How Much Do You Use Your T@B?

manyman297

I'm currently considering a 2021 T@B 400. My wife and I have been wanting one ever since we saw the Euro version back in 2015. Right now we have a Rockwood pop up camper and it's fine but we're realizing that it has a lot of limitations in terms of taking longer road trips and we really want a hard-sided travel trailer for both comfort and safety. Not to mention the quality of the entire rig is probably the worst I've ever seen.

We're in our early 40s and have a child. Both of us work (I could work mobile if needed). I know a large majority of people on this forum appear to be retired or at least have the time to take long trips. How often do you all use your trailers? I can see taking a couple of week-long trips a year along with the weekend trips to local campgrounds through a good portion of the year as well. It seems like a lot of you are on the road for weeks/months and the price paid for the T@B seems to be well worth it. For those that aren't able to take those longer trips, do you still feel the price paid was worth it?

Mouseketab

I still work full time. I use mine 4-5 weekends a year, and a couple of 1-2 week trips a year. We are going on a 3-week trip next year. We haven't been out much this past year, and didn't use any leave with Covid going on, so have some built up. Having said that, I will probably do some remote work while we are out.

Tampakayaker

No enough, partially due to Covid.

We are both 66.  We purchased ours used last year in October and so far have only used it for 3 long weekend trips to the Disney campground.

I had planned on retiring this past spring but Covid messed up that idea.

Another reason we haven't used it a lot was the heat, rain, and lack of available sites here in FL for most of the year.

ScottG

We did seven long weekends over the course of this season, averaging four nights each. In a normal year there might have been one or two longer full week (eight night) trips.

So I figure I get about a months use out of mine every year (and that's not driveway camping, which I don't do). I consider that reasonable usage and well worth the investment--especially after six seasons!  :-)

VictoriaP

I think in general most weekender/short trip folks over-estimate how frequently they’ll actually get out, for one reason or another. I had four planned trips cancelled last year for various reasons (all pre-pandemic). People come into town unexpectedly and you want to see them (that blew two of mine last summer). Someone in the family gets sick. A good friend recently took off for a trip in her new-to-her motorhome, and promptly ended up stranded just five miles down the road from her house due to mechanical issues. There’s always too much to do at home or at work. The kids have soccer games that weekend, or the school play, or a birthday party, or whatever.

But that said, we have people here who are out nearly every weekend during camping season. Helps a lot if you are near campgrounds that aren’t terribly expensive or good boondocking sites, and if places aren’t terribly crowded...a situation that gets rarer each year and is likely to be very rare next year with the huge influx of new RV owners due to COVID. Also helps if you have jobs that can be done remotely and don’t have to be home in time for the Monday morning commute, though then you need to be sure you have adequate cell signal where you’re going!

I’m hoping to do more short trips in 2021, as well as possibly snowbirding to AZ as I have family there. But I’d planned to do that this year too, and well, COVID. Life happens.

dragonsdofly

@manyman297, we have a 2017 320 t@b. Although past retirement age, the DH still works full time. This summer was different do to covid, but in the previous 4 summers we have put 44/45,000 miles on the t@b. Since the husband works building and equipment maintenance, he is virtually on call most of the year. We then take a 4, 5, or 6 week trip. So far, we have visited 41 or 42 states and every national park and monument we can find. Initially, the t@b was purchased to help the boys we were raising to see this country, but they were returned to their biological parents last fall. So, this year the two of us got away, albeit nearby, for only a half dozen weekends. No longer trips this year either, but worldwide pandemics have a way of altering our behavior. With retirement (by choice) approaching, we're looking to travel a lot more. The t@b purchase was the best decision we have made in decades. So very worth it....... Good luck with your decision making. And I hope we'll be seeing a pic of your new rig soon! -Denise 

manyman297

Thanks for all of the great feedback! Yeah, when it comes down to spending $30k+ I want to at least be able to justify the expense by using it. I've considered buying a cheaper trailer (jayco, forest river, etc.) but then I look at resale and those rigs just plummet in value. At least the T@B would retains its value as a concession if it didn't get used as much as I liked. I don't know...maybe I'm just justifying it in my head.

