Best Of
Re: Entire new battery and solar system
Personal opinion is that Honda generators are in the same category as Battle Born batteries. Over priced and unnecessary for our needs.
We all have different needs and expectations, but this is working for us.
In the beginning we purchased a $250, 25 pound, 700W propane generator for backup charging if solar wasn’t keeping up. For this summer’s two month trip, we left it at home and didn’t miss it.
I’ve been adding to our battery/solar capacity over the five seasons we’ve owned our 320. We’re at the point now where we could run the Air8 AC probably eight hours with not even charging from solar. Knowing that it could be run for a few hours before sleep is reassuring.
The vast majority of our camping is without hookups. If we did choose to use the AC and solar was bad, an occasional day at a campground with electric to fully recharge might be necessary. I see that as a better alternative to hauling around the dead weight of a generator that will probably not be used.
We all have different needs and expectations, but this is working for us.
Re: Customized 2017 T@B CSS, New Lithium Battery and Converter, Good value!! Northeast Ohio. $19,500
OMG - I thought I was anal-retentive!!! The owner labeled all the water lines? Who does that? Whoever buys this will be getting a seriously well-maintained trailer by a meticulous owner. Wow. Simply wow.
Re: Customized 2017 T@B CSS, New Lithium Battery and Converter, Good value!! Northeast Ohio. $19,500
One further thought. I think the 2017 trailers were the best NuCamp ever made (I own a 2016). They have the wonderful wood ceiling and moved the guts of the Norcold frig to the outside wall of the trailer. The build quality has gone down from there. Next month marks the 10 year ownership of my trailer. Would not trade it in on another unit - including a new NuCamp model.
Re: Battery upgrade
There are hundreds of simple plug in chargers that will charge a lithium. They would require a shore power source to operate. In a non-shore power situation, solar is the way to charge the battery. Or, lug around a generator.
There are chargers like this one, which has a "dongle" attached to the battery with ring terminals. When you have shore power available, you simply plug in the charger and connect the "Anderson" connectors.
I have one like this, which simply connects to the battery with battery clamps.
Getting a "stand alone" charger is inexpensive, requires no "tools" except something to connect those dongles if you find a charger like that. The converter in your 2017 will charge a lithium battery. But, only to about 85 percent. There is no reason to spend a lot of money and time to change the converter over 15 amp hours. My solar panels take care of more than 95 percent of my solar charging.
Re: Battery upgrade
You can drop it in an go camping, though realize the existing charger will only charge the battery to about 80% since LiFePO4 batteries have a higher fully charged voltage than lead acid. When you add solar you can set that up for Li and then the solar will top off your battery. If you want to charge fully from shore power, then add a dedicated Li charger in parallel to the existing converter charger.
Re: VIN lookup/Highlander towing
Agree with @Horigan. In spite of the advertised tongue weight in 2017-2018 of around 290#, it was in fact, much heavier per owner reports. In 2019, this excess weight became more apparent as the number of customers increased and more weight checks were done and posted here. I think that it was actually in the neighborhood of 400#. Horigan has his exact number.
In 2020 in an attempt to reduce the weight, nuCamp switched to the Elwell Air8 air conditioner in the rear under bed, replacing the Dometic CoolCat A/C, among other fixes. Unfortunately, the Elwell was a problem in performance, and nuCamp went back to the CoolCat in 2021 and made other structural changes to reduce the tongue weight.
What I'm trying to say is that your vehicle would have a problem with a 2018 Tab 400 specifically due to tongue weight, but will probably also have problems with any year 400 due to the tow vehicle's 3,500# weight restriction. Once the vehicle and trailer are loaded, you exceed your max limit.
In 2020 in an attempt to reduce the weight, nuCamp switched to the Elwell Air8 air conditioner in the rear under bed, replacing the Dometic CoolCat A/C, among other fixes. Unfortunately, the Elwell was a problem in performance, and nuCamp went back to the CoolCat in 2021 and made other structural changes to reduce the tongue weight.
What I'm trying to say is that your vehicle would have a problem with a 2018 Tab 400 specifically due to tongue weight, but will probably also have problems with any year 400 due to the tow vehicle's 3,500# weight restriction. Once the vehicle and trailer are loaded, you exceed your max limit.
Re: New nuCamp Product Announcement
Maybe it’s just me but this doesn’t feel like a Nucamp product. Sure it has a lot of the same components you see on Nucamp campers but it feels cheap it reminds me of an R-Pod…granted slightly nicer but just feels off brand to me. The Avia was special…very Euro…same with the 320 and 400 coming from literal European designs. This feels very generic. Way too expensive for what it is.
Re: New Member looking at TABs
I fully agree that cooking outside can be such an important part of camping.
For the past five summers, I’ve roamed Canada’s northlands in my 2020 T@B 400 Boondock. I’ll cook outside over a campfire when conditions are favourable. Otherwise, I’m grateful to have an indoor kitchen for these reasons: Insects, large predators, wind, rain, cold and privacy.
On travel days, I can stop roadside and make a meal without road dust in my food, or becoming an attraction to other travellers. After dark, I can cook inside in full light without wondering if a Grizzly is approaching from the shadows. Many insects are drawn to light during nighttime; cooking outside under electric lights can become annoying.
I can wake early on a cold morning and make my coffee without pulling on two pairs of thick wool socks to venture outside.
Before my T@B 400, I camped for decades with a tent. Extremely good years, but I’m not going back.
Re: How to tell when the old Rhomar Fluid has been replaced by the New Rhomar Fluid during the exchange
Thanks to both of you for your suggestions. I think I'll just run 3 gallons of new Rhomar thru the Alde and call it good for the next two years.
Re: How to tell when the old Rhomar Fluid has been replaced by the New Rhomar Fluid during the exchange
The only time the "flush" has ever been mentioned in the glycol change is if you are changing from the "old" glycol to the "new" glycol. If you are just changing the same glycol back, I don't see why there has to be a "flush" at all. If you are concerned about that, just run an extra half gallon of the glycol through the loop and be done.