Dale Helman and his mods to his former 2015 T@B 320S Sofitel

Dalehelman

Sofitel’s were a limited production all aluminum exterior Tab with special features not found on other models. This one owner trailer has been garage stored from day one. There are many custom upgrades through out. 

Here are pictures of just a few upgrades and modifications.

LED lighting 

Articulating folding table

Duel battery disconnect, USB port, battery monitor, 400 watt inverter 

Simulated teak and holy floor

Residential single valve shower with  Oxygenic shower head

Roll out storage drawers 

Glass top stove and sink

Honda duel fuel EU 2000 inverter generator with automatic transfer switch 

Removable tongue jack

Omni non directional TV antenna 

Low profile vent cover

Sewer hose and ladder storage 

Scissor power assist rear  leveling jacks

Duel batteries and wheel lock

Power assist tongue jack

Marceline

Noooooooooooo! 😫

Tabaz

Dale - please tell us your moving up to a 400.  You can't leave the fold.  Seriously, you can't.

Verna

I just talked to Dale. They are not sick, which was my first worry. They have not been able to camp because of no vacancies at the state parks. They’re going to try boating for a while, but Dale promises to visit here as much as he can!  Three young grandkids and babysitting them takes a lot of his spare time. 

dragonsdofly

@Tabaz, I believe in my soul that Dale will ALWAYS & FOREVER be a member of the t@b family. He has more T@b University badges than anyone. But, I second the sentiment, Dale, we really wish this wasn't so. However, best of luck if this is the direction your road takes you. -Jim & Denise

Tabaz

Boating? Boating?  Really, boating? Anyone wanting to buy a boat should watch this video.  This young man does an excellent job of describing the true costs in time and money of owning a boat.  I was stunned by his observations.  Makes owning a T@B (even with the Alde) a walk in the park.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G_crLahy7E

Tabaz

This sign on Dale's T@B just breaks my heart.  What a piece of T@B history.  No one, and I mean no one has advanced our enjoyment of these wonderful trailers as Dale.  His mods were creative and inspired.  I grin each and every time I use my cordless drill to raise or lower the tongue of my trailer because of a Dale Mod.  OK, I get it.  Dale had only 16 feet of trailer to modify.  He ran out of modifiable space.  Time to move on.  Those in the boating world, revel in your gain while we in the T@B world mourn the loss of a wonderful colleague and master of enhancing the enjoyment of our beloved T@Bs.  Dale and Sandy, God's speed. You will always be welcomed at our campfires.  Please stay in touch.  We already miss you both.

Dalehelman

We still love our Tab, but it’s almost impossible to get a reservation at a state or national park. Unless you plan sometimes 6 months ahead. Heck there’s still snow on the ground here. Our favorite Idaho state park increased there rate to $64 a night. We no longer travel south for the winter which is when we used our Tab the most. We have one of the most beautiful lakes in the country only 30 minutes away, lake Coeur d’Alene. So if I want to boat camp “I don’t need no stinking reservations”, and I can drop my hook anywhere on is 50 mile length. We have almost always owned some kind of a boat so nothing new. I just find myself buying slower and slower ones these days. Mainly because I’m getting there much faster than I want to. Currently in the market for a Nordic Tug. We have made so many friends because of our Tab. I plan to continue following the forum. You know lurking in the hallways. So this is not good by.

Dalehelman

@Tabaz  
If you guys get Tanzonia rolling again keep an I out for me. Many thanks for the kind words. You make me feel so good.

Tabaz

Dale - Wendy and Cindy have been doing an unbelievably outstanding job of running T@Bazona these past several years. Call me physic, but if you and Sandy want to attend T@bazona in the future, I can guarantee you a free T@B during your stay.   

Tabaz

Looks like you and Sandy will also be getting free airfare and the use of a rental car during your stay.  Please coordinate with Wendy and Cindy as to dates of T@bazona 2022. How cool is this?

Marceline

Part of me wants to forbid anyone from buying this T@B so that Dale is stuck with us forever, and the other part wants to snap it up for myself. 

In any case, if you’re on this forum shopping for a T@B, today is your lucky day. 