Mellow_Yellow

I would also consider how much use you got out of your Rockwood and then double it if you get a T@B. I have been 'roughing it' with van camping (no heater/kitchen/bathroom) for years. I easily did 1/2 dozen trips per year in the van and was very limited by bad weather. I think the world will be my oyster in the T@B and... with COVID, being self-sufficient is a big plus.

jrhamel

We have had our 400 for a little over a year and we have spent around 100 nights in it. We spent 2 months last winter traveling through southwest and California, cut short by the virus. To be fair we are retired. Not sure what will happen this winter. 

VictoriaP

manyman297 said:

Thanks for all of the great feedback! Yeah, when it comes down to spending $30k+ I want to at least be able to justify the expense by using it. I've considered buying a cheaper trailer (jayco, forest river, etc.) but then I look at resale and those rigs just plummet in value. At least the T@B would retains its value as a concession if it didn't get used as much as I liked. I don't know...maybe I'm just justifying it in my head.

Don’t ever count on resale value staying high on a depreciable object. Just last year, I watched any number of used Tabs sit on the market for weeks, and sell for several thousand less than they started at. 

I’d be especially wary of that with one bought right now. First time RV owners are a high turnover population. Either they bought the wrong RV (frighteningly common) and want to upsize, downsize, switch to a different type, or they discover they aren’t using it enough to justify keeping it. Sound familiar?

Well, we have literally thousands of first time RV owners this year who decided it was a safer travel option during the pandemic. Those people paid full retail or close to it, because demand was so high that negotiations were limited. There’s going to be a massive glut of used RVs on the market in the next few years. Even sooner if the economy crumbles much further, as most of those new rigs were likely purchased on loan payments, and luxury items like RVs are the first to be sold off when you’re unexpectedly financially strapped. So sellers are going to start out basing their asking prices on the overinflated cost they personally paid and referring back to the used prices from for sale ads from this summer, and they’re in for a very rude awakening in a market flooded with used rigs. Tabs may still hold their value a bit more, but when the market is filled with much cheaper used trailers, they’ll drop too.

Personally, if I didn’t already have mine, I’d wait until things calm down. Buying new right now, you’re overpaying by a lot—the standard negotiation point for a normal year is to aim for 20-30% off retail, and right now, people are literally paying list price. Used models are nearly non existent and commanding equally crazy amounts. I could pretty easily sell mine right now for more than I paid for it, given that I negotiated a below market deal when I bought. 

That’s not normal, and it’s going to lead to some very disappointed folks when they go to sell a year or two or three down the road.

pak

Mid late '60s, 2017 cs-s bought new. Have right at 20K miles. Some long trips and many short ones. C-19 has crimped our travels. We really enjoy ours.

manyman297

VictoriaP said:

Don’t ever count on resale value staying high on a depreciable object. Just last year, I watched any number of used Tabs sit on the market for weeks, and sell for several thousand less than they started at. 

I’d be especially wary of that with one bought right now. First time RV owners are a high turnover population. Either they bought the wrong RV (frighteningly common) and want to upsize, downsize, switch to a different type, or they discover they aren’t using it enough to justify keeping it. Sound familiar?

Well, we have literally thousands of first time RV owners this year who decided it was a safer travel option during the pandemic. Those people paid full retail or close to it, because demand was so high that negotiations were limited. There’s going to be a massive glut of used RVs on the market in the next few years. Even sooner if the economy crumbles much further, as most of those new rigs were likely purchased on loan payments, and luxury items like RVs are the first to be sold off when you’re unexpectedly financially strapped. So sellers are going to start out basing their asking prices on the overinflated cost they personally paid and referring back to the used prices from for sale ads from this summer, and they’re in for a very rude awakening in a market flooded with used rigs. Tabs may still hold their value a bit more, but when the market is filled with much cheaper used trailers, they’ll drop too.

