I owned one of these and thought it was great. A couple of comments on the heat and AC. First, the Alde heating was phenomenal. No noise. Really nice for sleeping on a cold night. Even cracked the windows to better hear sounds - kinda like sleeping under the stars with the star gazer window. The AC won’t cool the trailer if it’s very hot. I camped in Florida in the summer and found that the temperature at 6 feet up was 20 degrees higher than at floor level under direct sunlight during the day with the shades down and the thermometer maxed low. I thought I was getting ill at first (cold feet, hot head)! Also, the vent at the back blew right at your head when you lay in bed - I tried a rotating vent but it didn’t work well so I just disconnected the duct at the AC side. Still a nice unit.
I love that this camper finally has some counter space for cooking, although it is kind of interrupted by the stove. If the stove was either right next to the sink or on the other side, it owuld be far more useful. Microwave is convenient, but I don't think I would ever get a camaper again that does not have a convection oven.
We went from a 6x10 cargo trailer conversion to the 400 with the 4 Battleborn batteries and love it. Power is the name of the game when dry camping/ boondocking.
No I don't want all that extra smell and moisture. I will use the campgrounds facilities. I would rather use that space for storage or fuller size refrigerator. 73
@@ronb6182 Bugger that, that's the point of having a caravan, facilities that are ready to walk in & use, when you need them! and with privacy , otherwise you might as well pitch a tent!.
This is a very stylish, and innovative travel trailer. I really like it. The prices are pretty high, but, I guess you get what you pay for. Our new Casita is priced at $31,000, fully loaded, with a dry weight and a tongue weight less than the T@B. We met a guy in Croton-On-Hudson RV park who lived in a T@B. The Metro North commuter train station was adjacent to the park, so he was able to commute to his job in Manhattan every day, and still live in a very nice RV park by the Hudson River, in the cool little town of Croton-On-Hudson.
Even the price on this trailer has went up quite a bit in the last 3 years. I think the older Scamps hit a sweet spot for the compact SUVs and smaller mid-size SUVS. And then you have the modern Scamps and Casitas, which weigh a bit more, and fit just right for most of our mid-size SUVs. Even with the Casita's little extra weight over the Scamp it really doesn't put it into a new towing class. So you are basically getting a bit more of an upgraded interior, but not sacrificing much in terms of towing. I think this is why the fiberglass trailers have been so popular for so long. They are easy for many people to get into, maintain, and not to mention they hold their value incredibly well. That is neat that you got to meet someone living full time in a T@B. Its so fun running into people like this.
I like that the T@B 400 is taller. Plus the bathroom is definitely better than previous years. My biggest issue is the price. It seems that since I began researching all types of trailers since 2017 the prices have doubled. Last question: Will they change the name of TAB to Diet Coke? Yes, I'm showing my age with that really bad Dad joke. Greetings from Peru. Tio Mac.
Thankyou Drew. Good stuff as usual. It definitely requires a more capable tow vehicle than the normal teardrop weight range. Curious if you've ever reviewed a Aliner Ascape? Just saw some segments about how it's back in production. I believe they didn't make them for about 3 years and recently brought them back. I'd love to see you do one of your top notch reviews of the Ascape. Thanks again.
That is funny that you mentioned the Ascape. I just added it to my short list of trailers I want to review. I saw something yesterday or the day before that said it was back. I didn't realize it had left. Hahah. I will see if I can track one down.
@@PlayingwithSticksI like the a liner but they are too heavy and don't have an ala carte where you can just add features you want. I wouldn't mind gutting out a used A liner and rebuild to my liking. 73 P.S. Jaco has an A frame type trailer also. I been wanting to go see it up the road where I live. 73
Great review..love that the differences between 2022 and 2023 were highlighted. I own a Tag…I am a solo camper so it’s perfect for my needs…love it. I’d love to pick up a Tab 400 for my next camper, but it will also equate to a new TV too. Nucamp makes a great camper, albeit pricey. But the quality and workmanship is second to none!! Thanks, Drew!!👏🏻
You get what you pay for--a well-built, cozy trailer, and peace of mind! Well done, NuCamp. 👏👏👏👏 I love my 320S-Boondock! Good tour, Mandy! "My husband" just rolled off your tongue effortlessly. 😉 Good interview, Drew! Your kids would love those bunk beds and you and May would have that awesome star-gazer window. 😊
We have met so many happy T@G owners over the years. Typically mass produced trailers have nothing but problems, but I am finding it is quite the opposite with the little T@Gs on the road. Your comment reminded me of my brother in-law. He owns a T@G. He drove it all the way from Arizona to Alaska and back witha family of 5! Could you imagine? I love it! Good point on the new tow vehicle. That is something folks definitely need to consider when looking at trailers.
AGREED, Mandy gives a great tour! It is so fun hearing about their lifestyle and seeing how they make it work. You are so right about the bunks. And at 200lbs even this big "kid" can enjoy them. There is something about bunks that bring back camping nostalgia for me. I was so glad to see NuCamp chose to utilize the extra space making this a family friendly trailer. And I will admit I am often jealous of that window. We are trying to put a lot of windows in our new trailer. My only concern is heat during the day. May and I love windows, so we think we are up for the tradeoff. Time will tell. Goood seeing you Jody!
@PlayingwithSticks I can’t imagine 5 people in a Tag!! I will occasionally have a friend with me (making it two), but even that is tight!! Five people is A LOT of love for one another!!🤦🏻♂️😳
The T@b400 is my "if money were no object" dream trailer and has been for years. My compromise is that I bought a SylvanSportGO with the solar and GOzeebo. It meets our needs and allows me to keep a luggable loo handy in the trailer for those midnight calls from mother nature. A girl can dream, however, so who knows? Maybe some day I'll have the money to upgrade to this one.
I think it is always good to dream. You never know what life will bring. I have a feeling a number of people in the community will agree with you that this would be their dream trailer if money was no object.
I was so excited to meet Kendrick in person. The morning I showed up, Kendrick had an emergency to tend to. I am hoping to meet up with Mandy and Kendrick again this summer. I would love to just talk shop with them about their lifestyle.
This is one of the few trailers that's also available in Europe (t@b has it's origin at the German brand Tabbert) there are differences though and the weight of the European version on the standard model comes at 980kg dry. I can't find a official tongue weight, but I do find people towing it with cars that can have a maximum of 65kg on the hitch.
Every time I research the T@Bs and come across an interior or exterior I love, it is always the European model. Interesting to note that the weight is different. I wonder where the weight savings is coming from? I wonder if they are a little bit smaller?
@@PlayingwithSticks Same dimensions, but the US factory gets to make their own interior design choices for the US market and I see that they use a lot of solid wood which you typically don't see in European caravans. Also a different Chassis that might be lighter. It has to be lighter because nobody tows with trucks and the average car can have 50 to 90 kg on the hitch. You might check out the Kip Shelter (made in Holland) and the Hobby beachy as well, not teardrops, but in scale like the T@b and personally I like their designs.
I looked and looked and since we only do 3 season camping I went with a tent trailer . Forest River 1640 Ltd . 1400lbs dry weight . 160 lbs tongue weight . Yeah it’s more work to setup but it was only $10,000 and I didn’t have to get rid of my Jeep. That being said I’m in my early 50’s and can see a day coming where my setup becomes too much work. I like the NuCamp but man that price tag.
For a retired single person is be a fantastic trailer. I do see quite a bit of wasted space or space that you pack stuff in and we'll forget about. Like the small windows area. Unsure how much wasted space is underneath that bed that is unaccessible. And who put air conditioners on the floor? Having all your accessories on the inside of your trailer in case it is bad weather for a prolonged time, would allow you to stay in one place instead of traveling to better weather. Sure do miss her traveling videos though. Another great video! Thank you!
Hey! Good seeing you. I keep seeing trailers that are catching my eye in your region. I have a feeling a year from now I will be heading out your way again. I would love to meet up with you if I do get out that way. I agree, the use of space is interesting. I really like the underbed storage that is accesed from the outside. And I like the nooks and crannies, for the fact that it feels a bit more like a home. But, I would be interested to see how it lives on the road. An AC floor mounted in a small teardrop trailer is one thing. But on something large like this it has me scratching my head a bit. I would be interested to hear more from current owners. I originally missed Mandy's regular content. But, I have come to appreciate what Kendrick has added to the channel. Mainly the fishing component!
