long term living in a Tab 400

Tundra57

I am a bit over 3 years from retirement when I will move from Connecticut to Florida permanently to live with my son and his family. Meanwhile I plan to sell my house here in Connecticut. But I have to stay up here at my job until retirement. I was thinking about selling my house early and living in my Tab full time for 2 to 3 years. Mostly at a static site locally with some vacation touring.

Who out there spends full time in a northern state with cold winter's and has some dos and donts? The Nucamp manual says the camper is not designed for full time living. Does that mean stuff will break or wear out all the time and be a maintenance nightmare?

ScottG

Stuff will freeze (and then break). The T@B's mechanical systems are not all within the heated envelope of the the trailer. I know CT is southern New England, but it's still new England!  :-)

You might make it if you winterize the plumbing, but 2-3 years is a long time to spend roughing it without running water. YMMV!

Verna

I full time on my 400. I am counting the days until I leave Indiana to head south, then southwest.

I tried to stay here past 19* and 2” of snow on Nov 1st last year but I will tell you it is not easy to stay when you have to be winterized and you have to boil water for dishwashing and you can’t let water go down your drains. You can’t use your shower or toilet, as you will need to use the campground facilities.

You will also have trouble finding campgrounds open during the winter. Tennessee is normally the most northern state to have open campgrounds, although I have found one campground open in Bowling Green, KY. 

While it is humanly possible to survive, I will echo Scott's post.  The 400 or the 320 is not made for winter camping. You can stay warm, but you would be living as you would in a tent with electricity and heat.

Tundra57

I believe I can solve the tank freezing problem, but I think that this might not be an option after all. Was a thought tho. Thanks for the insight.

coylizard

Dos and Don'ts ?

Sure, I have some of those.

Dos:

When cold weather is expected, winterize all T@B water based systems and prepare them for nonuse.

While stationary/not en route, locate T@B in sunny location if possible.

Insure reliable electrical power source (shore power v. solar v. generator)

Be comfortable and satisfied with your self on long cold days when outside activity is contraindicated.

Have reliable sources of fresh water and supplies and prepare for refuse disposal.

Have trustworthy winter gear and clothing.

Reliable wifi connectivity is desirable.

Stay warm.

Stay dry.

Have a substantial library with endless reading material.

Don'ts:

Do not fail to plan for each day's/week's/month's need for water, nutrition, activity, exercise, safety, warmth, and survival.

Do not underestimate the risk of being cold.

Do not underestimate the challenges of living in a small confined space.

My plan had me and my "Taco and a TaB to go" located in the southwest this winter... enjoying the sun and fair weather...

but...

a loved one's cancer treatment and loss of independence requires that I winter in the Inland Northwest one more time.

Living full time in my "Taco and TaB" is all I expected and more.

I'm proud to say that I'm living in a space smaller than Henry David Thoreau lived in... but then I have shore power and an electric heater rather than hard wood and a stone fireplace.

Henry always maintained that we "fritter our lives away in details" and I have always argued...

details are important!

Tundra57

The plus would be that while in Connecticut I would be only 30 mins from my older son and his family. Plus I would be working 40 hours a week. I would always be able to get a warm night, good company and a meal.

Tundra57

Sorry to hear about your loved one. Cancer sucks. It took my girlfriend this year.

Sharon_is_SAM

@Tundra57, sorry for your loss.  Are there any options for you for temporary housing over the winter and then you could resume living in the TaB through the warmer months?  Maybe a house share arrangement?  Find a snowbird that goes to Florida for the winter!

Tundra57

thankyou. I do have a house up here. I was thinking to sell it early, but if it's too difficult to live a couple of years up here in the Tab then I'll just have to keep the house until the last minute.

Once I get down to Florida I will go on a grand tour for a while. Then just take short trips and head back up to Connecticut regularly to see my older son and his family.

I plan to set up my Tab for winter living and try it out for short periods to see how it might work.

jimcenname

I just bought my T@B400 (sold my 5th wheel) and plan to sell my southern California house in the next few months. I will live in the T@B full-time in the southwest and visit the north when it thaws. Thank you @coylizard for the encouraging words. 

coylizard

Good looking rigs you have there, jimcenname.

Too, it sounds you have great plans!