Personally, if I didn’t already have mine, I’d wait until things calm down. Buying new right now, you’re overpaying by a lot—the standard negotiation point for a normal year is to aim for 20-30% off retail, and right now, people are literally paying list price. Used models are nearly non existent and commanding equally crazy amounts. I could pretty easily sell mine right now for more than I paid for it, given that I negotiated a below market deal when I bought. 

That’s not normal, and it’s going to lead to some very disappointed folks when they go to sell a year or two or three down the road.

All good points. I've noticed prices on 400s (mainly because that's all I've been considering) are astronomically higher this year than in previous years. I'm almost tempted to sell our pop up because I know we could get close to what we paid for it in this market. Sadly winter is upon us and it may have to wait until Spring. Ideally I'd like to pull the trigger on the 400 next spring as well but I'm definitely not going to pay high 30s/40s for one.

KB_TAB_T2

Owned ours (a used 2005) for 3 months now and have used it twice with another trip planned @ thanksgiving. 
We are younger than most on this forum (I think) 30's and 40's but love the outdoors and want to use it 2 times or more a month but work and life don't allow it.
There are always new-used ones showing up on my wife's Facebook marketplace. Check there you might just find what you are looking for a lot less than price of a new one... 

TABaker

I still work FT.  I've used mine an average of 55 nights per year for the last 11 seasons.  In an ordinary year I attend a spring week-long event and a fall two-week event.  Mixed in-between are local weekend trips and about 3 trips to meet friends in other states.  I'm in IL, and this January was spent going to and from AZ and staying in SW states.  Friends and I also went to Glacier NP several years ago.  I'd say mine sees heavy use. 

ontheroad

We started out with the T@g, same company smaller trailer. Hubby and I had never camped and saw that this was an opportunity to sightsee and meet new people. In 4 seasons of owning her our trips became longer...this past trip was 8 weeks, blessed to be retired. This year we took the plunge and purchased the 320 CS-S...even though we may not be doing that length of trip for awhile we'll at least have a few more amenities onboard. The T@b is a beautifully  well made trailer.

pthomas745

This year has been a wash for me, covid and home improvement has taken up a bunch of time.  In years previous I made several longish trips and some shorter 5 days types.

What I like the best, though?  The trailer is pretty much ready to go whenever I want.  I've ran out to the Socal deserts several times on "spur of the moment" things like meteor showers, etc.  Wake up in the morning, decide to go, and be on the road as fast as I can put my clothes on.

Tinkerkaye

I wish I had the tab 400 five yrs ago when we bought our trailer .we ended up with a bigger cheaper trailer but wasn’t quite happy with it . Now we traded it in for a 400 tab and so excited . 

manyman297

pthomas745 said:

This year has been a wash for me, covid and home improvement has taken up a bunch of time.  In years previous I made several longish trips and some shorter 5 days types.

What I like the best, though?  The trailer is pretty much ready to go whenever I want.  I've ran out to the Socal deserts several times on "spur of the moment" things like meteor showers, etc.  Wake up in the morning, decide to go, and be on the road as fast as I can put my clothes on.

Yeah, this is really what I’m after. Being able to just get up and go. The pop up is close to that but you’re also dealing with setup and tear down. Also, the ability to move from site to site is much easier in a travel trailer. Packing up the pop up takes some effort. This was something I didn’t think much about until we had bought it and I was the one doing it.

VictoriaP

manyman297 said:

pthomas745 said:

This year has been a wash for me, covid and home improvement has taken up a bunch of time.  In years previous I made several longish trips and some shorter 5 days types.

What I like the best, though?  The trailer is pretty much ready to go whenever I want.  I've ran out to the Socal deserts several times on "spur of the moment" things like meteor showers, etc.  Wake up in the morning, decide to go, and be on the road as fast as I can put my clothes on.