Great point! It does make more of a homey feel. Also Kendrick seems to be a great guy. And they are a good fit together. It would be great if our calendars aligned. And share a good cup of coffee!
@@PlayingwithSticks I have a 2022 Tab 400. The AC is ducted throughout the camper. It doesn't come out of the slats by the front seat. It makes it a little quieter than a ceiling mount and I think it has a nicer aesthetic. It cools it down quick! Although, the vent by the bed can make you a little cold.
Nice seeing you Pat! Love how you held back on this one. It’s a different breed of camper. The arguments you and I usually have against small campers really don’t apply to this one. I think this is built for a whole different demographic in mind.
@@PlayingwithSticks Yeah the thing with this trailer is it targets a wide audience that wants a trailer that does everything. Most trailers go for one theme, light, rugged, minimalist, etc, etc. This one is more of a jack of all trades kind of thing. Others trailers fir that same category but this one does more things well and less of the master of none. There is a weight sacrifice and the indoor bathroom is a double edge sword. Every trailer in existence is a pile of compromises on 2 wheels pulled behind a pile of compromises on 4 wheels :)
@@pat9125 So true about the compromises. This is why I have always had one 13' trailer in the yard and one teardrop in the garage. Same goes with vehicles. I am always looking for one vehicle that can do it all. Still haven't found it. My Toyota Matrix hauled way too many couches, tables, bookshelf's than it should have. Haha. Those fold down flat seats, gotta love them!
AC on the floor is wrong unless soome ducts drive it to top, cold air is heavier than hot ,so it will take longer to cool down the whole inside and heat will stay up or above where all day Sun heats. I woul add 3 or 4 Solar panels, a Bigger Lithium batterry as 1 100ah at 12V is only1.2Kwh, Campers must move to 24 or the better 48Volts systems, I know weight is key, but all that front metal table can be wooden done for weigth reduction
Great feedback here Carlos! I love when people look at these trailers with a bit of critical eyes. In general, I think it not only helps us and users, but the industry as a whole.
This is what I was wondering. I have often heard in the forums that due to cold air sinking, ACs should be placed higher up. Not sure if this is true or not. In theory it makes sense, but I would love to hear more from owners about this.
As an owner of a 2021 T@b 400 I have to say the Dometic Cool Cat AC is wonderful and I prefer it at the feet. It creates a much lower profile on the roof and is one less large hole that has to be cut in the roof. It is also ducted so it blows cold in the bed area, at head level, and out of two floor level vents in the dinette area. We just turn our MaxAir vent on low and it pulls out the warm air at head level and pull up the cold air. I would not trade it for a roof mounted AC in this trailer.
We had a 2021 T@b 320 & loved the radiant floor heat but didn’t feel as thought the AC was sufficient. These upgrades were needed, many of them I would have loved to have in ours. I agree completely that the bath is a better closet. That storage is needed IMO.
So Playing with Sticks, as someone who has been in both the T@b 400 and the Aero Teardrops Sellwood trailer, which do you think is a better trailer, quality, features etc., and is there one you'd buy over the other?
When I first read this I thought, that is an easy question. But then the more I thought about it, it really is tough to answer. My gut reaction says Sellwood, but when I think about it more I have equal arguments for the T@B. Basically they both can be customized to meet boondocking needs. They both have options for better suspension and clearance. The big differences are in build materials and layout. Sellwood is built with quality craftsman components, where the T@B is built with more composites. Both have their benefits and drawbacks. The benefit of wood is that it is easier to maintain and repair. The beauty of composites is that they are not prone to water damage. The wood build if properly maintained over the years will last a lifetime. The composite build, I can't tell you. If it was built by someone like Bean or Escapod I would say it can last a lifetime. But I really haven't had the chance to tear down something from NuCamp enough to know what the bones look like. The Sellwood if you do get a leak has the potential of major water damage with all that wood. The T@B 400 if it gets a leak uses Azdel and a number of other composites that will make you glad you don't have wood when that leak is found. They both are quite heavy, with fairly large tongue weights. Really I think it will come down to aesthetics and layout for most people. Now, if I wasn’t using my logical side of my brain…I would choose the Sellwood. It just feels good to me. I can't put my finger on it. But I could easily live in it. The T@B 400 would be a bit harder for me to live in. I even find I can live in the Little Guy Max. It is very similar to the T@B, but something about the layout just feels better to me. Hope this helps a little.
It is that tow vehicle upgrade that stops so many people from getting into their perfect trailer. Sometimes I wish these manufacturers would aim towards lighter designs, but without sacrificing structural integrity. It can be done.
Good question. Most of us have outdoor bathroom setups that are no farther from our bed than our home bathrooms. And in a pinch most of us carry some sort of pee bucket, as gross as that may sound.
As a pilot, I love the aerodynamics of this unit. It'd look good mounted on my flat bed pickup, without the axles. i wonder if any trailer manufacturers ever get asked to supply a unit without any running gear?
I have seen some folks ask for something similar. Basically a trailer mounted on a frame that extended beyond the original trailer cab to hold bikes. Essentially a cabin sitting on a haul trailer. Companies of this size probably wouldn't be interested in that. But, I have seen smaller companies like Valiant and Aero Teardrops tackle requests like this.
@@PlayingwithSticks I would think it wouldn't disrupt the assembly process at all, shorten it if anything! IF I was a trailer builder, I'd offer that as an option, maybe even charge more for deleting the axles, ha ha!
If you use solar or portable solar power stations try the Dash mini cookers. They work with 500w power stations. No need to use a 1500 watt griddle or waffle maker. Plus, low wattage rice cookers are great to have for various off-grid cooking needs. You can get the small one Dash has that only uses 200w of power. It`s small but effective.
@@JoePAcalaughs Just check the wattage on the rice cooker you buy. I use two 100w 12v DC rice cookers that work with my small 300w power stations that cook one cup of dry rice. They plug into the cigarette lighter port. Dash has mini griddles, waffle maker, etc that use only 350 watts but are AC. They have a 4 inch diameter cooking surface. The griddle makes a huge perfectly browned pan biscuit in a few minutes or a pancake in one minute. I`ve never used their rice cooker. I hear it can`t cook one dry cup of rice. But you can heat water, soup, and cook more than rice using low wattage with rice cookers. Just check their power rating to be sure it`s rated a bit under the max wattage of your battery/inverter setup.
Our family talks about our DASH cooker quite often. May says she is going to get a couple more this summer. The one we use is the sandwich maker. We find it is so convenient for making quick road side hot meals for the boys.
Thank you - this is a great review for what looks like an awesome product. I wish I had one! One question - what are the marks on the shower floor? They look like chips. I've had a composite shower with chips in the surface rot out a ceiling. Are these chips? Do they risk floor integrity? How can they be prevented? Why are there so many?
The one thing that might improve interior flow - instead of a door for the bathroom, a pocket door or shutter like panel. The doors inside take up too much space.
It is a decent trailer. I think much better than the 300 series. I would like to know how the durability of the T@b has been. I think it would be nice if it had a layout with no or a smaller bath for those who don’t really want the bathroom. The tongue weight was more than I expected. 400 pounds is pretty significant for a small camper and pushes the limit on some receiver hitches installed on many vehicles. What is the price?
Hi Garret. Sorry about the confusing price location. I accidentally forgot to include the price in my first edit. Luckily May caught it last second before I posted. The originally T@Bs years ago had durability issues. Like big time! One of the major ones was with the subfloor. But since then the company has split (half went to Little Guy, half went NuCamp). After that split I believev NuCamp changed manufacturers and has greatly updated the design over the years. Where in the past I often heard about issues, today I don't really hear about it. Not to say there probably aren't issues, because there are issues with every trailer. But, the fact I don't get emails about it says a lot. With a company that has this many trailers on the road, I would expect to hear a lot of negative things. But I don't. I have been surveying T@G owners for about 3 years straight now. Every T@G I see on the road I follow them. May hates it! But, it has really given me a good understanding of the T@G build. Because these are mass produced I have always been a little skeptical. But, my skepticism is waning. Now when it comes to the T@B I haven't been as fortunate to meet as many owners. I have probably only talked to 20 or so T@B owners. Like you mentioned with the bathroom, back in the day they actually made non-bathroom models. A lot of folks in the PWS community own these models. Which makes sense as many of us prefer outdoor baths/showers. Great seeing you Garret!
