Replacing a fifth wheel with the TAB 320S boondock.

blueangel

After having what was supposed to be a well made fifth wheel that didn’t quite live up to our expectations, I am noticing some rather positive aspects to the new 2021 TAB 320S.
 

1. The smaller size appears to be mitigated by having a truck, shell and perhaps a side tent for added space outside. 

2. It appears that gas mileage is vastly improved. 

3. A trailer allows you to position kayaks on the tow vehicle. 

4. You can stay in more places at lower cost. 

5. The unit is way more efficient in the use of resources, which is especially good for boondocking. 

6. When you book sites at federal parks, you can get in for half price with a senior pass and these spaces are generally more suited to smaller footprints. 

7. Maneuverability is vastly improved, as well as visibility. 

8. On this newest model, it has a cassette toilet. This offers many more dumping alternatives. 

9. Fresh water capacity appears to be 22 gallons, which is rather amazing for such a small unit. 

10. For this unit, it is advantageous to be of short stature. 

11. It fits well in our back yard whereas our fifth wheel had to be housed elsewhere. That makes prep, cleaning, and mods easier to accomplish.

12. The fit and finish seems to be vastly better than the fifth wheel. 

13. In a tiny house it pays to have a tiny dog. 

14. Two 100 WH BattleBorn Lithium batteries fit just right.

15. There seems to be no place for rodents to enter the bottom of the trailer.

16. The width is the same as our TV. That makes towing a dream.

17.  With the Boondock edition, the hitch was much closer to the ball height of the F350 than we figured.  Very little drop was needed.

18.  There was a glass cover over the stove.

19.  It took awhile to find the glycol expansion tank.  It is behind the toilet.

20.  Since you have only a Grey water tank, you can get by with a sewer cap wth a standard garden hose attachment.  That saves money & space.

21.  We were expecting a 3 way fridge but ended up with a 2 way.  Do not know if a 3 way is still an option but that is offset by the lithium batteries.

22.  The solar panel was bigger than 100w.  I don’t know how much more, but it seems to work well.

23.  The full size spare was loaded on the front rather than underneath.

24.  Love the graphics.

25.  Since the wire lengths between the converter and the battery are much shorter than the fifth wheel, the electrical is better for boondockiing.

26.  Despite the small size, you have everything you need.

27.  No longer have to worry about low overpasses.

28.  You can push it around.

29.  You can get into most gas stations.

30.   My wife thinks it is cute. Where have you ever heard someone say that an RV was cute?  Nucamp’s 320S Boondock exceeded our expectations.  We  couldn’t be more pleased.

ChrisFix

30.   My wife thinks it is cute. Where have you ever heard someone say that an RV was cute?  Nucamp’s 320S Boondock exceeded our expectations.  We  couldn’t be more pleased.

Was getting gas with our new 400 in tow a couple of weeks ago, and a woman on the other side of the pumps couldn't contain her excitement about our trailer - declaring it "cute as a button"...(whatever that really means)!
I'm really not much of a 'cute' guy...but I guess I would have to agree!!

And like you, my wife and I are thrilled with the T@B - both the quality and functionality.
Hope you continue to enjoy your new mini home!

MuttonChops

Welcome to the T@B Family.
The more you use it the more you see just how well built they are.
However at nearly every campground stop will have to explain what it is to a passer-by and you'll be saying "yes, it is cute" a lot.

Side Note:
   Are you aware of the no greater than 3/4 Ton tow vehicle recommendation.
   see thread:
     https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/132410#Comment_132410

   Discussion starts with . . . .
   Someone posted a comment that there is a sticker on the side of the frame tongue that indicates you should not tow a T@B 320S with anything bigger than a 3/4 ton truck or van.  I called NuCamp to clarify this.  The problem is 1 ton+ trucks have suspensions that are too stiff to pull a small trailer like a T@B.  Without flex, all of the road stress (bumps, sway, etc.) goes directly to the tongue of the T@B.  Over time, that stress could cause problems with the frame.  In lower weight cars/trucks, the road stress is shared between the vehicle’s suspension and the T@B.

jkjenn

Congrats and welcome to the family! It's great to hear the perspective of someone new to the brand. 

Denny16

MuttonChops, good point, F350 Ford FX4 TV, which rated as a 1-ton, but I would call it a 1-ton light truck. 
cheers

MuttonChops

Denny16 said:
. . . the OP is using a 3/4 ton (lite) Ford  FX4 TV, so he is within the NuCamp specs here mate.

blueangel said:
17.  With the Boondock edition, the hitch was much closer to the ball height of the F350 than we figured.  Very little drop was needed.

@blueangel ; FYI
In general the 1/2, 5/8  3/4, 1-Ton non-official classifications were based on payload capacity of 1000#, 1250#, 1500#, and 2000#.  Over the years these have become the minimum payload with most models able to carry more based on how/when it was built/ordered.

The F150 is 5/8 ton,
the F250 is a 3/4 ton,
and the F350 is a 1 ton. one-ton trucks can carry at least 2,000 pounds of payload

A web-article by https://truckomize.com/ford-f350-weight-capacity/  has this range for F350's
All well over 2000#  1 ton capacity

• 2010 Ford F350 payload capacity – 4,110 pounds
• 2011 Ford F350 payload capacity – 3,990 pounds
• 2012 Ford F350 payload capacity – 6,410 pounds
• 2013 Ford F350 payload capacity – 4,260 pounds
• 2014 Ford F350 payload capacity – 6,520 pounds
• 2015 Ford F350 payload capacity – 3,977 pounds
  

Denny16

OK, living in the past again, my bad.  Thanks for the update.  

I claim a senior moment excuse, thinking the 350 was 3/4 ton. 
cheers

blueangel

Well I chatted with someone who talked with the manufacturer and they said it would not be a problem to tow with the F350.  I also haven’t heard from anybody who towed with the F350 that had any issues.  So I will not worry about it.  But thanks for the heads up about the warning label.

Denny16

I agree, your F350 is not a Hefy Duty rated, or Dually rear end, which have stiffer suspensions.  So while it may have a 2,000 lbs+ capacity rating, it is basically the same truck as the F250, but with additional payload capacity axles, brakes and suspension, but not the stiff, hard hitting suspension of a Heavy Duty truck.  Enjoy. 
cheers