Yeah, this is really what I’m after. Being able to just get up and go. The pop up is close to that but you’re also dealing with setup and tear down. Also, the ability to move from site to site is much easier in a travel trailer. Packing up the pop up takes some effort. This was something I didn’t think much about until we had bought it and I was the one doing it.

This gets back to what I said about first time RVers wanting to upgrade. I totally understand; I had a hard sided popup for a few years (TrailManor), and while setup on that was easier than a canvas sided, it still took a lot more time.

A tip for anyone buying an RV that we repeatedly post around here: don’t buy ANY rig without spending at last a couple of hours in it pretending to camp. Tell the sales guy you need time alone. Then go through the motions of absolutely everything you would do while camping, including any setup and tear down. Inside, pretend it’s hailing out and everyone is stuck indoors for the day, what would that be like? In the case of both Tab models, you need to try the bed—in the 320, it may not be long enough for some folks, in the 400, you may have to crawl over your partner to get to the bathroom at night. Is that OK, or will it get old fast? Think through what you would store in each cabinet—would there be enough room for everything you want to carry, and can you store it where you’d want it, or does the cabinet configuration mean you’ll have too many things packed in less optimal locations? Can you actually use the bathroom comfortably for all functions (in the 320, that may mean sitting down to shower, for example, and for both models, are you truly OK with a wet bath? Some people hate them.) Pretend to prep a meal...is there enough counter space? And where is your partner/child/dog when doing all these things? Underfoot, constantly in the way?

Most people barely spend any time looking at a given RV. On the Tab, I don’t feel that’s nearly enough to decide if these comparatively small, and definitely quirky trailers will really work for your family. The 400 to me doesn’t feel as spacious as the average popup camper, especially by the bed (which is smaller than a typical popup bed too). So in your specific situation, one thing I’d be looking at is whether or not that losing that extra roominess will be OK with three of you in there. Yes, teardrop camping generally means spending more time outside than in, but that isn’t always possible, so make sure the trailer really is the right size for your needs. The other thing I would think through is whether or not you want a permanent bed for your child...having to shift from bed to dinette configuration daily is something many people get tired of doing. 

It’s a lot to consider, and we haven’t even gotten to the part yet where you have to figure out if your tow vehicle can handle the larger trailer. 😁 Towing a popup gets way better gas mileage than towing a Tab, just an FYI.

manyman297

VictoriaP said:

manyman297 said:

pthomas745 said:

This year has been a wash for me, covid and home improvement has taken up a bunch of time.  In years previous I made several longish trips and some shorter 5 days types.

What I like the best, though?  The trailer is pretty much ready to go whenever I want.  I've ran out to the Socal deserts several times on "spur of the moment" things like meteor showers, etc.  Wake up in the morning, decide to go, and be on the road as fast as I can put my clothes on.

Yeah, this is really what I’m after. Being able to just get up and go. The pop up is close to that but you’re also dealing with setup and tear down. Also, the ability to move from site to site is much easier in a travel trailer. Packing up the pop up takes some effort. This was something I didn’t think much about until we had bought it and I was the one doing it.

This gets back to what I said about first time RVers wanting to upgrade. I totally understand; I had a hard sided popup for a few years (TrailManor), and while setup on that was easier than a canvas sided, it still took a lot more time.

A tip for anyone buying an RV that we repeatedly post around here: don’t buy ANY rig without spending at last a couple of hours in it pretending to camp. Tell the sales guy you need time alone. Then go through the motions of absolutely everything you would do while camping, including any setup and tear down. Inside, pretend it’s hailing out and everyone is stuck indoors for the day, what would that be like? In the case of both Tab models, you need to try the bed—in the 320, it may not be long enough for some folks, in the 400, you may have to crawl over your partner to get to the bathroom at night. Is that OK, or will it get old fast? Think through what you would store in each cabinet—would there be enough room for everything you want to carry, and can you store it where you’d want it, or does the cabinet configuration mean you’ll have too many things packed in less optimal locations? Can you actually use the bathroom comfortably for all functions (in the 320, that may mean sitting down to shower, for example, and for both models, are you truly OK with a wet bath? Some people hate them.) Pretend to prep a meal...is there enough counter space? And where is your partner/child/dog when doing all these things? Underfoot, constantly in the way?

