Excited Newbie looking for all sorts of advice!

vijay

Hi All, my wife and I are very excited (but also a bit nervous) about having just put down a deposit on a brand new 2021 TAB400 at Scatt Recreation in Roseville, California.

We originally went in to look at a used 2018 320 but happened to see a new TAB400 on the lot and ... well ... we bought it.

We're nervous because we are new to RVs and campers but were attracted to the TAB after we saw a few at a National Park when we were car camping late last year. We're in our 50s and relatively inexperienced RVers, and we've never towed anything either, but we figured that it can't be that hard to learn!

My very first order of business though is to buy a Tow Vehicle (yup, we quite literally put the cart before the horse!). My wife is fairly clear that she wants to drive an SUV and not a pickup.

So ... any advice on an SUV Tow Vehicle for nervous first-timers? Some research tells me our budget needs to be around $40K to $45K.

PS: I'm delighted  to discover this forum that seems so willing to share advice. We're happy to take advice/tips on any other matters too :-)

Tabaz

Welcome to the T@B family Vijay!!  What a great inquiry re tow vehicle selection.  I too do not appreciate the advantages of a pickup truck and prefer an SUV.  I have a 2010 Ford Expedition with just over 100,000 miles on it (V8 gas).  It does OK on the uphill mountain passes (no honking horns behind me for going too slow).  Would LOVE a diesel during these times.  I have a dear friend with a Chevy Silverado diesel that tows a 5th wheel.  My God, the torque he has in the mountains.  And now we have the electrics coming online (Tesla, et al) in 2021 and 2022. I have no advice for you, but look forward to hearing what others on this forum think, because you and I are in the same boat.   

Pintoplumber

Vijay, although I’m a Ford guy, we’re on our 3rd suburban. We still have our 2nd one, it has 279,000 miles on it. It’s a ‘94, our son wants it. We bought a 2017 with 47,000 miles last October for $38,000. We like a suburban because you can put so much inside that can be locked up. We got the max trailering package which bumps up the towing capacity to 8000 lbs because my car hauling trailer is that heavy. Took a little hunting to find the max trailering package. The new suburban has 120 more horsepower but gets better gas mileage. It also has WiFi which is nice. Dennis 

Radcat

Welcome to the community! You indicated you were interested in advice. Here is my 2 cents worth. My wife is a nurse, I was a Navy nuc and both of our training processes had one thing in common: mnemonics were used as training aids. When I bought my first trailer boat in the '80s, I made a number of towing mistakes so I came up with a mnemonic to do a quick safety check before we started out. Based on conversations with trailer folks over the years, I modified it to fit RV towing. It is not a substitute for a detailed checklist, but it may keep you out of trouble when you are pushed for check out time, last minute distractions come up, etc. You folks with more experience kick in ideas for improvement. Here is how it goes:

Before you tow it make sure you TOWED IT

T- Tongue; hitch properly latched, safety chains on, emergency brake cable attached, bicycle/cargo rack secure. Receiver, ball, firmly secured to vehicle.

O- Onboard storage. Check to make sure everything is secure and ready to ride including whatever you have in the battery/propane locker or anything hanging off cargo racks.

W- Weight distribution. Did you add gear that adversely affected your overall weight or tongue weight?

E- Electrical; plug secure, brake lights, turn signals, running lights, electric brakes all check out.

D- Disconnect; shore power, water, cable, drain hoses.

I-Inspect; overall walk-around looking for things like tree limbs on top, obstructions or damage done while parked (I had someone rear end a boat trailer in the parking lot and did not realize it until I backed it into the water).

T- Tires; inflation general condition.

Remember, there is always one more thing to think about on an RV. 

Marceline

Hi @vijay
If you and/or your wife are on Facebook we have a group for Northern California owners. Our next rally is in May (hopefully) and there will be another in October.
If you send me a direct message with your FB identity I'm a moderator there and I can accept you into that group. 

Denny16

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has a nice tow package and would do,well,towing a TaB400, more power than a Ford Expedition, and auto trailer sway control, along with factory trailer brake controller.  

What ever TV you decide on, you need a brake controller tomusemthenYaB brakes.  Test drive a few of the options mentioned here, rent ine thet yiummitht consider buying and give it a test, towing the TaB.
cheers

Michigan_Mike

This is an area of the forum that is often overlooked and that every new owner should browse through as it contains a wealth of helpful information.  

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/categories/video-resources

WayfaringStrangers

Welcome! 
We just picked up our new 2021 320 in January, but it's not our first T@B and we love them. We have towed with a Honda Pilot, currently a 2019 Honda Ridgeline, and a Ford Ranger. They all worked really well. 
I prefer the Ridgeline because it has the s lo ace of an SUV AND a bed with a lockable under bed trunk. 
Remember to turn off the economy setting when towing.