Underbelly bolts keep breaking off on 2021 NuCamp Tab400

Denny16

@LammyWinn. Here you go with the general non TaB specific Alde 3020 manual:  https://products.alde.se/storage/media/15554011225cb589a25f9ac/v-3020-05-rev1504-bruksanvisning-compact-3020he-en.pdf

TaB specific details should be in your TaB Manual (PDF).   It takes a bit of RJ to clear the Alde glycol system of air bubbles, which will cause the level in the expansion tank to drop.  We had the glycol replaced in ours when it was at the dealer, and I have had to top off the glycol level twice, whilst running the system heating on low to keep moisture out of the trailer.  This should eventually settle down.  The auto bleeder valve will also release a small amount of glycol when bleeding out the air bubbles in the system, which also,lowers the tank level.  Keep your eye on this when using the Alde and add fluid when the level get down to the lower line on the tank.

Cheers

Sharon_is_SAM

https://products.alde.se/storage/media/15737257605dcd264041a31/alde-compact-3020-operating-instructions-v-302024-rev1914-us-fr-ca-190924-lr.pdf

Easy Google search or found here on the forum.

manyman297

LammyWinn said:

manyman297 said:

@LammyWinn I noticed you bought your 400 from ParrisRV. I'm assuming it's the ParrisRV in Salt Lake City? How was your experience with them?

We actually may have hung out in your exact trailer on their lot. I think that configuration was the only one they had there at the time (we were there maybe in late November).

We have a home in UT, and our family has purchased several 5th wheels from them before. They are ok...not the best compared to other dealers in other states. They didn’t really adjust anything or setup anything before handing over the trailer. The walk through was quick and even though the trailer was winterized, we asked to test the hot water, but they just said it should be good...it wasn’t.

My one suggestion is to only buy the trailer and not any of their other stuff they try to sell you or say you’ll need. And make sure they set everything up, ie hot water and heating (glycol) in tank...before you leave the lot.  

The dealer was fair and quick at completing the transaction. 

They were the only place with a new T@B 400 BD in the west coast for immediate purchase besides Montana. 

We tried to purchase our tent trailer from them a couple of years ago and they wouldn't budge on price and when I attempted to they just stopped answering any emails. And wouldn't you know it, when it came time to buy our 400 they wouldn't budge on price AND didn't answer any emails. I get that you won't budge on price but at least reply to an email...easiest thing to do.

I think they feel they're one of the bigger names in Salt Lake so they don't have to really do much for a sale. 

It's too bad you've had a bad experience with your 400. I've got my fingers crossed our experience goes well.

ColoradoSun

After buying a used Four-Wheel Pop up camper, I started following a forum similar to this one. It was a bit disheartening to read the problems other owners had with the same model.  As it turned out, after four seasons of use we had zero problems with that particular camper. Never had to fix or replace anything. Just lucky? Probably but I am pretty sure that forum helped me know what to be on the look out for. I am keeping my fingers crossed with our 2021 T@B 400. With more amenities, more things can go wrong. 

manyman297

ColoradoSun said:

After buying a used Four-Wheel Pop up camper, I started following a forum similar to this one. It was a bit disheartening to read the problems other owners had with the same model.  As it turned out, after four seasons of use we had zero problems with that particular camper. Never had to fix or replace anything. Just lucky? Probably but I am pretty sure that forum helped me know what to be on the look out for. I am keeping my fingers crossed with our 2021 T@B 400. With more amenities, more things can go wrong. 

I’m hoping this is our experience. And as it has been said, you only hear about the problems usually.

AirBoss

Forgive the rant here...

In general the RV industry, though subject to some scrutiny by DOT, industry associations, etc., is somewhat less than stellar in its overall satisfaction index. Always has been and likely will be for the foreseeable future. I know some folks who spent $800K on a Prevost Class A...they've spent almost as much time waiting for it to come back out of the shop as they have rolling down the road. Granted with that kind of money one does expect perfection and they are a pretty particular couple, but...money isn't always the gauge of reliability. And to others' point, for what we're talking about here...a 19', single axle, teardrop trailer in the $35K price range with a few not-so-standard designs and systems, nuCamp does tend to rise above the rest of the field. But that doesn't mean they are immune to QC issues, inferior supplier materials, etc. I suppose if you carry that argument out further (as someone mentioned elsewhere), it's really sort of akin to being regarded as the "biggest dwarf in the forest." 

Ever purchase a new car with top-of-the-line accessories that never went in for warranty work? Ever purchased a new laptop that never crashed under a warranty period? How about a major appliance? These things happen and they happen fairly often. Its manufacturing...its human nature. Designed by humans, sourced by humans, built my humans, operated by humans. Of course there are going to be faults and flaws...just like humans. 

