FL in the summer months....I know, we're backwards.

Anyway, it seems like this is a good choice for a starter rig for my family....just looking for some validation and tips if you've got any.

Thanks a ton.

[Skip426]

Welcome to iRV2.
My first day, and half of the second, on the road in my diesel pusher was spent in a blizzard crossing the Monida Pass, out of Montana, and the storm followed me into Wells, Nevada. The coach did remarkably well considering summer tires and all.
Don't now exactly how good that coach would be for winter boon docking.
I'd be checking for furnace duct work into the water and tank compartment , like my Newmar has.
The floor of the slide is the biggest heat loss area, does the floor plan look usable with the slide in , best heat retention that way.
Running the gen set for an engine block heater 2 hours before start up would be advisable.
I'd say winter tread tires , rather that chains , a broken chain , with the limited wheel well openings, could do more damage in a 1/2 mile than any set of tires would cost. Tread life shouldn't be an issue , 99% of motor home tires will rot out the side walls ( about 6 years) before the tread is 1/2 gone.
Only other point would be; is there room to maneuver the coach, and the snowmobile trailer in the areas where you go sledding ? Hate to see you backing a trailer down a mountain road because the parking lot wasn't big enough to turn around.
Good Luck , hope this works out for you.

[tufftj]

Originally Posted by NoW-2

Hi -


But I have a couple questions....



Thanks a ton.

I can tell you the water compartments are heated by the furnaces.
Don't know about cold weather starting but my TW has an engine block heater.
I know, not much but we love our TW.

[Theberrys]

Nuff Said .......... 1999 Tradewinds.









These are from different trips and NARY a Problem. It's really good in the cold weather. Two furnaces help, but the insulation is really effective. Not a fair comparison, but we had a TIOGA "C" class before the Tradewinds and the first thing we noticed other than the over all comfort was the walls were much warmer and the furnace ran a lot less.

Dick

[NoW-2]

Thanks for the pointers! Wouldn't have thought about the slider heat loss....or the water tank...duh.

NICE shots of winter exploration. ....can't wait for the snow to fall.

Yes, we'll only go where we KNOW we can turn around - my wife and I had this conversation the other day. But heck, it would add to the adventure...backing down the mountain. lol

I'm pretty damn good at backing up with a trailer with only one mirror - wife thinks I'm nuts. That would TRULY be THE test.

[Skip426]

Dick,s , photos reminded me. Poor defrost capability , even with a bra , overhead fans , furnace running and dash defrost going, I had trouble keeping the windshield anywhere near clear enough at speed.

[NoW-2]

Looked at the rig and drove it today. Didn't find anything that wasn't misrepresented in the sellers ad....a good thing.

A prior "viewer" did put a crack in the corian (sp?) that covers the stove. Apparently, he said, "what's this" and pulled it from the wall hook, dropping it on the stove. Then when the seller asked how he was going to help pay for that, he left and said he had 3 other rigs to look at. What a jerk. Looks like an easy fix.

Tires are in GREAT shape - less than 3k miles on them.

Has a block heater and all systems worked.

Jack, any ideas on fixing the windshield fog issue?

We'll transact tomorrow, so it'll be official...I'll be a National owner.

[NoW-2]

sorry, not Jack, but Skip426...my bad.

[BEACH]

Congratulations!!! We love our 2001 Tradewinds 7370............and the furnaces do work well, she handles snow great... in fact, we drove her home from Maine a few years ago when we bought her, in a blizzard that dumped 26" of snow on the Mass. Pike.......

[NoW-2]

Well, not so fast.

Since I traveled alone to view the rig, I needed to review the pics I took with her after viewing. It took about an hour for us to connect, and after deciding we would move forward I called the seller and told him we'd take it and I would make wiring arrangements in the morning.

He said that was fine, but then proceeded to show it one more time and apparently stated that he had another "interested" buyer. (I think at that point, I was more than an 'interested' buyer.)

Well, that caused this buyer to drop a deposit and I lost the deal.

The way I see it, he should have done the honorable thing and told him he had buyer already and that he was in 2nd position even though I logistically couldn't get to him at that moment to deliver the deposit.

But I also understand his side, where the first one with the money wins.

Sucks because I drove 12 hours to view it.

I guess I should have made him stand in the 106 degree heat with me in the storage facility while I reviewed the pics with my wife on the phone, then made him wait some more for a wire from my bank.

Turns out my call to him to tell him we wanted it was 15 minutes before he showed it to this other buyer....and he didn't bother to tell me he had another viewing to give me the opportunity to work on the wire at that moment.

I feel I got hosed.

It'll be a loooong ride back tomorrow.

[wb7auk]

Another TW is out there, as far a winter having owned many MH's the TW is by far
the best winter coach I have seen.
I keep mine heated in the winter as a spare room and even at 0 degrees it takes
very little heat to keep it nice.
As Dick indicated the TW's already have the winter package standard.
As to defrosting windshield the fix for that is to install insulation over both the feed
and return water lines feeding the front heater.

[Margarittamobile]

We have a 98TW and we come from the snow and COLD of the Canadian prairies. I have a couple of general comments:

The mountain snowmobilers I know usually use lifted 4x4 trucks to move their sleds, this is so the don't get stuck in the deep snow (often many inches every night) and often 4x4 is needed for safe handling of the towed load (specially on some of the steep mountain grades). Our TW with its low ground clearance would be stuck in no time.
The second issue is that while the TW is "winterized" I would be checking closely how cold things will get in your travels. We can have beautiful 20 degree sledding days in the mountains but we will have to travel through -20 to get there. That would be a lot to expect of any RV, by those temperatures I expect you would have serious condensation issues etc.

One final item, you will want to check the tow rating of the model you buy, our 98 TW only has a 5000# tow rating.

Hopefully conditions you encounter are not as "extreme" as ours, but we don't see DP's in serious mountain sledding areas.