Mods/Upgrades while waiting out social distancing . Please share yours.

bellimages

Deb55 said:

We had a Maxxair fan installed to replace the Fantastic Fan. People who have done this, what did you do with the Fantastic Fan that was removed? Ours was only used twice, so it's nearly new. 

why did you replace the Fantastic Fan with a Maxxair? Is it an easy modification? Do I need to be concerned with sealing around it on the roof? Is it quieter?

gande

@bellimages I think I might agree with you, (although maybe not so emotionally). I have been thinking about replacing my bath sink with the new square one for the improved draining. Never really thought about it taking up more room. I don’t recall anyone who has made the conversion or purchased a new 400 equipped with one commenting on it being obtrusive. Maybe the ideal solution would be retrofitting a larger drain into the old style round sink. 

AirBoss

It's beyond me why folks search out and mod their rig with various and other hi-tech stuff only to ponder and seek out remedies to why they don't work according to Hoyle. 

If it ain't broke...don't fix it. Mic drop...

DenisP

What I appreciate most about this forum is the sharing of experiences and opinions.  I love my 400 and how NuCamp is always looking to improve their design.  Some of the changes work well and some not so much (Coolcat to Elwell back to Coolcat). Everyone has their opinion about the equipment, best place to camp, what to bring, what to tow it with, how fast to go.. and that is again a great benefit to have a forum to collect those thoughts so each of us can pick and choose what might work for our personal situation.

Denny16

The new table weighs less much less, about 1/3rd the weight, of the original and much easier to move up and down.  The earlier table is made from two layers of 3/4 plywood Which is covered by a laminate, very solid, but very heavy for its size.  The new table is a a molded composite (feels hollow), and is about 1-inch shorter in length and Has a slightly less curve on pax side, making it much easier to sit down.

The floor in our TaB400 was part of the recall of non Azdel sub floor units built Nov-Dec 2017 and Jan 2018, when nuCamp could not get the Azdel sub floor panels, and used a substitute sub flooring, that has subsequently separated at its seams (not one piece like the Azdel is) causing the floor covering on top,to buckle.  Since this was a recall, nuCamp is replacing the subfloor with Azdel per the original specification.
Cheers

Denny16

 “WHY WHY WHY would you want that new square bathroom sink? The circular one is incredible. It allows plenty of room to move by it while sitting on the toilet...”. Bellimages

Why would you want a sink at all in such a small shower/toilet space, in a small trailer, when their is a (galley) sink right next to it.     Both the square and round sink fold up to use the toilet, and take up the same space when closed.

Our TaB400 does not have a sink in the head, nor the sink pedestal, so more room for the shower.  I do not need two sinks!   
cheers

ScottG

AirBoss said:

It's beyond me why folks search out and mod their rig with various and other hi-tech stuff only to ponder and seek out remedies to why they don't work according to Hoyle. 

If it ain't broke...don't fix it. Mic drop...

Sometimes it's the journey, not the destination.

Ninety-five percent of the mods/problems/solutions owners post about I have no personal interest in. However, I enjoy the ingenuity and invariably learn something new.

To each their own.

Denny16

I did not mod the head, the trailer came without a shower/toilet sink from the factory, which is what we would have ordered if we got it new.  I did switch the door to open the other way round.  I also changed the dinette table for the new, lighter 2021 table.  Our trailer did not have its original front tub, so ordered a new 2021 tub also.  When done, we will have a “new” 2018 TaB400. 
cheers

AirBoss

ScottG said:

AirBoss said:

It's beyond me why folks search out and mod their rig with various and other hi-tech stuff only to ponder and seek out remedies to why they don't work according to Hoyle. 

If it ain't broke...don't fix it. Mic drop...

Sometimes it's the journey, not the destination.

Ninety-five percent of the mods/problems/solutions owners post about I have no personal interest in. However, I enjoy the ingenuity and invariably learn something new.

To each their own.

Oh, I agree. Don't get me wrong. Just expressing an observation.

I was referring to the hi-tech gadgets that are out there. Seems we end up chasing our tails on that stuff. While I've chosen not to go that route (for me, there's more than enough tech stuff on the 400), I taken a similar approach to other interests during my years. At least in my experience, more often than not, I resort back to what was working. 