@@PlayingwithSticks We had a 2014 T@B with the bathroom can't remember the model but similar to 320S. The company that built it was called Pleasant Valley. This was a very trouble free trailer, build quality was very good. The T@B's that had problems were the original North American versions built by Dutchman. The worst was the clamshell model, leaks that rotted the floor. I would read things about problem areas that neaded maintenace and then look at ours and wonder what they were talking about. Usually they were talking about the Dutchman models.
Hi Drew! First of all: thank you for making those conversions - I was almost going to google convert after hearing you ask Mandy about the height and suddenly appeared and I was like: HEY 😊 this guy remembered! Very much appreciated 🙏🏼. Since I saw the presentation of this trailer I loved the room and interior design but looking it from the outside is kind of a real thing in terms of teardrop size. For us seeking an off road capable minimalist and roomy (yes the picky ones), this seems to be kind of a big deal. Overall I loved it just doesn’t seem to fit in my plans. Speaking of off road, does this trailer has independent suspension? All the best amigo, un abrazo de familia a familia 🙌🏼
Somehow my first response vanished. Glad to hear you enjoyed the conversions. As you know, you inspired it! I'm glad you pushed me to do it. When you see a picture of the famous PJ from NuCamp in front of the T@B 400 you realize just how big it is. It is a pretty sizeable trailer. As for suspension I believe it is torsion axle and I would assume it is from Dexter. I actually think torsion axles make great offroad suspension. Although not technically independent, each wheels acts independently of the other. Basically on each side of the axle you have an independent arm that raises up and down. It equates to a very smooth ride and good overall towing experience. Great seeing you on here as always! Sending hugs to you as well.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thank you for always being open to new ideas, I feel pretty much part of your community because of it. Well, PJ (with all due respect to her), she might be kind of tricky in terms of perspective of space, but Mandy’s partner in the other hand… Call me crazy but I kind of feel more uhm… I’m 1.83m tall so you get the point, right? 😅
They have these aftermarket awnings that mount similar to a vintage canned ham awning. I will put a link here if I can find one. These are pretty popular for T@B owners teardropshop.com/products/t-b-400-trailer-awning?variant=42402379216
Agreed. I like having an independent awning, so I can quickly move if need be. Plus they are nice because you can change them from driver side, to passenger, to rear, etc.
I see at one point you had a trail hawk how did you find that for towing ,that is what I have and often wondered if it's good enough ..I know the 320 and 400 are tongue heavy did this cause a problem?.. Great informative video.!.
Seems like AC would be most efficient mounted at ceiling. Since the bathroom door is open at the top 3-4", it is ok to not have a vent fan ONLY IF there is an exhaust fan for the entire trailer. Weight is an issue for me, thanks for reviews on this and teardrop awnings!
Cold air sinks, warm air rises. If it's a single-duty A/C, have it near the top of the trailer and run a little fan on the floor from the opposite side. Heater vent should be near the floor, with a fan at the opposite side near the ceiling. If it's double-duty unit, put it in the middle and aim the vents down for heat and up for cool.
Thank you for chiming in here. I had my gut reaction, but I was really interested to hear what folks like you thought about this. Great advice here on single vs. double duty. I never would have thought of that.
@@PlayingwithSticks Hi Drew. I love the AC in my T@B. It's such a small area, it cools down quickly. It is quite loud, however, as is the overhead fan that vents to the outside. But the AC and heater both work great!
So, if I’m understanding you right, it sounds like the lower placement of the AC doesn’t really impact the cooling properties because of how small the camper is? Basically, it feels the same temperature from head to toe, correct? I’ve been wondering this, because at some point we will experiment with a portable AC for the channel. It seems like everybody mounts their portable AC on the floor as well. I wonder at what size of a trailer the placement of the AC becomes more important?
@@PlayingwithSticks I learned room temp control from cars and applied it to household rooms. I'm an impatient person and like my car's temp adjusted quickly when I get in. Heat from the floor and cool from the highest point possible has a faster effect adjusting the entire interior temp.
Show the panel and how you switch between lithium and run the air conditioner from it. How do you get all the water out of the floor of the shower since it doesn’t drain very well. Thanks! Also the refrigerator’s condensation is terrible.
So silly question because I'm a noob. When you park the trailer and want to take your truck into town, can you secure the trailer so no one can hitch it to their vehicle and take off with it?
Great question. And the answer is yes. Check out this video here ua-cam.com/video/B6YJv1qJXLw/v-deo.html And then in our Amazon Storefront here www.amazon.com/shop/playingwithsticks/list/26JC9SZKGPY0F?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d you can checkout all the security items we use. Takes less than 30 seconds to put them all in place and then you get the comfort of knowing it isn't going anywhere.
hmm, company here makes a perfect garage for this. 8' wide doors x 9 high, 12' wide x 20 long, you drive straight in, unhook the trailer, drive out the other side... no backing in, turning around lol. (they can bump them out to 44' long for insane lengths) In this size you really are looking at a "heavy" trailer in a small package... Has all the benefits of a larger trailer but all the flaws too. It doesn't have the "interior space" per say, in large trailers like say, the Featherlite Country Estate Villa horse trailer, (do not look that up Drew). but still requires a substantial towing vehicle. (sure it doesn't require a 5th wheel toy hauler but). You have to either buy or modify your tow vehicle, now for some who are using their vehicle for work, carrying heavy loads and/or already towing heavy cargo...thats fine... but this might turn a "day driver" truck, into something less useful for day driving, less fuel economical, and in some cases, without a load, less comfortable on some city roads as the stiffer shocks and suspensions don't compress as much without load. in truth i think this is a great little 1-2 person trailer camper, the only thing i'd be adding would be... a propane generator. But thats just me.
I could see how the alp generator would be a good fit with this. You really said it well when you described it as being a heavy trailer in a small package. And that’s another thing I probably should’ve pointed out. Another reason why it’s heavy is because the build quality going into trailers like this is much better than 90% of what is coming out of the large RV industry. These guys could’ve cut some corners and reduced the overall weight, but then this trailer would’ve been no different than the poorly crafted ultralight trailers coming out of Indiana. I think we all know some other “teardrops” coming out of the large RV industry, that I won’t mention here. And most of us know they come with a plethora of issues. So it’s a bit of a catch 22. You get a better built trailer, but now you’re up against weight issues. That’s kind of the beauty of overbuilt trailers that are smaller and under 1800 pounds. They are able to push the limits in terms of quality components, and still not require you to do modifications or buy entirely new tow vehicles. One of these days I need to pull up my stats between the Sellwood and this tab 400. I would be interested to see the difference in overall weight and tongue weight. OK fine. I’ll do it now. 😂 Interesting…They are almost identical. 2800lbs and 400lbs. Vs T@Bs 2,831lbs and 390 lbs.
@@PlayingwithSticks Rodeo crew, barrel riders and such, will live out of trailers like that for months on end traveling from race to race. It becomes not just their home, but their horses.
A little secret many people don’t know about me… I think the only hint I gave was little Crackers in one of the videos. Besides the fact that you can hear it all over my rural language and communication skills. I grew up in a ranch family. Well, I don’t know if you can really call what we have a ranch. We consider it more of a hobby ranch at 30-60 head. But even though many of my friends were Bulldoggers and riders, the horse trailer scene is one I don’t know much about. My mom takes out the horses with friends who have some of these elaborate $100,000 horse trailers. They are nicer than my dad’s fifth wheel!
Another excellent review with a keen eye! There is much to like, but understand the compromises. The tongue weight is of concern. AC on the floor? Um… is it for the dog? 😏 Wouldn’t seem like good placement. It does remind me of squeezing a Scamp into a large teardrop shape. For extended stays - weeks or longer boondocking - this appeals. But, by the same token, I just don’t see the realistic storage opportunities for stays of that length. You know that bathroom will do double-duty as a closet.
Hey Zack! Good to see you on here. I am starting to get more clarity on the AC placement from comments on this video. It sounds like it is ducted both to the bed and to head level at another place in the trailer. It is now making much more sense to me. Like you, the placement seemed odd to me at first. And yes, by having that nice teardrop shape, there definitely is a sacrifice in terms of space. Thats why I think it is a great shape for a true teardrop (small camper with a galley kitchen), but maybe not the best shape for a 100% indoor functioning trailer.