You have to be own best advocate. There is so much out here on the "www." to help you guide your research, purchase, and ownership issues that relying on what your dealer told you is doing yourself a disservice. Forums such this are incredibly helpful in offering real-world advice based on real-world experiences. But you can't stop there. Get curious...read. Search online for info the various systems and download the manuals for the Jensen, Alde, Thetford, Dometic, Victron, Nautilus systems, etc. 

I purchased my rig a little over a year ago and still haven't turned every page of every manual but I'm getting there. I'd say I found more good information on this Forum than almost anywhere else I've looked. And I'd also say to date I have no regrets about this purchase and ownership experience. And that includes a couple warranty issues myself (reversed Black Tank Flush system; and the dreaded "Air 8" matter). I'd like to think it's a bit more than luck.

Frankly, with all the variables manufacturers are dealing with during this pandemic (lack of skilled staff, supply-chain issues, materials shortages, and so on) it's a wonder nuCamp is still cranking out rigs, Boeing is still cranking out airplanes, Detroit is still cranking out automobiles, Whirlpool is still cranking out appliances, etc. 

FWIW, to those on here who are in the midst of purchasing a T@B or strongly considering one, don't let the nature and tone of this Forum color your judgment too much. By its very nature, a forum such as this is designed to address suboptimal performance and offer advice on finding a reliable solution. That's what happens here...and it works out pretty darn well. It shouldn't necessarily be a barometer nuCamp's overall quality and customer service. That said, I'd venture say 80-90% of comments on here regarding nuCamp's quality and CS are positive. I'm no apologist for nuCamp, and I expect a level of CS that is at least as high as most everyone else on this forum. Let that also be your guide.

If you're in the market for trailer that comes in under $35K and meets or exceeds industry standards (again, a relative term) in most, if not virutually all, areas, nuCamp can compete and win with anything in the marketplace.

OK...soapbox back under the desk now.       

LammyWinn

Ever purchase a new car with top-of-the-line accessories that never went in for warranty work? Ever purchased a new laptop that never crashed under a warranty period? How about a major appliance?

Not to argue. But I’ve experienced none of those. Special ordered an Audi from Germany and it’s been flawless. Even this Jeep that tows the nuCamp had no issues. My MacBook and Razer laptops never crashed on me. And all my Viking appliances had no issues. Although nuCamp isn’t really high-end nor overly expensive, but people pay the extra cost for a tear drop for their quality. Maybe I got a bad one out of the batch?

But that’s not the point...theses 50 or as I’ve counted and replaced 49 screws holding the corrugated plastic underbelly up should not have been this big an oversight. It’s a major safety issue when 90+% of the screws literally broke off either during a drive or when I barely touched it. Luckily the bottom didn’t fly off during the drive with as many screws that broke off and went missing. I spent 2-3 minutes removing each broken head with a vice-grip after spraying it with PB Blaster. Then replaced all the screws with stainless steel screws. Then added an extra screw to the spot where they forgot one (driver side tail end) so the metal edge strip isn’t hanging precariously. There were 5 screw hole on the right, but only 4 on the left. 

Yes things break and have minor issues now and then. And like you said, even new stuff isn’t perfect all the time. I would have hoped that at the minimal, the most obvious exterior, highest road exposure element would have been secured appropriately. I didn’t complain about the uneven cabinet, or the interior of 2 cabinets that was obviously wood glued back when a chunk broke off when the wood split because they didn’t drill a pilot hole first. Or that the cushion nearest the door doesn’t match the cut of the wood so that whoever sit in that spot always slides off. Nor do I have a problem with the main vent not wired correctly and I had to replace it with another fan (Fantastic fan) and rewired it. Nor am I complaining about the speakers shorting out and I had to upgraded and replace and rewire the 4 speakers because whoever wired those didn’t crimp the wire ends on tightly and one the positive wire wasn’t even stripped. Heck, even the heating and hot water Alde system was fine, I figured it out. 

My biggest frustration had been the under panel because it’s a safety issue. Normally I’d be annoyed by the little details that’s missed...but how can one put in 49 wrong screws? It’s like missing a mistake 49 times and closing the safety glasses in there along with it to boot.

Either way...it’s fixed yet again. Minor issues add up. Not happy, but after taking a breathe and listening to some of the supportive voices on this forum, I’m going to give this BD another shot. Hopefully nothing else goes wrong. 

bergger

ChrisFix said:

xdr said:

@ChrisFix
When I took it in they tried to replicate the bubbling by bringing it up to 88 deg. They could not replicate it. When we had bubbling, I feel sure that the interior was a bit hotter than that. 
They suspected that there was less glue in that spot. Ours was just outside the bathroom door and the fear they had was that there would be water damage. They did not find any water damage when they took it out. 
They took out the underlayment and vinyl flooring and replaced it all. The floor looks perfect. They completed it and the other mods in 3 days. Austin took the time to answer all questions and the service dept was great. 
mer

@xdr
Thanks.
I've observed the bubbling after driving in the 90+ summer heat, where the interior was over 100...so I agree with you that 88 probably wouldn't reveal the issue. 
Guess I should give nucamp a call and talk to them about this, because I have that exact same issue, and if that requires a new floor, I sure want to get it on record while it is under warranty. 
I do wonder what happened with the 2021 models during assembly that is leading to this issue.