The ingenuity is remarkable. I have no idea but I'm gussing there's more than a few engineers on here! It's amazing what folks come up with and I'd venture to guess some of those find their way onto the nuCamp factory floor in one fashion or another.  

bellimages

AirBoss said:

It's beyond me why folks search out and mod their rig with various and other hi-tech stuff only to ponder and seek out remedies to why they don't work according to Hoyle. 

If it ain't broke...don't fix it. Mic drop...

AMEN. NuCamp used their expertise in choosing the products that they use. I'm amazed that some people feel that they have better skills when it comes to what they choose for retrofitting

bellimages

Denny16 said:

The new table weighs less much less, about 1/3rd the weight, of the original and much easier to move up and down.  The earlier table is made from two layers of 3/4 plywood Which is covered by a laminate, very solid, but very heavy for its size.  The new table is a a molded composite (feels hollow), and is about 1-inch shorter in length and Has a slightly less curve on pax side, making it much easier to sit down.

The floor in our TaB400 was part of the recall of non Azdel sub floor units built Nov-Dec 2017 and Jan 2018, when nuCamp could not get the Azdel sub floor panels, and used a substitute sub flooring, that has subsequently separated at its seams (not one piece like the Azdel is) causing the floor covering on top,to buckle.  Since this was a recall, nuCamp is replacing the subfloor with Azdel per the original specification.
Cheers

I was curious what you had to say about the floor. We have areas that are "soft/swishy" when you step on them. So far, they don't seem to cause any problem. Austin, the service manager, made note of the problem and said that if they failed, that NuCamp would be giving us a new camper since they don't replace floors. 

AirBoss

Denny16 said:

 “WHY WHY WHY would you want that new square bathroom sink? The circular one is incredible. It allows plenty of room to move by it while sitting on the toilet...”. Bellimages

Why would you want a sink at all in such a small shower/toilet space, in a small trailer, when their is a (galley) sink right next to it.     Both the square and round sink fold up to use the toilet, and take up the same space when closed.

Our TaB400 does not have a sink in the head, nor the sink pedestal, so more room for the shower.  I do not need two sinks!   
cheers

I dunno...I kinda like the square sink, if for no other reason than it's unique. Doesn't take up that much room when closed. Also prefer not to use the galley sink for things other than galley purposes. 

Besides, it's nice to be able to use the head and brush your teeth at the same time! 

Verna

I absolutely love my square sink. Looks better, works better (although I was able to find a simple fix to the slow drain on the oval sink). I lived in my 400 for 18 months with the square sink and it was perfect. 

@AirBoss.....😂

AirBoss

@Verna 

Denny16

Yes, our floor is squishy where the top layer is buckled, but nuCmp shipped a new floor kit to our dealer, who is doing the installation.  Previously, nuCamp was replacing the floors on these 2018 Tab 400s.

Bellimages, when was your TaB400 built, it is on the Manufacturers plate on the left side of the tongue?

Cheers

bellimages

Denny16 said:

Yes, our floor is squishy where the top layer is buckled, but nuCmp shipped a new floor kit to our dealer, who is doing the installation.  Previously, nuCamp was replacing the floors on these 2018 Tab 400s.

Bellimages, when was your TaB400 built, it is on the Manufacturers plate on the left side of the tongue?

Cheers

Ours was manufactured 10/2017. There are a couple squishy areas, but no buckling. You can't see anything visually wrong with ours. 

HOW can a floor be replaced? The cabinets sit on top of it, as do the walls of the bathroom as well as the dining area seating. I feel that's why Austin (the service manager) told me that they don't replace floors ... and that we'd get a new unit if they ever failed. 

VictoriaP

bellimages said:

Denny16 said:

Yes, our floor is squishy where the top layer is buckled, but nuCmp shipped a new floor kit to our dealer, who is doing the installation.  Previously, nuCamp was replacing the floors on these 2018 Tab 400s.

Bellimages, when was your TaB400 built, it is on the Manufacturers plate on the left side of the tongue?

Cheers

Ours was manufactured 10/2017. There are a couple squishy areas, but no buckling. You can't see anything visually wrong with ours. 

HOW can a floor be replaced? The cabinets sit on top of it, as do the walls of the bathroom as well as the dining area seating. I feel that's why Austin (the service manager) told me that they don't replace floors ... and that we'd get a new unit if they ever failed. 