Your favorite new feature, the bunk beds is what I dislike about this camper and I believe it is standard now. The bunk beds and the round kitchen sink with the cheap fold down faucet is what changed my mind on this trailer.
I have heard this argument before. Running two 6 vs in parralel having more power and lasting longer. I haven't heard this subject in a long time. What brought this to mind?
Most 12v Batteries are made to to start a car with a short burst of power - however 6V batteries are engineered differently and used today in Golf carts that need to run for a prolonged period so they are better in a trailer. Two are wired in a series to produce 12v
Brad, as usual YOU ROCK! Thank you so much. I must say I appreciate Mandy's honesty with the whole thing. Like you, I think she doesn't see the benefit as well. But she makes good use of that space. And she has a good point. I think for those campers who only use them one or two weekends out of the year, it probably makes sense.
It's just me, but the prices of so many of these campers is crazy insane high. Being on a broken shoestring budget means that I will have to get a good used van and convert it myself into a campervan. I already have a ton of stuff to use to keep the conversion cost down. I'm just waiting on Social Security to hopefully come through soon so I can get a van.
@@PlayingwithSticks I was just in my local Walmart neighborhood market. I started talking to a lady working there stocking the toilet paper. When I got sticker shock, she said, "Well get ready, because it's going up next week".
I’ve seen conflicting numbers so I wrote to nucamp and got this: “The reason you're getting varying answers on the tank capacity is because the tank is 30 gallons, but due to the way water gets pulled out by the pump, there's always going to be a few gallons that the pump cannot pull out.” We’ve been tent camping for decades and finally decided to take the leap to a travel trailer. We ended up with a 2023 T@B 400 boondock with its maiden voyage coming up in about a week. So excited! We really liked the 320 but certain things were unacceptable. Some thoughts I have so far without having actually camped in it yet: I’m 6’3” - anything much less than the 6’5” height was a deal-breaker (e.g., the 320) The large bathroom is very important - we both like having a private bathroom and the 400 is really well laid out (the 320 has a large gap at the top of the door which makes no sense) The cooking surface is just about right - we felt like the 320 was a little tight Plenty of kitchen storage and the fridge is a really great size (both were too small in the 320) We’re a little concerned about both of us sleeping in the bed for the reasons Mandy mentioned, but my partner is willing to sleep in the dinette if it comes to that (the 320 arrangement wins in this category) Microwave? AC? I could certainly do without them, but not my partner 😅
One thing I did test on our 2021 400. With a full tank of fresh water, the tongue weight does not change. This surprised me. The tank is centered under the rear axle so it doesn't change the tongue weight when full or empty. The gray water is in front so that does change the tongue weight.
I drove by one of these last month pulling my Bean. It looks huge by comparison. I still think I would go the scamp direction if I wanted a more enclosed camping experience.
Yes, I could see that being a great fit for your lifestyle. And having that toilet is a nice bonus. Like you’re starting to find out from other videos, many of these smaller campers do not have toilets.
Really nice trailer camper, with serious downsides, as you point out, size for one. But I have seen some larger RVs near me parked under a free standing canopy in the yard or next to the driveway
I don't understand why they put a large bathroom in such a small trailer. Makes the interior seem cramped to me. I think the fold down sink is pretty awesome however. Great video!
Thank you for this. I posed the question because I often read negative things from folks about floor mounted ac units. I just wanted to see if there was anything to these complaints. The argument is that because cold air sinks, the ACs should not be installed on the floors. I know this is a non-issue with small trailers like traditional teardrops, but I wondered if this has more of an impact on larger trailers like the T@B 400 or the Little Guy Max.
@@PlayingwithSticks That's an interesting concern that I did not think about. I can tell you that we live in Tennessee and it's hot and humid during the summer. We have never had a problem with the AC keeping up if we are on shore power. The concern is more on the other side. Sometimes we wish the fan had a lower setting as it can cool the camper off too quickly and the compressor cycle on/off too often. We have the CoolCat in our unit. They did try and put Air8 units in the 400 for a short period of time but got a lot of complaints and went back to the CoolCat.
I owned one of these and thought it was great. A couple of comments on the heat and AC. First, the Alde heating was phenomenal. No noise. Really nice for sleeping on a cold night. Even cracked the windows to better hear sounds - kinda like sleeping under the stars with the star gazer window.
The AC won’t cool the trailer if it’s very hot. I camped in Florida in the summer and found that the temperature at 6 feet up was 20 degrees higher than at floor level under direct sunlight during the day with the shades down and the thermometer maxed low. I thought I was getting ill at first (cold feet, hot head)! Also, the vent at the back blew right at your head when you lay in bed - I tried a rotating vent but it didn’t work well so I just disconnected the duct at the AC side. Still a nice unit.
I love that this camper finally has some counter space for cooking, although it is kind of interrupted by the stove. If the stove was either right next to the sink or on the other side, it owuld be far more useful. Microwave is convenient, but I don't think I would ever get a camaper again that does not have a convection oven.
We went from a 6x10 cargo trailer conversion to the 400 with the 4 Battleborn batteries and love it. Power is the name of the game when dry camping/ boondocking.
4 Battleborns coupled with solar...truly endless power there!
Love the new sink and bathroom….its a must a bathroom
No I don't want all that extra smell and moisture. I will use the campgrounds facilities. I would rather use that space for storage or fuller size refrigerator. 73
@@ronb6182 Bugger that, that's the point of having a caravan, facilities that are ready to walk in & use, when you need them! and with privacy , otherwise you might as well pitch a tent!.
@@ronb6182 P.S. isn't the idea of camping ?, to get away from other people ?, just a thought.
This is a very stylish, and innovative travel trailer.
I really like it.
The prices are pretty high, but, I guess you get what you pay for.
Our new Casita is priced at $31,000, fully loaded, with a dry weight and a tongue weight less than the T@B.
We met a guy in Croton-On-Hudson RV park who lived in a T@B.
The Metro North commuter train station was adjacent to the park, so he was able to commute to his job in Manhattan every day, and still live in a very nice RV park by the Hudson River, in the cool little town of Croton-On-Hudson.
Even the price on this trailer has went up quite a bit in the last 3 years. I think the older Scamps hit a sweet spot for the compact SUVs and smaller mid-size SUVS. And then you have the modern Scamps and Casitas, which weigh a bit more, and fit just right for most of our mid-size SUVs. Even with the Casita's little extra weight over the Scamp it really doesn't put it into a new towing class. So you are basically getting a bit more of an upgraded interior, but not sacrificing much in terms of towing. I think this is why the fiberglass trailers have been so popular for so long. They are easy for many people to get into, maintain, and not to mention they hold their value incredibly well. That is neat that you got to meet someone living full time in a T@B. Its so fun running into people like this.
I like that the T@B 400 is taller. Plus the bathroom is definitely better than previous years. My biggest issue is the price. It seems that since I began researching all types of trailers since 2017 the prices have doubled.
Last question: Will they change the name of TAB to Diet Coke? Yes, I'm showing my age with that really bad Dad joke.
Greetings from Peru. Tio Mac.
You are absolutely right about those doubling prices across the industry. It hurts. Love the dad joke!
Es perfecto, pequeño pero bien distribuido y con todo lo necesario.
Thankyou Drew. Good stuff as usual. It definitely requires a more capable tow vehicle than the normal teardrop weight range. Curious if you've ever reviewed a Aliner Ascape? Just saw some segments about how it's back in production. I believe they didn't make them for about 3 years and recently brought them back. I'd love to see you do one of your top notch reviews of the Ascape. Thanks again.
That is funny that you mentioned the Ascape. I just added it to my short list of trailers I want to review. I saw something yesterday or the day before that said it was back. I didn't realize it had left. Hahah. I will see if I can track one down.
@@PlayingwithSticksI like the a liner but they are too heavy and don't have an ala carte where you can just add features you want. I wouldn't mind gutting out a used A liner and rebuild to my liking. 73
P.S. Jaco has an A frame type trailer also. I been wanting to go see it up the road where I live. 73
I love this I wish I had the nerve to live like this I love it
That's the 2nd best teardrop I've ever seen and you can't get the other one.
You said that you camped in freezing weather, how did you keep your plumbing from freezing? Is the camper rated to below freezing?
Drew, thank you so much for adding the metric equivalents. It really is greatly appreciated.
You are most welcome! I was pretty slow putting it together this round, but I know I can get faster. Soon, I will be thinking in the metric system.