My "Taco and Tab to go" have been home for some time...

and everyday is an adventure.

I've just winterized my T@B, have it parked on a friend's rural property (No, not Emerson!), have shore power, and am prepared to winter in the Inland Northwest.

Here's hoping everything goes as planned for you...

yes, these transitions can be exciting and challenging...

but sometimes "the universe" has plans for us that present unexpectedly and at the wrong time.

Watch out for fire, eh!?

Best wishes.

L

 

lkc001

@jimcenname I have the same TV as you do---how does it do towing the 400?  Have you done any serious mountain driving

jimcenname

@lkc001
So far the T@B 400 has been easy to tow without the use of a weight distribution hitch or sway control. Passing truck haven't pushed me around. I have not yet driven in high wind. I climbed one big mountain, "The Grapevine" on I5 in southern California on the way home with my newly purchased T@B. No problem. I admit I am interested to know how the gasoline engine of the Nissan does on a big climb. I previously pulled a 5th wheel with a Chevy Silverado with a 6.6L diesel engine. 

Amazonica

My my dog and I live in our 400 fulltime, no other home or storage. While I’m not a pro at doing Winter, I only started this journey on Nov 1st 2019, it is my opinion that full on Winter living will require substantial heat tape/pads for the tanks, valves, and anything “outside” of the living area. I did one week winterized (no water, not using bathroom, etc) and I got down South as quick as I safely could. My life circumstances left almost no time to ‘plan’ or transition from my 3-2-1 life (sticks and bricks 3 bed, 2 bath, 1 acre lot). In just 64 days, I‘be learned what we truly need to be comfortable and safe. This will vary from person to person. Space is a challenge. I used to be the “stock up” on supplies kind of gal,  it figure now, those sales aren’t worth hauling the stuff around - I purchase as I need. I also gave up some hobbies that required more gear and space than I now have. Just be prepared to not only pare down the stuff you already have, but also your mindset on what you require to be content. Totally worth the mental growing pains for me! I am happier and more free than I‘be ever been! Best of luck to you on your journey. Don’t let fear stop you. 🙂

Tundra57

Thankyou for that. I am working on some cold weather upgrades. I have done some winterized camping with 5 gall water carrier inside and flushing with antifreeze. I will be happier when the tank and dump valves are boxed in and heated. I am getting rid of a lot of stuff before I go permanent. How do you manage to store everything? Also what about washing clothes?

Verna

@Tundra57, I rented two storage units for 18 months. One a 10x30 and a small one 10x10 just for camping equipment (different seasons need different equipment).  The larger one had my woodworking tools and household goods, furnishings and clothing I kept. That’s the hard part—what do you want to keep, what to donate, what to offer to family to see if they want to keep it. Be sure to mark the outside of each box or plastic tub clearly with the contents. 

By the way, Rubbermaid totes can break, crack and bend in the extreme changes of temps in a storage unit. Luckily nothing broke when a stack of tubs fell over because the bottom one broke. 

Washing clothes?  Take advantage of family when in town, take advantage of campground laundry facilities where available, or stop at the neighborhood laundromat on the way. Keep a supply of quarters. I typically spent an average of $7 to do laundry. Be careful when transporting plastic laundry detergent bottles. I’ve changed to the pods because I had two plastic detergent bottles break in the truck. 

On the road, you’ll find if you stick to basic colors or well broken-in clothing, you can cut down on how many loads you need as those colors won’t bleed into other clothes. Microfiber towels dry quickly although a good thick bath towel sure feels good from time to time!

VictoriaP

To add to Verna’s comment, @Tundra57, a friend of mine who is a travel nurse lived in the snowy high desert last winter in a non 4 season Winnebago. She skirted the trailer and put an electric heater on low underneath, used a heated water hose, did her clothes mostly in a countertop washer she got for around $100 on Amazon, and air dried them in the shower. Only sheets and jeans went to the full size washer/dryer at the campground. She does have a condo and a storage unit elsewhere when she’s on the road.

As far as storage units go, while plastic totes can break in temperature extremes, cardboard boxes can rot from humidity, deform when stacked in humid conditions, get mold/mildew, and are more susceptible to rodents and bugs. I will never use cardboard for long term storage again after experiencing all of the above while clearing out my late husband’s estate. Stuff in plastic bins with latching lids fared far better.