They’ve replaced quite a few floors on 400’s from the mid 2018 model year, when the Azdel shortage meant using another material that proved inferior. They’ve also replaced a number of floors on the old Dutchman models (a paid repair, not under warranty), and a few pre-Azdel 320’s. As I understand it, it requires complete removal of the interior and lifting off the shell. This is why it’s best for the factory to handle the job, but they’ve also been known to ship a nuCamp employee out to a local dealer to oversee the job when distance makes bringing a trailer back to the factory difficult.

This is no different than replacing a floor on any other trailer. Many, many people who renovate old trailers strip them down to the frame for rebuilding. 

Early on before the scope of the 2018 400 floor problem was evident, I believe they did swap a few trailers, but I haven’t seen anyone post about that happening in quite some time. Nowadays, they simply replace the floor. I believe yours predates the Azdel shortage; if I recall, the manufacturing dates affected were 11/2017-1/2018.

DougH

I'm attempting to reproduce the awesomeness of the @GeoMars fridge slide mod:

  https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/123660

I'm going with undermount soft close slides on the fridge drawer, and side mounts soft closers on two more drawers below that (child locks or something to keep them closed when on the road). A configurable thermal relay for the vent fan in that area. Had to order a replacement plastic side louverd fridge area vent since the plastic original was starting to fall apart in the TX sun.  Putting in a quieter / higher output fan into that part after I paint it black for UV protection, and add a tighter pattern metal screen to keep out more of the tiny buggers. The fridge is a dual compartment small 12V ICECO 20. Above the fridge drawer I have in place a pullout cutting board / extra prep space that also protects the delicate underside of the stove.  Wood is all 1/2" and 3/4" Baltic birch. Gratitude to NüCamp for making all angles perfectly square... no shims needed.

QUESTION:  What stain to use to match the rest of the front area exactly?  I searched the forum for keywords like Minwax, stain, varnish, cabinet color, etc. without luck for a previous answer.  It's not just wood oil or varnish only.  There's a hint of yellow to whatever very light stain Pleasant Valley used first.  At least to my eyes.  Like a very light maple stain?  Right?  Anyone know?

Denny16

Try shellac, regular type, not the clear.  It gives the wood a slight honey color, then add a satin clear coat.
cheers

DougH

@Denny16 ; Thanks!  So something labelled Amber instead of Clear like:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-1-qt-Amber-Shellac-Traditional-Finish-and-Sealer-00704H/100126411

(have some spare wood so I can do test coats)

Denny16

Yes, that’s it, and a test coat on a scrap is a grand idea.
cheerw

Homebodyatheart

Here’s my new favorite simple mod that doubled my counter space and made cooking SO much easier! A silicone coated cooling rack. It rolls up and fits easily behind the kitchen faucet. I was camping last weekend and love how simple and sturdy it is! 

ScottG

Homebodyatheart said:

Here’s my new favorite simple mod that doubled my counter space and made cooking SO much easier! A silicone coated cooling rack.
...

Eagerly waiting for ours to arrive. Thanks for the tip!

Verna

@scottG, it is the absolute best invention for home.  It’s not as practical for the 400 with the round sink. 

Tampakayaker

Homebodyatheart said:

Here’s my new favorite simple mod that doubled my counter space and made cooking SO much easier! A silicone coated cooling rack. It rolls up and fits easily behind the kitchen faucet. I was camping last weekend and love how simple and sturdy it is! 

Are you using the roll up instead of the cutting board or over top of it?

What is that red thing between the sink and stove?

Homebodyatheart

@Tampakayaker I use the rack over my sink in place of the cutting board, which I still use. That way I can get water or drain something easily. It’s the 17” size and fits perfectly!  The red pad is an upside down silicone tray. I’m forever wanting to set hot pans from the stove there and I don’t want to damage the countertop. Hope this helps!

Tampakayaker

Homebodyatheart said:

@Tampakayaker I use the rack over my sink in place of the cutting board, which I still use. That way I can get water or drain something easily. It’s the 17” size and fits perfectly!  The red pad is an upside down silicone tray. I’m forever wanting to set hot pans from the stove there and I don’t want to damage the countertop. Hope this helps!

thanks

rcuomo

Small projects in preparation for first trip next week. 1500w Inverter with separate 90Ah battery mounted under the bed and surface mounted outlet box with remote switch mounted in corner and added extra USB charging port with battery gauge connected to inverter battery. 

rcuomo

Also finally split rear shelf lid. 

DenisP

@rcuomo very nice mods. Hope your first trip goes well.