Nice setup, especially inside
Great review..love that the differences between 2022 and 2023 were highlighted.
I own a Tag…I am a solo camper so it’s perfect for my needs…love it.
I’d love to pick up a Tab 400 for my next camper, but it will also equate to a new TV too.
Nucamp makes a great camper, albeit pricey. But the quality and workmanship is second to none!!
Thanks, Drew!!👏🏻
You get what you pay for--a well-built, cozy trailer, and peace of mind! Well done, NuCamp. 👏👏👏👏 I love my 320S-Boondock!
Good tour, Mandy! "My husband" just rolled off your tongue effortlessly. 😉
Good interview, Drew! Your kids would love those bunk beds and you and May would have that awesome star-gazer window. 😊
We have met so many happy T@G owners over the years. Typically mass produced trailers have nothing but problems, but I am finding it is quite the opposite with the little T@Gs on the road. Your comment reminded me of my brother in-law. He owns a T@G. He drove it all the way from Arizona to Alaska and back witha family of 5! Could you imagine? I love it! Good point on the new tow vehicle. That is something folks definitely need to consider when looking at trailers.
AGREED, Mandy gives a great tour! It is so fun hearing about their lifestyle and seeing how they make it work. You are so right about the bunks. And at 200lbs even this big "kid" can enjoy them. There is something about bunks that bring back camping nostalgia for me. I was so glad to see NuCamp chose to utilize the extra space making this a family friendly trailer. And I will admit I am often jealous of that window. We are trying to put a lot of windows in our new trailer. My only concern is heat during the day. May and I love windows, so we think we are up for the tradeoff. Time will tell. Goood seeing you Jody!
@PlayingwithSticks I can’t imagine 5 people in a Tag!! I will occasionally have a friend with me (making it two), but even that is tight!! Five people is A LOT of love for one another!!🤦🏻♂️😳
@@cgan2013 Only possible way to sleep 5 in a T@G is if mom and dad had baby triplets! 👶👶👶
Good to see you again, Drew! 😊
I should have known you would be one of the first to post on here. Great seeing you!
The T@b400 is my "if money were no object" dream trailer and has been for years. My compromise is that I bought a SylvanSportGO with the solar and GOzeebo. It meets our needs and allows me to keep a luggable loo handy in the trailer for those midnight calls from mother nature. A girl can dream, however, so who knows? Maybe some day I'll have the money to upgrade to this one.
I think it is always good to dream. You never know what life will bring. I have a feeling a number of people in the community will agree with you that this would be their dream trailer if money was no object.
Meet them at a rally, Kendrick is a very cool guy. Love our 400.
I was so excited to meet Kendrick in person. The morning I showed up, Kendrick had an emergency to tend to. I am hoping to meet up with Mandy and Kendrick again this summer. I would love to just talk shop with them about their lifestyle.
This is one of the few trailers that's also available in Europe (t@b has it's origin at the German brand Tabbert) there are differences though and the weight of the European version on the standard model comes at 980kg dry. I can't find a official tongue weight, but I do find people towing it with cars that can have a maximum of 65kg on the hitch.
Every time I research the T@Bs and come across an interior or exterior I love, it is always the European model. Interesting to note that the weight is different. I wonder where the weight savings is coming from? I wonder if they are a little bit smaller?
@@PlayingwithSticks Same dimensions, but the US factory gets to make their own interior design choices for the US market and I see that they use a lot of solid wood which you typically don't see in European caravans. Also a different Chassis that might be lighter. It has to be lighter because nobody tows with trucks and the average car can have 50 to 90 kg on the hitch. You might check out the Kip Shelter (made in Holland) and the Hobby beachy as well, not teardrops, but in scale like the T@b and personally I like their designs.
Thank you for explaining this
I looked and looked and since we only do 3 season camping I went with a tent trailer . Forest River 1640 Ltd . 1400lbs dry weight . 160 lbs tongue weight . Yeah it’s more work to setup but it was only $10,000 and I didn’t have to get rid of my Jeep. That being said I’m in my early 50’s and can see a day coming where my setup becomes too much work. I like the NuCamp but man that price tag.
Love it. Its amazing ❤ It covers everything.
For a retired single person is be a fantastic trailer. I do see quite a bit of wasted space or space that you pack stuff in and we'll forget about. Like the small windows area. Unsure how much wasted space is underneath that bed that is unaccessible. And who put air conditioners on the floor? Having all your accessories on the inside of your trailer in case it is bad weather for a prolonged time, would allow you to stay in one place instead of traveling to better weather. Sure do miss her traveling videos though. Another great video! Thank you!
Hey! Good seeing you. I keep seeing trailers that are catching my eye in your region. I have a feeling a year from now I will be heading out your way again. I would love to meet up with you if I do get out that way. I agree, the use of space is interesting. I really like the underbed storage that is accesed from the outside. And I like the nooks and crannies, for the fact that it feels a bit more like a home. But, I would be interested to see how it lives on the road. An AC floor mounted in a small teardrop trailer is one thing. But on something large like this it has me scratching my head a bit. I would be interested to hear more from current owners. I originally missed Mandy's regular content. But, I have come to appreciate what Kendrick has added to the channel. Mainly the fishing component!
Great point! It does make more of a homey feel. Also Kendrick seems to be a great guy. And they are a good fit together. It would be great if our calendars aligned. And share a good cup of coffee!
@@PlayingwithSticks I have a 2022 Tab 400. The AC is ducted throughout the camper. It doesn't come out of the slats by the front seat. It makes it a little quieter than a ceiling mount and I think it has a nicer aesthetic. It cools it down quick! Although, the vent by the bed can make you a little cold.
@@maelstrom7337 Okay...this makes a lot more sense. I just thought it may only come out at the feet. Good to know.
bless you..would be a little too small gfor me full time..but for a weekend or week get away..just fine.
Pretty cool do everything trailer. Good job as always Drew
Nice seeing you Pat! Love how you held back on this one. It’s a different breed of camper. The arguments you and I usually have against small campers really don’t apply to this one. I think this is built for a whole different demographic in mind.
@@PlayingwithSticks Yeah the thing with this trailer is it targets a wide audience that wants a trailer that does everything. Most trailers go for one theme, light, rugged, minimalist, etc, etc. This one is more of a jack of all trades kind of thing. Others trailers fir that same category but this one does more things well and less of the master of none. There is a weight sacrifice and the indoor bathroom is a double edge sword. Every trailer in existence is a pile of compromises on 2 wheels pulled behind a pile of compromises on 4 wheels :)
@@pat9125 So true about the compromises. This is why I have always had one 13' trailer in the yard and one teardrop in the garage. Same goes with vehicles. I am always looking for one vehicle that can do it all. Still haven't found it. My Toyota Matrix hauled way too many couches, tables, bookshelf's than it should have. Haha. Those fold down flat seats, gotta love them!
AC on the floor is wrong unless soome ducts drive it to top, cold air is heavier than hot ,so it will take longer to cool down the whole inside and heat will stay up or above where all day Sun heats. I woul add 3 or 4 Solar panels, a Bigger Lithium batterry as 1 100ah at 12V is only1.2Kwh, Campers must move to 24 or the better 48Volts systems, I know weight is key, but all that front metal table can be wooden done for weigth reduction
Great feedback here Carlos! I love when people look at these trailers with a bit of critical eyes. In general, I think it not only helps us and users, but the industry as a whole.
The upgrade package with this comes with four battle born batteries. But, I didn’t see any additional solar included in the package.
Air conditioner at your feet means cold ❄ feet, and hot 🔥 head. 😊
You would have to wait a while for the cool air to fill the space up to bed height
This is what I was wondering. I have often heard in the forums that due to cold air sinking, ACs should be placed higher up. Not sure if this is true or not. In theory it makes sense, but I would love to hear more from owners about this.
As an owner of a 2021 T@b 400 I have to say the Dometic Cool Cat AC is wonderful and I prefer it at the feet. It creates a much lower profile on the roof and is one less large hole that has to be cut in the roof. It is also ducted so it blows cold in the bed area, at head level, and out of two floor level vents in the dinette area. We just turn our MaxAir vent on low and it pulls out the warm air at head level and pull up the cold air. I would not trade it for a roof mounted AC in this trailer.
@@bryanbergstrom5686 Good to know! Thanks.