@Dalehelman, I had a chance to check out a Ranger tug last weekend- super sweet. Definitely something to consider along with the Nordics. 

cbarnhill

OH NO!! NO, NO, NO!! This is sadness.  Dale:  please reconsider.  You know the campgrounds will open up=once these people who purchased RVS during the pandemic return them.  It won't be T@bazona without you and Sandy.  You can purchase an add-a-room and put the grandkids in there.....

Tabaz

Dale - This is the perfect solution for you!  Keep your T@B AND enjoy boating:

Dalehelman

Tabaz said:

Dale - This is the perfect solution for you!  Keep your T@B AND enjoy boating:

It was and is a thought.

Dalehelman

Gentlemen from Bend Oregon some 400 miles away is currently on his way to Spokane to pick up our,  I guess his T@B. He’s a fellow forum member and spotted my posting. I just spent a couple of days in Seattle and located a 2007 Ranger Tug 25 classic that had all my boxes checked off and then some. So it’s off to the bank Tuesday.

Verna

Great news, Dale!  I know you won’t be a stranger here. You can even post some photos of your new “floating camper” in the Camping category!  

Good luck!

Tell me when the deal is closed and I’ll make all these great comments into a discussion of their own so you can look back and see how much we appreciate you👍

Smooth sailing🥰

Tabaz

Well this looks like fun!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB41HzuAk1A

Verna

Neat!

Dalehelman

Verna said:

Great news, Dale!  I know you won’t be a stranger here. You can even post some photos of your new “floating camper” in the Camping category!  

Good luck!

Tell me when the deal is closed and I’ll make all these great comments into a discussion of their own so you can look back and see how much we appreciate you👍

Smooth sailing🥰

Are you trying to make me tear up?

Dalehelman

Here is Sandi and I next adventure. I am looking forward to many new mod projects in the future. The first is replacing the marine head with an Airhead composting toilet. Pump outs are few and far between.

Tabaz

I've started a GoFundMe page so that we can buy Dale one of these:

Tabaz

Just kidding or course. 

pthomas745

Did this series of pictures forget the most famous mod of all?  The single outlet black and gray tank mod?

Dalehelman

@Tabaz
You buy it I’ll wear it.

Dalehelman

pthomas745 said:

Did this series of pictures forget the most famous mod of all?  The single outlet black and gray tank mod?

It did not but the factory has stole most of the thunder on on that one. Since they do it for you now and I am ok with that. I know the truth.

Tabaz

You buy it I’ll wear it.

Done! PM me your mailing address and its yours.  Just a small token of thanks for all your great Mods.  The best of all time (for me at least) was the drill-operated tongue jack.

BrianZ

@Dalehelman
Dale, 
When I first saw that someone bought your T@B, I didn't even consider that you weren't getting a new one.  Now, I'm reacting like @Marceline & @Tabaz .   What you're doing makes sense though.  We just became grandparents 6 months ago, and until a couple weeks ago we hadn't been camping for six months either!  So I can appreciate that part.  "Camping" on a boat is an adventure too, and a boat can give you lots of projects to work on as well, if not more; although, you might not be able to do the mods at home in your garage!
I have to tell you that I keep a running list of mods I've done, and I have been annotating the ones that you inspired me to do, and there are a lot of them on the list with "(DH)" next to them.  And those are just the ones I was aware of that came from you, and they tend to be the ones with the biggest impact on how we do things better now.  So thanks for sharing all your ideas as well as inspiring me to come up with some of my own.
Thanks for all you've shared, and I hope we'll see you back here before long.  Bon voyage!

Marceline

Dalehelman said:

Here is Sandi and I next adventure…

Very jealous. 

Dalehelman

@BrianZ
Thank you you are very kind. It has always been a great a joy of mine to spar with you. So many times you have come up with questions on my ideas that make me rethink my ideas for the better, and I thank you for that. I probably will never own another T@B, but I do plan on following my many friends on their T@B journeys. Even offering my two cents worth from time to time. 

Highest respect to you all Happy Camping 

Dalehelman

@Tabaz
Never been any good at the PM thing. Did you get it?