We also have a 2021 400 and I noticed some bubbling of the linoleum in front of the dinette last summer on a hot day.  It was gone the next day and has not reappeared since.  But then again we have been camping in mostly cool weather.  I wonder if I need to contact them as well about it.  Aslo xdr did you happen to see your floor under the linoleum and if it was composite or plywood?  I know another member on the forum has said he is getting his floor replaced and it is plywood.  Definitely is not supposed to be plywood.  I hope the factory does not have a batch of trailers out there with plywood floors instead of composite.  

jkjenn

I think @AirBoss explained it well.

Ordering a car made by robots is a whole other animal from ordering an RV. The production scale isn't even in the same league. Ford sells around 900,000 F150's per year. Automating as much of that as possible makes sense.

The production process and scale of an a very small manufacturer, like nüCamp, is probably in the 10-20k range every year, not the upper six figure range. 

Last week I had to have both batteries replaced in my Jeep by a dealer. When I brought it home, there were all sorts of electrical gremlins, including the lights not turning off, requiring me to disconnect the batteries in an inconvenient location during a snow storm. After my second flatbed tow of the week,, I learned that they had left a cable disconnected. They were extremely apologetic and offered a free replacement for my bad radio, as compensation for my inconvenience. People make mistakes. I was just happy that they went above and beyond to make it right for me.

It stinks when things aren't perfect with your new trailer, I think we all get that. I think you will find if you give nuCamp the chance, they will make your issues right.

Sharon_is_SAM

@LammyWinn - I understand your frustration and wariness given that list of problems.  I hope that nuCamp was notified regarding those issues.  Regarding the undercarriage bolts - it sounds like they got a bad batch.  Surprised we have not heard anyone else report this yet.

AirBoss

@LammyWinn
Always great to hear when products perform as expected. Many do not. One only needs to look at the recalls from a wide variety of automakers (13MM total for first half of 2020 alone) for proof of how things can go sideways during manufacturing, even at a large fully automated scale where humans are mainly used to monitor robotic systems and as QC inspectors. My new Volvo went back twice for recalls in the first year and a Bowers and Wilkins subwoofer went out as well. That's not to say we shouldn't set the bar high for out of the box items regardless of pricepoints but especially at pricepoints. I know I do and it sounds as though you and most everyone else on here does as well when it comes to nuCamp products. And rightly so...it holds them to worthy goal. 

And you're absolutely correct about the underbelly pan. That is indeed a safety issue (no just for you but the rest of us as well who may be follwing you down the highway!)...much more important than a speaker going out or a fan that needed replacing.  

Very sorry to hear the T@B has not met your expectations and just as happy to hear you're moving forward and giving nuCamp a chance to make good. I hope you continue to keep nuCamp apprised of your issues, regardless of whether or not you repaired them yourself or they require service. They need to hear the good and the bad. It's much like testing in the aviation/space environment. We tend to learn a lot more from our failures than our successes (see SpaceX SN8 and SN9 or almost any NASA program).

More than any RV or boat manufacturer I've encountered in my recreational experience nuCamp has been responsive and gone above and beyond. Be respectful but be forceful if you believe the product is not up to the standards you've paid for and/or the reputation built by nuCamp over the years. I don't know but I suspect that reputation may have been instrumental in your decision-making? One other point along these lines. You mentioned you "didn't complain" about several items that weren't satisfactory. That gets to my point about nuCamp's ability to address either one-off issues or a much broader systemic manufacturing issue. They cannot address it under either scenario if it is not brought to their attention. It's the old axiom, "We know what we know (established procedures that have been vetted over time), we know what we don't know (recognition of faults and flaws that we can address through internal procedural change), it's what we don't know we don't know that keeps us up at night."  

Hang in there @LammyWinn....these are nice rigs that offer some the most bang for buck in this marketshare at this pricepoint. Happy to hear you'll be giving them a chance to prove it. 

xdr

@bergger: No idea as I couldnt go into the facility due to C19. I talked with Austin either outside or in his office. The main factory was closed to tours as well. I was sorely disappointed...

Marceline

Is there any chance that the underside panel is attached by the dealer after the T@B comes off the transporter, like the front tub?

LammyWinn

Marceline said:

Is there any chance that the underside panel is attached by the dealer after the T@B comes off the transporter, like the front tub?

Not sure. They’re self tapping screws, so I doubt it. Plus there’s debris from the drilling before the floor finishing was put in the trailer during wiring and other installation.