@@bryanbergstrom5686 This is one of the answers I was looking for. I wasn't sure if it was ducted or not. Thank you for sharing this.
@@PlayingwithSticks in my 2024 tab 400 model the ac/heat pump is ducted through out the camper
We had a 2021 T@b 320 & loved the radiant floor heat but didn’t feel as thought the AC was sufficient. These upgrades were needed, many of them I would have loved to have in ours. I agree completely that the bath is a better closet. That storage is needed IMO.
Love getting owner feedback. Thank you so much.
So Playing with Sticks, as someone who has been in both the T@b 400 and the Aero Teardrops Sellwood trailer, which do you think is a better trailer, quality, features etc., and is there one you'd buy over the other?
When I first read this I thought, that is an easy question. But then the more I thought about it, it really is tough to answer. My gut reaction says Sellwood, but when I think about it more I have equal arguments for the T@B. Basically they both can be customized to meet boondocking needs. They both have options for better suspension and clearance. The big differences are in build materials and layout. Sellwood is built with quality craftsman components, where the T@B is built with more composites. Both have their benefits and drawbacks. The benefit of wood is that it is easier to maintain and repair. The beauty of composites is that they are not prone to water damage. The wood build if properly maintained over the years will last a lifetime. The composite build, I can't tell you. If it was built by someone like Bean or Escapod I would say it can last a lifetime. But I really haven't had the chance to tear down something from NuCamp enough to know what the bones look like. The Sellwood if you do get a leak has the potential of major water damage with all that wood. The T@B 400 if it gets a leak uses Azdel and a number of other composites that will make you glad you don't have wood when that leak is found. They both are quite heavy, with fairly large tongue weights. Really I think it will come down to aesthetics and layout for most people. Now, if I wasn’t using my logical side of my brain…I would choose the Sellwood. It just feels good to me. I can't put my finger on it. But I could easily live in it. The T@B 400 would be a bit harder for me to live in. I even find I can live in the Little Guy Max. It is very similar to the T@B, but something about the layout just feels better to me. Hope this helps a little.
I have a 320S and want to upgrade to this so bad, but I would need to upgrade my TV as well. Can’t right now, but hopefully next year.
It is that tow vehicle upgrade that stops so many people from getting into their perfect trailer. Sometimes I wish these manufacturers would aim towards lighter designs, but without sacrificing structural integrity. It can be done.
So what do they do if they need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night? Seems silly to have such a great bathroom and never use it.
Good question. Most of us have outdoor bathroom setups that are no farther from our bed than our home bathrooms. And in a pinch most of us carry some sort of pee bucket, as gross as that may sound.
I was wondering the same thing. Not the life for me...
As a pilot, I love the aerodynamics of this unit. It'd look good mounted on my flat bed pickup, without the axles. i wonder if any trailer manufacturers ever get asked to supply a unit without any running gear?
I have seen some folks ask for something similar. Basically a trailer mounted on a frame that extended beyond the original trailer cab to hold bikes. Essentially a cabin sitting on a haul trailer. Companies of this size probably wouldn't be interested in that. But, I have seen smaller companies like Valiant and Aero Teardrops tackle requests like this.
@@PlayingwithSticks I would think it wouldn't disrupt the assembly process at all, shorten it if anything! IF I was a trailer builder, I'd offer that as an option, maybe even charge more for deleting the axles, ha ha!
Lol. Maybe you could look at their Cirrus truck campers.
@@amydelpiere9315 Good suggestion. I completely forgot they have the truck camper.
If you use solar or portable solar power stations try the Dash mini cookers. They work with 500w power stations. No need to use a 1500 watt griddle or waffle maker. Plus, low wattage rice cookers are great to have for various off-grid cooking needs. You can get the small one Dash has that only uses 200w of power. It`s small but effective.
Is it different ones or are they all called dash mini rice cooker?
@@JoePAcalaughs Just check the wattage on the rice cooker you buy. I use two 100w 12v DC rice cookers that work with my small 300w power stations that cook one cup of dry rice. They plug into the cigarette lighter port. Dash has mini griddles, waffle maker, etc that use only 350 watts but are AC. They have a 4 inch diameter cooking surface. The griddle makes a huge perfectly browned pan biscuit in a few minutes or a pancake in one minute. I`ve never used their rice cooker. I hear it can`t cook one dry cup of rice. But you can heat water, soup, and cook more than rice using low wattage with rice cookers. Just check their power rating to be sure it`s rated a bit under the max wattage of your battery/inverter setup.
@@baneverything5580 thanks
Our family talks about our DASH cooker quite often. May says she is going to get a couple more this summer. The one we use is the sandwich maker. We find it is so convenient for making quick road side hot meals for the boys.
Good question.
Thank you - this is a great review for what looks like an awesome product. I wish I had one! One question - what are the marks on the shower floor? They look like chips. I've had a composite shower with chips in the surface rot out a ceiling. Are these chips? Do they risk floor integrity? How can they be prevented? Why are there so many?
I can’t wrap my brain around not using the bathroom.
Excuse the expression but what a waste
Why have it if you don't use it 🤔
But…she does use it…as a closet. Also, most campgrounds have bathrooms and showrooms.
@margofreeman4436 yeah, but she said they boondock. For a month one time. Sooooooo....🤔
Yeah me too. What is it about the bathroom?
The one thing that might improve interior flow - instead of a door for the bathroom, a pocket door or shutter like panel. The doors inside take up too much space.
It is a decent trailer. I think much better than the 300 series. I would like to know how the durability of the T@b has been. I think it would be nice if it had a layout with no or a smaller bath for those who don’t really want the bathroom. The tongue weight was more than I expected. 400 pounds is pretty significant for a small camper and pushes the limit on some receiver hitches installed on many vehicles. What is the price?
It's on the video at 14:16
Hi Garret. Sorry about the confusing price location. I accidentally forgot to include the price in my first edit. Luckily May caught it last second before I posted. The originally T@Bs years ago had durability issues. Like big time! One of the major ones was with the subfloor. But since then the company has split (half went to Little Guy, half went NuCamp). After that split I believev NuCamp changed manufacturers and has greatly updated the design over the years. Where in the past I often heard about issues, today I don't really hear about it. Not to say there probably aren't issues, because there are issues with every trailer. But, the fact I don't get emails about it says a lot. With a company that has this many trailers on the road, I would expect to hear a lot of negative things. But I don't. I have been surveying T@G owners for about 3 years straight now. Every T@G I see on the road I follow them. May hates it! But, it has really given me a good understanding of the T@G build. Because these are mass produced I have always been a little skeptical. But, my skepticism is waning. Now when it comes to the T@B I haven't been as fortunate to meet as many owners. I have probably only talked to 20 or so T@B owners. Like you mentioned with the bathroom, back in the day they actually made non-bathroom models. A lot of folks in the PWS community own these models. Which makes sense as many of us prefer outdoor baths/showers. Great seeing you Garret!
Thanks Jody!
@@PlayingwithSticks We had a 2014 T@B with the bathroom can't remember the model but similar to 320S. The company that built it was called Pleasant Valley. This was a very trouble free trailer, build quality was very good. The T@B's that had problems were the original North American versions built by Dutchman. The worst was the clamshell model, leaks that rotted the floor. I would read things about problem areas that neaded maintenace and then look at ours and wonder what they were talking about. Usually they were talking about the Dutchman models.
@@steveogilvie5203 Glad to have someone on here with more knowledge on the subject. Thank you for sharing this.
Hi Drew!
First of all: thank you for making those conversions - I was almost going to google convert after hearing you ask Mandy about the height and suddenly appeared and I was like: HEY 😊 this guy remembered! Very much appreciated 🙏🏼.
Since I saw the presentation of this trailer I loved the room and interior design but looking it from the outside is kind of a real thing in terms of teardrop size. For us seeking an off road capable minimalist and roomy (yes the picky ones), this seems to be kind of a big deal. Overall I loved it just doesn’t seem to fit in my plans.
Speaking of off road, does this trailer has independent suspension?
All the best amigo, un abrazo de familia a familia 🙌🏼
Somehow my first response vanished. Glad to hear you enjoyed the conversions. As you know, you inspired it! I'm glad you pushed me to do it. When you see a picture of the famous PJ from NuCamp in front of the T@B 400 you realize just how big it is. It is a pretty sizeable trailer. As for suspension I believe it is torsion axle and I would assume it is from Dexter. I actually think torsion axles make great offroad suspension. Although not technically independent, each wheels acts independently of the other. Basically on each side of the axle you have an independent arm that raises up and down. It equates to a very smooth ride and good overall towing experience. Great seeing you on here as always! Sending hugs to you as well.
