2021 320S vs CS-S and owner thoughts

ybakos

Hi T@bbers,
We've settled on trying to purchase a 2021 320 CS-S. Would any 320 CS-S owners here please share their thoughts and feedback? Do any of you regret not getting the outdoor kitchenette, or are you a 320S owner who wishes they had gone with the CS-S?

I am familiar with the numerous 2021 changes for the 320S, am I correct in understanding that the 2021 320CS-S has received all the same changes?

Thanks for any insight on the 2021 320S vs CS-S. Most of the comparisons in older threads here are for pre-2021 models.

Vikings

CS-S has worked well for us.  When too cold to use outside kitchen... if hooked up to shore power electric water kettle (?) works well for coffee, oatmeal, etc.  If no shore power we use a portable butane burner inside for water, coffee, etc. but are careful to ventilate cabin.  But most of the time outside kitchen is useable.  Even in rain.    

subfreq111

It's a matter of personal preference for sure, but we are so glad to have an indoor kitchen instead of the clamshell. Just this morning when we woke up in Glacier and it was 36 degrees outside, my wife remarked how glad she was to be cooking our breakfast inside in our pjs basking in the Alde warmth instead of shivering outside. Most of our dinners involve our portable grill anyway, so I do that outside while she makes other preparations inside, works well for us. 

Fiddlinmike

We have a 2019 320s, but I want to echo @subfreq111 on any model CS vs S decision.  Several times we’ve been happy we chose the inside kitchen because of weather.  There are many personal factors, of course- even just the “cuteness” - but it seems to me a major factor is how you like to cook .  We’re warm it up, not scratch cookers.  When we want a big production, there’s the Coleman stove or grill. Otherwise, we’re cozy in the S when it’s too early, cold or wet to go outside.

Pintoplumber

We love the clamshell. We do most of our cooking outside anyway, you don’t have to go inside to get something. My wife is a breakfast cook at a nursing home, so she cooks breakfast for the guys at Truckstock. We even bring scrapple and Teaberry ice cream for those unfamiliar with Pennsylvania foods.

ybakos

Thanks everyone for sharing the thoughts on the clamshell kitchen.

What about the seating / sleeping difference between the S and CS-S? It seems the S has a complete U-shaped orientation and the propped up / half-recline feature, while the 2021 CS-S really has two bench seats and no recline feature. Is that correct?

But most importantly, what about the size of the bed in the CS-S? The nuCamp site states the dimensions are 58" x 71" for the CS-S, which is less than 5 feet one way, and less than 6 feet the other way! I am not a giant, but am 5'11" and these dimensions seem surprisingly tight. Are those dimensions accurate?

The CS sleeping area is 71" x 72" according to nuCamp specs, which is at least close to 6x6 feet.

Slackers

We have a 19 CSS.  Both of us are 5'-8" tall.  We started sleeping diagonally on the CSS's shorter mattress but now sleep side-to-side (heads on passenger side).  Regarding the earlier part of this thread we're formerly tent campers and love the outdoor kitchen.  If weather is particularly bad we can reach into the pass-thru cabinets and grab a pop-tart or bagel for breakfast.  If connected to shore power then we have coffee inside via our compact Kuerig coffee maker.

Dereco

We faced the same choice, with initial preference for the CS-S. But ultimately we opted for the S. The bed is bigger which is a factor, and with a propane stove and a few gadgets, we have an outside kitchen on the picnic table, and then the inside kitchen when needed (we rarely use, but nice to have). With the CS-S, you have the outside kitchen, but cooking inside is typically not an option. Another factor, when we camp, we use the site to the side of the trailer, that is where the firepits are, the picnic tables, etc. Around back - though of course not far - seemed out of the way. In our experience, that has been the case. The sites we have used often are not too deep...but tend to be wider. And finally, if we stop in a Walmart or ferry terminal, the idea of opening up the back to cook is less appealing, but we can cook inside easily enough no matter the locale (or weather) with the S.  I still look at the CS-S with fondness, all incorporated (sometimes think about a Tag to scratch that itch, but just a thought), but for the above reasons we went the other way. Either way, enjoy! 

Sharon_is_SAM

I believe the 2021 CSS still has a Norcold frig, no?  It is less efficient than the 2021 320 S Isotherm frig.

If you have any qualms about bed size you should not even consider the CSS.  Regarding the inside seating, we spend 90% of our time outdoors (side tent is a huge bonus).  The only time we break down the bed is with inclimate weather.  We manage just fine using some solid bed slats as a table.  I remove the back cushion of a bench and use our rolled bedding to recline against the rear wall.  All in all, pretty comfy.  The 2021 CSS has the pull out slats like the S model, so, in that case we might use the Lagun table.

rfuss928

We roll our bedding including the memory foam mattress to the rear and set up only the front half of the benches.  This way we can sit up at the table or recline lengthwise with the table between us while watching video on a laptop setting on the front shelf.  Although it only takes a couple minutes, we only make the switch from the bed in weather conditions that push us inside.  As others have pointed out, we keep the toaster, tea pot and snacks in the pass thru cabinets for easy access inside or out.  The CS kitchen is what set the T@B apart from all other similar size trailers for us.