Tundra57

Great info thanks. :-)

Sharon_is_SAM

I just read an interesting comment on RV Travel about the cost of storing house contents. 

 “Stuff” is just stuff and can usually be replaced fairly easily. Our friends here in the RV resort sold their home a few years ago to become full time RVers. They put absolutely everything, including furniture, dishes, pots and pans, trinkets, etc., into storage as they planned that one day they would buy another home and could use all of it again. Now, almost four years later, they’ve decided that there are a few things that are valuable or are family heirlooms that they want to keep. However, for the most part, with what they have paid in storage charges they could have replaced everything else and had new things in their new home.

So, unless your full timing will be brief or you have free or very cheap storage, it pays off to donate or discard those items that are easily replaced.

Verna

When looking for storage, I found the lesser expensive ones are those without an attendant living on premise and are much less expensive than those with an attendant. 

My brother is paying almost as much for an 8x10 as I paid for a 10x30. My 10x30 had no attendant, but there was a manager who visited daily, security cameras, and two emergency telephone numbers for 24/7 coverage. You will find that you must use their preferred lock and the storage unit I used actually provided the lock. Shop around. 

Sharon_is_SAM

@Tundra57, check out Tabaz’s custom storage.  This would benefit anyone, but, especially a full timer.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/6448/custom-cabinets-for-solo-travelers#latest

Tundra57

My youngest son wants me to live with him in Florida and had already bought a house with a room for me. So I will have to dump a lot of stuff anyway. I'm thinking I will just retire early move my basic stuff to his house and set off touring. Seems to make more sense than waiting. Who knows what the future will bring. As many of you have said what's the point of storing stuff you will never use. My son when he moved to Florida, opened shipping boxes and said "what on Earth did I ship this for?" But it's hard to get rid of stuff for sure.

Marceline

Comment on long-term storage. 

Neither boxes nor totes are meant to bear the weight of a tall stack. Install Gorilla Racks or other steel shelving in your storage unit and then place boxes/totes on shelves. Storage units are generally priced by the floor space, so if you find a unit with tall ceilings you can almost double the volume that you can store by using racks. 

Tundra57

I like your thinking

Mouseketab

Some friends of mine were wanting to go full time and work remote several years ago. They were from CT also. However, after they sold their house, their employer decided at the last minute that he couldn't work remote. So what they did was rent a short term temporary apartment in the winter, and parked and lived in their camper in the warmer months. Perhaps look into something like that. That would give you a head start on shedding the "stuff" and really get to know your 400 in a stationary situation.

Verna

@Tundra57, take a look at rolling wire shelves. I purchased 6 of them for the large storage unit and 3 for the smaller storage unit. (I could have used 6 more in the larger storage unit!)  

Amazon has different sizes. I chose the ones with the casters because they are now part of my “normal” storage in the garage and I can move them easily. I think mine are about 5.5’ to 6’ tall and about 3.5’ wide.  Two Rubbermaid totes will fit side by side on each shelf and you can change the height of each shelf to fit your needs. 

Since my cardboard boxes were on the wire shelves, (not on the concrete floor), and never stacked more than three high on the top shelf, the cardboard did not deteriorate in 18 months. 

The only Rubbermaid boxes that broke or bent were the ones that were on the floor and stacked 8’ tall. Too tall of stacks and the severe temperature swings weakened the lower totes. 

Here’s a trick the movers showed me. They used their rolls of shrink wrap to totally encase whatever was on each rolling shelf so nothing could move. Then they rolled each shelf unit  up their ramp, then just rolled all 9 of them into the garage. It saved a lot of lifting and fitting boxes here and there in the moving truck. I just cut the shrink wrap off and take a box at a time to be unloaded. 

Marceline

Yes, I use the rolling steel shelves, too. The mover idea with the shrink wrap is brilliant. I like the Gorilla Racks because if you can find a tall storage locker you can actually double stack them. Mine are twelve feet tall and they are along the side and back of the storage unit. Then I have a rolling shelf that goes in last and comes out first. 

Tundra57

@Mouseketab that is an idea I did not think about. Worth some research.