What makes the T@B so much fun?

Mellow_Yellow

On this 3rd trip out in the "new to me" 2014 T@B 320 S, I felt familiar enough and confident that I had "all systems go"! The more time I spend in the T@B, the more I appreciate how much thought and experience has gone into the design and craftsmanship of these amazing little trailers. I've been trying to put my finger on what it is that makes the T@B so much fun. I think it might be that the small space requires a certain creativity and forethought about how best to use the available space, what to bring along and what to leave home! 

This latest little trip took me 100 miles up the road to Parkville BC to camp in a forest of mature Douglas Fir/Cedar/Arbutus (Madrona) trees. I've been coming here since I was a child and it is a joy to be outdoors and then retreat to the cozy T@B.  

This was an almost 'dry' camping trip with occasional use of the sink and gray water tank just for washing dishes. Such luxury! Despite the Covid restrictions, 'no service in winter' campgrounds are open here, with mandatory contact tracing, recognizing the need for recreation. I'd say about 1/2 of the campers were out solo like me

Rathtrevor Provincial Park, Vancouver Island BC

 

Sharon_is_SAM

Well, not completely dry!  Sounds like you just made a deposit into your gray tank!

pthomas745

Did you try out your solar?

Mellow_Yellow

@pthomas745 - Two barriers to trying out the new solar panels:
1. So far, the new lithium battery has not discharged from "full" - even after 2 x 48-hour trips and some driveway usage (boo-hoo! lol). I even thought my wifi battery monitor might be faulty, so I hooked up the charger. Nope. Still fully charged. While boondocking in "winter mode", the only battery drain are the LED lights and the Alde (on propane). When it's warmer, I'll be using the water pump and FFan. So perhaps I'll see some drain on the battery then.
2. Very cloudy skies

pthomas745

I would try to make your solar work and see how your batteries react as much as you can on your "test" trips.  Crank the fan.  Turn on some TV. See how your monitor reacts. (The trailer is much more efficient than you might think).    Stick the panel out there in the cloudy day and see how it reacts.  Panels still work in "very cloudy skies", and it is a nice thing to learn.  Especially on your short trips close to home. 

I live in Socal, and on our cloudy "marine layer" totally overcast days....my panel still recharges my battery.  Might take an hour longer, but they are still gathering power.

Mellow_Yellow

pthomas745 said:

I would try to make your solar work and see how your batteries react as much as you can on your "test" trips.  Crank the fan.  Turn on some TV. See how your monitor reacts. (The trailer is much more efficient than you might think).    Stick the panel out there in the cloudy day and see how it reacts.  Panels still work in "very cloudy skies", and it is a nice thing to learn.  Especially on your short trips close to home. 

I live in Socal, and on our cloudy "marine layer" totally overcast days....my panel still recharges my battery.  Might take an hour longer, but they are still gathering power.

Great advice, thank you! I removed the television so that isn't an option, but one sure fire way to drain the battery a bit would be to switch the fridge over to "battery" for a few minutes. This we know! And yes, the T@B is a clever little trailer. I'm continually amazed!

pthomas745

Good for you.  Yes, the fridge would do the trick.  Just another thing to get used to:  how the solar will react in different situations.

MarkAl

My wife and I rented a 2017 320 for over a week to make a decision on the small size. We loved the trailer and were also VERY impressed by the many Provincial Parks on the island. I like that they leave the parks open with no facilities - I wish ours did.

Mellow_Yellow

Hi @MarkAl- The provincial govt recognizes that the parks are really important to our mental health. It is all quite carefully managed - none of the group facilities, even picnic shelters, are open and you have to declare who is in your campsite with you. More parks are opening up and reservations will be available soon, but just to BC residents for now. The T@B is so self-contained, it is ideal for the present circumstances.