@@PlayingwithSticks
Thank you for always being open to new ideas, I feel pretty much part of your community because of it.
Well, PJ (with all due respect to her), she might be kind of tricky in terms of perspective of space, but Mandy’s partner in the other hand… Call me crazy but I kind of feel more uhm… I’m 1.83m tall so you get the point, right? 😅
@@adventuresonwheels5272 You are going to have to keep me accountable though. If you see me forget those conversions make sure you let me know.
Do these things have an awning option? Or can you mount an aftermarket one? Deal-breaker if no factory or aftermarket option for one.
A 10x10 EZ Up canopy can be placed where you need/want it. A trailer mounter awning requires you to (perhaps) move the trailer.
They have these aftermarket awnings that mount similar to a vintage canned ham awning. I will put a link here if I can find one. These are pretty popular for T@B owners teardropshop.com/products/t-b-400-trailer-awning?variant=42402379216
Agreed. I like having an independent awning, so I can quickly move if need be. Plus they are nice because you can change them from driver side, to passenger, to rear, etc.
i really like it, i want it, i just wish there was larger dinette area.
Glad you like it. Like you are noticing, I find there are always tradeoffs. It is really hard to find the perfect trailer.
Must be some wild cooking.
I see at one point you had a trail hawk how did you find that for towing ,that is what I have and often wondered if it's good enough ..I know the 320 and 400 are tongue heavy did this cause a problem?.. Great informative video.!.
Seems like AC would be most efficient mounted at ceiling. Since the bathroom door is open at the top 3-4", it is ok to not have a vent fan ONLY IF there is an exhaust fan for the entire trailer. Weight is an issue for me, thanks for reviews on this and teardrop awnings!
great review, Drew, God bless you. (rhyme)
Thank you, Dave, you are my fave! Obviously I am not as good at this rhyming as you. 😂Great seeing you on here.
Cold air sinks, warm air rises. If it's a single-duty A/C, have it near the top of the trailer and run a little fan on the floor from the opposite side. Heater vent should be near the floor, with a fan at the opposite side near the ceiling. If it's double-duty unit, put it in the middle and aim the vents down for heat and up for cool.
Thank you for chiming in here. I had my gut reaction, but I was really interested to hear what folks like you thought about this. Great advice here on single vs. double duty. I never would have thought of that.
@@PlayingwithSticks Hi Drew. I love the AC in my T@B. It's such a small area, it cools down quickly. It is quite loud, however, as is the overhead fan that vents to the outside. But the AC and heater both work great!
So, if I’m understanding you right, it sounds like the lower placement of the AC doesn’t really impact the cooling properties because of how small the camper is? Basically, it feels the same temperature from head to toe, correct? I’ve been wondering this, because at some point we will experiment with a portable AC for the channel. It seems like everybody mounts their portable AC on the floor as well. I wonder at what size of a trailer the placement of the AC becomes more important?
@@PlayingwithSticks I learned room temp control from cars and applied it to household rooms. I'm an impatient person and like my car's temp adjusted quickly when I get in. Heat from the floor and cool from the highest point possible has a faster effect adjusting the entire interior temp.
@@garetgardina9915 Such simple logic. I like how you explain things in a way that is easy to understand.
Wish it had a oven and a bigger freezer but i liking it over all
great vlog guys
Glad you enjoyed it Alan!
I would love to have one of these RV’s but living on Social Security I would never be able to afford one they look so nice.
Does it fit into a garage? That is my #1 priority. Not paying for offsite storage (HOA rules don’t allow outside long term storage).
Not unless your garage is massive! Agreed, paying for offsite storage makes no sense to a frugal guy like me.
@@PlayingwithSticks 3 car garage, but standard height.
Show the panel and how you switch between lithium and run the air conditioner from it. How do you get all the water out of the floor of the shower since it doesn’t drain very well. Thanks! Also the refrigerator’s condensation is terrible.
I think the Froli feels bumpy. Replaced it with carpet and foam insulation, but I live in a dry climate.
Awesome video
So silly question because I'm a noob. When you park the trailer and want to take your truck into town, can you secure the trailer so no one can hitch it to their vehicle and take off with it?
Great question. And the answer is yes. Check out this video here ua-cam.com/video/B6YJv1qJXLw/v-deo.html And then in our Amazon Storefront here www.amazon.com/shop/playingwithsticks/list/26JC9SZKGPY0F?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d you can checkout all the security items we use. Takes less than 30 seconds to put them all in place and then you get the comfort of knowing it isn't going anywhere.
Thanks for sharing.
Our pleasure Dave!
Whats the water tank size? How about gray tank
Now this type of tear drop trailer my wife could go for. 73
Thank you sooo much!
You are most welcome John!
A/c at my feet helps me how ? Heat rises to the top which is where we are.
this is really nice like it
Please please please. Have a look a the Safari Condo Alto r1713 (and the others alto!)
hmm, company here makes a perfect garage for this. 8' wide doors x 9 high, 12' wide x 20 long, you drive straight in, unhook the trailer, drive out the other side... no backing in, turning around lol. (they can bump them out to 44' long for insane lengths)
In this size you really are looking at a "heavy" trailer in a small package... Has all the benefits of a larger trailer but all the flaws too. It doesn't have the "interior space" per say, in large trailers like say, the Featherlite Country Estate Villa horse trailer, (do not look that up Drew). but still requires a substantial towing vehicle. (sure it doesn't require a 5th wheel toy hauler but).
You have to either buy or modify your tow vehicle, now for some who are using their vehicle for work, carrying heavy loads and/or already towing heavy cargo...thats fine... but this might turn a "day driver" truck, into something less useful for day driving, less fuel economical, and in some cases, without a load, less comfortable on some city roads as the stiffer shocks and suspensions don't compress as much without load.
in truth i think this is a great little 1-2 person trailer camper, the only thing i'd be adding would be... a propane generator. But thats just me.
I could see how the alp generator would be a good fit with this. You really said it well when you described it as being a heavy trailer in a small package. And that’s another thing I probably should’ve pointed out. Another reason why it’s heavy is because the build quality going into trailers like this is much better than 90% of what is coming out of the large RV industry. These guys could’ve cut some corners and reduced the overall weight, but then this trailer would’ve been no different than the poorly crafted ultralight trailers coming out of Indiana. I think we all know some other “teardrops” coming out of the large RV industry, that I won’t mention here. And most of us know they come with a plethora of issues. So it’s a bit of a catch 22. You get a better built trailer, but now you’re up against weight issues. That’s kind of the beauty of overbuilt trailers that are smaller and under 1800 pounds. They are able to push the limits in terms of quality components, and still not require you to do modifications or buy entirely new tow vehicles. One of these days I need to pull up my stats between the Sellwood and this tab 400. I would be interested to see the difference in overall weight and tongue weight. OK fine. I’ll do it now. 😂 Interesting…They are almost identical. 2800lbs and 400lbs. Vs T@Bs 2,831lbs and 390 lbs.
You knew I couldn’t resist looking up that trailer!
@@PlayingwithSticks Rodeo crew, barrel riders and such, will live out of trailers like that for months on end traveling from race to race. It becomes not just their home, but their horses.
A little secret many people don’t know about me… I think the only hint I gave was little Crackers in one of the videos. Besides the fact that you can hear it all over my rural language and communication skills. I grew up in a ranch family. Well, I don’t know if you can really call what we have a ranch. We consider it more of a hobby ranch at 30-60 head. But even though many of my friends were Bulldoggers and riders, the horse trailer scene is one I don’t know much about. My mom takes out the horses with friends who have some of these elaborate $100,000 horse trailers. They are nicer than my dad’s fifth wheel!
And, what are you doing up so late!
The tab isn’t just for old people, Old people are buying the B + and A RV’s. Or Air Streams, new ones. 👍🇺🇸
I love this
Very well thought out. But how much$?
I put the price in the video. It varies quite a bit so I showed a price range for both the base model and the Boondock package.
couldn'y store like the propane tanks and/or generator inside the camper to reduce tongue weight?
They should put the trailer hitch on the other end to make the trailer more air stream and save more on gas.