Most people barely spend any time looking at a given RV. On the Tab, I don’t feel that’s nearly enough to decide if these comparatively small, and definitely quirky trailers will really work for your family. The 400 to me doesn’t feel as spacious as the average popup camper, especially by the bed (which is smaller than a typical popup bed too). So in your specific situation, one thing I’d be looking at is whether or not that losing that extra roominess will be OK with three of you in there. Yes, teardrop camping generally means spending more time outside than in, but that isn’t always possible, so make sure the trailer really is the right size for your needs. The other thing I would think through is whether or not you want a permanent bed for your child...having to shift from bed to dinette configuration daily is something many people get tired of doing. 

It’s a lot to consider, and we haven’t even gotten to the part yet where you have to figure out if your tow vehicle can handle the larger trailer. 😁 Towing a popup gets way better gas mileage than towing a Tab, just an FYI.

Thanks for the insight! Yeah, we’ve been in a 400 but haven’t spent considerable time in them. Setting up a bed for our son could get old but it doesn’t look terribly difficult to do. 

The pop up we have definitely feels roomy. The bed situation is fine. Still have to climb over each other which isn’t a pain.

We have a Tacoma which seems to fit into the sweet spot of the weight of the 400.

VictoriaP

@manyman297 While I would agree that on paper the Tacoma should be fine, in practice we’ve had several owners swap their Tacomas for something more powerful when towing the 400, including our forum Admin, @Verna, who has owned both the 320 and 400. Apparently, the 400 tows heavier than you’d think for the weight involved. I’d definitely suggest doing a search of the forum to get a feel for people’s experiences, and see what you think; it is no fun whatsoever to buy a new trailer and discover after the fact that, oops, now you need a new tow vehicle too.

Popups really are great space-wise and with their lower wind resistance for towing, it’s just too bad they’re so much more work! But whether you ultimately go with a Tab or something else, I’m sure you’ll find a trailer that works well for all three of you.

Verna

@manyman297, the 2015 Toyota Tacoma towed the T@B S Max like a dream. With the specs at 650 tongue weight, 6500 towing capacity, that fit the bill to upgrade to the 400. The Tacoma towed well taking the Southern Interstste route from Indiana to the Gulf to Arizona with no mountains. On the way home 5 months later through the middle part of the country, no problems on the US highways and no Interstates. 

But, in the summer in the Canadian Rockies, I was barely able to keep up with the semi’s. While it didn’t exactly complain, I refused to push it hard just to pass a semi. I wanted part of my investment back!

When I got back home, I started researching and chose a Ford F-150 V6 3.5L Ecoboost 4x4. It towed the 400 very well. I truly believe a combination of the taller vehicle combined with more power is necessary to tow the 400. If you have a 320, towing should be even easier.  One bright spot for the Tacoma was that it kept its value and the trade-in paid for half of the F-150. 

And, as far as how often do I camp?  In my former 2011 Silver Shadow teardrop (no inside bathroom), 25,000 miles in two years, my 2014 T@B S Max 36,000 miles in 3 years, the 2019 T@B 400 Boondock 20,000 miles in 18 months (6 months sitting due to family illness and needing to help care for her), and lots more miles expected on the new 2019 T@B 320 S Boondock.

Retirement has its perks, one being able to take off during the week when the campgrounds are less crowded. I’m looking forward to Harvest Hosts to explore non-campground overnights. I may join Boondocker’s Welcome for the same reason. If you’re not familiar with these and HipCamp, Google will tell you about them. 

manyman297

Verna said:

@manyman297, the 2015 Toyota Tacoma towed the T@B S Max like a dream. With the specs at 650 tongue weight, 6500 towing capacity, that fit the bill to upgrade to the 400. The Tacoma towed well taking the Southern Interstste route from Indiana to the Gulf to Arizona with no mountains. On the way home 5 months later through the middle part of the country, no problems on the US highways and no Interstates. 