Lawyerboy

We have a 2018 cs s and I am the taller at 5' 9", and we sleep head at the door side to watch tv.  You might need the longer bed option of the s, not cs-s, but we love our galley kitchen, and the ability to have another space in the outdoors.  We did not want to cook in it, because we camp to enjoy the outdoor experience.  So, we do the kettle for coffee and tea too, when cold, but we so far, have enjoyed it, and we have a 7 night journey to the north Georgia Mountains coming up soon, and cannot wait to put that GA sticker on our US Map on the side of her.  And, we put a 10 x 10 pop up over the rear galley door so we have useable space if the weather is sketchy.

SubaruLou

I have a 2019 S and decided on that model for the larger sleeping area. If I'm alone, I will sleep wheel to wheel with just the back reclined to keep the table set up. However, when I road trip with my two kids (11 & 15), all three of us can fit sleeping back to front. I actually prefer that, because I like to hang my feet off the bed when lying on my stomach. I use my T@b when going from TX to AZ or WI to visit family. It is a two day drive, so we often stay overnight at a rest stop or similar so I like having the kitchen inside to make breakfast before we hit the road again.

Verna

I bought my first T@B, 2014 T@B S Max, because of the challenges of boondocking with the battery using the two-way (DC and AC) Norcold fridge.  While I do normally cook outside frequently on my Coleman, it is so nice to fix breakfast inside because the world is not ready for me before my breakfast!  (There’s a possibility that I’m not ready for the world, too…).

Fast forward to selling my house and fulltiming in a new 2019 T@B 400–no option there, as there is an inside kitchen. 

Fast forward to finding my dream home 2 years later and realizing the 320 size is a better fit to me, with an inside kitchen. I’m extremely happy with the 2021 T@B 320S with the inside kitchen. I can still cook outside, if I choose. 

Da_Birds

We have the CS-S and as others have said, it's very much a personal preference. If you are tall (we are not) the bigger bed in the S model may be an important factor. Other than that it really comes down to how and where you like to camp or cook. We are former "weekend warrior" tent campers that like to cook outdoors and we see our T@B as more of a tent on wheels rather than a home on wheels. We do a lot of our cooking on the fire with either a grate or a dutch oven. We also like to cook together and with an indoor kitchen the wife would need to be inside making the sides etc while I was outside cooking. We always have some provisions to get by on that need little or no cooking if weather is that bad. We are typically never that far away from a restaurant if we get desperate or lazy.

We also like having the additional cabinet space and that extra counter space to use inside as well as the additional countertop space you get in the outdoor kitchen. We use that indoor counter space to charge our electronics at night, it's also an extension of the bathroom where we put our toiletries when were washing up. That counter and the cabinets get enough use as it is so I would prefer it not be our kitchen too. It's also nice not having to look at any dirty dishes you were too lazy to clean up and put away before bed. With the CS-S you can leave that pot\pan to soak or the dishes etc from that late nite snack and just close the clam shell and forget about it until the morning. In short, we just feel the 320 is too small for an indoor kitchen and we would still end up doing a lot of the cooking outside anyway. The outdoor speakers in the clam shell are nice to have when it's appropriate to use them if you like to listen to music or a ball game.

You really need to think about you're camping style and how you want to do you. There are pros and cons to both floor plans and one person's pro can be another person's con.

Mickerly

We chose the CS-S. We use the trailer primarily for camping. Having a climate controlled master bedroom is wonderful. We cook outside, eat outside, basically spend the day outside. In light rain the kitchen works fine. In thunderstorms, we snack from the pass through cabinets and cook later.

I'm 6 foot even. We sleep with our heads towards the door. Yes, I can touch both side walls. Moving up from a tent, there is plenty of space. I do sleep very well. The mattress size is fine for us. The CS kitchen is 28 inches wider than the inside kitchen. You can always add a folding table to gain additional prep area. Don't forget, the table can move outside. It makes a nice little breakfast nook. Then you get the dresser storage and countertop inside. If your are on hookups, an electric kettle provides coffee or tea before meeting the new morning.

We are both retiring in about 6 years and have discussed getting a trailer to travel with. It needs to be small enough to maneuver while driving through town but must have both a dinette and bed at the same time. Looking at trailers up to 20ft, we have more storage and a larger kitchen in our little CS.

The down side are the available accessories. There are awnings and side tents of all types; however, the CS needs accessories oriented to the rear and not the side. We went with a Coleman 13 x 13 and move it around to match what we need at the moment. 

Pick the trailer that fits what you are wanting to do. We choose camping.

pak

2017 CS-S. We are mostly summer season fair weather campers. Former Alaskan tent campers who tired of challenging wx and bugs(skeeters, biting flies and gnats). We now live in Ea.Wa. and usually head South to the drier states or Eastern BC, Ca. for our outings. We are not tall big people both less than 5'9" so the bed and ceiling clearence is perfect. Seems to work for us just fine. Have fun with yours.