We here this quite often. However, science actually proves otherwise. I was shocked when I learned this as well.
Wish I had the $ to buy one. It’s a beaut!
I really like the updated interior as well. It feels really nice and airy.
On this trailer, what is the fresh water tank size and black tank size?
25 gallon fresh, 18 gray, 12 black.
Where do you put ur bikes
I thought this was the best camper until I discovered dry bath. KZ Sportsman.
Another excellent review with a keen eye! There is much to like, but understand the compromises. The tongue weight is of concern.
AC on the floor? Um… is it for the dog? 😏 Wouldn’t seem like good placement.
It does remind me of squeezing a Scamp into a large teardrop shape.
For extended stays - weeks or longer boondocking - this appeals. But, by the same token, I just don’t see the realistic storage opportunities for stays of that length. You know that bathroom will do double-duty as a closet.
Hey Zack! Good to see you on here. I am starting to get more clarity on the AC placement from comments on this video. It sounds like it is ducted both to the bed and to head level at another place in the trailer. It is now making much more sense to me. Like you, the placement seemed odd to me at first. And yes, by having that nice teardrop shape, there definitely is a sacrifice in terms of space. Thats why I think it is a great shape for a true teardrop (small camper with a galley kitchen), but maybe not the best shape for a 100% indoor functioning trailer.
Your favorite new feature, the bunk beds is what I dislike about this camper and I believe it is standard now. The bunk beds and the round kitchen sink with the cheap fold down faucet is what changed my mind on this trailer.
I don't think I quite understand. Does the bunk take away something you need? I guess I was under the impression that it was only a bonus.
It would be a huge bonus for me. I’ve never slept with my wife, and I don’t intend to start now.
@@mu47470 I don’t believe it is optional. I believe it is standard now. You get them whether you want them or not.
What do you do when you boondock, if you don’t use bathroom?…
Would this trailer fit in a residential garage? Thanks
No
Thank you for answering that. I appreciate it.
Is there an advantage of two 6 V batteries to a single 12 V battery of the same Ah rating?
I have heard this argument before. Running two 6 vs in parralel having more power and lasting longer. I haven't heard this subject in a long time. What brought this to mind?
@@PlayingwithSticks She mentioned that the previous model had two six volt batteries
That’s funny, for some reason I completely overlooked that comment
Most 12v Batteries are made to to start a car with a short burst of power - however 6V batteries are engineered differently and used today in Golf carts that need to run for a prolonged period so they are better in a trailer. Two are wired in a series to produce 12v
@@onefastcyclist Nice! Thank you so much for clarifying here.
I love that the AC unit is not on the roof. 🎉
Yes!!!! Huge win. And I have learned from the comments that although the AC is mounted on the floor it is ducted to both the bed and up high. Yay!
So where do you go to bathroom
so if the bathroom is a closet..when you boondock you are going in nature???
Thanks Drew! I just cringe every time I see a small camper like this with a built in bathroom. They just aren't big enough in my opinion! 🤔
Brad, as usual YOU ROCK! Thank you so much. I must say I appreciate Mandy's honesty with the whole thing. Like you, I think she doesn't see the benefit as well. But she makes good use of that space. And she has a good point. I think for those campers who only use them one or two weekends out of the year, it probably makes sense.
Yeah to slim for me inside, maybe if they made the whole kitchen part extend out, that's would give the extra room needed.
It's just me, but the prices of so many of these campers is crazy insane high. Being on a broken shoestring budget means that I will have to get a good used van and convert it myself into a campervan. I already have a ton of stuff to use to keep the conversion cost down. I'm just waiting on Social Security to hopefully come through soon so I can get a van.
It is not just you. It has gone bananas!
@@PlayingwithSticks I was just in my local Walmart neighborhood market. I started talking to a lady working there stocking the toilet paper. When I got sticker shock, she said, "Well get ready, because it's going up next week".
Oh no! Here we go again.
You were waxing poetic near the end there. 😀
Haha. From time to time I love to slip a little Dr. Seuss into these videos.
How much water does it carry?
22 gallons of fresh water.
Good question, I completely overlooked that in the edit.
Thank you Matt!
I’ve seen conflicting numbers so I wrote to nucamp and got this: “The reason you're getting varying answers on the tank capacity is because the tank is 30 gallons, but due to the way water gets pulled out by the pump, there's always going to be a few gallons that the pump cannot pull out.”
We’ve been tent camping for decades and finally decided to take the leap to a travel trailer. We ended up with a 2023 T@B 400 boondock with its maiden voyage coming up in about a week. So excited! We really liked the 320 but certain things were unacceptable. Some thoughts I have so far without having actually camped in it yet:
I’m 6’3” - anything much less than the 6’5” height was a deal-breaker (e.g., the 320)
The large bathroom is very important - we both like having a private bathroom and the 400 is really well laid out (the 320 has a large gap at the top of the door which makes no sense)
The cooking surface is just about right - we felt like the 320 was a little tight
Plenty of kitchen storage and the fridge is a really great size (both were too small in the 320)
We’re a little concerned about both of us sleeping in the bed for the reasons Mandy mentioned, but my partner is willing to sleep in the dinette if it comes to that (the 320 arrangement wins in this category)
Microwave? AC? I could certainly do without them, but not my partner 😅
One thing I did test on our 2021 400. With a full tank of fresh water, the tongue weight does not change. This surprised me. The tank is centered under the rear axle so it doesn't change the tongue weight when full or empty. The gray water is in front so that does change the tongue weight.
2nd comment! 😂 The Tabs are so adorable!!
That is me. I am always the second comment. Haha.
Poor AC vent location. Suspect when hot weather comes the temp inside will be negatively impacted.
You don’t use that nice bathroom? What are your alternatives?
How to stay out off grid for months with no shower?
I drove by one of these last month pulling my Bean. It looks huge by comparison. I still think I would go the scamp direction if I wanted a more enclosed camping experience.
Our idea of Roughing It, is a Holiday Inn
As retired single guy this looks ideal
Yes, I could see that being a great fit for your lifestyle. And having that toilet is a nice bonus. Like you’re starting to find out from other videos, many of these smaller campers do not have toilets.
Really nice trailer camper, with serious downsides, as you point out, size for one.
But I have seen some larger RVs near me parked under a free standing canopy in the yard or next to the driveway
Good point on the free standing canopy.
Check out the ,Safari condo alto 1743 has same floor plan , all aluminium and weight 1750 lbs 17 feet
F1743 made in Canada
Love the Safari Condo Altos. Hopefully one day I’ll get the chance to play with one.
You say you don’t use the bathroom….so what are you using? Not taking showers?
Good question. No, most of us do all our bathing and bathroom use outside. Many of us use side entry tents, swing out overland privacy shelters, etc.
Cool
Nice trailer ... can't afford it.
I don't understand why they put a large bathroom in such a small trailer. Makes the interior seem cramped to me. I think the fold down sink is pretty awesome however. Great video!
That’s a door!
I don't like to criticize but you did a great video but you never described what the cost of that unit would be
Sounds like you didn’t stick around long enough. We always share the prices of the trailers we highlight.
I don’t like the air conditioner near the feet. If you live in a hot climate, the air conditioner is crucial.
The AC is ducted so having it down by your feed is not a big deal. That vent is where the filter is on the intake side. Never bothered us.
Thank you for this. I posed the question because I often read negative things from folks about floor mounted ac units. I just wanted to see if there was anything to these complaints. The argument is that because cold air sinks, the ACs should not be installed on the floors. I know this is a non-issue with small trailers like traditional teardrops, but I wondered if this has more of an impact on larger trailers like the T@B 400 or the Little Guy Max.
@@PlayingwithSticks That's an interesting concern that I did not think about. I can tell you that we live in Tennessee and it's hot and humid during the summer. We have never had a problem with the AC keeping up if we are on shore power. The concern is more on the other side. Sometimes we wish the fan had a lower setting as it can cool the camper off too quickly and the compressor cycle on/off too often. We have the CoolCat in our unit. They did try and put Air8 units in the 400 for a short period of time but got a lot of complaints and went back to the CoolCat.
@@mattw8155 You are the second person to say good things on here about the CoolCat. Seems to do the job well. Thank you for sharing all of this Matt.
You have to really get along with someone to live in close quarters full time! 🤣
Nice, but too pricey for me!
It looks like a show home. Do you actually live like that?