But, in the summer in the Alaskan Rockies, I was barely able to keep up with the semi’s. While it didn’t exactly complain, I refused to push it hard just to pass a semi. I wanted part of my investment back!

When I got back home, I started researching and chose a Ford F-150 V6 3.5L Ecoboost 4x4. It towed the 400 very well. I truly believe a combination of the taller vehicle combined with more power is necessary to tow the 400. If you have a 320, towing should be even easier.  One bright spot for the Tacoma was that it kept its value and the trade-in paid for half of the F-150. 

And, as far as how often do I camp?  In my former 2011 Silver Shadow teardrop (no inside bathroom), 25,000 miles in two years, my 2014 T@B S Max 36,000 miles in 3 years, the 2019 T@B 400 Boondock 20,000 miles in 18 months (6 months sitting due to family illness and needing to help care for her), and lots more miles expected on the new 2019 T@B 320 S Boondock.

Retirement has its perks, one being able to take off during the week when the campgrounds are less crowded. I’m looking forward to Harvest Hosts to explore non-campground overnights. I may join Boondocker’s Welcome for the same reason. If you’re not familiar with these and HipCamp, Google will tell you about them. 

Dang. I'd hate to have to trade in the Tacoma...just bought it 6 months ago. I assumed it towed the 400 well after watching Travels with Delaney. I can see how mountain passes and high elevations could be an issue. Need to research more.

Verna

@manyman297, I loved my Tacoma, too, as it reminded me of my favorite mid-size truck 2004 GMC Canyon 5 cyl.  The transmission started going out at 167,000 miles and with all my traveling, I didn’t want to be stuck on the side of the road.  

Test drive a full size truck as you’ll be amazed at how comfy the ride is. I had never owned a full size pickup and I was amazed at how roomy and comfy it was. It’s not bulky to drive as I had assumed it would be. 

Also, on your Tacoma, the rear end tends to “squat”, even towing a 320. I had Firestone air bags installed and that was a great help. 

manyman297

Verna said:

@manyman297, I loved my Tacoma, too, as it reminded me of my favorite mid-size truck 2004 GMC Canyon 5 cyl.  The transmission started going out at 167,000 miles and with all my traveling, I didn’t want to be stuck on the side of the road.  

Test drive a full size truck as you’ll be amazed at how comfy the ride is. I had never owned a full size pickup and I was amazed at how roomy and comfy it was. It’s not bulky to drive as I had assumed it would be. 

Also, on your Tacoma, the rear end tends to “squat”, even towing a 320. I had Firestone air bags installed and that was a great help. 

I think the Tacoma is here to stay. A full size won't fit in our garage (not keeping it outside). I know WDH will help with handling but don't know a whole lot about it. We'll have to see. We're not going to be full timers but we also don't want to feel limited on where we can go because of the towing situation.

For years we thought the 320 would work for us but now with our son it would be very cramped and not a very long-term solution. The 400 would honestly be perfect for us over the next several years until he's much older. The Intech Sol Horizon is another one we're eyeing but worry about the quality vs. Nucamp and overall it just still feels like an RV inside.

VictoriaP

manyman297 said:

I think the Tacoma is here to stay. A full size won't fit in our garage (not keeping it outside). I know WDH will help with handling but don't know a whole lot about it. We'll have to see. We're not going to be full timers but we also don't want to feel limited on where we can go because of the towing situation.

Three things to consider here: a WDH will not help you get over mountain passes, only certain types can be used with a 400, and if setup and teardown time/energy is a concern, a WDH adds to that process. I had no idea what a pain they were until I watched a friend hook hers up.

@Verna, curiosity question: I believe you said the Tacoma’s performance was fine during your continental US trips, but struggled over the “Canadian” passes. Do you happen to know what the highest pass you felt comfortable taking the Tacoma over was? That might be helpful for those on the fence. (Some of us are never going to be lucky enough to make it to the Far North with our Tabs, I know I won’t!)

Verna

@VictoriaP, by the way, it was the “Canadian” Rockies (I corrected my post). I didn’t make it to Alaska, either. I will try again without my sister....we will not discuss that part of it....

I can’t find the campground that was after the longest, roughest mountain, but other campgrounds in the area show between 8,000’ to 10,000’. So somewhere in that 2,000’ range for the mountain was the slowest that I went up a mountain. It was rather frustrating because I did not want to trade off my paid-off Tacoma. 

VictoriaP

Verna said:

@VictoriaP, by the way, it was the “Canadian” Rockies (I corrected my post). I didn’t make it to Alaska, either. I will try again without my sister....we will not discuss that part of it....

I can’t find the campground that was after the longest, roughest mountain, but other campgrounds in the area show between 8,000’ to 10,000’. So somewhere in that 2,000’ range for the mountain was the slowest that I went up a mountain. It was rather frustrating because I did not want to trade off my paid-off Tacoma. 

Very interesting to know, thanks!

bergger

We just bought a 2021 400 this past March and the pandemic canceled two of our trips.  We've used it on a 4 day trip and an 8 day trip.  I'll be retiring the end of the month but even with the wife still working we will use it a lot more next year.  We usually do several weekend trips and one long 7-10 day trip a year.  We love the 400, best trailer I've ever owned.  And  I've driven nothing but Tacomas from 1995 until this March when I traded mine in for a Nissan Titan.  So glad I did, love, love, love that truck.  Now the Tacoma will be fine towing the 400 just not as good as a full size so I  would not worry about that too much.  You'll just be a little slower in the mountains. 

However, if my daughter was still young and in the house with us I would still be using our popup or our a-frame pop up for camping.    They had more room in them for a kid with all the extras.   It'd be pretty tight with more than two people in a 400 all the time.  Just my opinion.  Or I may have bought a R-Pod or something similar, less money, more room and if the kid dirtied it or damaged it I would not be so upset over it.  But I'm kinda anal with it comes to the 400.   We waited until it was just the two of us to spend the money and get the 400.    

manyman297

bergger said:

We just bought a 2021 400 this past March and the pandemic canceled two of our trips.  We've used it on a 4 day trip and an 8 day trip.  I'll be retiring the end of the month but even with the wife still working we will use it a lot more next year.  We usually do several weekend trips and one long 7-10 day trip a year.  We love the 400, best trailer I've ever owned.  And  I've driven nothing but Tacomas from 1995 until this March when I traded mine in for a Nissan Titan.  So glad I did, love, love, love that truck.  Now the Tacoma will be fine towing the 400 just not as good as a full size so I  would not worry about that too much.  You'll just be a little slower in the mountains. 

However, if my daughter was still young and in the house with us I would still be using our popup or our a-frame pop up for camping.    They had more room in them for a kid with all the extras.   It'd be pretty tight with more than two people in a 400 all the time.  Just my opinion.  Or I may have bought a R-Pod or something similar, less money, more room and if the kid dirtied it or damaged it I would not be so upset over it.  But I'm kinda anal with it comes to the 400.   We waited until it was just the two of us to spend the money and get the 400.    

Thanks. Yeah, the pop up is definitely kid friendly...kind of. Not so much in the durability sense of things though. The thing is embarrassingly cheap. I've done more minor fixes here and there on that thing than anticipated. I think that's what's so appealing about the 400. Everything we consume is so cheaply made and it seems like the T@B is the exception (for the most part) when it comes to RVs. I want something that's quality. We're finally at that point in our lives where we can afford nicer things that will last. 

bergger

Going from a cheaply made boring RV to a T@b is amazing i have to say.  If you end up getting one you'll love it!